The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1912-09-13
IOOKING BACKWARDS.


,s.earance last week. and under rath-
!. irving circumstances. The people
: Molson have been making efforts
I. months to secure local organ,
- several printers have been solic-
y N make the venture. Those ap-
'..shed declined to try the expiri::
s..t until F. E. Chitty, a young rep
/ ..aatatiye of the art preservative,
~ happened to be visiting at Mol
= vas Induced to take up the prop
.Aion The citizens staked the sim
q AGAINST Mr.. Chitty's practical
,Uyledge, and the scheme was a go.
Iooaey. Of the Chesaw News, had the
snnants of an extra plant on hand,
a M Chitty proceeded to get the
- number together. He met with
IN difIiculty, as his plant was short
| 4 sorts and necessary material, and
'leut the time he was ready to print
n discovery was made that portion
| I ~ hand press was missing. Per-
ra1ion was readily granted to print
| n paper at the Gazette office. and the
bns 30 far as made up, were
lnusht down to Oroville by wagon,
y by hard rustling the first number
! he Nelson Leader, and big edi-
/ =. VAS turned out at l o'clock a. m.
MN morning. The first issue was
+, very creditable number, and the
| nung man who manages the destiny
he bantling deserves credit for
! hit he managed to accomplish with
II material at his command.
AAd this experience of Mr.. Chitty
| )pueht wildly to mind the difficult
III ut confronted us when we issued
m lfst number of the Spokane Falls
| krsW, back In a period of our life
|uea the enthusiasm of middle age
|tnv glamour of radient color over
|n prospects of the future, and the
~ Of hope, which, thank prOvi-
|1nea, never has died out burned the
|ksAtest. The story may be worth re-
niing, not so much on account of
~ common place incident connected
~ the annoyance of starting a pa
II. ut - q means of showing the
|Untssful growth of eastern Wash
|t1m b general and Spokane in par
tEhr within the brief period of 80
|E1a TO make the narrative COM
~ leading up to the particular ex-
rNbace to which reference Is made,
- night as well commence at the
ming.
NJ b the fall of 1882 we resided
I Ql1fcrnia, and having disposed of
to1vDpaper plant was performing the
lue stunt with lines out for new
1onthern California had its
ell0nS, but at that time depress-
u hactivity was the rule in that To-
'e|q, and the inducements to en-
~ d businsss were not encourage
II last at this time an acquain-
- who had made the trip up north
- hardly known Washington terri
~ and arranged to go into business
4 ueney, returned on brief visit,
|. ~ report of the bright prospects
I - north land with the completion
q II Northern Pacific road. touched
I Noponsive chord, and when the
deman started north we accom-
~ him on the trip.
ve arrived. In Walla Walla the mid
~ q December, and at that time 1t
w : 1mall and unkept looking town.
\ eush the largest in eastern sWash-
u4 P. B. Johnson, long since
oered to his fathers. was running
~ Union, Geo. Parker the Statesman,
mo o0aont rfO M N ri nnoonrnr tho
NaeAman. An effort was made to
thase the Watchman, but our esti-
q the value of the plant could
e adjusted to the inflated price
aeed upon It by Mr.. Besserer, and
We failed to cast our lot In
s4a Walla. The last of December
y started to drive overland from
we W Walla to Cheney. Around Wal
! Waila and as far as Snake river the
N.try was fairly well settled. We
sMened the old Lyons ferry New
'ars day, but the ice was running
= heavily In the river that the ferry
- would not venture a passage for
W. y Gays. After climbing the bluff
S@e y. able land on the north side of
= mver we entered a country almost
~ unsettled. That night we
.spped with a cattle raiser whose
sas was Isolated and far removed
ION nelghb0rs.
y, sae morning We left the hOspitable
w. W. o. the old cattle man we had
u miles to drive to reach
Sue, according to the calculation
49, vuI entertainer. We got an early
NJ Dut had hardly got out of sight
n, W ranch when snow began to
SIs. AZ ana how it did come down, soon
h \. Iatlng all signs of a road, which
s,.. Me Dest were dim wheel tracks
I.S ISSnlne across the interminable
M. we were soon lost, drifting on
I.su sSut compass or rudder. The snow
I ae ss deeper and deeper, the hors-
!, saoered sssed down one depression af-
n = suVtner, aimlessly and dispirited,
M eegan to look like case of the
r.s,- y the woods, with snow as a
r., - sheet in lieu of leaves. And
M ~ 81 that long stretch of country
bm.." "tensely farmed. covered with
tI.sa uotted with thriving towns and
~ gridironed by railroads, we
NJ. s.ruck human habitatiOn. Just
n Ss.aark aark the railroad grade lO0med
X. Ssore US in the swirl of snow.
1, ses could move no farther. All
sMnout food or shelter we felt
uhtsse was getting desperate. We
anis ned the horses, tied them Sc
sn h, 70 the wheels, covered them
,sa,. 'Mnkets, of which we had an
d ~. supply, dropped out half a sack
Ia - Ior each animal, and hit the
hs,os .ng uncertain as to which d.
N I've we were turning our faces. We
~ walking but a few minutes
lsol...sr srain came in sight. We stood
VI: IN the middle of the track,
uetermined to stop the train or