White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-11-09

Ezra Meeker, famous Northwest
pioneer, in his 93rd year, had final
ambition to successfully produce an
historically correct motion picture of
the West. He went to New York
City last spring and organized film
producing company. Last month on
his return from his brothers. funeral
at Bellingham he was stricken with
influenza, which doctors agree is
usually fatal to one nearing the CEN
fury mark in life. His condition
brings to the minds Of many old
timers the life history of a man who
has been active in Washington his
tory for many years.
More than 70 years ago, Ezra
Meeker, the trail blazer" crossed
the plains to try his fortune in this
Northwestern country. The first %
years of his life were spent in the
great Mississippi valley, in Ohio and
Indiana, with one winter spent in
1oWd. u0n AO leu dSlOS5 Iu0
plains with an ox-team, young
wife and baby boy eight weeks old.
They reached the Oregon country
safely, after many hardships, looked
around for the 60 acres each for
man and wife which Uncle Sam gave
to settlers. They built their first
cabin in January, 1853, on the spot
where Kalama town is now situated,
about 40 miles from Portland, Ore
gon. Congress had given a new
name to that part, calling it Wash
ington Territory
Two Only Are Left
Two white adults, Ezra Meeker
and possiblysanother, are left of the
first white inhabitants of this region
all gone to their long home.
Deep snow fell in December of
their first year. Wild animals prowled
around their home, frightening the
little wife in her log cabin. Then
when the thaw came the driftwood
and logs proved godsend to Ezra
Meeker and his brother, who with an
Indiana neighbor boy caught the logs,
towing them to a place of safety,
and after selling them they found
they had cleared $8O0-enough mon
ey to take them to Puget Sound, for
they now saw there was little chance
for them in the country where they
had first settled; so they struck trail
for Puget Sound, where men go
down to the sea in ships"-a vision
that Ezra Meeker had had when he
was very young man, living in the
western part of Iowa. where all was
one vast level plain, scorching hot
in summer and bitter cold in winter.
This vision of country bordering
on the ocean, accessible to the
great wide world, became reality.
on Puget Sound give place to the gi-
gantic Investigating palaces, huge
| freighters, and the luxurious pleasure
| yachts-all this not In a year nor
decade, but the wonderful develop
| ment Of 20 years; due to the in.
domitable energy and public spirit
of mon such as he. Valleys every
where cultivated and fertile, yield
Ing fruits and grain; wonderful herds
OF fine cattle; scientifically devel-
oped poultry plants; huge shipyards;
factories; seats of learning; in fact,
every feature Of highly civilized
nation has come into being here, we'll
within the 70 years of Ezra Meeker's
life in the West.
He has seen the state develop
from a struggling territory, where
there were scarcely citizens enough
to fill all the offices, to the present
Hourishing state. The beginning OF
railroading in the United States was
almost co1temporaneous with the
birth Of Ezra Meeker. The introduc.
ton Of the stage coach into Wash.
ington followed the ox-teams Of the
pioneers; and then came the rail.
road. The first steam railway in the
state was the Baker" road from
Wallula, on the Columbia River, to
Walla Walla, known as the raw
hide" road, being in operation In
1871. Ten years previously the Ore.
gon Steam Navigation Company op-
Grated a six-mile steam tramway
from the upper to the lower cas-.
cades on the Columbia, in connection
with the river steamers.
Then Came the Railroads
Then came the Northern Pacific
transcontinental railroad. Since then
there have been three transcontinen
tai roads built and innumerable con