The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-09-16
THEGlLMAN OF HIS DAY
Old Settlers Tell About hi. Erisxsnx
. ship Load Of People. Principally
Young women. From View York 10
Seattle I'm the sixties.

Seattle I'm the sixtEes-
The return 60 Seattle Of Mr.. A.
Mercer has revived many old AMI
pleasant memories. Mr.. II. l. Yesaer
said yesterday Mercer vas the y.
H. Gilman Of his day in seattle. He
was side awake and energetic. and
was always doing something. When
other lines Of bs-iness got dull, he
vent 70 Sex York in Iss5 and brought
out from the Fast a ship-load OF
yoEirg women and girls. and a. INST
Ter Of fact those girls are among the
best women on Puget sound. When
tney arrived In Seattle the settlers
took TEEN in, and kept them until
tileF either got married or found ear
pioy meat. some were school teachers,
some r1liiinefs, safae dFezsmaker-.
an! All workers. They finally all got
married bat one, and she came yerv
near i. baf she let her temper get the
better Of her one day and that seated
her fate IL came about IN this way.
NO 81 the girls were staying ar our
house, AMI tao captains we're waiting
on them At that time there was only
one good riding faorse in the city, but
there we're a number Of old plugs.
These captains used to take the girls
horseback riding. The FIRST time they
weas the lads who l. sfiil single had
the best horse. and ali went well. but
the next time the other fellow secured
the good horse for his girl. and there
was trouhs night away. The breach
caused at that time was never healed
and while one OF the captains was
married the other lived and died an
old bachelor
SOME MIS- Is THE PATTY
Were there no men in the party %
-'0h yes, but not 80 many men a.
women. Hhy. Mat Kelly was in the
crowd. III tell you how he happened
Dutch Henry. rs We called him, had &
farm on the Duwamish river, and he
wanted to get big, strong boy 10 heip
arranged with Mercer TO bring him out
a hoy. While Mercer was looking for
a boy IN Boston he run across Mat
Kelly, and taking fancy to
him, induced him TO come ont
Van ASSET ranch. When the steamer
arrived Uncle Henry was here to re-
eeive his new ward. and, although
Mat Was much younger and smaller
than the boy he expected. he took
him out 10 the farm 10 study the mys-
teries OF agriculture among the charred
and biackened ssuTnps One week let
Mat out, and he ran away and came 10
x.-h H.. =.
& Kellogg in the drug store.
After time he was employed by Dr.
Willard. who owned a drug store in
and left Seattle for several
years, but, like most everybody else
who ever lived in Seattle, he finally
returned.
NOTABLE EVEsT.
We had big jubilee here the day
the Mercer girls arrived. They came
from san Francisco on the cid brig
Tanner, and the DAY she arrived all
business was suspended Every fell
low who had money enough got him
self a new suit OF clothes, aud those
who were less fortunate satisfied them
selves with new eyeralls, aud all hands
were on the wharf 10 receive the girls
and welcome them 10 Seattle.
MEMBER or rHE PkgrY.
Mr. Albert A. Manning was among
those who came out under the direc-
ton Of Mr.. Mercer. Ia speaking of
the trip, he said yesterday AT the
close OF the war. ! settled in Boston.
and one day | read flaming adyer-
tisenent In the New York TFibaRe, in
regard 10 Mercer's proposed expetli-
ton. The date that he would be in
Boston was mentioned. aud when he
got there, | hunted him up. He was
lying on a lounge reading the Bible,
and | az once became preiuiiced
against him. but he j. a good tslker
and | agreed to come with him. Our
party consisted OF my wife and two
daughters, Ed. stevens, L. 4. Treen
and myself. Stevens was my wife ;
son. aud Treen married one OF the
daughters and John f. Convey the
other We sailed from New York on
the ship Continental. Captain Winsor.
in January, 1895. There We're about
NJ women and girls and about y men.
We had one or two deaths and birth
or two on board. and enjoyed fine
weather on the entire trip. From
san Francisco We came on the old
brig Tanner. and we experienced a
novel reception when We reached
seattle
EUsH FpR WIVES.
4 good deal had been said about
the expedition. and some OF the back
wuodsmen had conceived the idea that
al they had to do was to stand on the
wharf, and grab the girls as they came
ashore and march up town and be
married. Mercer saw this. ana before
anyone was permitted 20 land he
made speech, stating that the pas
seagrrs were al ladies' AMI gentlemen,
ana that Il any at the settiers wanted
% secure any 81 the ladies for wives.
IL would have o. be done IN
the caol old way When We
eane ashore We we're treated
first-Faie. by the citizens of
the town, and the greatest mistake
any IL them ever made was leaving
Seattle. Among the passengers on the
trip who have since been married were
Mrs. Amos Nruwn. Mrs. 4. Mackin-
tosh, Mrs T. ;. Russell, Mrs A.
Treen. Mrs J r Convey, Mrs. u. h.
Baxter. Mrs II. A. Atkins and many
other prominent ladies Of the Puget
sound basin.
4Ah4as1 IT, AFsa stA7 hAk - essF-
Mr.. Mercer was up bright and early
Yesterday morning irving to get his
bearings. bat had not succeeded when
a reporter met him in the afternoon.
He MAS standing on the Iesler-t.eary
corner attenUvciy cyeinE the constant
stream Of pAsSers. trying 10 dis
tiuguish some Of the old settlers OF
the sixties. In reply 70 the reporter
salutation Mr. Mercer said. Well. |
have been putting in the morning
meeting the old friends who are Left
and irving TO get my bearings !
have had very pleasant time meet
ing those of the old crowd who
are still here. but can't get
the hang Of t;ii- town Al al. Nothing
looks familiar I've heen around IN
rOa.A towns since | le5t here, and
thought I Wan.d hnd qHite a city here
but did not anticipate seeing such
his hurly-bariy and busting, booming
toxn a. thiS What bother me i that
cannot end any of sAa Old land
marks. The only huit.Ins I cssn rec
o,nire i that ere on the corncT there.
ocrupleti hy Kellogg drag store, and
that dnat hook mstural. IL Wasss I
t,aiHteti when ] ieii. although II was
the most p-cteutipl,s structure IN
tassn. Below there aHd adjoining
On hat j. nov known s. Commercial
street. we're raE "a, shanties- Then
thi- ulsce where We arr stand