The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-27

SSypson, Henry Blake George Davidson,
george ID. Gerrish, H. W. MCPHERSON. S.
p irwin, q. II. Fitzgerald, J. Mcdonnell,
J. J.. Rogers. James Downie, J. J. Barrow,
:. Al. Shaw, John Allen, J. a. Merrill,
j: oelpert, \: Shomar, J. G. Brown and
others, all of whom have since gone to
their long home.
Among others remembered who are yet
alive are: 4. III. McAlmond, John Thorn
ton, Z. NJ. Bradshaw, D. T. Brownfield. f.
Roberts, James Sherard, F. Crozier, II.
Hoffman, John Bell, A. Vincent, John
Donnell, W. Webster and a few others.
Ihose were the days of primitive condi-
lions. Our family settled in the river
bottom, mile back from the water 'front.'
and there was no road nearer than half
mile OF the little log cabin into which we
moved. That cabin was about 12xl6 feet
In size. 1t had a split cedar door, on
wooden hinges, and an old-fashioned
latch with buekskin string hanging out
TO be pulled by person desiring to enter.
1t had fireplace and chimney composed
OF clay and sticks, built outside at one end.
There was no window in the house. A
roof OF clap boards completed the picture.
There was no clearing. So dense was the
forest that we lived there all summer
without knowing of the existence of hill
hundred yards from the house. Fathers
old muzzle loading rife kept the table
supplied with wild meat. When we had
sional bear steak and potatoes or clans to
match we thought ourselves lucky. Boys
and girls worked together planting
'spuds," and style in clothing was a sec
ondary consideration. Bangs and beau
catcher curls were among the least wor-
ries OF the women folks, though mother
did have her switch occasionally--ln her
hand. 1t was worn mostly on the boys.
When got big enough to boss gang of
siwashes in potato digging time, life was
considered worth living. The Indians
were quite numerous in those days. Now
and then big potiatch would bring many
more from British Columbia or other
points.
Smallpox among them at one time Gre
ated scare among the whites. Lord Jim
was one of the principal local chiefs. He
was saucy, cunning and utterly unscrupu-
lous. When George Davidson first arrived
at Dungeness, Lord Jim undertook to
the Dungeness river. Davidson's foot
came up suddenly and collided with Mr.
Indians chin, and the latter recovered
consciousness an hour or two afterward.
Lord Jim afterwards started to take
white man to Port Discovery in a canoe,
and when out several miles demanded
extra pay. The white man refused. Mr..
Jim jumped overheard and tried to cap
size the canoe. The white man seized q
paddle and brought it down on Mr.. In
jun's head SO hard that Lord Jim sank to
rise no more.
John Allen went to Victoria in '61, and
while away his sguaw wife at Dungeness
was killed. On his return, blaming the
Indians for the death of his squaw, Allen
shot an Indian. The next day the Indians
were arrayed IN war paint on one side of
the Dungeness river, and the white men of
the settlement Ia mere handful compared
with the Indlans) were gathered on the
"a hnn Il ~,
Fortunately the affair was patched up
without further bloodshed by John Allen
paying the relatives of the dead Indian a
sum of money.
The Indians had fights among them
selves occasionally. Once band of North
ern Indians seventeen in number) camped
on Graveyard spit at the mouth of Dun
geness harbor. During the night the
Dungeness Indians crossed over and
killed every one of tfe others except one
squaw, and she was stabbed SO that she
had been left for dead. The attacking
party lost their leader, Chief Sam.
We had a few original characters about
Dungeness. One of them, lank Georgian,
filled the 'officc" of justice of the "pees.'
On one occasion he had "sarved" writ of
replevin, or sent it to be "sarved,"
to get possession of some potatoes and
some barley, but the party in interest had
sneaked the property away in canoe
jurisdiction of the court. The plaintiff
went before his conner" to see what fur
Their relief he might secure. The court,
however, dismissed the cause in the fol-
lowing eloquent language: "Mr. -,
you hain't got no case. Whar's your per-
taters? Whar's your barley? The whole
case is squoshed." On another occasion,
when this ledge" was called upon to per-
form marriage ceremony in public. he
was quite overcome by the dignity of the
formal, solemn "persedins," and i'm
pressIvely closed his declaration in the
following words:
"Now, tharfore, what me and God hev
jined together let no man put asunder."
Dungeness was place of genuine from
tier hospitality. No one ever happened
along about meal time without being in
yited to partake of food. Good neighbors
there WERE and few quarrels.
Not until the vigilante troubles that
made the early sixties" memorable in
that section was there bad blood among
the people who had settled there. A few
runaway hard characters from the British
navy, who formed small gang to them
selves, and became reckless through drink
and debauchery, finally concluded that
the country owed them living, and they
proceeded to appropriate said living by
stealing Hen roosts were robbed, pigs
and corn disappeared, and finally matters
were brought to q climax when a band of
sheep were driven past my fathers door
in broad daylight, and the thief was taken
red-handed an hour or two later,
where he had driven the sheep into
barn and killed one or two of
them. My elder brother was one of the
principal witnesses who saw the culprit
standing over the slaughtered animals
with bloody butcher knife in his hand.
Jack Tucker was the man thus discovered.
His claim adjoined fathers He was
arrested and tried. In court his defense
was that the blamed sheep were trying to
bite him. He was finally found guilty
and sentenced to thirty days in the county
Jail. There was no jail in the county, and
the prisoner simply lived with the sheriff
at the expense of the county for month.
After being released he was vindictive, and
the gang became more reckless than ever
in their depredations. Finally a vigilance
committee, consisting of thirty-four per-
sons. was formed. and three of the ring
leaders of the desperadoes, Jack Tucker,
Nick Adams and Tommy Gould by name,
were escorted to the bounds of the county
and warned never TO return. Tucker re-
turned, aud his body was found on the
Groveland farm, pierced by q rifle
bullet. The others formed company in
Victoria and planned TO cross over in the
night, waylay and murder John Weir, L.
II. McAlmond and James Sherard. and
then defy the neighborhood. Their plan
failed, however, and they prosecuted a
civil suit for damages at Port Townsend.
They got money damages, but they never
came back TO stay. Had they returned to
remain there would have been some dam
ages of another sort, because the people
were determined.
Nick Adams came back, was caught,
and would probably have been dealt with
summarily but for the fact that he sue