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TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

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Told<br />

<strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pioneers<br />

grown, at <strong>the</strong> age when <strong>the</strong> boys <strong>of</strong> today are completing high school~<br />

and he had held down <strong>the</strong> claim out in those lonely hills during <strong>the</strong><br />

Nez Perce war.<br />

On Monday morning, Sid hitched up a span <strong>of</strong> mules and we started<br />

for Colfax. I wanted to get settled for <strong>the</strong> winter and young Loomis<br />

thought a place belonging to an old man named Perkins could be rented.<br />

About half way to town we met Sam Crumaker. I yelled, "hello,<br />

Sam." He didn't know me. That morning' I had shaved <strong>of</strong>f a month's<br />

growth <strong>of</strong> beard and it had changed my looks.<br />

We told Sam to follow <strong>the</strong> mule tracks to <strong>the</strong> Loomis place and we<br />

drove on to Colfax. There we found Jim Perkins and rented his<br />

fa<strong>the</strong>r's claim. The land was on Dry Creek about seven miles north<br />

<strong>of</strong> Colfax. I was to have possession at once and was to give onethird<br />

<strong>of</strong> all I raised on <strong>the</strong> cultivated land and to have all I raised on<br />

any sod I broke. Back at <strong>the</strong> Loomis place I told Sam <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deal I<br />

had made and invited him to go into it with me.<br />

The next day we rode over to <strong>the</strong> Perkins place and cleaned out <strong>the</strong><br />

house, and <strong>the</strong> next day pulled our wagons over and set up housekeeping,<br />

two families in one little cabin, fourteen <strong>by</strong> sixteen feet, quite a<br />

houseful, myself and wife and <strong>the</strong> two children, Sam and his wife and<br />

Harry Lawrence.<br />

The cabin was built <strong>of</strong> quaking asp poles, <strong>of</strong> which <strong>the</strong>re was quite<br />

a grove near<strong>by</strong>. We were not bo<strong>the</strong>red much with furniture. We had<br />

a cook stove and <strong>the</strong>re was a fireplace at one end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cabin. 'Ve<br />

had a table nailed against <strong>the</strong> wall and we made some benches and:<br />

stools. We were happy in getting settled so easily for <strong>the</strong> winter.<br />

The trip up from <strong>the</strong> 'Villamette had taken about 30 days and it was<br />

now November.<br />

MRS. WILHELMINA VAN PRESSENTIN<br />

Skagit County<br />

I had <strong>the</strong> first sewing machine in this part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> country. Indians<br />

would come and want me to show <strong>the</strong>m how <strong>the</strong> machine could seW<br />

and when I did, <strong>the</strong> Indians would keep chuckling at <strong>the</strong> "magic" performed.<br />

I never cared much about having <strong>the</strong> Indians come into <strong>the</strong><br />

house for <strong>the</strong>y were unclean and smelled vile. I always had a big<br />

cleaning job after an Indian was in my house <strong>the</strong> few times I did allow<br />

it.<br />

180

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