TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
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Told<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pioneers<br />
cringe <strong>by</strong> making a show <strong>of</strong> touching him upon <strong>the</strong> back, so raw was<br />
<strong>the</strong> ayerage youngster from exposure to <strong>the</strong> sun's rays.<br />
Baseball, during <strong>the</strong> early days, and during <strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> underhand<br />
pitching, was a favorite amusement and Olympia always had a<br />
good club, plenty good enough to hold <strong>the</strong> championship o,-er <strong>the</strong> Victoria<br />
club, with which it played several games. This suggests an<br />
amusing incident: At <strong>the</strong> time when <strong>the</strong> San Juan archipelago was<br />
still in dispute al)(1 Emperor 'William had been accepted <strong>by</strong> both sides<br />
to <strong>the</strong> controversy as umpire, with <strong>the</strong> decision still unannounced,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was a big game to be played between Victoria and Olympia. The<br />
Olympia boys were preparing for <strong>the</strong>ir trip to Victoria when <strong>the</strong>re<br />
was posted upon a bulletin board on a "\Vestern Union telegraph blank,<br />
<strong>the</strong> following purported dispatch from 'Vashington: "Emperor 'Villiam<br />
has decided to let <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coming baseball game between<br />
Olympia and Victoria dictate his decision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> international boundary<br />
question." Olympia won, and Emperor 'William decided in favor<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lnited <strong>State</strong>s, but it is unlikely that he eYer heard <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
ball game. Bnt <strong>the</strong>re ,vere those who took <strong>the</strong> aboye dispatc11 as<br />
au<strong>the</strong>ntic.<br />
The great event <strong>of</strong> every boy's life his first circus I recall vividly.<br />
The tent was pitched upon <strong>the</strong> ground now occupied <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kneeland<br />
Hotel, Harris Building and <strong>the</strong> Capital National Bank. It was<br />
known as Bartholomew's, and was a good one for that day. It was<br />
brought across country, and arriving late, <strong>the</strong> preparations for <strong>the</strong><br />
performance were hurried. As a result, <strong>the</strong> seats fell three times,<br />
causing injuries to several persons. After <strong>the</strong> third trial, Bartholomew<br />
appeared and notified <strong>the</strong> people that he would refund <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
money 01' he would erect <strong>the</strong> seats and make ano<strong>the</strong>r trial at <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
•<br />
pleasme. The true Western spirit became evident and <strong>the</strong> cry went<br />
up:" Set 'em up again, we '11 sta~- "rith you all night," and <strong>the</strong>y did.<br />
The seco11(l circus visiting this section came <strong>by</strong> water from Portland,<br />
met with heav~c storms and lost much <strong>of</strong> its stock, and its performance<br />
was much impaired as a result.<br />
Looking backward, how insignificant incidents impress one. As<br />
<strong>the</strong> war had just closed and <strong>the</strong> Indian war spirit had not entirely died<br />
out, juyenile military companies were a fayorite diversion, which<br />
suggests an incident, showing <strong>the</strong> great political sagacity <strong>of</strong> Schooley<br />
Moore, who should be a politician now, instead <strong>of</strong> a timber cruiser.<br />
One enning, <strong>the</strong> candidates for Captain and First Lieutenant in <strong>the</strong><br />
local militia company were to be elected. Accordingly, Schooley went<br />
to each member confidentially and whispered: "Vote this ticket<br />
Smith for Captain, Treen for First Lieutenant, yourself for Second<br />
18