The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-10
DEATH OF Il. F. SMITH.
The Pioneer Of the Okanogan
Country Passes Away.
LONG. ADVENTUROUS CAREER.
He Was Always In che vaagsaxd %
sstsisnsat-His Famous Ksnen-A
Long. Pas.fsi Illnsss.

~-A - GxHst0s meUB&f OF tue 811t8
mouse Of representatives for okanogan
county. who vas known as sOkanogsn
smith, and was one Of the oldest and
best known pioneers Of the Pacific coast,
died Of dysensery at 10.15 o'clock last
night at the Diiier hotel. where be Was
temporarily stopping. His death followed
upon q long and painful illness, which had
lasted over three months
Ar. smith Vas born in Kennebec county,
Me-. June Ii. 1872. and so was "a years old
a. the time Of his death. He was self
educated man and was OF an adventurous
disposition. which led him af an early age
20 leave his home and come out into the
then lar away West With his parents.
ne LETT his native state and emigrsted to
Iowa IN 1851 In 1s4f be went to Illinois
and from Illinois 20 Michigan four years
later. From Michigan he went back on .
snort trip TO New York city, but the gold
discovery in Caiifornis in 1919 drew him
with irrisisribie force back 10 the West
again In California he spent nearly ten
years In mining and kindred occupations.
Upon the opening mp of the mines in
Eastern Oregon and Idaho in 1858, after
the long Indian war OF 1856. which had
prevented their heing worked for sew
eral years, Mr.. smith left Cali
fornia and sought new fields,
coming 70 Washington and making
his headquarters at The Dalies. Or. Here
his principal business was packing, MI of
the transportation at that time being by
means Of boats and pack trains In this
business he continued for several years,
until early in the SOS. he heard of the now
famous Okanogan country, in the valley
Of the Columbia river, near the British
line Coming to this part Of Washington.
he settled at the foot of Osoyoos lake on Q
level tract Of land and in . place well
suited for the establishment Of frontier
trading post, and there he lived until
about three months ago he came to Seattle
to be treated for the disease which finally
caused his death.
In the course Of long and eventfui life
passed on the border of civilization he
followed nearly every trade and not few
Of the professions In 1853 he was o mem
Der of the territorial legislature and he
was also . member of the second and
third houses of representatives. Ii was
from Olympia, after the adjournment Of
the legislature last spring, that he came
TO Seattle.
By the death Of "Okanogan" Smith the
state of Washington loses . whole-souled.
generous and energetic citizen. With the
development of the 0kanogan country
Mr.. Smith had more to do than
any other man, probably. He was the
one man who had the courage to go into
the wilderness and make 10 possible for q
white man to live in the Okanogan coun-
try. For twenty-eight years or more his
farm and store or trading post at Osoyoos
lake have been known rs the great center
of the whole Big Bend country. In
the old Indian times the trading
post was general rendez yous for all of
the Indians and trappers in Central Wash
ington. II was there that they met to
barter with one another and with the
storekeeper. Mr.. Smith had the entire
confidence of both the Indians
and the white men and acted as
go-between for them ON many
occasion when hostilities were threatened
and affected o reconciliation. In later
years and with the advancement Of civiii-
ration Smiths store came to be secondary
object and his main attention was devoted
to his large ranch containing nearly
six hundred acres Ut the foot OF
osoyoos lake. Part of this ranch
was taken up by Smith himself but about
800 acres of IL he bought from Chief Tenas-
ket, one of the big chiefs Of the Indians,
who made Smiths place their head
quarters. This ranch IL one of the
wonders of the state. The mild
climate and the rich soil make
IL possible to raise nearly
every fruit which can be raised in the
temperate zone. The orchards are scene
of busy industry in the season of fruit
picking. when scores Of pickers. both
whites and Indians, are employed. The
productiveness of the farm may be realized
when 10 is known that In one season
I,oo0 bushels of peaches were raised
upon IL. Mr.. Smiths mining property IL
situated on the western side of the Column
bia river. and il peculiar as having been
granted to Mr.. Smith directly from the
government many years ago when the
Coiviiie Indian reservation was set apart.
This mining property is valued very
highly. having been bonded for rs high az
saO0. 600
When In the legislature Mr. Smith vas
q unique figure. but his words were al
wsys listened to with close attention and
his advice generally needed.
The immediate cause OF Mr.. Smiths
ueatu W - totd eaokht Aahc out on
Lake Washington some time ago, but for
the past year he had suffered
from chronic dysentry which
did not yield to medical treatment. 1t
Is thought that hard ride of nearly 100
miles, which Mr.. Smith made on horse
back last fall aggravated the trouble,
anyway. when he came home
from the ride he was taken
III and never fully recovered.
After the legislature adjourned last
spring Mr. Smith came to Seattle for treat
ment, and for \ time vas thought to be on
the road TO recovery. The cold taken by
him as before mentioned caused q relapse,
however, and for the last three months of
his life he was confined 10 his bed. grow
ing gradually weaker and weaker until the
end came last night at 0:1a
The only persons present 81 the death
bed were his wife. r. b. Scott, who was
for . long time customs inspector az
0sooyos and made his home at okano-
gan Smiths. Ii Is thought by many
Of those acquainted with Mr. Smith tina.
old age had IS much TO do with his death
as any other thing. His constitution hav-
ing been very strong until weakened By
disease when the collapse was complete.
Mr.. Smith leaves . young wife, whom
he married about eighteen months ago.
His daughter died March IL. fsa2. after a
brief illness. In his personal appearance
Mr. Smith vas . fine looking man. He
Was OF medium height, dark complexion.
dark eyes and had been athletic In his