Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-08-30
Copyright, 1912. by the

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Sound were the Beaver and the Otter.
owned by the Hudson Bay company,
who occupied headquarters at Mes
qually. These were occasionally seen
passing in and out. carrying supplies
for the business of the company
which then still commanded much
trade with the Indians of the North
west, through its factor, DR.. Tolmie.
Up to this time. 1853, no American
steamer had navigated the waters Of
Puget Sound. Al water travel was
done by the Indian canoe. A person
wishing to go to Seattle Tor Alki, as
it was then called) had first to con-
suit some "Lo," who might be quail
fed for service by owning q canoe
and dicker for a means of transporta-
ton, as the most important essential
If the trip, costing generally from 81
to 81 per day for the canoe, then en-
plcy crew of Indians to man 1t gen.
orally at from 50 to "a each per day,
the length of time consumed In the
trip depending largely on condition
of the tides and possibly q prevalence
of adverse winds. 1t mattered but
little as to number of passengers;
each was expected to pay the same
and the fare generally amounted to
about So or $40 per individual.
The first steamer brought to the
Sound was a beautiful little side
wheeler called the Fairy. by Warren
Cove and A. B. David, on the deck of
the bark Sarah Warren, in the fall of
1853. She was landed at Olympia and
made several trips to Seattle, and oc-
casionally farther down the Sound,
taking the place OF the canoe express
in carrying the mail. but she was
found to be inadequate for the sea
service and was replaced by the sloop
Sarah Stone.
In the fall of 1854. Jas. M. Hunt and
John N. Scranton brought the steamer
Major Tompkins to the Sound and the
latter succeeded, by influence at Wash
ington, In getting q lucrative mail
service to Victoria, but after several
years, the Tompkins was wrecked in
entering Esquimalt harbor. John N.
Scranton was known all over the
Sound, for cutting the widest swath
of all sports in the community. 1t
was his habit to throw a handful of
coins on entering a saloon, at the
mirrors, or bar fixtures. which freaks
we're tolerated for the reason that the
money gathered up from these sorties
invariably amounted to more than the
damage resulting from It, Some time
after the wreck of the T0mpkins,
Hunt and Scranton secured the steam
er Constitution and resumed the mail
service interrupted by loss of the
former boat.
The Water Lily was a small side
wheeler brought up from California
by Capt. William Webster which piled
for while mainly on the lower Sound.
An early steamer was the iron pro-
peller Traveller, owned by w. N. Hor-
ton and commanded by Capt. ]. G..
Parker. which piled the Sound several
years and finally sank on Foulwater
bluff
In 1852 q canoe express was estab-
lished by Robt. Nozzle between Olym-
pia and Seattle. making weekly trips
and carrying letters at 25 cents each,
besides receiving stipend monthly to
keep the express" going. This SER
vice terminated in August. 1853, by
the establishment of a first postofiice
at Seattle, and on August q, the first
United States mail was received there
In log cabin. standing on the site
afterwards occupied by Frye's opera
house.
In 1858 Capt. J. s. Hill brought the
small but comfortable side-wheel
steamer Ranger to the Sound from
San Francisco, with only an engineer
and a deckhand for his creE. He
Rugged the shore and when the sea
was rough laid by in some convenient
nook or cove until q lull. BY this
means he reached the Straits and
the Sound in about six weeks, to the
surprise of everybody. She did ex.
cellent service after reaching the
Sound until she was actually worn
out by 1t.
In 1859 the steamer Constitution,