Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-07-20
BY-GONE MEMORIES.
LOOKING BACK A LIFETIME IN
STATE HISTORY.
Some Early Links in Pioneer Life-Personnel
of Early Ssttlement-The Celebration Of
Our Nations Holiday on Sequslitchew Lake
by Capt Wilkes in 1871.

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Your correspondent left this city
July 18th, $50 A NJ, and arrived in
Olympia little before . p. NJ. From
the beginning to the end OF the jour.
ney, at every station, the universal de-
sire OF all the population was to go
somewhere to "celebrate" our natal
day in some fashion, sane or other
wise. The appearance of the people
everywhere, old men and women,
young men and maidens in the mat
ing period. boys and girls just out OF
school, arrayed in their best bib and
tucker" with their bright. buoyant
and hopeful faces, was exceedingly
fine-particularly the women, old or
young. A fellow-traveler, a resident
of the highly favored State OF Califor-
MIA for twelve years, who was visiting
Oregon and Washington for the first
time, said to me, "What makes your
women have such fine compilations?
| have seen more beautiful women,
more rosy cheeks, and clear, healthy
looking compilations in Portland and
on my trip to Olympia, in the last two
days than in all my twelve years resi-.
dence in Southern California. How
do you account for it?" Every cas-.
ily," l eaid % We have more rain, and
that is an important factor in provid-
ing the people in Western Washington
and Oregon with excellent complex.
ions."
This gentleman is not the only one
who has noticed that the compilations
Of the women of the Pacific Northwest
cannot be surpassed on the globe.
Hundreds OF persons from the East and
particularly from the Southern States
have expressed the same view in The
presence of the writer. In fact this is
q matter of almost daily occurrence.
The rain that dtscends in the Pa
ciIic Northwest is the source Of our
prosperity. and also of our universally
healthful climate; and the person or
persons who make it their business to
continually run down" this region are
public ies-uncOnsciously, per-
haps, let it be hoped. The fact OF the
matter is, simply, that the people OF
Washington and Oregon do not really
know what storms are, in the sense
that storms are known or experienced
east OF the Rocky mountains. 1t is
high time for the residents Of the States
referred to to cease apologizing for the
climate. and spend their strength in
assisting to enlighten the world re-
lspecting the wonderful advantages
which SO richly abound in our midst.
Thursday morning, July 9Th, as the
guest of Mr.. Allen Weir, Of your city,
was driven to the head of Lake Sc.
qualitchew, the site of the first Fourth
of July celebration on the Pacific
coast, west of the Cascade mountains,
of which there is At present any known
record. On the way thither, dis
tance of seventeen miles, passed
through a region which was very fa.
miliar to ME between the years from
October 10, 1858, TO March 9, 1854.
We halted at my fathers donation
land claim, now owned by David
Fleetwood, the next place east of the
Lacey pOstofiice. upon which he SET
tied Nov. 8, 1858. and visited the e. Old
Swimming Hole" and recalled the
memories Of more than fifty years ago.
OF the score or more Of young men and
boys of my age who used 10 congregate
there during the ten years OF my life
in that neightorhood, not more than
half dozen are now alive. Naturally,
my reflections were saddened by these
recollections; but since change is the
order OF nature, it is useless for us to
continually mourn the passing OF our
friends. Our business is to be as use.
full to our day and generation as we
> have the ability, and cheerfully give
way to those who are to follow when
the call to 60 hence comes.
One reflection, at least, OF pleasure
was awakened by this brief visit to the
old home; and that was of satisfaction
that in the year 1863 planted row
OF maple trees along the road in from,
OF the new house built that year, all OF
, which are now more than two feet in
diameter, and afford . most grateful
shade to all who pass that way.
From this place to "Old Fort Mes.
quslly," a distance of nine miles, but
little change is noticeable, save in the
Nesqually bottom. When l first knew
that region it was an almost impene'
trable wilderness, abounding in wild
beasts, and the Indians were numer'
|, GUS, OF whom Leschi was the principal
chief, and the leader in the outhreak
Of 1855-56, known as the "Yakims
War;" TO distinguish it from the "Cay
\ use War;" which occurred in Eastern
Oregon and Washington in 1S48, and
which came to pass as the result o
j., the massacre OF DR.. Marcus Whitman
his wife and twelve others, on Novem