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 />
EMMA FUNK<br />
(, Grandma" S alings' Story<br />
Walla Walla County<br />
The second year, we built a hewed log house, and it was barely finished<br />
when <strong>the</strong> terrible winter <strong>of</strong> 1861-62 came upon us shortly after<br />
<strong>the</strong> birth <strong>of</strong> mv third child.<br />
•<br />
Snow began falling on Christmas day, <strong>the</strong>n, after it had snowed until<br />
we could no longer see <strong>the</strong> fence tops, it rained and froze a heavy<br />
coat <strong>of</strong> ice over <strong>the</strong> snow. It was agonizing to <strong>the</strong> cattle, for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
legs and bodies were cut and bleeding. No food could be reached <strong>by</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong>v died <strong>of</strong> starvation and cold. We lost our entire herd<br />
•<br />
during that winter, for <strong>the</strong> snow lay under <strong>the</strong> grip <strong>of</strong> ice until ~farch.<br />
Not onlv .. <strong>the</strong> animals suffered. I walked <strong>the</strong> floor with mv .. ba<strong>by</strong> ..-<br />
held in my arms to keep her warm. My older child became seriously<br />
ill and I called <strong>the</strong> post doctor to treat her, since he had been called<br />
to see my sister-in-law who was suffering from typhoid fever less<br />
than half a mile away. \Ve tore down our fences that we might use<br />
<strong>the</strong> posts for fuel, and even our poor home-made furniture was burned<br />
to keep us warm, since it was impossible to get to <strong>the</strong> timber to cut<br />
fuel. I shall never forget that terrible time, for it ,vas <strong>the</strong>n that my<br />
husband and I, with our small children, had to begin life anew because<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> loss <strong>of</strong> our cattle, our principal means <strong>of</strong> livelihood being <strong>the</strong><br />
sale <strong>of</strong> milk and butter.<br />
White flour was being sold for $10 a sack at <strong>the</strong> Walla Walla post,<br />
this being <strong>the</strong> price it brought when sold to <strong>the</strong> miners in <strong>the</strong> Coeur<br />
d'Alenes. We ground our own limited supply <strong>of</strong> wheat in a c<strong>of</strong>fee<br />
mill and I made mush for mv.' children and coarse wheat bread for mY.<br />
husband and myself. By economizing in <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> our small store<br />
<strong>of</strong> winter vegetables, we managed to survive until spring, when we<br />
planted a garden and cut timber.<br />
EARLY DAYS IN QUILCENE<br />
•<br />
As Told By Samuel H. Cottle<br />
Jefferson County<br />
In <strong>the</strong> winter <strong>of</strong> 1879-80 <strong>the</strong>re was a four-foot fall <strong>of</strong> SHOW which<br />
came in January and hung on ulltillate in March. When it was deepest,<br />
it took me half a day to go from my place to my uncle's, a distance<br />
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