28
THE SUNDAY OBEGOmAff, POKgLAJSD, AUGUST 26, 1900
REMINISCENCES OF PAGET- SOUND
Dr. W. F. Tolmie's Letter Relating to the Great Indian War Ac
count of the Hudson's Bay and Puet Sound Agri
cultural Corn panics By E Huggins.
PORT- JCI8QUALLT, W. T., Feb. 10,
18S8. To the Citizens of -Washington Ter-
ritory: The Hudson's Bay Company's post
at NisquaHy was established In 1833, the
Summer of which year I spent here, then
obtaining my first insight Into the pecu
liarities Vf Indian character. Since the
Summer of 3843 I have resided at Nlsqual
ly permanently. In the Summer of 1S45
American citizens. Messrs. Jackson, Ford,
Simmons. Crockett and others, began to
settle on the prairie between Cowllts
River and the shores of Puget Sound.
Mention was soon thereafter made to the
Indians, that ere long they would be paid
for their lands occupied by the whites;
and. as the natives in turn came to in
quire of,me. the white man of their ear
liest acquaintance present, my oft-repeated
explanations, and injunctions to peace and
good conduct on their parts, were the
first instances of my interference. Till '4?
nothing of Importance occurred to Inter
rupt the harmonious relations existing be
tween the whites and the Indians.
American citizens, on arriving in the
country found the native peacably dis
pofcd and friendly towards them, guilty,
only in xare and solitary instances, of
petty deHnquence5. which were easily
checked, and differing widely, as some
citizens of the territory subsequently
feund. from the wild, untamed savages of
Queen Charlotte's and the west coast of I
not think that there was a white man
In the country who did not entertain kind
ly and compassionate feelings toward the
Indians Inhabiting the districts, now
known as Thurston and Pierce Counties.
In May, 1849. a sudden-and, on our parts,
unprovoked affray took place here with
the Snoqualmle Indians then a compara
tively savage and predatory tribe ana lit
tle acquainted with the whites, when an
American citizen was shot deajd by the
Indians. In getting the perpetrators of
the murder delivered, I Tendered very
material assistance to the Indian agent of
that period, J. Quinn Thornton, Esq., and
to Captain B. H. Hill, of the United
StatesiArmy. to whom, at Steilacoom, In
the Fall of 49, were delivered up by the
tribe the six Indians who had here in
May fired upon the whites; and the two
most guilty of the murder were soon af
ter tried and executed at Fort Steilacoom.
1o the succeeding Indian agents. E. A.
Starling. Esq.. and subsequently Colonel
M. T Simmons, I rendered assistance
whenever requested.
Effort to Avert "War.
In the Summer and Fall of IKS, citizens
of Washington Territory. I brought every
thing in my power to bear, to preserve
peacoful relations between the whites and
the Indians. I had then, as Acting Gov
ernor Mason was at the time informed,
visit from the chiefs of almost every
tribe dwelling on these waters, several of
whom I had not previously seen for some
years. The one object of these visits was
to inquire of me, whether the evil con
sequences, so much dreaded, namely, ban
ishment to an imaginary "sunless coun
try," were- Teally to follow the sale of
their lands. Invariably, and in the strong
est language applicable, did I endeavor
to disabuse the minds of the Indians of
these foolish fears. I also, with equal
earnestness, assured them that they might
rely on the promises of the "American
chiefs," whose relations towards them
were In every respect benevolent. To
such as mentioned the proposals of Yaki
ma envoys to unite in war upon the Amer
icans I pointed out the -wickedness, as
v ell as the hopelessness, of such an un
dertaking, as likewise the utter 'ruin it
would bring upon the natives.
"With Acting Governor Mason, I was.
during this period, in frequent communi
cation relative to Indian affairs, and well
knowing that since the days of the Pil
grim Fathers, Indian wars have been us
ually inaugurated by treacherous murdeia
on their parts, especially were my efforts
'directed -to prevent participation in tho
then impending war, on the part of the
Indians dwelling- West of the Cascade
Mountains. I do not remember ever hav
ing mot Governor Stevens subsequent to
his return from the Blackfoot country in
the "Winter of '55 and 56, without hav
ing had lengthy conversations with him
on Indian affairs. In the Summer of 1S5G,
When he met the Nlsqually. Puyallup and
Jsooscope Indians, near Steilacoom, and
changed their reservations. I was pres
ent by his special invitation, and acted
as interpreter.
And now for the reasons why, from first
to last, I have interested myself in Lesh
chi's behalf. In 1S43 the Puget Sound
Company's flocks and herds, already num
bering several thousand head, had over
spread the prairies lying betw een the Nls
qualb and Puyallup Rivers, arid as in
feeding off the pastures they interfered
with the root-digging operations of the
nuirs, discontent and lll-feellng occa
sionally arose on this account. Another
and more frequent caiise of actual disturb
ance was the poisoning of Indian hunt
ing dogs by wolf-baits, or their being
thot b the shepherds when In the act
of worrying sheep. In July, 1S43, when I
cam" to reside nt Nlsqually, an Indian
was in irons in one of tho bastions, on sus
picion of having fired at and wounded
a Sandwich Island shepherd, with whom,
a few days before, he had had a squabble
about the kilting of a dog. Leshchl and
Quiemal, I found, had aided the whites
in capturing the Indian, and they were
then particularly known, the one as Mc
lean's friend, or "Shlkhs," and the other
as the frolnd of Taylor, these being the
names of the two white men who lived on
tho prairies, superintending the manage
ment of the sheep. From tho early days
the brothers wore noted for their readl
ross to assist the whites on all occasions,
and with the first American 6ettlers, they,
I think, obtained a similar reputation.
Lencht's Friendship.
In tho Fall jf 1S5S. as mentioned more
fully in ray letter to Governor McMullln,
now published. I pointed out Leshchl to
Gov ernor Mason as an Indian of superior
shrewdness, who. If properly managed,
might be mado very uoful in quieting the
Indian panic and preserving peace. With
this in view, I suggested himself and
brother a the fittest Indians to accom
panj Governor Mason on his visits to the
natives of White and Green Rivers which
they did, acting as Interpreters and guides.
On his return, in order to have the power
of closely observing his movements, I
give Leshchl employment as horseguard
on the plains, where ho would have been
oaily under the notice of white men. and
whence, it is my opinion, he would not
hae stirred for the "Winter, had he been
left unmolested.
By these teps. and by subsequently in
quiring of Mr. Rabbeson whether heknew
Leshchl. etc , as detailed in the evidence
taken at his trials. I contributed to give
the unfortunate man a notoriety he would
not otherwise have had and which has
bince operated much to his prejudice. On
this account, and in remembrance ot im
portant services by him rendered in early
days to myself and others, I have done
my beet te save Leshchl from his Impend
ing fate; and the "'inward monitor" does
not reproaoh me for any step taken In the
matter.
Citizens f "Washington Territory, having
here, as father of a family, and otherwise,
like interests with yourselves, I have
throughout striven, as far as my pe
culiar position among you would admit of,
to avert from your borders the horrors of
Indian war than which scarcely any cal
amity, more fraught with material and
moral evil, o&a befall & young country.
"Whatever may be the opinion of some, I
have myself, the satisfaction of reflecting
J that my endeavors towards that end,
whether -appreciated or the contrary, have
not been altogether without beneficial re
sult to the community.
WILLIAM FIASBR TOLMTR
BRITISH CLAIMS.
Settlement of the Rights of Tiro Ear
ly Companies.
People often say to me: "Why don't
you write out and publish some of your
earlier experiences in this country? You
are almost the oldest settler, and have
seen all the changes which have occurred
within the last 50 years, and met with
many adventures, the recital of which
would to many people here be interest
ing and amusing." Well, perhaps it
would, but I have my- doubts, because II
have found from experience that the gen
erality of people care very little about
tho old settlers, or, as many exceedingly
bright and clever newcomers call them,
"Old Cranks," and the happenings of 40
or 50 years ago. But very few people
know that within a couple of miles of
Fort Nlsqually is living an old Scotch
man, between SO and 90 years of age, who
came to this country about 2 or 63 years
ago, and was one of the crew of the old
steamer "Beaver.' In 1S37 or 1S3S.
Of course. I . have seen -very many
"changes upon Puget Sound, and could,
I have no doubt,, tell many Interesting
things which have occurred during my
long residence" here. I recall to my mind
a trip on horsebaCk I made to the Hud
son's Bay Company's farm at Cowlitz,
In 1850, a ride of about 70 miles, and made
before the time of good roads and -bridges,
hut I suppose I ought to make myself
intelligible, or at least my story, explain
how It. came about that an English com
pany should be the owners, or claim the
ownership, of large farms and much per
sonal property within tho territory of the
United States. This farm, known as the
Cowlitz' farm, comprised about 3000 acres
of the finest kind of upland prairie. lis
soil was a clay loam, of great natural,
fertility, and well adapted to the growth
of all kinds of cereals. It was situated
on the east end of the Cowlitz Prairie,
which was about five-miles long and two
in width. At the farmstead It was about
405 or 500 feet above the level of the sea,
and perhaps more, j The Cowlitz River
formed Its southwestern, and the foothills
of the Cascade Range Its northeastern
boundary. .The buildings upon It were
large and numerous, comprising a. well
built dwelling, considering the facilities
at hand, a very large .and well-built gran
ary., oongtrueted, as were alL Hudson's
Bay Company's buildings in this country,,
of fir, squared with the ax and very
strongly and neatly Iut together. I -was
about 120 or 130 feet long, and about 60
feet wide, apd two stories in height.
There were stables and other outbuild
ings, also four or five large, open-shed
barns at various points upon the prop
erty. A well was In the yard upward of
lOO feet deep, dug through the hard, stiff
play, without any kind of artificial crlb
blnd. The fine granary was destroyed by fire
in 1S00 or 'GL and It was almost an as
sured fact that It was the work of an
Incendiary- The destruction" of this build
ing caused the death of two men, and
thero is a bloody story connected with It.
One of them was a young lawyer, bril
liant and talented, who was looked upon
as the coming man. He edited an Olympla
newspaper and at the time of his death
was superintendent of Indian Affairs. At
this early age, he was already one of the
leaders at the bar, which at that time
was remarkable lots the number of able
young men who gave promise of future
eminence belonging to It. I may mention
our Judge Hanford, James McNaught,
Judge Struve, Seluclus Garflelde. and the
older men. Judges Lander, McFadden (the
first Territorial Judges appointed) and
Smith, all men of acknowledged ability,
and I might say, possessing brilliant at
tainments. The young man I referred
to was employed by myself as an at
torney for the company, and gave great
satisfaction. I became Intimately ac
quainted with him and- he spent .many a
day and night with us at the Fort, and
his conversation and general conduct were
of great pleasure to us all. The poor
fellow was cruelly murdered ftul his
murderer died from the gmWlngs of a
guilty conscience. This all arose from
the burning of the granary, bit It Is a
long story, which, perhaps, I will tell
at some future" tlnte.
Undoon's Bay Company's Posts.
To continue my itory( There was a
magnificent view" from, the" front of" the
dwelling which was erected some, time In
1S30 or '32. This view I always thought
was the finest and grandest lh the coun
try. To the eastward, and apparently
not very far away, towered that king ot
mountains. Rainier, which" name has been
changed by the people of Tacoma to the
latter name, Tacoma. Why Its original
name, given to it by the same man who
gave name to Puget Sound, Whidby's Is
land and Port Townsend, should
bo changed. In all fairness, I
cannot, I mtvst say, find out.
Certain enthusiastic Tacoma men
say that the did Indians told them that
Tahoma, or Tach-oma, Is its true name,
but I have been for a long time, about 50
years, in the country, and for half of
that time was an Indian trader, and dur
ing all that time I neyer once heard the
mountain called Tacoma, and I am backed
up in saying this by men. old settlers,
contemporaneous with myself. The Indian
name of Puget Sound Is Wulge. Why not
call It by that name? And why shouldn't
It be changed as well as .Rainier? Cer
tainly the so-called native name is much
prettier than the English name and I sup-J
pose tho majority ot lacomaites win con
tinue to call it by its new name, but out
side of the city and In all the maps or
most of them, it is called Rainier, which
is undoubtedly Its proper name.
I wa calling attention to the splendid
view of Rainier, or Tacoma, to be seen
to the eastward from the front of the
Cowlitz House. To the southward, which
to the uninitiated appears to be close at
hand, is beautiful Mount St. Helens, Its
original name, and on a clear day tho
summit of two or three more lofty peaks
are plainly, visible. I think also, that
at times, the summit of Mt. Baker could
be seen, but I am not quite sure of this,
as it is many years since I paid my last
visit to the farm, which was in 1S6G.
Before that time. I made frequent visits
there, and In the Summer of 1855, I was
In charge of tho place for two or threo
months, or more.
It has occurred to me that perhaps just
here I ought to say something as to how
it came about that this largo farm
should, at that early date, have been In
existence. In this wild country, and fur
thermore in possession of a company of
Englishmen, and to make myself more
fully understood, I have thought It best
to go Into matters altogether foreign to
my subject. Long prior to 1S46, the year
Of the treaty between Great Britain and
the United States, which fixed the boun
dary line between t"pe two countries, the
Hudson's Bay Company, said to be the
wealthiest English company in existence,
established a line of trading posts
throughout what is now known as the
state of Washington, at that time a part
ot Oregon. With Fort Vancouver. Co
lumbia River, the largest of all the
forts, and the headquarters of what was
called the Oregon department; Fort Nls
qually a smaller establishment, situated
in Pierce County on the banks of Sequal
litchew Creek, about six miles south of
Steilacoom, jmd 34 north ot Olympla; the
Cowlitz farm. a small trading post near
the mouth of the Cowlitz River; Forts
CbMlIe, -Okanagan,-Walla-Walla, Boise
and HalL When these posts were estab
lished they Tere supposed to be within
the limits, of British territory, as it was
confidently supposed that the Columbia
River would be the boundary line ber
tween the two countries. I have often
heard the older officer of the Hudson's
Bay Company talk about how it happened
that, the English Government so- easily
gave up its claim to south of the 49th
parallel. The story Is, that the British
Government sent out two agents to ex
amine and report as to the probable value
of the part of the country in .dispute.
One of these Commissioners was a naval
officer, a Captain Gordon, and the other
was a son of Sir Robert Peel, at that
time Prime Minister ot Great Britain.
These men, as Is common with English
gentlemen, were very fond of hunting
and fishing, and came fully equipped for
hunting and killing buffalo and big game
In general. They did a great deal of
hunting, but unfortunately met with very
poor success, consequently they reported
very unfavorably of the country. They
said it was not worth a d , and certain
ly not worth quarreling about.
Boundary Settlement.
The upshot was, the boundary, question
was easily settled, and the 49th .parallel
of latitude was fixed ad the line of .de
markation between the two countries,
very much to the indignation and dismay
TJNCIiE SAM
of the British settled within the limits of
the 49th parallel and the Columbia River,
and on the Columbia River -especially,'
all of which I learned from letters of that
date now In my possession. When the
treaty was made the British Plenipoten
tiaries were careful to protect the rights
of any and 'all British subjects who
claimed to -own land .within the limits of
the disputed boundary.; and the treaty
contained a special, clause which bound'
the United States -Government either to
confirm these rfghts or purchase tham
at a price to be agreed upon. Some time
prior to the date of the treaty, the Puget
Sound Agricultural Association was In
corporated in London, with a capital of
$1,000,000, and the farms and lands at.
Nlsqually, comprising about 180,000 acresf
and Including within its boundaries near
ly all the prairie land In Pierce County,
and the Cowlitz farm, along with the
large herds of horned cattle, sheep and
horses at that time running upon these
lands; also all the improvements upon
the lands, tools, etc, were -sold to this
new British company by the Hudson's
Bay Company for a large money consid
eration. The Hudson's Bay Company re
tained Fort Vancouver and all the other
establishments named, with large tracts
of land around each post: .When tho
treaty was made it was stipulated that
If the United States Government thought
that It would be to its benefit to obtain
possession of these claims by purchase, a
Commission jyas to be named, and evi
dence produced of claim and the value of
same. The Commission was to agree, if
it could, upon the amount of money the
claims were worth, and if the award was
satisfactory to tho companies, it was to
be paid over to them, but If the Com
mission failed to agree, It was to boset
tled by arbitration, and I think some
European monarch was named and ac
cepted as referee. In the event of the.
arbitrators falling to agree.
The treaty made all these provisions,
and furthermore, the Donation Land Act
added to the protection of these foreign
companies, as it specially provided that
citizens could not take claims under this
act upon lands owned or claimed under
the treaty of 1846, between , the United
States and Great Britain, and all Gov
ernment surveys were stopped when they
touched the boundaries of the lands
claimed by these two companies. In con
sequence1 many settlers upon the prairie
lands of Pierce County and the Cowlitz
farm lands, could not enter their
lands until after 1870, when the com
panies' claims were settled, and the
lands opened to survey and entry. Prior
to this, the many settlers, including the
residents of the city of Steilacoom, were
only squatters, and could not sell and
give title to their lands. Fort Steila
coom was on land claimed by the Puget
Sound Company. The first company of
United States artillery (the Fourth Reg
iment), Captain B. H. Hill, -landed from
the old transport Massachusetts at Van
couver In the Summer -of 1S49, and in
August a chartered ship, the Harponeer,
brought the company to Steilacoom. The
Government rented a lot of log buildings
standing on tfce present site of the state
Insane asylum, then a farm belonging to
the Puget Sound Agricultural Company
for the use of the troops, and paid the
company 550 a month. These buildings
were used as barracks till 1S57-5S, when
the new. and larger quarters were con-i-.
structed, the Government continuing to
pay the Puget Sound Agricultural Com
pany $50 per month for a mile square of
ground to be used as a military reserve
Tho Government paid rent until the
abandonment of the post in IKS. The
troops In garrison at that tima were
transferred to Sitka, Alaska, I was the
agent of the Puget Sound Agricultural
Company for a number of years, and
signed leases for the company and col
lected rents. I also, In the name of the
company, had a beef contract with the
United States Government and sup
plied Fork Steilacoom for many years
pSome years the. contract price of beef
was IS cents per pound.
With reference to the sporting procliv
ities' of the two British Commissioners.
Captain Gordon fished a groat deal in
what was formerly knoiyn as Chambers"
Lake, near Roy. Fifty .years ago, and
before the outlet of the lake was low
ered, the water covered almost all. of
what Is now arable land, and Muck Creek
or river, ran through it, and the .finest
trout Ashing in the country was to be
found there. The lake, after Gordon's
Visit, was called Gordon's Lake. In 1S55
I put a commodious boat upon the lake,
and I often took my visitors to fish there,
and if I were to 'tell of the quantity ana
size o the trout some of them caught
there, 1 should certainly be charged with
tampering with the truth.
Rights of the Britishers.
I suppqse I would better finish my ex
planation about the two companies and,
tell how it came about that they dis
appeared from the American side of the
boundary line, and left hardly a trace be- j
TIME BRINGS CHANGES.
BY GUMI BUT I'D HARDLY KNOW
hind. I fancy there are not a great
many people in this country who recollect
that the -companies formed so Important
a part in the affairs aad future pros
perity of a majority of the .farmers of
Pierce County. Of course, these British
ers were 'looked upon as intruSprs, with
out a particle of right to be here. At
all events, the onlyi rights they could
possibly claim were the few acres of land
they had. Inclosed around their various
fors ahd' the seven- Ob erght .small sta
tions, or farms they owned at. various
points upon the5 property claimed. At
Nlsqually, the Puget Sound Company had
running and feeding upon the Nlsqually
Plain, from 5000 to 000 head of cattle,
about SOOO or 10,000 sheep and 300" horsps.
It also had 50 o'r J75 r'ha'nds Englishmen,
Scotchmen, Canadian-Frenchmen, kana
kas, half-'breeds and Indians. An officer
in charge and two or three, sometimes
four, clerks were employed at the fort.
In 150. when I arrived here, the Hudson's
Bay Company owned the fort and goods
In store, and the Puget Sound Company
owned the livestock; and claimed owner
ship of the 180.000 acres of land. In 1854
35, all the property upon the place was
sold "to the Puget Sound Agricultural
Company, the Hudson's Bay Company re
taihing the fur trade, carried on at the
post, which, as the country became set
tled up, became of less value, because
Lof opposition, and the high prices the
company was forced to pay for furs. O,
what a dlfferenceT In the early '50s the
company had It all Its own way, and fixed
prices to suit itself, but when opposition
commenced, there was a different state
of things. The company, to my knowl-
Ledge, never paid an Indian coin for any
thing; always goods. In 1850, goods
fetched a high price. California gold min
ing times, you know! A three-point
blanket was worth from $5 to ?6; common
green and red baize, $1 a yard; printed
cotton, 25 cents a yard; common un
bleached sheeting; only 26 Inches wide, six
yards for $1; common hickory shirts, ?1
to $1 75 ench; gunpowder, $1 a pound;
ball and shot, 25 cents a pound; guns,
flintlock, 'Which cost In London, ?5, were
sold here at $16 each and other goods
In proportion. Flour was very high in
the '50s, and I have often sold a barrel
for a Callfornla-mado coin called the
slug. It had eight sides and passed for
$50. It was a very awkward and Incon
venient coin, and the Government soon
called them all In, and they quickly dis
appeared. Oftentimes the flour sold for
$50 a barrel was sour, und when the
barrel was opened It came out In large,
hard cakes. There are men In the coun
try who recollect this flour. It came from
Boston. Wheat was worth then $5 a
bushel, but' there was very little to be
obtained in the country, even at that
prie. Onions readily fetched $5 a bushel;
potatoes In proportion. 1 recollect hear
ing It said tthat some of the earlier farm
ers who settled near the mouth of the
Cowlitz River made a large amount ot
money by the sale of a heavy crop of
onions they were lucky enough to have
raised that season. I think Charles Cat
Un, formerly prominent In Tacoma, was
one of the farmers In question. But the
big demand soon fell off, and tho big
prices did not remain long, but still, for
a long time, what would now be consid
ered high prices, Were obtained for all
ikinds of produce. When wheat got down
to $1; oats 50 tents, potatoes the same, a
bushel, the farmers groaned In anguish
and predicted nothing but poverty and
misery for the future. In 1834 the com
pany had on hand, I think, about $70,000
or ISO.OOO worth of goods, principally
heavy articles., I recollect they had In
store upwards; of G0Q0 heavy blankets,
many cases ofi)rinted calico and bales of
-SKKM1-
bleached and unbleached sheeting, an
enormous number of dozens of shirts,
many guns, all flintlocks, and several 100- J
pouna Darreis ot gunpowder or nest qual
ity, and a large amount of shot and ball.
All the company's goods, at that tjme
were of good quality; I mean good and
strong In contradistinction to the American-made
goods then brought to this
country, which were generally of a flimsy
character, and the Indians would always
prefer King George's goods to those of
Boston manufacture.
Traded in Everything.
We used to trade In almost everything
an Indian brought that could be used or
made useful. An enormous number ot
Sucks, geese, grouse, partridges and fish.
were traded; also Indian-made mats, bas
kets and head straps, for carrying loads.
The company paid for a mallard duck
two charges of ammunition; for a goose,
four or five charges; a quarter of veni
son, four or five charges; a good, large
salmon, three or four chages; and other
fish In proportion. Dried clams and
cockles were traded and served out to the
Indians as part of their rations and were
very -useful to give an Indian when sent
on a short journey. They were strung
on a string about two feet in length, and
hung on the lodge roof poles, where they
became well smoked and as hard as flint.
Before the Indians ate them, they soft-
THE OLD FARM!
ened them by pounding with stones. A
luxury among the Indians was salmon
roe made intp cakes with oil and in
some manner dried. They would make a
sort of soup with it, and consume It
with -great relish. We never traded that
ixury, as sometimes It hdd a habit of
mltting a strong odor, which, to the
olfactory nerves of the sensitive white
man, was very repellant. In those early
days game was plentiful, compared with
the present time. There was no legal
protection, and the "Indian hunters were
very numerous. Grouse and partridge
were' so thick that almost always a
hunter, white or colored, was certain of
getting three or four'every time he went
after them. Then the geese! How num
erous they were in the month of October!
I have seen the plains literally black
with them, but now they are seldom
seen, and I often wonder what-has be
come of thero, as well as the grouse and
partridges. People tell me they have
been killed by the hunters, but this I
cannot believe, as 50 years ago the In
dians were, qu'te numerous and derived
part of their subsistence by hunting these
wild birds. Then the deer were quite
numerous and comparatively easy to
get, but In those jdays little or no hunt
ing of deer was done wltn dogs. I have
no doubt that the poor animals have
been hounded to death by the many
packs of brutal dogs kept for that pur-
pose by many iof the farmers, and, In
deed, sometimes tlfese brutes do a little
private hunting .on their own account.
Sitting: of the Commission.
In the early part of the Summer of 1865,
I was Informed that a Commission had
been appointed to take evidence as to the
extent and value of the Hudson's Bay
& Puget Sound Agricultural Company's
claims in Washington Territory, and I
was instructed to eilgase the services of
Frank Clark, an attorney residing at
Steilacoom. Clark had never practiced
outside of Washington Territory, and was
not hy any means considered to be a first
class lawyer, but was possessed of a good
share of natural shrewdness. He was
very quick at taking advantage of every
opportunity, which would accrue to hla
particular benefit, and bore the reputa
tion of being very clever at managing to
persuade a jury to do as he .wished. Ex
Judge Lander, formerly Territorial Chief
Justice, was the leading attorney em
ployed by the company on this coast, and
Clark was his assistant It was thought
that the- latter would be very useful In
obtaining witnesses for the company, and
so he was. Another reason was, to pre
vent the other side from employing him,
as, there, he could have given us a great
deal of trouble.
Clark and myself went around and ob
tained quite a number of people who were
-well acquainted with the business of the
Puget Sound Agricultural Company, and
were good judges. It was. supposed, of1 the
value of Its claim. There must have been
upwards of 25 of them, and among "the
lot were a few of the leading people of
Olympla. I remember ex-Surveyor-General
Tllton and Ed Glddings were of the
number. No arrangement was made tor
the compensation of these witnessesThe
Hudson's Bay Company sent up the steam
er Otter to convey the witnesses to Vic-?
torla, where the Commission sat. I ac
companied the party and took, charge of
most of the witnesses, such as providing
them with hotel accommodation and pay
ing them for their services! The United
States Consul at Victoria, Mr. Francis,
and Attorney Carey Johnson, of Oregon
City, acted for the United States, .and
Judge Lander and Frank Clark for the
companies. I have forgotten the name of
the Commissioner who acted for the com
panies, but know that Consul Francis
acted for the United States.
The evidence was takeii down in writ
ing, and I recollect that it was very volu
minous. The Commission sat for ibout
two months, but the witnesses were got
ten, rid of as soon as possible. The majority
of them were paid $10 a day, and they
were paid at that rate, including the day
on which they left their homes, and the
day upon which they returned, in all, per
haps, an average of 10 or 12 days. Some
of the witnesses, men of higher standing
than most of the main lot, were paid at
the rate of $20 a day. I recollect X paid
one of them, after his return to Olympla,
and the amount I gave him was about
$600. But this much I know, for certain,
that the witnesses had the least Idea of
what they would receive before being told
Iby myself.and I must say I was very
mucn surprised when the board of man
agement of the companies affairs at Vic
toria, In answer to my Inquiry, told me
the amount per diem they were to be
paid, and I am quite sure they would not
have grumbled had the compensation been
only $5 Instead of $10. All their hotel ex
penses werepald. as well as their steam
boat fare home, which, at that time, was
I think, $10. One of the witnesses rot
drunk soon after his arrival, and kept
in that condition all thje time, so much so
as to be totally unfit to testify before
the Commission. One afternoon, assisted
by a friend. I led this unsteady chap
through the streets, and put him on board
the steamer for home, and nearly got ar
rested for shanghaiing a man. We had
to use a little foce In putting him on
board, and some saloon hangerson raised
the cry of, "Man being" kidnaped." This
man was not settled with before leaving
Victoria because of his condition., but
some little tima afterwards he had the
Impudence to send mo a bill demanding
pay, for his services. Acting under In
structions, I paid him. The company
also paid his hotel bill, also a bill pre
sented for Hquor furnished. I must say
though, that this man was not a native
Born American, but a foreigner, formerly
of good standing. After becoming a citi
zen of the United States, he held respon
sible positions, and was at one time well
respected, but liquor got away with him,
poor than,.
Findings for the Companies.
The Commission sat for a short time in
San Francisco, and in 1S66, during the
Winter, sat for a few days In Portland.
I drove the party, six in number, to
Montlcello, near the mouth of the Cow
litz River, and never shair I forget" the
drive from the Cowllte Prairie by the
way of the military, or, rather, stage
road to Montlcello,. where we took the
steamer for Portland. The road Is moun
tainous, and in places was then almost
impassable, because of the muddy holes
to be found in many places. Many old
residents are still alive .who will recol
lect the horrors that were met with upon
that road. On our trip home we stopped
one night at he old Cowlitz 'farmhouse,
then much 'dilapidated, and unfortunate
ly Dr. Tolmlo the head of the party, was
given the only good bed In the house, or
what was supposed to be the best bed in
the house. I say unfortunately, for the
sheets were very damp, and the next
morning the gool old doctor was quite
lame from rheumatism, contracted during
then night, and he was only Just able to
get home, when he was stricken with
inaflmmatory rheumatism, which cam
very nearly causing the death of the old
est (1832. the date of his arrival at Van
couver), and best friend the struggling
early settlers of Puget Sound ever had.
Perhaps they did not know it, but I was
in a position to know what that man did
towards making the advent of the poor
immigrants comparatively safe from the
dangers nearly always to be expected
from the aboriginal inhabitants of a new
country, as was the""case from 1845 to
1S55, and perhaps later.
Referring again to the business of the
commission. It adjourned to meet at
Washington, D. C Clark was paid off
and received in all for his services about
$6000. Lander was retained until the final
determination "of tha bualneas at a sal
ary of $5000 a year. Rose, one of Canada's
leading lawyers, was leading lawyer for
the companies, and J- Choatg. was leader
for the United States. The thing went
along for some "time, but no agreement
could be mode, and. at last It went to the
referee. I .forget the chap's name he was
an Emperor, King, or something of that
kind and he made as decision -which -was
accepted. I forgot to state that Jhe claim
of the two companies amounted to several
millions of dollars, for value of lands and
property stolen and destroyed, also for
damages, not, I think, at all consequential.
The amount of the award made and ac
cepted was $650,000 to the Puget Sound Ag
ricultural Company, and $400,000 to the
Hudson's Bay Company. T.ie amount of
the expense Incurred In settling up this
matter I never was able to learn, but I
am sure It was very heavy, as I know that
the , companies acted very generously
throughout the whole business, and every
thing was done In an open and fair-minded
way. At the commencement of the busi
ness the local newspapers were paid a
little to remain quiet, and not attack the
companies. This was done at the sug
gestion of Clark, but when the chief of
tho board of management, Dugal Mc
Tavish, became aware of It, he was high
ly indignant, and nothing further in that
line was done afterwards.
Hudson's Bay Company Defended.
How often have I heard the Hudson's
Bay Company abused and charged with
doing things that would "be almost Im
possible for them to do, as its officers
were gentlemen, and It would be out ot
all reason to think them guilty of the
offenses charged against them. Why, dur
ing the Indian war of 1855-'56 the company
at Nlsqually was publicly charged with
having supplied the hostile Indians with
arms and ammunition with which to mas
sacre helpless white families. Instead of
that, the company's officers at Fort Nls
qually did all they could to prevent the
Indians from killing defenseless settlers,
and I know that In many Instances they
prevented the Indians from doing many
awful things. I have letters in my pos
session which conclusively prove that the
company's officers were anxious, let alone
wiling, to aid and assist the used-up and
almost starving emigrants.
The first American settlers came to the
Sound In 1845 or '46. Mike Simmons, who
was the first Indian agent appointed by
the Government, settled at Tumwater;
Edmund Sylvester, who took as a dona
tion claim the townslte of Olympla; James
MacAllister, killed by the Iadlans in 1855;
William Packwood, George Shazer, who
died In Olympla about November, 1S99;
Sydney Ford, James Borst. Jene Fergu
son, Antolne Rabbeson, Frank Shaw, now
Colonel Shaw, of Vancouver; L. A. Smith,
F. W. . P. Tyrell and George Waunch
were a few others. Most all of these men
were farmers, and Shaw Is the only ona
now alive, if I am not mistaken. These
people, or nearly all of them, were poor
and depended on labor for subsistence.
The companies alone were In a position
to help them. The Hudson's Bay Com
pany did, by trading shingles from them
for provisions and clothing- There was
hardly any market .for the shingles thus
obtained, and the quantity on hand be
came very great, and I recollect that when
I came here, about 50 years ago, there
was a great mountain of them piled la
ari enclosure at the end ot the company's
store, at the landing. Dr. Tolmle wrote
to the board, detailing the situation, and
Governor James Douglas (a kinder-hearted
man never lived), replied: "What can we
do, doctor? We can't see these poor peo
ple suffer. If we continue to purchase their
shingles and give them a fair price for
them, I am sure we .shall ultimately be
able to dispose of them without suffering
much, if any, loss." And sure enough, it
turned out so, for in 1S48-49 the Califor
nia gold mines were discovered and hard
times on Puget Sound were a thing of the
pasf Shingles were In demand at a good
price. Ships camex to the Sound seeking
cargoes of piles for wharf building in
San Francisco, and pile timber, at tho
ship's side, would fetch from 20 to 20 cents
. a running foot. Lumber, what little there
waa for sale, was worth $30 to $90 & thou
sand. As late as lS53-'54 the lumber in
the house In which I am writing this cost
$30 to $40 a thousand feet, while labor
procuring piles for ships' cargoes com
manded $5 a day. Indians had lots o
money then, obtained for labor loading
ships with timber. The store at Fort Nls
qually was the only place the Indians
could trade, and they would come up
some times, Skagits, Qalloms Snohomiah,
Duuamsh and SnoqcaJmles, in bands ot
from 20 to 50. and trade largely. I have
taken in one day from a party ot these
Indians as much as $300 In gold coin. This
state ot things did not last many years,
and prices fell considerably. Farmers
could always obtain a fair price for their
produce, until the railroad was finished
between Portland and Tacoma. This gave
the farmers east ot the mountains, and
Oregon, an. opportunity to rush In live
stock and produce, alt the year round, thus
taking from the farmer residing west ot
the mountains the benefit he derived from
the difficulty of getting live and dead
stock, also produce, into the Sound coun
try, at all seasons of the year. But then
I suppose, this is all the better for tho
non-producer and consumer.
Settled In 1STO.
I find that my explanation of the stat
us of the Hudson's Bay and Puget Sound
Agricultural Companies and their posi
tion and influence In Pierce, Cowltts and
Cfark Counties, between 1S46 and 1S70. ha3
occupied a great deal of space, but still,
I think, the existence of these large coml
panles in this section of tho country will
be news to a majority ot the people now
adays. The story of my trip across the
portage In 1S50 must be left for some
future time, as I think. In this, my effort
to explain things. I haVe been tedious,
and perhaps tiresome enough. The decis
ion ot the referee in the matter, of the
companies claims, was made in 1870. and
some time In June of that year the com
pany mado a formal surrender of every
thing it owned, or claimed to own, under
tho treaty ot 1S46. It was the opinion
of almost every one that people claiming
to own land under the donation act
would not be allowed to perfect their
claims, tho act Itself plainly forbidding
the taking of claims upon the lands owned
or claimed by the Puget Sound Agricul
tural Company, at the date of the treaty
of 1S46. In spite of that, there were
many settlers upon these lands, some
claiming 640, others 320 and others 160
acres Of land. In antlrlnn Mnn v..a,.
claims not being allowed, somn nt
best of them were jumped and grave trou
ble arose In consequence, which culmi
nated In the death by violence of two
men, said to be desperadoes, in Steila
coom, soma time in 1S70. Everjithlng
though came out all right in the end for
the people. Selucius Garflelde was the
delegate to Congress, and he waa instru
mental in getting a special act of Con
gress passed giving these claimants
their farms. There were several men
claiming under the donation act upon the
gravelly Nlsqually Plains, and in 1893
or 1894 I wrote and published a paper, in
the Tacoma Ledger, giving a short history
of the donation act. and the names of the
claimants, with the amount of land and
the location of claims.
ME1T READ, FAIRY TALES.
Find Xecded Rest and Pleasure Ja
Children's Stories.
"It la surprising how many books of
fairy tales such as the 'Arabian Nlghta
Entertainments,' 'Grimm's,' 'Hans Ander
sen's and others of that clans are sold at
present to what there "were on,ly two
years ago," said a local bookseller to a,
reporter of the Chicago Tribune. "What
is more, the buyers are not women and
children, but buslneta men. When the
demand began to grow for thl clas3 of
literature I thought that the men were
buying them for their wives and families,
but now I know different. They read
them themselves, and I think it would, be
safe to say that In a large percentage
of office pecupjed by Jawyers and other
professional men you would find books of
this class. How do I account for It?
Well, I cijuld'hardly tell you. My opinion
Is that at; the present time business Ufa
has got io be such a rush and turmoil,
owing to the great competition, that .men
find they are In. danger- oC suffering' from,
'brain fag.'
"From early morning until late at night
all through the week they are In their
offices or else rushing around under a
great mental strain. Night hardly brings
any rest, as there are problems to be
thought out when they get home, and I
see that physicians say that insomnia is
increasing to an alarming extent. Even
on, Sunday men don't stayat home and
rest as they used to, any casual explora
tion of the office buildings and big flrma
on that day revealing a large percentage
of the occupants down-town and at work.
"The result Is that the brain has no
rest at all, the few minutes snatched in
which to read a newspaper being work td
a great extent, owing to the vast knowl
edge of the world's doings that Is re
quired for a successful business career
at the present day. Such being the case,
something of a recreatfve nature In tho
way of mental food Is absolutely neces
sary. This used to be supplied by fic
tional works, but that Is now Impossible.
The time In which to read is onljf a min
ute or two at odd Intervals, and as a re
sult it is Impossible to try and mentally
digest a lergthy story. This has called
forth a demand for short stories, and the
less 'thought they require the better they
are liked. Fairy tales fill the bill exactly,
and men whom yon would never imagine
as being interested In such frivolities buy;
the books with eagerness."
HEALTH COMMANDMENTS.
Ten Rales Which if Followed, Will
Help Prolong Life.
L Don't leave your rooms in the morn
ing with an empty stomach.
2. Never expose yourself to cold air
Immediately after you have partaken of a
warm liquid of any kind.
3. Don't leave your abode In cold weath
er without warm wiaps about your shoul
ders and breast.
i. Begin respiration in the cold by
breathing through the nose. This will
give the air a chance to get warm be
fore reaching the lungs.
5. Never place your back near a heat
ed oven nor against a wall, warm or
cold.
6. Don't stand before an open window
in a railway carriage, nor take a drive
in an open carriage, after violent physical
exercise-
7. Don't remain motionless In a cold
room, and do not stand In an open space,
on Ice or snow.
8. Talk only when you must, for the
old phrase. "Speech Is saver, silence la
gold," holds good even In hygiene.
9. Don't put off your regular bath.
When the skin Is not kept fresh and soft
the cold draw3 the pores together and
you are rendered susceptible to pulmon
ary troubles of all kinds.
10. Don't retire with cold or wet feet.
Nothing prevents sleep with so much
certainty as the neglect of your pedal
extremities.
Army of Pope Leo XIII.
All the papal troops recently turned out
for review at the Vatican In Rome. Tho
army consists of 3C0 men, made up of,
first, the Guardla Nobile, commanded by
Prince Altlerl, and comprising 50 young
men of aristocratic clerical families; sec
ond, the Swiss Guard. 100 strong, sup
posed to be all Swiss, tuough some ot
them are Italian mountaineers; third, the
Guardla Palatlna, and fourth, the papal
gendarmes, each 100 strong, and, finally.
fifth, the M men ot the papal Are brigade.
The little army has a weekly newspaper,
La Fedelta Cattolica.