Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-01
OLYMPIA IL 1872.
From the Transcript.

In 1852, the trip from Portland to
Olympia took five days of slow trav-
cling, and from the Cowlitz river
over, the most expeditions way was
to walk. Sometimes horses could be
obtained to ride a portion of the
way, but not always. Judge Catlin's
was the stopping place at the mouth
of the Cowlitz river, and days We're
generally taken to walk up the river,
stopping the first night at Old Man
Hardbreau's. a noted stopplng-place
on the east side of the river, ut the
mouth of the Toutle river. where
travellers Jared sumpiuously on boiled
salmon and potatoes, ship bread and
black coffee. the latter without sugar
or milk. Leaving Cowlitz Landing
where the Hudson Bay Company
kept their trading store, the principal
stopping-places were Squire Jackson's
and Judge Ford's. The latter was a
favorite place, and in the big barn
many q weary traveller sought a
nights rest. 1t was also made men,
orable by being the place where the
first district court was held north of
the Columbia river. Judge Strong
dispensed justice. and almost every
man in the county attended court in
some capacity or other. Here is
where Old Joe Meek, then U. s.
Marshal, after court was over, in
formed the jurymen and witnesses
that he could not pay them fer their
fervices. as there was barly enough
left for the officers The next and
only resting-place was at Old Man
Bush's the present residence Of w.
O. Bush. Here every one Jared we'll,
and ever after never forgot the hospi-
tality there received.
Olympia had but a handful of
buildings, of which the two-story
custom house and Sylvesfer's hotel
were the principal ones. There WAS
not bridge, nor sidewalk of any
consequence. The Indians outnum-
bered the white inhabitants twenty
to one. and their houses extended
from the foot of Fifth street TO the
old wharf. They made the night
hideous with their yelis and tawana-
wous; and If they diGn't scare the
devil out Of the sick. they sometimes
scared the whites nearly to death.
The custom house district for Puget
sound was established the year pre-
vious, with Col. s. P. Moses as col
lectOr, at Olympia, and w. W. Mil
Ter as surveyor of customs, at Mis-
qually. For seven months previous
u June 30th there had been twenty
four briggs and schoOners into the
Sound. to load with piles and round
timber for San Francisco aud Homo
lulu. this being before the establish
ment Of saw mills. We believe there
was but one little mill, a. Tumw water,
in the whole country. although dur
ing the fall of so one or two sothers
were bnilt The first Fourth of July
celebration was held ut Olympia in
that year. Hon. d. II. Bigelow, of
our cry, delivering the Grafton. The
first newspaper in the country. north
ef the Columbia. then part OF Ore
gon Territory, the first number ap-
pesring on the 1lth Of September.
1853. and published by Wiley and
McEIroy. 1t was quite q creditable
sheet. four-page. "a column news
paper. and one that would comoare
favorably with many psperspublished
now-a-days. The Office came around
from Portland. and was owned BY
the late T. j Dryer, the originator
and editor Of the Oregonian. The
pffise consisted Of Ramage piess,
made in Ben Franklin's time, and
sufficient TYNE and material for the
paper When the first number ap
peared there was general rejoicing,
aud some excited individual fired the
lid Cannon in honor of the event.
In the old files of the Columbian. as
The paper vas called. We find many
Interesting "reminiscences. The edi-
tor was as insane On the grandeur.
natural wealth aud future prospects
Ut the country. rs every other editor
has since been. lis correspondents
furnished grand descriptions of the
rrginn roundabout. and everybody
advertised in its columns Even the
s.,Id ers II Fort Steilacoom furnished
their quota OF information. These
troops had been at that post fer about
three years The frat number of
the paper gives IN account of the
seizure OF two British vessels for in
fractions Of the revenue laws OF the
Urited States. and which caused :
great c0mmosi0n among government
ouehDgjtiea The announcement Of
the deaih Of Henry Clay b made.
Tie aceOuns al the wreck Of the brig
InG1e. q Vmrl Vhieh fell into tia