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> <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pioneers</strong><br />
We arrived at Bawfaw Sept. 25, 1859. My grandfa<strong>the</strong>r, T. R. Roundtree,<br />
was living <strong>the</strong>re. He had twenty-eight acres <strong>of</strong> wheat yet to cut,<br />
so we all went to work and soon had it in <strong>the</strong> shock. 'rhe fall <strong>of</strong> '59<br />
grandfa<strong>the</strong>r butchered and baconed sixty head <strong>of</strong> hogs. When <strong>the</strong> bacon<br />
was ready he had two big wagon loads. One four-horse wagon<br />
Uncle Mart Roundtree drove, and one three-yoke ox wagon I drove,<br />
and grandfa<strong>the</strong>r went along on horseback to Olympia. It took us five<br />
days to make <strong>the</strong> trip. Bacon was <strong>the</strong>n worth twenty-eight cents.<br />
Uncle Mart Roundtree was <strong>the</strong>n sheriff <strong>of</strong> Lewis Countv.<br />
•<br />
County went to Olympia to hold court.<br />
Lewis<br />
In <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1860 I started to school in Bawfaw to a teacher <strong>by</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Taylor. Meanwhile, Mr. John Hogue wanted me to go<br />
to work for him on his farm. So I quit school and went to work for<br />
$1.50 per day and board and bed. The work was hard, but <strong>the</strong> grub<br />
was extra fine. When harvest started, Hogue gave me $2 per day to<br />
<strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> threshing'. Hogue had a reaper and thresher. He cut and<br />
threshed three or four crops besides his own, so it was a long' job.<br />
When we finished threshing, I and George Hogue's bro<strong>the</strong>r got a<br />
canoe and went down <strong>the</strong> Chehalis River to Grays Harbor. Hogue<br />
was going on a business trip, and I went along' to see <strong>the</strong> country. For<br />
fun I took a shotgun and plenty <strong>of</strong> shot and powder. I manned <strong>the</strong><br />
bow <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> canoe, Hogue <strong>the</strong> stern. We had our camp kit along.<br />
Every time I saw something to shoot at I would grab my gun and<br />
shoot. Soon Hogue began to growl and <strong>the</strong> longer, <strong>the</strong> worse. He<br />
got still madder at me, and when we got down to Red Rock on <strong>the</strong><br />
Harbor, where <strong>the</strong> James boys were living with <strong>the</strong>ir two sisters, who<br />
were keeping house for <strong>the</strong>m, Hogue got stuck on <strong>the</strong> eldest one and<br />
stayed <strong>the</strong>re for three and one-half days. That morning he told me<br />
we would start about ten o'clock when <strong>the</strong> tide went out.<br />
I told him I would stay in sight <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> front gate, when he was<br />
ready to start, to wave his hat and I would come. He waved for me,<br />
so I came up and asked him if he had settled our bill, we had stayed<br />
<strong>the</strong>re all <strong>the</strong> time. He answered me, "I have settled my own bill."<br />
The girls were standing on <strong>the</strong> porch. I walked to <strong>the</strong> porch and asked<br />
<strong>the</strong>m how much I owed <strong>the</strong>m. The oldest one said "Young men and<br />
married men, we don't charge anything, but bachelors and widowers<br />
we make <strong>the</strong>m pay." Hogue was a widower and <strong>the</strong>y charged him<br />
$7. He was close enough to hear what <strong>the</strong>y said to me, so he growled<br />
at me all <strong>the</strong> way up to <strong>the</strong> mouth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Yeaucha River.<br />
We stayed overnight <strong>the</strong>re and in <strong>the</strong> morning I took my blankets<br />
and gun and struck out a-foot for Bawfaw. Part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>re<br />
was no trail. Hogue couldn't manage <strong>the</strong> canoe alone, so he left it and<br />
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