TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

Tuld by the Pioneers
istence stimulated by an army post located where the asylum now is,
and Seattle, the present giant of the Northwest, was a hamlet composed
of a few people living upon their original pre-emption claims.
Olympia's means of communication in those days was by a stage
line to the south, coaches leaving every other morning and returning
every second day, providing' the axles were strong enough to withstand
the awful roads. To the north, on the Sound, the Eliza Anderson,
a side-wheeler, with a walking beam, plied, leaving the head of
the Sound Sunday night at 12 0 'clock and returning some time during
the latter part of the same week. It costs one $15 to make the trip
one way to Victoria, berths and meals extra. Each trip the old steamer
would go out loaded with passengers and freight, many cattle being
driven in and shipped this way, which made the route a very profitable
one, together ·with a mail contract, and during the many years
of her service the old Anderson probably earned her weight in gold.
·When the Alaska gold discovery was made she was sent up to run on
a northern route and was wrecked.
An incident of my early life occurred, beyond my recollection, but
of which I was told by my parents. My father being sheriff of Thurston
county, he held in custody an Indian named Yelm Jim, who was
arrested for murder . In those days domestic help could not be had.
Any woman arriving in the country could be married in fifteen minutes
if she chose. The house wife was thus dependent solely upon the
squaws. To supply this deficiency in our own household, on especially
hard days for my mother, my father would heavily iron Yelm Jim
and bring him to the house as a playmate for me and thus relieve a
tired housekeeper of the added care of a troublesome child. To the
day of my departure from home at the age of eighteen, Yelm Jim was
my firm friend.
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Among the boys of those early days still resident in the state, were
Harry McElroy, well and favorably known, still a resident of Olympia;
the Percivals, Sam and John, well known in Thurston county;
Sam \roodruff, superintendent of the Home for Feeble ~lindM at
Medical Lake; Sam Crawford, of the firm of Crawford and Convery
of Seattle, a pioneer real estate firm; Gilmore Parker, who was long.
a steamboat man on the Sound, and who recently died in Seattle;
James P. j1""erry, son of Governor Ferry, now a resident of Seattle;
the McFaddens, Frank, James, Cal and Rob, sons of Judge O. B. Mc­
Fadden, all of whom are still living except James; James Frazier,
still a surveyor in Olympia; the Garfields, ·William and Charles, the
former dead and the latter living in Alaska; H. E. Allen, a younger
brother of Senator Jno. B. Allen, who was a promising lawyer in Spokane
until poor health caused his retirement from the profession be-
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