Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-01-22
A "Reminiscences

I
and either means OF rapid transit.
hnn9- wildly /" mind the scene. Of
old Territorial day, when the plod-
ding stage coach, the "plunger" and
Indian '"llo" were thc CHIEF appliances
for travelling from place to place.
I Mrn!i> ri the present Legislature,
and their friends mailing from the
most distant points, have dashed into
Olympia IL ii waited through the air
hy magic. having consumed hut Il few
hour, over such routes as would have
required days and weeks to traverse a
short term Of years ago
\ few instances will afford some
striking contrasts. Before railroad
days, the most expeditions mode OF
travelling between Olympia and Walla
Walla was 10y way OF the Portland
and Columbia river route, when in
the winter season full week was re-
quired to make the weary journey
and ii the upper Columbia was
blocked by ice, then the whole dis
lance had to be trayerscd by stage or
on horseback over rough country
and almost impossible trails Be
tween Olympia and Spokane, and
other towns in that part of the State,
Il journey was but Il synonym for the
lavish expenditure of time, money and
physical energy. A similar remark
would apply to the extreme north
eastern and southwestern portions of
the State, only in more pronounced
and emphatic degree. A journey
which once lasted from one to two
weeks, is now a pleasure trip of from
fifteen to twenty hours. And all this
change has been wrought by the adj
vent of railroads and the improve
ments incident to ocean, Sound and
river navigation. The greater portion
of the credit, however, is unquestion
ably due to the various railroad lines
Oh either side of the Cascade ranges.
In going from the Sound to Portland,
the stages between Olympia and the
Columbia were dignified by the high
sounding name of Concord coaches"
but they would bear sorry COMPARE
son with the magnificent freight |
trucks that traverse our city streets
to-day. A number of good axes were
always carried under the drivers box
to be used by the passengers in cut
ting out the big fir trees that winter
storms or summer forest fires had
caused to fall across the narrow wagon
ways which wound in tOrtuOus de-
tours over rugged mountains, through
somber valleys and almost impenetra-
BILE jungles of primeval growth. 1t
was a standing rule of the road that
male passengers should tumble out Of
the crazy vehicles and walk down and
up all the steep declivities, gallantly
allowing the women to remain UNI
disturbed in their pent-up seats.
Happy indeed were those passengers
who could secure an Indian canoe
transportation down the Cowlitz
or up that stream in returning from
Portland to the Sound. The great
estimation in which this canoe:route
was held cannot, perhaps, be better
illustrated than by reference to an old
typical poster which gladdened the
hearts of Territorial wayfarers. These
posters were displayed from Olympia
to the Columbia river ON the front
doors of wayside log-cabins, on barns,
fences and big trees. An old crum.
pied specimen preserved among the
valued archives of the STANDARD
Office is couched in the following
terms:
The undersigned will start regular
from the old Cowlitz landing
to Monticello, starting from the Cowlitz
landing every Monday and Friday at
Monticello every Monday and Friday,
Portland, reaching the Cowlitz landing
ha do1, Ern,,, tho 1on1iv,.,
to Monticello, SO; from Humphreys
Twenty pounds of baggage will be al
will be charged for every additional
pound on the way down stream, and one
cent coming up. Canoes will COM
mence running on May 2, 1870. Refer
ence at the Cowlitz prairie, NJ. Chapel
lier and L. L. Dubeau; at Monticello.
-; at Olympia, -. Their line will |
be strictly attended to without failure.
JOSEPH RIcARD,
N. PLoMoNDoN.
So reads the old story of nearly
thirty years ago. A journey from
Olympia to Portland in anti-railroad
times cost from sl5 to $25 for fare
alone, according to the time of year
and condition of the roads. Two
days were consumed in the quickest
transits while meals, cocktails and |
lodgings on the way were extra ac-
compartments.
REPUBLICAN statesmen do not seem |
to be stumbling over each other to
secure cabinet positions under the !
Hanna-McKinley administration, and