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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<strong>Told</strong><br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pioneers</strong><br />
standing and found what Mr. Griffin believes was <strong>the</strong> big'gest buck<br />
eyer killed on <strong>the</strong> island.<br />
:Mrs. King was well pleased with <strong>the</strong> evening's catch, but her husband<br />
was not. Anytime he had to shoot 15 times to get one deer did<br />
not look good to him, especially with his record as a successful deer<br />
hunter.<br />
Next morning, after breakfast, <strong>the</strong> mules were hitched to <strong>the</strong> wagon<br />
and Mr. King took <strong>the</strong> boys to <strong>the</strong> orchard, where <strong>the</strong> youngsters were<br />
excited to find four more deer besides <strong>the</strong> one <strong>the</strong>y had been led to expect.<br />
It was <strong>the</strong>n Mr. King began to brea<strong>the</strong> easier, for he had wondered<br />
what alibi he could <strong>of</strong>fer his friends for taking 15 shots to kill<br />
one deer. He felt sure <strong>the</strong> neighbors had heard <strong>the</strong> shooting and probably<br />
had counted each one, for his gun was <strong>of</strong> large calibre and made<br />
plenty <strong>of</strong> noise. The horns <strong>of</strong> all five <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deer were mounted.<br />
When <strong>the</strong>y first began hunting on Orcas Island with a lantern, it<br />
proved quite an improvement over <strong>the</strong> old way <strong>of</strong> shining with a pitch<br />
jack. The pitch jack was a home made affair, a heavy basket made <strong>of</strong><br />
wire or thin iron bands. This was fastened to a crooked pole about<br />
six feet long and filled with pitch, lighted and <strong>the</strong> pole carried on <strong>the</strong><br />
shoulder. This was not a successful method, being extremely danger~<br />
ous in dry wea<strong>the</strong>r. The falling piteh would set fire to <strong>the</strong> orchards<br />
and woods. Balls <strong>of</strong> rags saturated with kerosene were also used in<br />
<strong>the</strong> early days for fire hunting.<br />
ED. C. KING<br />
As <strong>Told</strong> <strong>by</strong> }II'. W. R. Griffin<br />
•<br />
·While reealling events <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> early days in San Juan County, Mr.<br />
'V. R. Griffin <strong>of</strong> East Sound told this story <strong>of</strong> Ed. C. King <strong>of</strong> East<br />
Sound.<br />
::"Ill'. King ,vas born in ·<strong>Washington</strong> county, Ohio, in 1860. ·When a<br />
lad <strong>of</strong> 19 years, }Ir. King visited a cousin in Illinois and while <strong>the</strong>re<br />
he and his cousin decided to move to Kansas. They fitted out two<br />
•<br />
wagons and drove through to <strong>the</strong> "promised land." They spent <strong>the</strong><br />
winter near Fort Riley and in <strong>the</strong> spring moved to <strong>the</strong> Solomon valley<br />
where <strong>the</strong>y rented a farm and planted 100 acres to corn, also stocked<br />
<strong>the</strong> place ·with 30 head <strong>of</strong> hogs and some cattle.<br />
One day a very severe hail storm killed all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pigs and five <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> calves, and broke all <strong>the</strong> windows on two sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house. \Vhile<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were surveying <strong>the</strong> damage caused <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> hail, Mr. King's cousin<br />
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