Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-03-11
OLYMPIA WASHINGTON: FRIDAY MORNING. MARCH H. 1904

Iied many emlgrants and their outfits
from the Cascades to Portland. The
Express Captain ]. C. Ainsworth,
George Hoyt, purser.) was, l believe,
the first stern-wheeler in Oregon, and
ran between Portland and Oregon City.
The Flint, Belle, Senorita, Mary, Was
CO, John II. Couch, Captain Couch, }
and Mountain Buck were pioneer
steamers OF the fifties, running below
Portland on the Willamette. The
new steamer Gazelle Captain Bob
Hereford). exploded her boiler while
lying at the wharf at Oregon City,
above the falls. A very large number
OF spectators and passengers were
killed and wounded. Nose Toner, the
enginer, was considered the person to
blame. He was not on board, but
near by, and left that locality imme-
diately for the woods and never re.
turned. Captains Hoyt and Pease
we're also prominent and popular pio-
neer steamboat masters at that time,
and as whole the pioneer Columbia
and Willamette river steamboat fra
'ernity were lively, agreeable and
whole-souled. The ocean steamships
between San Francisco and Portland
during the fifties and sixties were the
Gold Hunter, Oregon. Isthmus, ]. C.
Fremont, Sea Gull, Columbia Captain
W. L. DalD; America, Peytona, Gap
tain Nash,) Pacific, Brother Jonathan, /,
Santa Cruz and Northerner.
While at Rainier had the pleasure
of forming the acquaintance of Mr..
Edward Warbass. who then had store
on the Cowlitz river. Hiring a crew
OF Indians and q canoe, Mr.. Warbass
accompanied me on my two days
journey. about thirty miles up the
Cowlitz to what was then known as
the Co wlitz landing. The first days
journey took US to the forks of the
Cowlitz and Gobar rivers. There we
were furnished by the landlord Of that
then noted halfway house, Hard.
Breads" with a supper OF boiled sal.
mon, potatoes, hard tack and herb tea.
We retired early, and stretched our
selves out on our blankets that we
spread over dried cowhide on the
puncheon floor, we were soon sound
asleep.
Our next days travel up tho river
brought Us to the Cowlitz landing.
There we were furnished by Mr..
Goodell with an excellent supper
and comfortable beds, which we heart.
lily appreciated. On the following day
mounted on fine mare that Mr.. War
bass kindly insisted upon loaning me,
l took the trail for Olympia, carrying
with me Adams & Co.'s first letter ex.
press that was sent from San Fran.
cisco to the Sound, and in q fortnight
after my arrival at Olympia estab.
lished Parker & Golfers regular ex.
press between Olympia and Portland
which was continued for over . year,
connecting with Adams & Co.'s ex-
press at the latter place. Our success.
sors we're A. B. Stewatt OF Adams &
Co., succeeded by Chas. E. Williams OF
Olympia. At that time, living be-
tween the Cowlitz landing and Olym-
pia, were the pioneer settlers, Marcel
Bernier. born in Oregon; Plumondeau,
John r. Jackson, St. Martin; Joseph
Borst, s. s. Ford and family, Frank
Yantis and family. Antoine Rabbeson
and M. r. Tilley and family. All the
above parties had selected well-wa-
tered lands, and had horses, cattle and
sheep grazing on the prairies.
Continued next week.