The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-04

10 the skfn- i5&te2g u pro9uefD1 stehLSSs
this had the effect Of curing him Of his
ehiiis Tor all time 70 come.
Subsequently, TO his trip 10 the Platte Pun
chase, Butler returned 70 Lafayette county,
and WAS married TO Miss Catherine HEX
man. niece Of George Ennis. for whom re
had first worked az a farm hand He then
engaged tn farming until Is4s. when. ssit1
the death OF his father-in-ia~, he turned
his attention 10 the settlement OF the e.
tate.
ON Apri. .. is5z. Nr. Butter started
across the plains for Oregon. in the train
with Judge Hayes ard Andrew CoTan,
paying $40 for food and transportation
TIE train was attacked by cholera and
number OF deaths ensued sir. Butler and
his wife. however. arrived al The Dalles.
Or, without serious inconvenience al
though they suffered somewhat from sick
ness. They proceeded b. sma. boats down
the river to Portland. and tIeir first nigat
there was passed In a small room OF a
wharf boat. The next day Dir. Butler
rented "A house at $50 month and Sc
cured the services Of DR.. Wilson. Mrs.
Butler still being unweil. Butler had only
$251 cash capital. but he assured the ply
stefan that he had plenty OF money. hav-
ing heard that physicians DID not care TO
treat emigranrs who were broke" After
making ais wife as comfortable as cir
curnstances would permit, Butler went out
looking around for something TO do in or
der 20 earn few dollars 10 make good
his representations TO the doctor. AS
chance had it. he met Squire Davis,
who had fine mule team. Davis was i'm
pressed with the new conner and agreed
TO Jet him have the team. profits 10 be
divided and Davis 10 furnish fodder But
Ter Jumped at the offer and went TO work
at once. He averaged between so and $40
a day teaming, and in a short time had
money enough TO pay of all OF his ooliga-
tions. IL may be said here that Butler and
DR. Wilson were lifelong friends. In the
spring OF 1853 with f. NJ. Smithers. whom
he met in Portland, Butler came To Puget
sound by way OF the Cowlitz river. Al
Olympia they passed about two weeks
with Calvin n. Hale and then came on 10
Seattle. At that time few rough shan
ties comprised the Town, and Mr.. Butter
had no trouble in purchasing a lot 10 feet
square for si2o That same lot Is the pres
ent site u the Butler hotel. corner Of Sec
ond avenue and James street. When
Henry l.. Yesler started ais mill But
Ter secured the first lumber and built
a little house He then began clearing
ground for garden and potato patch.
Smithers and Butler occupied themselves
a greater part OF several years cutting
piles and sauarlns timber for the San
Francisco market In 1854 Butter entered
politics and was elected sheriff OF King
county, which Office h. held for two years.
A. the town grew and business spread
Butter purchased a team and engaged in
draylng. He followed this line Of bust
ness for many years With good success.
Ia lsS5 hls little house was replaced by
a large frame building. which afforded a
profitable rental until the spring OF 1883.
when II was destroyed in the great fire
that swept the business part of
the city. After this he leased his
land for building purposes aad sub
sequenUy sold il for $75. go
ennial conclave Of knights Templar at
Washington city tie took part in the pa
rade. but was taken suddenly i'll. and was
compelled 10 leave the ranks. During that
trip he visited. after an absence of forty
seven years. his old Virginia home. The
old landmarks however. had been obliter-
ated and his family had been scattered or
exterminated by the civil war. Gladly
he returned 10 Seattle TO live and de
among his pioneer friends. Mrs. Butler
died In January, $50. and so far as is
known Mr.. Butler does not leave relative
The deceased was a thirty-second degree
Mason. Scottish Rite, and for many years
served as treasurer of the consistory. He
was also treasurer of Commandery No. ..
Knights Templar He was a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church.
Hon. Frederic j. Grant. IL writing his
history of Seattle. made mention of Hill
lory Butler in connection with the found
ing of the University OF Washington. as
follows. THE first great work Of this per-
iod was the location and building OF the
territorial university al Seattle. This was
done In ls6l-62. The site was then outside
of the town, and the land was covered
with an unhroken forest. largely of cigan-
tic fir trees. Ii is of interest TO
know the names OF some Of those who
took contracts and with their matt0cks
and axes went into the woods TO hew out
a seat of education. ilillory Butler. l.. 3.
Andrews, Lemuel j. Holgate. c. p. Bagiey,
James j. Crow and Ira Wooden. stili resi-
dents of King county. were among the
number. and 70 is safe 10 say that their
interest IN undertaking the work was at
least as much TO further the cause Of etiu-
cation and to build up the town as 10 help
themselves financially "
characteristic Anecdotes.
striking figure In the early history OF
Seattle one who took part in all the early
struggles Of Seattle when Il was a small
town. a central figure IN the stage coach
ing days before railroads commenced 10
invade the territory. IL Is natural that the
life Of Hliory Butler should be of more
than ordinary interest 90 the people az
Washington. The lie or AIR Butler was
one in which the word tabor played a prom
nent part. With the rise OF Seattle he sud
denly became wealthy. but even IN his
wealth he lived the same quiet. unAssIm-
ing way that had been his wont in bygoae
days lie was a man % great natural abu-
ity. bat IN his early life was denied nearly
all Of the advantages that are common 10
the boy OF the present day. lie knew what
n was to earn his bread hy the sweat of his
brow and when the time came for the ter
rltorv 20 Lax the foundation for a univer-
s.ff Nrn sfFre
take his Ak and strike a blow In the forest
that then crowned the knoll where the old
university now stands, His life was faIl
OF happenings and old timers can tell many
anecdotes about him.
Samuel L. Crawford. the veteran news
paper man. said: "Hnlory Butler and his
wife. after coming TO Portland. fell IN with
+. Al Smithcrs, now OF Renton. and both
being NirEinians. a strong friendship
SuranE ND between them which lasted un-
~ the day OF Mr Buffers death. They
came TO Seattle together and then formed
a copartnershlp Ia the logging business
They brought three yoke OF cattle with
them. and when The Port Madison mill
was first built they put in the first loss
sawed by that mill, After they dissolved
partnership Butler hauled wood and ui1 a
little work Ia the ~ay Of jobbinE With his
wagon one day be remarked 20 some OF
his friends, among whom were Smithers.
a. l. Nesirr. Henry Adams. Joe Foster.
the White river farmer, and some others.
that 10 iC was not for that rent uiu his
landlord was bciberug him for every
month he would De able 20 SET along in
Seattle pretty wtu
Well. let's se, said Yess.r. r. we
can't heip you oat a little. I Nil give you
a couple ~ lots uu in the woods po3ntlng
te the corner Of Second avenus ans James
street where the Bgricr block ncp stands.
'It seems to we these boys Viii an pitch I'm
an aelp ven pat up a hause'