The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-19
GOSSIP AT OLYMPIA.
What the Legislature Has Done
and Is Doing.
1rsra'or,os 4 RAILROADS
Defects in the Tide Land Law-Special
Election In Kitittas County--Appro-
priation OF Water for Irrigation.

OLYMPIA, Jan. 1s.-[Special. THE fam
Mar faces of the present Legislature are
confined almost wholly to members OF
former state legislatures and of the con-
stitutional convention of 1850. Election TO
this legislature is the introduction into
public life of nearly every one of the new
members. The ways of state legislative
bodies are new to them, and they are wait
ing until they understand how the ma
chinery of legislation works before they
venture to take any active part in proceed
infs. OF course, none are entirely ignor-
ant Of parliamentary practice. Many OF
the new men are, indeed, good public
speakers and parliamentarians, but there
are certain particular customs and man
ners peculiar to state legislatures that they
have not yet had an opportunity to become
thoroughly familiar with, and they will
be mostly spectators until they are sure OF
not making breaks" and then they will
engage in discussions and parliamentary
wranglings and hair-splittings just as ac-
lively ana indiscriminately as the senior
members.
lHE4t daC nCFCAttCn ltOA4OfCA AChbCSAS
In the Senate, who served in the last legis-
lature, and whose terms expire with this.
OF the new senator's, Kinnear of King,
and Forsythe of Cowlitz, Pacific and Wah-
kiakum, were members of the first state
legislature, and the former was likewise
member of the constitutional convention
and Of the territorial legislature of 1885.
and elected TO the territorial council OF
1889, which never met. Dyer OF King, and
Eshelman of Yakima and Kiickitat were
members of the constitution convention.
Rutter of King, and Edens of Skagit were
members of the lower House last session.
Thompson of Pierce, who is the senior
senator, and is holdover, was a
member of the first territorial leg
islature of Washington. In the
House ten members are reelected as
follows: Bothell, Parrish, Flummerfelt,
Candy, Kennedy, Megler. Morse, Painter,
Plummer and Speaker Shaw. Hummer
felt of Franklin county is the only DEM
ocrat of the ten. The remaining sixty
eight members are all noxitiates. Goldman
of Columbia, Democrat and law partner
of the fiery s. G. Cosgrove, of Garfield,
Republican, was q member of the constitu-
tional convention, and so was Cosgroye
(not a member). Hunsaker of Klickitat
was last year state senator from klickltat
and Yakima. OF the remaining the names
of Snively of Yakima, Sharpstein of Walla
Walla, and Andrews OF King, are amongst
the more familiar. Snively was member
of the territorial code commission and was
Democratic candidate for attorney general
at the last state election. Sharpstein is
son of Hon. b. l.. Sharpstein, of Walla
Waila, and was member of the last terri
torial board of penitentiary commission
ers. Andrews was for three years clerk of
the district court, member of the constitu-
fional convention of 1878, in Walla Walla,
delegate TO several national Republican
conventions, and is very well known in
Seattle and throughout the state.
One of the most interesting personalities
IN the legislature is the speaker, Amos +.
Shaw, of Clarke. The following very brief
biographical sketch from Barton's Hand
Book contains suggestions of the pioneer
life Of adventure and hardship he has UNI.
dergone:
A.. +. shaw, Republican representative of
clstke county. Twenty second district, was
born January IA, 1889, in the town OF Franklin
N. H.: brought up on a farm until 1882 emf
grated TO the then unorganized territory Of Da-
kota; was elected a member of the provincial
legislature that met at Sioux Falls, Dakota, in
the winter Of lS59-60 in January, 1852, enlisted
IN Company A, Dakota volunteer cavalry:
served three and onehalf years; was sheriff OF
Clay county, Dakota, from CO to 80: served as
secretary for territorial council. session 1862 as
member of the House OF Representatives. ses-
eions 1871 and Is, and council, session 81; came
TO Vancouver in the fall of 81, bought and
cleared land and planted prune orchard; re-
manned until the spring of 1854, when business
interests called him to Sioux Falls, Dakota.
Appointed warden of the Dakota peniientiary at
Sioux Falls in the spring of 1855. serving two
years. Returned TO Vancouver In July, 1887 is
senior member of Shaw Brothers. prune growers
and packers Was member of the first legis-
lature.
Mr.. Shaw Is making very good
speaker. lie has an excellent knowledge
of parliamentary law, and his grit and de-
termination in enforcing n ruling, as well
as In ali other things, are very well known.
Among the visitors attracted to Oiym-
pia by the senatorial contest during the
past week were Mr. and Mrs. S. l.. Craw-
ford, of Seattle Mr.. Crawford was a resi-
dent of Olympia for several years in the
EOS, and he has at command great vari-
ETY. of amusing anecdotes and stories of
his career in the old town. Among Others
he tells the following:
Along in 1876 ! was working on the Echo. a
newspaper OF which Francis II. Cook was ed
ftor was city editor, foreman, pressman and
general ll-around athlete OF the establishment,
and had good many friends. One day in
June Nj. Cook announced that would be n
years OF sge the next day, which was the 22d
80 the next day when came down to the Office
! ionnd ON my desk great lot of thiugs-a
MUS Manual, 5gallon jar of buttermilk. and
TOP, which had piece of paper on ii with the
following poetry
"To the Echo's man Of twenty-one,
This floral tokens offered;
May the Joys OF life, like summers sun,
Fer shine on Sammy Crawford"
The cake was from Mrs. T. NJ. Reed, who WAS
Almighty good friend of mine in those DAYS as
VIE IS yet The can of huttermilk came from
Mr.. ana Mrs. l. A. Treen, now of seattle and
the copy Of Hills Manual from george W
bar es, the banker, ! got whole lot of other
things, but can't tell you about that now. NV
wife wants me to take her out 10 Tumwater
and look at the falls
About this time the IatelIigencer was
started in Seattle, then a smaller nIace
than Olympia. Mr.. Crawford was EN-.
rioyed in the mechanical department of
the new paper and left OLYMPIA for good
He soon became reporter and was with the
Iatehsgcnoer and observation-disclosures con.
tinuouSly until November |. iSSS. when he
resigned and went into the real estate
business.
Members of the legislature who want 10
enact restrictive railroad legislation are
finding good deal of trouble with the fol-
lowing provision of the constitution IN
article XII:
SsSs, IS The legislature shall pass laws estae-
hshing reasonable maximum rates of charges
ior the transportation OF passengers and freight
ano To correct abuses and 60 prevent extortion
~ me rates of freight aud passenger taFifs on
TIE Inherent railroads and other common car
fsrs IN the state, and shall enforce such laws nv
adequate penalties. A railroad and trAnsporta.
ZION commission may be established. aud its
powers aud duties fully defined BY law
This section was submitted. several DAYS
said: ""'
lns provision is mandatory that the leEisia.
sune snail pass laws establishing maximum
afa1S s..@th Il
Isiitoad or transportation canInisSipn. leavtpss
w tnalter ontionAl with the lnsislatlLra ~