Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-06-16


panied by Mr.. \. B. RabbesOn he set
out with hi- cradle on his shoulder for
th" C"whH farms. The Frenchmen
dId not ut first take kindly to the idea
"i supcrseding the sickle, but when
Jesse showed them how much more
gram lie could lay down with it, their
rcruPlcs vanished and he rcaped
lin" harvest for himself and his part
ncr
RAID OF THE BRITISH
! On the possessions of the Americans
was organized in the fall of 1913. The
so-called Puget Sound Agricultural
Company, with n view to claiming the |
rich land lying south of the Nisqually,
river drove a herd of cattle across the |
stream and proceeded TO take posses
/ SION. As soon as the settlers discov-
cred this, the old spirit of combat was
reused and determined stand was at
once taken. A meeting was hastily |
called and Col. Isaac n. Ebey was
chosen chairman. Ii was unanimous
ly decided that formal notice should |
bc served on the Agent of the Com
pany, DIR. W. +. Tolmie, to remove the |
stock from the county or they would |
bc seized. The indomitable Jesse Fer |
gusOn and 4. b. Rabbeson were ap-
pointed a committee to convey the |
demands of the meeting to the agent |
and give him a week to comply with |
them. Before the week was up the |
cattle had boon withdrawn and war
was avcrted.
THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD
In California, news OF which reached |
the settlers along the Sound in the |
summer of lS49, caused great excite
mcnt. The fame of the fabulous for |
tunes that could he picked up in the
Golden State" was too much for the |
toiling settler and stampede from
this little settlement followed which |
caused lasting depression. Many of
the settlers abandoned their claims
entirely. Others left their growing
crops and failed TO return in season to |
harvest them. Others returned with |
dust" and no longer cared for the
slow plodding ways of the mill and
farm. No new settlers came in; no |
new houses were built. The mills
were idle. Food became scarce and |
all produce brought exorbitant prices
In the excitement caused by the con-
tinued discoveries OF precious metals
IN the south. all thought of the settle |
ment of II new country disappeared |
and for years this rich country was al. |
most unheard of and its growth was
slow. Still it grew. The solid men of |
the settlement, who had not been at |
tackled by the gold fever, and still had |
faith in the future, remained and con-
tinued the struggle.
THE FIRST CASUALTY
Occurred during April OF this year. |
Leander II. Wallace, in company with
Lewis and Walker, while on visit to
Fort Nisqually, were attacked by In.
dians. Wallace was killed and Lewis
and Walker both wounded. Gen.
Joseph Lane, who was at this time
Governor Of Oregon, visited New.
market, or Tumwater, to investigate
the matter. He set about getting
troops TO punish the Sno qualmies for
the outrage, but through the inter
ference Of the In dian Agent, Chief
Patkanim was induced to surrender |
six OF the tribe who were charged with
the murder, in consideration of eighty |
blankets. The Indians were tried at |
Stcilacoom in October. Kussass and |
Quallahwowt were convicted and hung
the next day, Oct. 3D..
THE BRIG ORBIT
Was purchased by Messrs. Ebey, Shaw,
Moore, Jackson and Sylvester, and
sailed up the Sound on the first of |
January, 1850. She loaded with a |
cargo Of piles for San Francisco and
inaugurated the commerce of Thurs
ton county. The Orbit was the pio- |
nccr Of the fleet.
sMITHFIELD REDivIvUs.
In 1880 Sylvester, who by the death |
OF Levi Smith became the owner of |
Smithtleld, plated townsite and |
dedicated il to the public. He named |
the town Olympia after the range of |
mountains whose white peaks rise in |
the northwest and stand as perpetual
monument to the glory of the future |
! city. Al this time the city of Olympia |
comprised the store of Simmons & |
Smith and the house of Sylvester.
But the faith OF the prospectors was
well founded for the place which they
founded WAS destined TO become the |
capital OF great and growing State.
During the winter of 1851, the custom.
house WAS established at Olympia, the
first one on the Sound. During the
session OF the Legislature of Oregon
Territory, in the winter of 1923,
among others, Thurston county was
Itcted out OF portion of what had |
heretofore been Lewis. On the Sd oi |
March, 1853, the President signed the |
bill creating the Territory of Wash
ington, which retained the organiza.
ton OF counties already effected by the |
Legislature of Oregon. The officers of
the new Territory were appointed
soon after the inauguration of Presi.
dent Pierce and the new Governor at
once selected Olympia as the seat OF
government, thus again honoring
Thurston county. This selection was
confirmed by the first Legisla-
ture which met in February, 1854, and
Olympia still remains the Capital of
Washington and the county seat of
Thurston.
NJ the election in 1890, the perma-
- -anan