The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-16

kindly that IN the difficulties of 1885 and 1885, ne
ritory. Near the end Of the war. at the request
Of Gov. stevens. he made hazardous trip 10 thc
hostiies to propose terms for agreement. After
carrying the rerIy OF the chiefs to the governor
he went second time 10 the hostile camp &C.
companied by only two friendly Indians, ana
upon tie wsrpa;h, delivering them az the ex-
ecutive mansion. Upon another occasion 20
saved the settlement from massacre by timely
warning sent to the naval authorities.
When the territory organized Mr. 3eslef
was made county auditor. aud held the once
several terms. He has been commissioner OF
King county several times. and twice mayor OF
Seattle During his last term as mayor, III lsss.
occurred the Chinese riot. and. although lot a
friend of foreign labor. he did all in bis power
10 suppress mob violence. Mr.. feser .as
originally Democrat in political faith, but
sanee the great civil war has been allied with
the Republicans He il not. however. an IN
tense partisan, and never had any desire for
called upon 20 fill have been in the line OF duties
such as citizen deeply interested IL the public
welfare could not refuse to accept.
IL would be difficult for those only acquainted
with the crest and fourishing city Of Seattle OF.
To-Day 70 realize the important part the sawuiil
O Henry fekier played In the primitive days.
For years II was almost the sole industry o. the
place, and through 1t may be traced the primary
cause which determined the supremacy of Sc
attic IL was the pioneer enterprise OF what has
grown 20 De giant industry which now exists
While OF late years Mr.. YesIer has been LARGELY
1htefesteo IN building and real estate opera
mons, he continued to conduct his sawmi1 ct
mas SINCE been engaged in the business On Laks
Washington. at place named Yesler. Vita
tne great tide OF immigration to the Sound
which these latter years have witnessed Mr. Yes
ie. townsite property has increased 10 value
neyona MS iondest dreams Much OF II he has
SOU. put ne still retains a large part OF his
original claim, most OF which il IN the very
heart OF the city. lie was ore OF the heaviest
losers by the great FIRE of June G. 1855. bnt with
that matehIess energy which characterized the
citizens OF Seattle after that catastrophe as soon
as the smoldering efnbers of his DESTROYED uror,-
r.f
some OF the finest buildings on the Pacific
S Sass he hss recently coTnpleted the Pioneer
Dltdiag on Pioueer place, which would be con.
sidefed magnificent structure even in the
largest cities OF our country. Upon Opposite
construction two other buildings which ia
architecturai effect and richness of finish viii
equal the Pioneer building He also has unsser
construction fine stone building or the sn1ats
cas-. corner OF South Second stree. and Yesler
Before he left his old home IN ohto NJ Va.
Ter was married to Sarah Burgert, a lady who
shared all bis early trials aad struggles and who
1s most kindly remembered in Seattle Two
children were born to Mrs Yesler but thew
cied at an early age. and in 1887 their mother
followed them to the grave. Within a few
home for young women. dedicated 20 the rnem-
DRY or that wife, Sarah b. Yesler In 1870 Mr.
1esier was married to Miss Minnie cage 81
native of his old home. who has been a fa'fh.ni
ana attentive companion of his declining years
This brief sketch only family indicates the
Conspicuous part played by Mr.. Harry Yesler.
Tor his name is to be found on every page of Sc
attie,s history and the impress of his indiyidu-
atty found in every incident leading 10 the
wonderful development OF the CITY, When Mr.
fesier arrived in Seattle he found in the neigh
borhood Henry Van Asselt. Jacob and Samuel
maple, John thornton, Lee Terry. John Denny,
soren 4 Ecu and Ddsnas lew Of osh a9s' Soon D.
Joined By Dr. aa1 1e a.'i' ss.ony Ds was
Bagley, Dexter Horton and Thomas Mercer.
aas se ON ON the the nor s OF the
not Wen enough, however. TO more, aud re-
manned at Alki until house could be built for
themselves. and then enc for Denny on the
plum. This did no; prove a convenient place.
however, on account Of the ruggcdness OF the
the beach difficult. Indeed, the water
could be reached from the shore
therefore soon afterwards built another other house
on the site now occupied by the Frye block on
so as 70 give all convenient ways TO the water.
White these events were transporting. In October
OF isss occurred one OF the most important
was the coming of Henry L. Yesler. who proved
to be worthy comrade of the who had
selected the place a few months before. Look
ing about the harbor he preferred as site the
point where Maynard and Boren Joined claims.
and their lines were accordingly changed SO as
more kindly and good tempered than the dis
position OF these pioneers, who had a city
already In view and knew something of the
value OF their land, to give to new arrivals an
equal advantage with themselves
the town was not to be at Aiki point as origin
ally intended, but on the mainland, and the set
tiers had some difficulty in finding a name.
The shore where Belttown IL was called by the
Indians MuIkmuckuEn. and the spot where the
town was laid OF Zechaldalitch Their mean
ing could not be ascertsined. and Ii was de-
cided TO name tho new town after the friendly
chief OF the suquampsh and Devampsh. cor.
rupting the native name sealth to its general
pronunciation Seattle. Tho old chief died years
ago, but his daughter. the aged Angelina, is
stIii familiar object on the streets.
Is Mas afyk tAA txev - =
off so as to conform to the trend of the shore
line. In the original plat of Denny and Boren
there were but three streets parallel with the
shore, Front. Second and Third Front ran
much as 1T does now. with its western edge
along the rim OF q biuff. The streets were sixty
ak feet wide: The most southeriy street rum
ming east and west Was Mill street, now Yeslsr
avenue Tho only other streets were James
Cherry. Columbia. Marion and Madison.
For years Yesler's MILL with a canaeitx of
about 1900 feet. was tho mercantile center of
the town. j, was not only MILL storehouse and
mess room, but town hall. court room, meeting
house and hotel Bells house IN Relltown was
far out of town and was burned by Indians
There were deep woods beyond Third strse,
In 1883 the Oregon iegislature-of which state
Washington was then part - divided
psrss 9 s9ipe' flaming . on the north
and appointed as a county board qdsFs9 IN.
King ]. \. Low. L NJ. Collins and A. 4. benny nv.
with ii. l. 1esier a. clerk and {. u. Boren as
sheriff At that time Olympia was the nearest
postoffice, the mail coming from there by canoe
express. Weekly mails delivered hv
Robert MoSlio, and the delivery cost Is cents \
letter. In the sans year Arthur \. Denny was
appointed postmaster and opened an Office i'm a
log CABIN on the site now occupied by the FRYE
building.
Mr Denny has written a history of early arvs
In which he says that during the fIrst few vears
few vessels visited tins Eaund and there VS.
often a scarcity of food. Pork and butter ea.ae
around tape Horn. Hour IA barrels fraru Ck{Ea
and sugar iii mats from China lie paia a. runah
as sd Tor two barrels oi pork. aud sap for a har
rel of i&ssE- Tn one occasion the ontY barrel oe
pork In the county was accidentally Heated eff
in Il high tide, and the whole community tufnaa
out with torches II seaEch the shore for II or
the return tide. bat IL was never seen again
It YVES during those days that the idca of n
fTauscontlnental railroad In the sound was
mooted. and aInone those with whom Mr. sez-
Ter was associated was Governor IsAac I stav.
ems then the first governor Of Washington tey
ritary, who, acting under tire orders Of Jgfsefsrr
Davis, secretary Of war. made survey He
aided IN this by Gearge r. NrTl.iIaf So
mend canal between lake Washington aFfs
Lake Union.
By the summer Of 1850 Ethe number e. h,sssx
Of all descriptions tai reached about Fo~ty a.
fortY-hYe. ali clustered about the shore Tfcra
were no houses aoTta II Madison and none go
of second, EXCEPT building So twa aftss.s,z-
James ant Columbia A1E1 a house egesf w..
tire gas works ste-as- south OF &iit street ws-ss
several buildings a}euE Commercial RfFeas
Neslers sawalI ssa> At i the most {szr,rta,t
structure III the village. There most af 80
msa were employed who earned wages. fE,r.e
chips cane Tor csFSoeS IL iauds1 produce Ia.
Its wntstte 81 the clocks WeFe regulated
and thc Whole village economy carried an n
was long, low, rambling sifHir. aEth IA, pzs-
tense In ofusmCntstEgn. and II was the last l5,..
building to be taken down. soon after tie mai
began running, the People huils frame aouSas
one or one ard "a hall stories Ia height $50
old-iashtonsd c3aphoards
fester's house y htch stood in a small orek.r4
at ths corner OF James and Front streets On the