Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-04-12


pie were not critical and his perform
ance was such marked success that
it was repeated at frequent intervals,
and always to a crowded hall an | with
enthusiastic encoFes. His &c forms nee
WIS "The Grecian Statues" embel-
li-hed with song which affor ed an ex-
PLANTATION of the tableau presented at
each rising of the ourt,n. It was
many years afterward before the peo-
pie were afforded al opportunity OF
witnessing a theatrical performance
by visit of the Robinson family, with
really very clever actress in Miss Sue,
who at once became popular favorite
The people OF Olympia in the early
days were noted for hospitality, and
many traces of that trait Of character
still linger and are so marked as to ex-
cite comment. The e,rly settlers con-
stituted practically one family. They
were not divided by sect or caste. Mrs.
Grundy had not then made her APP
pearance to SOW the seeds OF discord.
All was harmony and good will. The
appetising oder of the bean-pot at
MONDAY Was sufficient Invitation to
tie wsyfarer that he might enter and
sit at the festive board. The smell of
mince pies indicated the approach of
the season of good cheer when the
stranger was not forgotten in the dis
pensing OF the creature comforts.
The columns Of the Columbian, u
small newspaper which made its APP
pcarance soon after the first store,
published by Thornton F. McElroy,
bear evidence OF this. "Mack" was his
own editor, compositor and devil. He
likewise patched" or cooked his own
meals. In almost every issue of his
paper appears the caption Editors
Table," under which note is made of
the good things" sent in to grace his
lonely board by the kind-he arted wom-
en- Of the town. In fact, he may be
said to have lived on the delicacies of
the land, so far as they were obtain
able in primitive settlement, for the
lightest cake, the sweetest preserves
and the best of flap-jacks invariably
found their way to his table.
The means of communication in
those days were very few. A trip to
Portland involved an arduous journey
Of several days length to Monticello,
on horseback, where you nigh, if you
were lucky, connect with the slowest
steamer ever built, the Columbia,
which made semi-weekly trips to As.
toria. If you wanted to go down
Sound, which was improhsbly. as the
only settlements were at Alki (now
Seattle) and Port Townse d, and the
military post at Fort Steilacoom, you
had to hire canoe and crew of In
dams, and as they had monopoly of
the carrying business, negotiations
we're often prolonged and unsatisfac-
tory. "Ih dolla III sun canins: III dolla
III sun III man." was the fixed price,
and nothing unless it mig t be liberal
lis'atisns Of prohibited fire. water would
swerve them from their price. Aside
from the Beaver, the H. B. Co.'s
steamer, which made irregular visits
to the trading posts on the Sound and
the Columbia river, the wsters of
Whulge had not been s'irret b. the
wheel of steamer until the Major
Tompkins, under command of Capt.
Hunt, and the ownership of the gener-
GUS, whole-souled John Scranton and
others, made her appearance, several
years later, to carry the weekly mails
for the lower points Of the Sound.
Until the Indian outbreak in 1856,
the peop'e had lived in state Of amity
with their aboriginal brethren. There
were disagreements at times, but the
whites were always abe, by superior
tact and judgment, 10 avert an open
rupture, and to settle all grievances
by that panacea for all the wounds to
the Indian nature, the payment Of a
compensation in something his heart
covets. The lives of the settlers were,
therefore, exceptionally calm and
peaceful, a living va. eaeily made, and
the most cordial fraternai relations ex-
listed between the several households
which constituted the town Ct long
ago. 1t is probably these conditions
and the happiness resulting from them
that place these halcyon days Of yore
90 high on the tablets of enduring
memory.
Gov. SEMPLE says of Washington
Territory: It will present to the IT'S
terhood of States q prosperous, enter
prising commonwealth with a popula-
ton considerably over 100000. In
my report to the Interior Department
estimated the population at 5000.
This was in September, 1888. Our
population is now over 100000, and
before the end of the year inning ration
will run it up to 100000. The peo-
ME Of WashinpfOn will over rap,ec,bor