Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-11-20
OLYMPIA WASHINGTON FRIDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER 20 1908

The logs of the wall were hpwed
smooth and clap-boarded, the ceiling
fixed with the same kind of boards.
the floor made of puncheonS and the
cracks on the outside chinkcd. All
the timber used was carried on the
shoulder from the woods, about Il
mile away. The fire place and the
hearth were made of rocks and the
chimney of sticks and mud. All the
furniture was home made bcdStcadS.
table, benches, stool TIVE had oncl,
washbUard, washtub and washbaSin.
The last two were anything but
pretty. being small logs cut out, but
they served their purpose until we
could get some from the store. With
the exception of nails everything was
on the place, and a> soon as father
was able to get the glass he made the
sash for a window of twelve pancS.
Our clock was Il post on the porch
good when the sun Shonc. Father
was 4 carpenter, So was away from
home most of the time. returning
home Saturday nights. He built
dwellings for David, Andrew and
Thomas Chambers. and mills for Mr..
Percival, Nathan Eaton and also one
of the first at Tumwatcr. While
working on the foundation of the
latter mill hr caught Il severe cold,
which resulted in IL quick consump-
ton.
The first flour we brought was $40
Il barrel. potatoes 81 buShel, but We
never were out of bread although
we came very near it once. Our
nearest neighbor was without bread
for six weeks The next spring we
all made gardens and planted small
fields of wheat and during the sum
mcr we had plenty of wild berries,
beside wild game. which was plenty.
| shall never forget that first field of
wheat, for we children had to be the
scare-crowS until the wheat got too
high for the crows TO pull up.
must not forget to mention our
first Christmas, We were told that
Santa Claus would not be able to
come to us ON Christmas eve, but
would come on New Years eve in
stead. and that we must go to bed
early and go to sleep. for he did not
want to he seen coming down the
chimney. The next morning we
found Il doughnut made without
sugar and one raiSin in our stock
ingS. and he had been SO generous,
with mother, giving her pan full.
We obtained great satisfaction in
loo':ing at his tracks in the snow
fro Al the path to the chimney and
back. We children had to depend
on our labor for oar toys, making for
ourselves wagons, sledS, tops, bows
and arrows. and what we could not
make we did without. About that
time father brought home a copy of
the P;oaccr nnd Dem0ciuf with the
chinook jargOn in it. | never stopped
until | had learned every word and
also their meaning, from Nika,' |,
down to the last line, where the
words were put into sentences and |
felt big when the Indians came, to be
calledon to interpret what they said.
My brothers thought it more iun to
learn to sing and beat ton,a"aw"st
Chief Stehi and family, and few
other families, lived near our house
most of the time, SO we had ample
time for practice.
The first summer here, that of
1858, it was decided we must have 4
school, SO 4 loghouse was built near
RuddellS, on Chambers prairie, and
David Phillips was engaged as teach
err We lived six miles away. That
WAS Il little too far to walk twice a
day, SO | boarded with Mr.. Phillips,
and walked three miles every morn
ing and night, except Friday night
and Monday morning, when | went
and came from home The next
summer the district was divided, and
school was held in a deserted cabin
on our prairie. A few desks and
and benches were make, but the floor
of dirt was left rs we found it. The
third year We had a good school
house, of logs, of course, but We
We're used to that. During that
time father had added large and
small room to the house. which had 4
rough plank floor We had a cook
stove and rawhide- -bOttOmed chairs,
and also had small orchard started.
The first purchase in live stock was,
an Indian pony which cost $50. She
was L treasure to us, and good
pack horse when we wanted to go to
mill or town for provisions, gentle
as she could be but had the failing
of all Indians ponies-hard to catch.
The next was a full-blooded Spanish
COW that could discount a mule at
kicking. Then three chickens, one
apiece for us children, at least we
claimed them, and the first chicken
that died we had Il first-class Indian
funeral. Eggs at that time were
lomanawus means a savage incantation TO
cure disease. IL consists of a hidcous concord
oi Vocal sounds, united with Il monotonous be at
ing upon some sonOrUus substance, such aS dry
boards. while the medicine man violently mes
sages the patients body. If the patient dies,
A ~. mr.