The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-10-19

NUMBER 8.

wife, or brother or sister, will be
stirred to the very soul with feelings
OF the deepest emotion, causing any
but veritable dog to shed the "manly
or womanly tear" AS pioneers we
have many things to arouse the emo
tional, both of pleasure and OF pain.
Vancouver at the time of which I
write, and for many years later, was
only Hudson Bay Co.'s trading post,
employing some $50 hands, mostly
kanakas, in farming, trapping, rais-
ing stock, and other employment
around the post; and so or possibly rs
Americans in u radius of five miles
around Vancouver comprised the en-
tire population, with the exception Of
the Indians, who were in their minds
decidedly the lords of creation. This
is about q correct make upof the state
of affairs in 1S47. Now, let me show
you picture: On the 2lst day Of No
vember of the year AZ my father and
mother with their family of five little
children landed ON the opposite bank
Of the Columbia from Vancouver with
a stock composed mostly of measles,
whooping cough, etc. At that time
Mr.. Switzler and Mr.. Bozarth were
living there and cultivating about an
acre and half of land respectively as
farms, this being about the entire
stock of American vegetables to be
had in this locality. Now we come to
the beautiful part Of this picture.
Those gentlemen told my father to go
into their gardens and take as much
as he required of anything that he
wished; and it is needless to say that
he was only too glad to improve this
opportunity, and although to my GER
tain knowledge there was not an
''onion" in those gardens, there were
real tears of gratitude shed by that
father and mother.
Fellow-citiZens, this is neither an
over-drawn picture nor an isolated
case, but the common recollection Of
all pioneers, either from experience or
recollection. And now, fellow pio-
neers, after those many years of pri-
walton which we have passed through
let us be ever charitable and yet ever
on the alert for those who would "but-
tonhole" us into the impression that
we have lived so long in the woods
and wilds of Washington Territory
that we are in want Of an ''expert" to
interpret the language of so plain,
honorable and careful a writer AS Mr..
:. w. Brown. We are ever ready to
acknowledge our Ignorance and inca
pacity, and yet We have been ex-
tremely favored in some respects, and
more particularly by our ministers
who are so very charitable that they
will give us lesson for Wednesday on
the general workings of real estate, for
Thursday on the intricate workings of
local prohibition, Friday he will get
up set Of resolutions for the the Re-
publican party, and on Saturday in
troduce them. On Sunday he will tell
you that he was specially ordained to
preach the glad tidings OF salvation
and to be a living representative Of the
meek and lowly Saviour. | said, in
this respect, we have been particularly
favored excuse the assertion II should
say excessively favored. A favorite
verse is very suggestive:
Broad is the road that leads to death,
And thousands walk together there;
But wisdom shows q narrow path,
With here aud there traveller.
In conclusion, let me say to the pi-
oneers, we can do no better than b0r-
row our motto from the Rev. l.. A.
Banks, viz: "The time has arrived
when all true-hearted Americ ans
should lay aside all party affiliations
and labor exclusively for men, and
measures" And also, once more:
Come friends and let us mingle."
A. NJ. BROWN.