Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-10
DAILY fOSf- iEfELLlaskCsL
Iscsxp or TIE soIImEs,.

of the Columbia, WAS IN US INFANCY, u
was even more picturesque than u - al
the present day. IL was situated on q
rising ground and Close TO the water
edge. The tall frs, hemlocks and spruce
trees that surrounded the village pro
tected II from the tempests OF winter;
Several miles across the blue waters OF
the Columbia were 70 be seen the tree
capped hills of what IL now the WASH
inQton Territory shore.
The part Of this little town which vas
formerly called by its eight or ten IN
hsbitauts the Lower Town. was orlgl- |
naiiv y trading post Of the Hudson Bay |
Comuany, and was first known by the |
namt Of Fort George. Here, thousands /
.of miles from the civilized world, VITO |
the silence of a vast forest 70 the right |
az them and behind them: tbs silence |
and deep solitude of mighty ocean 70 |
the left: with the silence OF grand |
river in front Of them; here, all alone, |
lived few waits from the great nvisg
world.
Az NAV bs imagined, these beings
who had wandered away TO this western
world belonged 10 a class who might De
sa,d TO consist of the curiosities OF hu-
mainly. Trappers, men who had es-
capped from justice. men embitterea Dy
tte strange chances and misfortunes OF
Iife--such men formed this community;
Amongst the last class WAS curious old
LAWYER: a man posssssed OF profound
aniiity. He had been brooght up at the
Inns Court Of London. he bad striyen
for MANY wears in that great city, feel
ing. knowing his ability. In his attempt
10 obtain a foothoid he had bsttled
against poverty and misfortune. and
had felt the pangs of that hope deferred
which makes the hear, sick; bat tho
rushing stream of misfortune WAS too
powerful for him with its terrible tide,
and ke lost his hold upon the world.
He sought the peace and solitude OF the
great forest. =,
This last gentleman was the oracle OF
the little town, and many lecture DID
he give 10 his audience there assembled,
az he sat before the great stove IN the
Hudson Bay Company's store, and
pulled the gray smoke from ms meef-
schsum pips in clouds above him: for u
vas around this stove that the whole
CITY assembled whenever ii rainsd,
which happeued at that time nearly
every day in the year. Around this
great stove in the old log store the whole
city on these numerous OCCASIONS chewed
and smoked tobacco and told hideous
yarns.
And all the while the Columbia, with
the rain ever falling on its smooth sur
face, rolled on in grim silence to the sea.
When such a strange event Ak the ap-
pearance Of white sail upon the ocean
happened, the quiet little community
would be thrown into a state OF enor-
nous excitement. Then would the
memb RS of the community lay down
their tobacco pipes, the guilds would be
cast aside, the people woald put on their
rubber boots and their oilskin hats
aud coats, and the whole community,
followed by the sheep, dogs and COWS OF
the village, would 20 down to the beach
the great llfe-toat OF the company
would be manned and the crew would
prepare TO pilot the ship into port. But
such au occasion az this OCCURRED only
at very long intervals indeed.
There were Indians there in thoss
DAYS, but not one is now left to tell oil
the raee that is gone. They were a
quiet, psaceatle and idle race. They
lived chiefly by salmon fishing, and were
not Of warlike disposition.
The little town Of Astoria had beer
sleeping in the quiet manner which we
have described, disturbed only by the
cry of the panther and the howl Of the
wolf, when great connection wa
nsa,ed by the report that there was 4
DO an Increase in the population. A
young clerk WAS to be sent oat from
England. The sale of blankets to the
Indians had increased of late, and tbs
company had come To the conclusion
that an additional clerk WAS necessary
An old trapper had been seen COMING
around Tongue Point in canoe ons
day, and he had brought the news from
another station placed by the sams
company far no the Columbia. Fol
many days the community smoked
more violently al they discussed the
news around the great stove In the Ole
low-roofed store.
One day sail was seen beyond Sand
Island, and at about 1 o'clock in the
afternoon the ship anchored in front Of
the town, and the new clerk was rowec
ashore.
IL was not long before the town be-
came aware Of the fact that this gentle
man had been married to lovely Eng
lish girl the day before he left England
He had left his yenng wife in England
and had come 10 this far land to worl
for the company for few years unit
he had saved money enough to go home
and live with his wife in ease. Ii was
hard trial TO him and bard trial to hi
young wife; but poverty Was his master
He had thought first Of delaying tbs
dsv Of marriage until his return, bu
this had already been delayed, and
both we're too deeply In love to reason
Instead of reasoning they got married
A few hours of exquisite bliss, and the,
parted.
The white sails of the vessel which
had brought the young husband to As
toria were spread and slowed arounc
30 catch the wind: the vessel saileS
away ON her homsward voyage; th,
citizens watched tho sails until they he
came white speck on the ocean, an,
then became undistinguishable from
the distant clouds on the horizon.
The new member soon settled dow
and became like the rest Of the com
munity, and 1t was not long before b,
acquired those habits which were com
mon 10 all. At first he was the princi
pal speaker at the old store, and woul,
describe to the little band Of listener
tho great and busy world 80 far away
Evah the dogs OF the village would 81
ON their launches aud look mp into hi
face with look of seeming interest a
AkV nf3Rcs <A0h VAtU tkttiC uC tQta VI vi
sweet gentle wife that he left benin,
hin, and IN he described her In glowing
terms his listeners leaned forward will
their elbows on their knees, and one oil,
pilot took Of his hat and laid il on Oh,
tioor as the young man described th
lovely face like that of an angel. ans
spoke Of the golden hair and the eye.
like the blue of heaven.
But after while deep melanchol,
took possession Of him, and he hardl,
spoke TO the rest. And he was oftel
seen 10 wander mp and down the beacl
Ia the evening after the DAYS work wa
done. He becameShc subject OF con
vcrsation, and the villagers all solemn
agrced--and especially did the old Law
yer conclude-thst he was out of hi
element; that that WAS no place for him
Sail the days dragged by, and tn,
rain came drearily down; still the In
dams in their canoes padded their wa
over the smooth surface Of the river
and still the river carried Old Time il
his invisible boat down to the ocean.
One day an Indian came into tn
store and informed the people there tina
A"big canoe" was ont ON the ocean
They went out, and sure enough ON tn