The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-27
OLD : TIME TRAGEDY.
BEAUTIFUL AselE cAsro.s FATE.
New Death Came Upea Three Pienssra
Of sqsak vallsy-swift Vengeance
On the Nurdorers.

The death Of John Bonser, one Of the
earliest pioneers of Oregon, 1T Sauvie's
island, near Portland. recently recalls one
of the bloodiest tragedies that ever oc-
Cured in King county and one which
will 90 down in history ~ the greatest ex-
ample the pioneers had of the evil effect
Of giving whisky to the Indians. The
event il memorable for another reason,
and that il that the daughter Of John
Bonser, wife Of William Caste, and proba-
bly, the most beautiful woman in the terri
tory. was victim.
II don't take much stock in the hand
some, charming women We read about"
said G. B. Bsgley yesterday. "but Mrs.
Casio, II placed in Seattle today with the
face and form a. when she came among N
in 1854. would be among the most hand
some women in the city. and shall never
forget the sensation created in our little
settlement when messengers arrived from
Squak valley, where the Castos moved.
with the news that Mrs. Casio. her hus-
band and John Holstead had been killed
by Indians, and that friendly Klickitat
had slain the murderers."
The first impression was that there had
been an uprising among the treacherous
natives and force, consisting of nearly all
the able-5odied men in the community,
started for the scene Of the massacre.
1t is hard matter for the people of
metropolitan Seattle to carry themselves
back, fgurativeiy speaking. to 1864, and
imagine the village of that period with
its thirty families.
The boundaries we're limited to short
and narrow line extending along the
water front not farther north than Pike
street. The few houses were small and I'M
pretentious and the business portion Of
the town was confined to Commercial
street, between Main and Yesler avenue.
At that time and even after the great fire
in 1883 Yesler avenue was known as Mill
street, the name having originated from
the fact that Yesier's mill was located at
its foot. Where the magnificent Dexter
Horton bank building now stands stood
small wooden structure occupied by Dex-
ter Horton as q store. and where the Ma
tionai Bank of Commerce building is, at the
corner of Yesier avenue and Commercial
street, stood the mill store of the Yesler-
Denny Company. s. 3. Hines, a name
forgotten in commercial circles, kept store
on Commercial street. between Washing
ton and Main streets. Charles Piummer
was at the corner of Main and CONNER
ciai. and j. X. Williamson was on the
east side Of Commercial street, half block
north. This comprised the entire list of
stores at that time. The forests were the
only source to which the settlers looked
for commercial commodities. and these.
when put in salable shape. were often
times compelled to await means of trans
portation to markets. Briefly summed
up, spars. piles, lumber and hoop-poles
we're about all the sources of income.
At that time there was no ''blue book {"
and. in fact. women were scarce. 1t is not
surprising then that the arrival of Will
lam Casio. . man aged 80 years and true
representative of the Kentucky colonel
type. with his young wife. the daughter of
John Bonser, of Sauvies island, Columbia
river, near Portland, should have been a
memorable occasion. Mrs. Caste was a
natural not IN artificial beauty-one of
those women to whom all apparel adapts
Itself and becomes . part of the wearer.
Every move was graceful and her face one
that an artist would have raved about
not that dark. imperious beauty that some
might expect. but the exact opposite. Her
eyes were large. blue and expressive. while
her complexion, clear as alabaster, was
rendered more attractive BY a rosy hue.
She was admired by all and fairly wor-
shipped by her husband. 1t was one of
those rare cases where disparity in ages
did not prevent mutual devotion.
In the spring of the year that Casio
came to Seattle he took up a ranch in the
heart OF Squak valley. where the Tibbetts
farm now lies. Here he built q small
house. put in q garden and commenced
clearing. In order to create an income for
himself and wife he opened small trad
Ing post and carried on the manufacture
OF hoop poles. The valley was peculiarly
adapted to this business, owing to dense
growth of hazel bush, the very article
most desired.
White labor was scarce, but Caste, with
an eye TO business. employed Indians.
For wonder they applied themselves dill
gently and became expert workmen. As
lime went on business increased. and the
means of reaching Seattle. from which
point all goods were shipped. became an
important question. The timber for miles
and miles in all directions from Sauak
valley was dense and almost impenetra.
BILE. wagon road for even a short dis
lance was heavy undertaking, involving
great labor and undue EXPENSE. These
conditions were an insurmountabie barrier
10 the idea of connecting Seattle and
squak valley overland, and necessita,ed
The continuation of the primitive and
somewhat disjointed water route. TWAS
an easy matter. a boat load of poles bein Q
ready. 10 pass through Squak lake. bu,
when II came TO the slough bearing the
same name, there were many difficulties
to be encountered. Driftwood that had
been collecting for years DISTRACTED the
channel Logs that would be called mon
slers nowadays lay floating in the boats
way. and compelled the settlers 10 sawsnd
cut until they were removed. 1akingiuto
consideration the tools 1T hand in 1854 i,
becomes apparent what = prodigious task
u must have been TO remove a single MON
arch of the forest. One thing IN their
favor was that the channel. once cleared
had enough water In float any boa, the
pioneers of Squak valley had at their com.
nland. as may be seen by looking al ,hr
map OF King county. the course down the
dough led To Lake Washington. Then.
after passing through the entire length 0;
the lake, twenty-five miles, Back river
~as reached. This led 10 the DuNamish
aud from the junction of these stream,
he boa; was padded north until Elliotr
bay VAS reached and the celebrated Yes.
Ter deck of old times was in sight.
Caste did most Of his trading with San
Francisco merchants and frequently re-
eeived as much IS 81 500 for a single shin,