CHAPTER XI

DOCTOR MC LOUGHLIN SEES THE END OF BRITISH RULE NORTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER—ARRIVAL OF SIMMONS-BUSH PARTY-THEIR DEALINGS WITH HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY-FIRST SAWMILL IN OPERATION-THE SHINGLE TRADE-PRICES PAID BY THE SETTLERS-TROOPS SENT TO FORT STEILACOOM-BEGINNINGS OF SEATTLE—DOCTOR MAYNARD'S STORY-CHOLERA IN THE IMMIGRANT TRAINS— YESLER BRINGS SAWMILL-INDIAN NAMES OF SEATTLE-FOUNDING OF OLYMPIA -BALCH RESENTS ATTEMPTED HOLD-UP IN OLYMPIA, RELOADS HIS CARGO AND CARRIES IT TO STEILACOOM.

When Dr. Elijah White led his little party of American settlers into Vancouver in the fall of 1842, Doctor McLoughlin recognized it as the beginning of the end of British domination, at least in the territory south of the Columbia River, and he believed settlement rapidly would be made. The Hudson's Bay Com pany had the only large supply point in the territory and Doctor McLoughlin, expecting that the arrival of American settlers would increase the demands upon his establishment, increased the following year the acreage of grain and other crops, and it was well that he did. Otherwise many of the immigrants of '43 and '44 would have suffered.

Perhaps Doctor McLoughlin was looking beyond profits for his company and the satisfying of his inclination toward kindliness, and saw in the coming legions an opportunity to increase his own influence. In a letter to Sir J. H. Pelly, Nov. 15, 1844, he intimated that his retirement to Oregon might be followed by his election to the head of the new state.

Late in December, 1844, a motley crowd of immigrants arrived at Vancouver. Long days in the smother of the desert's dusts, and the battle with the mountains and rivers had removed all surplus flesh. Men were sinewy; with faces tanned, leathery and bearded. Women were gaunt and thin with complexions from which wind and weather had erased the softer tints. Cheeks were pinched; eyes were sunken; clothing was reduced to rags; but these American pioneers had lost none of that spirit of determination which had sent them on their long journey.

John Minto, a member of this immigration and afterward prominent in Oregon affairs, tells a story about Daniel Clark, another member. Clark had been a ferryman on the Grand River in Missouri and when he reached the Cascades of the Columbia, he turned his boat into the stream and successfully shot the rapids. He was a tall, lanky youth of nineteen and the great river of the west seemed to hypnotize him, so much so that upon his arrival at Vancouver he started out to examine everything upon its surface or its banks.

Lying in the stream in front of Vancouver were British ships. One of these at once attracted the attention of the young Missourian who obtained a canoe

and went out to examine the vessel. His clothing was threadbare. Hunger and exposure to wind and storm had pinched his face, and given his skin the color of an Indian. But he was an American and was soon on board the Britisher without the formality of asking anybody's consent.

Young Clark stumbled into the captain's cabin. The British commander was considerably surprised and promptly demanded to know what he was doing there. The question and the manner in which it was put arounsed Clark's spirit. He replied: "We are from Missouri and have just come across the Rocky Mountains and are out here to rule this country."

Slowly the British captain once more looked him over and then replied:

"Young man, I have been in every sea and in every port, and I have seen the inhabitants of every nation; and you Americans are the most singular people I have found on earth."

It was a large immigration-some one thousand five hundred persons-and so far as Western Washington is concerned, the first of any importance to this section. In this crowd of people were Michael Troutman Simmons, a Kentuckian, and his friend, George W. Bush, and their families. Bush was a half negro and under the Oregon law, framed by Peter Burnett, not entitled to remain in that territory. Bush's wife was a white woman. During the long and trying trip across the plains Bush had shown himself possessed of such high character as to win the admiration and friendship of all those with whom he came in contact. He had made many friends, and they now saw the injustice of the Oregon law and desired to do something to assist the man refused admittance to the land of his choosing. Simmons, Bush and a few others camped at Vancouver and, through the winter, made "shakes" for the Hudson's Bay Company. Some historians say Simmons was under obligations to Bush for borrowed money. However that may be, the Kentuckian saw in the country north of the Columbia River a place in which his mulatto friend might find a home and soon was considering a trip into the region around Puget Sound.

In July, Simmons, George Waunch, David Crawford, Charles Eaton, Niniwon Everman, Seyburn Thornton, William Shaw, David Parker and John Hunt crossed to Budd Inlet and at Tumwater began the first American settlement in Western Washington. They called it New Market. The waters of the upper part of the Sound were explored and in September Simmons returned to Vancouver for his family and other settlers.

September 27th Doctor McLoughlin gave Simmons an order on Doctor Tolmie at Nisqually for supplies, the letter saying that Simmons "is going with some of his friends to settle at the falls at the Chute River. He has applied to me to get an order on you for grain and potatoes, but I presume you have not more than you need for your own use. If you have any to spare please let him have what he demands and charge it to home. Colonel Symonds and his friends passed the winter in our vicinity. They have been employed by us in making shingles and procuring logs. They have all conducted themselves in a most neighborly, friendly manner, and I beg to recommend them to your kind assistance and friendly offices."

"Home," to which Doctor McLoughlin desired the goods charged, was the home station at Vancouver.

Shortly after receiving the order, Simmons set out for the Sound, accom

panied by his family, James McAllister, David Kindred, Gabriel Jones, George Bush and their families and J. Ferguson, Reuben Crowder and S. B. Crockett. Fifteen days were consumed in cutting out the road from the Cowlitz Landing and making the trip to New Market. A little later in the fall J. R. Jackson took up a farm north of the Landing at a place which later was given the name of Jackson Prairie, and the next year S. S. Ford, Sr., and Jerry Borst settled on the Chehalis River and the Packwood and Eaton families joined the New Market settlement.

To Simmons Tumwater Falls and its water-power had been one of the main attractions and he soon laid plans to harness the falls to the task of supplying the settlement with flour and lumber. From granite boulders found near the falls, burrs were made and a small flour mill was placed in operation in the fall of 1846. The flour was coarse and unbolted, but it was wholesome and relieved the settlers of the long haul from the Hudson's Bay mill above Vancouver. Simmons was joined by A. B. (Tony) Rabbeson, Edmund Sylvester, Frank Shaw, Gabriel Jones, Jesse Ferguson, John Kindred and A. D. Cornifix in building a sawmill. From the Hudson's Bay Company they obtained the iron work of an old upright mill, organized the Puget Sound Milling Company and were soon turning out fir and cedar lumber at the rate of about 100 feet an hour.

In a letter signed by Peter Skene Ogden and James Douglas, Doctor Tolmie is informed of the transfer to the Americans of the mill machinery as follows: "We have given Mr. Simmons a crank and other irons for a saw mill, of which Mr. Forrest will send you an account and the weight, such irons being charged by the pound, and you will carry it to his account, at the rate of 20 cents per pound. "We have promised to take shingles from Simmons' people for the coming winter at former prices; they have spoken to us about getting sheep and cattle on shares and also for purchase, but we have given them no encouragement to expect a compliance with their wishes on that point.

"As soon as the steam vessel arrives, she will be employed as last year in transporting cattle to Fort Victoria, and you will please to make the necessary preparations for that purpose.

"Accompanying you will receive notes of hand as follows: David Kindred, $6.74; Gabriel Jones, $82.93; M. T. Simmons, $53.43; James McAllister, $24.31, being the amount of their Vancouver accounts when they left this place last year. As soon as they have paid the amount due, you will return these notes to the drawers. Charge no interest on these notes, as they have been making payments on their accounts for many months past, and the sum is so small that the interest is not worth charging."

"Tony" Rabbeson was the first sawyer. Everybody for miles around was present when the first slab ever cut in a Puget Sound sawmill fell away from the log. After two years' operation the mill was sold to Capt. Clanrick Crosby for $35,000. Crosby had recently arrived from California, and his measurement of values seems to have been considerably inflated.

There is not at hand a detailed description of that first sawmill on Puget Sound, but it was not much in advance mechanically of the first Oregon mill described in Geer's "Fifty Years in Oregon," as follows:

"It was driven by an overshot wheel twenty-four feet in diameter and thirty inches in width, which required three minutes to make one revolution and the