Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

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Told by the Pioneers ter themselves on the range, while the hay was intended for the weak cows and calves. The hay was soon gone and father would go out and chop down maple trees so that the cattle could eat the buds and tender twigs, while we boys would take our little axes and go out and help by cutting vine-maple and willow and alder for the same purpose. 'When a tree 'would fall how the cattle would flounder through the snoW for the fresh twigs. As this cold spell lasted for about three months the cattle soon began to die and nearly every morning a new victim ,,,ould be found lying dead and cold from starvation. In many cases their stomachs were literally punctured by the woody parts they had been eating. This cold spell lasted so long that many of the cattle lay in their tracks frozen and in perfect shape for weeks. And while we started into the winter with fifty head of cattle, we came out with only twenty-three head. I remember that during that long cold winter we had four people call on us at one time, Ellen and Jane 'Vest, two girls and their escorts, who walked ten miles up the Columbia slough on the ice and snow to see if we were dead or alive. Also one man, by the name of Stout Bryant, walked seven miles from the upper Clatskamine over ice and snow to find out our condition. I remember hearing the latter say that he could walk on the crust of the snow for quite a distance then all at once the crust would give way and he would be dropped down in the brush and loose snow only to flounder out in order to pursue his course. It was certainly a relief to father and mother to see these faces after two months of absolute isolation. There were plenty of elk, deer, coons and wildcats in this section and some cougar, the latter animal above all we dreaded to meet, as they were powerful and spry as cats. I can now more fully realize what that terrible winter meant to father and mother with a house full of little helpless children, the oldest eleven and the youngest a babe. It must have taken a great deal of courage to face and endure the conditions prevailing at that time. This was the second winter we had spent in this isolated place and by far the worst we ever spent in the \Vest. Disheartened at what we had been forced to endure through this dreadful winter, father and mother determined not to pass another such winter. So in the spring they planned to move to a farm near Portland. \Ve ,,,ere about ten days in making' this trip from the Clatskamine slough to Portland, less than one hundred miles, and we made it with another family in a large flatboat or scow. As we started early in the spring, we encountered flood waters, from the melting snow, with scows, boats, logs, lumber, houses, parts of mills, flour and even dead animals floating down the river. We landed in Portland and had no trouble in disposing of the ,-egetables that we brought with us, such as potatoes and turnips, and soon moved to our new home near Portland, where for the first time 57
Told by the Pioneers we enjoyed the privilege of church and school. Here is where we were permitted to attend our first school and were required to speak our first pieces before the school. In the fall of 1863 we retraced our route down the Columbia en route for Washington Territory. This time we were accompanied by Rev. ,Veston and family. We were towed to Cowlitz landing by a tug boat, starting from Portland in a large flat boat or scow. We were met at the Cowlitz by extra teams, to help us across the country, furnished by Dr. Chas. H. Spinning and Uncle Stephen D. Ruddell. We were ten days coming across and landed near Steilacoom fifty-seven years ago this fall, a trip that now requires only five hours by train. This last move was perhaps the best we ever made. In 1865 we moved to the Puyallup Valley, surrounded by a vast wilderness, some eight hundred Indians and a few settlers having settled from one end of the Valley to the other, namely, the Bonneys, Wrights, Wollerys, Kincaids, McCartys McMillans, Millers, Thompsons, Meekers, Mores, Nixes, Lanes, Whitsells, Carsons and 'Valkers. We soon got acquainted and they made good neighbors. At this time there was no Sumner, no Puyallup, no Tacoma. Steilacoom was the City of the Sound with only Olympia and Seattle as the possible rivals. The latter was then a small trading post, which received its weekly mail from Steilacoom via Puyallup Valley, delivered bv a mailcarrier on horseback. • I want to say in closing that while we love to recall some of the scenes that our parents passed through, yet ·we prefer to look forward, as some one has said, "Our view is toward the sunrise of tomorrow with its progress and its eternal promise of better things." The Pioneer has no time to sit in the shadow of the setting sun looking backwards. He must ever be in the vanguard, with a vision for the future, surrounded by the beauties of nature and nurtured under conditions of mind and body expansion incident to Pioneer life. I am sure that we have not fully appreciated our privileges. We may not have had the advantages in the way of a scholastic education equal to our favored Eastern cousins, but to have been a pioneeI'; to have had these experiences; to have been the offspring of a vigorous parentage, to have lived and loved among the birds, trees, flowers, hills, valleys and mountains of the West, is a privilege that Princes and Kings might envy. I recall reading an article by Roger 'V. Babson on the "Joy of Seeing." He says, "They who possess that sight are richer than millionaires-they who possess the ability to see the beauties around them are rich bevond the claims of avarice." • 58
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T i.1) BY .. •• REMINISCENCES O
Page 3 and 4: WASHINGTON PiONEER PROJECT ADVISORY
Page 5 and 6: Told by the Pioneers FOREWORD 'rhe
Page 7 and 8: -- TABLE OF CONTENTS-- Continued A
Page 9 and 10: Told by the Pioneers Their next mov
Page 11 and 12: Told by the Pioneers As soon as I a
Page 13 and 14: To~d by the Pioneers rolled; later
Page 15 and 16: Built NewZJort Homes Told by the Pi
Page 17 and 18: Told by the Pioneers and Mrs. Livd
Page 19 and 20: Told by the Pioneers remain awake.
Page 21 and 22: Sorne Pioneer Adrice Told by the Pi
Page 23 and 24: Told by the Pioneers of 73. :Mr. Sa
Page 25 and 26: Told by the Pioneers on the Hoh Riv
Page 27 and 28: west from the end of the rails. in
Page 29 and 30: Told by the Pioneers sr'E CLAYTON B
Page 31 and 32: Totd by the Pioneers artificial flo
Page 33 and 34: Told by the Pioneers Walla Walla In
Page 35 and 36: Told by the Pioneers were driven in
Page 37 and 38: Told by the Pir.neers A grave in th
Page 39 and 40: Told by the Pioneers KELSEY CONGOR
Page 41 and 42: Told by the Pioneers matches, 1,200
Page 43 and 44: Told by the Pioneers Here is someth
Page 45 and 46: Told by the Pioneers They returned
Page 47 and 48: Told by the Pioneers Egypt" and the
Page 49 and 50: Told by the Pioneers Mrs. J. P. Hoy
Page 51 and 52: Told by the Pioneers The beautiful
Page 53: Told by the Pioneers down his bushe
Page 57 and 58: Told by the Pioneers A :Mr. Lucas,
Page 59 and 60: Told by the Pioneers River. Father
Page 61 and 62: Told by the Pioneers sand miles of
Page 63 and 64: Told by the Pioneers other. "There
Page 65 and 66: Told by the Pioneers sage brush, as
Page 67 and 68: Told by the Pioneers way, as I reme
Page 69 and 70: Told by the Pioneers summits. It wa
Page 71 and 72: Told by the Pioneers smelled so str
Page 73 and 74: Told by the Pioneers saw it anywher
Page 75 and 76: Told by the Pioneers Landing. When
Page 77 and 78: Told by the Pioneers In the winter
Page 79 and 80: Told by the Pioneers Mr. Shazer of
Page 81 and 82: Tuld by the PiMleers Madam; I have
Page 83 and 84: Told by the Pioneers on the prairie
Page 85 and 86: Told by the Pioneers Chinook langua
Page 87 and 88: Told by the Pio11eers Before mo\-in
Page 89 and 90: Told by the Pioneers musket in my a
Page 91 and 92: Told by the Pioneers in all the non
Page 93 and 94: Told by the Pioneers goods box and
Page 95 and 96: Told by the Pioneers under it. When
Page 97 and 98: Told by the Pioneers came Oll and o
Page 99 and 100: Totd by the Pioneers proud of 'what
Page 101 and 102: Told by the Pioneers In the spring
Page 103 and 104: Told by the Pioneers In the fall of
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Told by the Pioneers bear trail. \V
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a piece two inches above the head.
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Told by the Pioneers house and barn
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Told by the Pioneers than three mon
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Told by the Pioneers of them-were t
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Told by the Pioneers ping at Col. E
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Told by the Pioneers hand. Threshin
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Told by the Pioneers that time the
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Told by the Pioneers Loren Bingham
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Told by the Pioneers Port Townsend,
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Told by the Pioneers was part owner
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Told by the Pioneers HUGH ELDRIDGE
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Told by the Pioneers white settlers
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Told by the Pioneers British Columb
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Told by the Pioneers to the importa
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Told by the Pioneers that this "was
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Totd by the Pioneers In this connec
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Told by the Pioneers fact that he h
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Told by the Pioneers mox was killed
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Told by the Pioneers a lasting peac
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Told by the Pioneers The immigratio
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Told by the Pioneers $55 per month
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Told by the Pioneers The land claim
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Told by the Pioneers is on this (\V
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Told by the Pioneers ~1r. Espy beca
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Told by the Pioneet·s two of the C
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Told by the Pioneers teacher here.
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Told by the Pioneers "sports" with
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Told by the Pioneers that after hoo
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Told by the Pioneers MRS. TV. C. GR
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Told by the Pioneers off the table
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The hotel was also headquarters for
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Told by the Pioneers tea kettle wou
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Told by the Pioneers "He deeded the
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To~d by the Pioneers tians of many
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Told by the Pioneers Mr. Munks had
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Told by the Pioneers beach, picking
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Told by the Pioneers for making pil
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Told by the Pioneers and four bedro
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Told by the Pioneers standing and f
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Told by the Pioneers MRS. P. ll. SC
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Told by the Pioneers nearby, in a h
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Told by the Pioneers stead, who was
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Told by the Pioneers The pioneers o
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Told by the Pioneers Provisions wer
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Told by the Pioneers country, where
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Told by the Pioneer grass still gre
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A Little Incident Told by the Pione
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Told by the Pioneers I got a postof
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Told by the Pioneers Tacoma, we cam
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Told by the Pi(meers on heavy strap
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Told by the Pioneers and got the co
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Told by the Pioneers of merchandise
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Told by the Pioneers to the 200 men
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Told by the Pioneers ';Vhen the you
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Told by the Pioneers With the comin
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Logging in Mason County Told by the
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Told by the Pioneers played this mo
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INDEX Benton, 149 Benton, Maine, 16
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INDEX Cold Spring Canyon, 13 Colfax
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INDEX Engle, A. W., Mrs., 51 Engle,
Page 227 and 228:
INDEX Hays, Logan, 82 Hearn, Lamber
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INDEX Ketchikan, Alaska, 127 Kimbal
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INDEX Montgomery, William (Bill), 1
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'SDEX Polk, 1 'i 5 Polk County, Ore
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INDEX Second National Bank, Colfax,
Page 237 and 238:
INDEX Touchet Valley, 134, 135, 150
Page 239:
INDEX Yakima River, 15 Yakima Valle
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Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

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