N THE day appointed by the governor's proclamation, February 27, 1854, the first territorial legislature assembled in Olympia. The "Pioneer" gives the interesting information that the average age of its members was only twenty-eight years; that ten of them were farmers, seven lawyers, four mechanics, two merchants, two lumbermen, one civil engineer and one surveyor.

The place of meeting was on the second floor of a plain two-story frame building fronting the bay, near the foot of Main Street. The first floor was occupied as a general store by Parker, Coulter & Co., and the legislative chambers were reached by a stairway on the outside.

"Let us take a look into that unpretentious little frame building," says Hon. W. H. Struve, in his address to the Washington Pioneer Association in 1886, and the picture as he had drawn it can scarcely be improved. "In a little dingy room, known as the Council chamber, we see the nine pioneer members of the Council, presided over with impartiality, ability and dignity by Hon. George N. McConaha, the gentleman from King and Pierce-a young man of fine legal training and quick wit and rare eloquence, and a resident of Seattle, who met a sad death by drowning, on his way home in a canoe, with Captain Barstow and a party of Indians, between Alki Point and Vashon Island, leaving a widow and two little children to mourn his tragic death. In front of him sits Elwood Evans, chief clerk, as efficient and prompt in this place as in every other station which he was ever called upon to fill.

"Arranged around these functionaries, in a semicircle, we see Daniel Bradford of the Cascades, a sharp, keensighted business man, who built the first wooden track

railroad over the Cascade portage, and afterwards long connected prominently with the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. He emigrated to New York, with a large fortune, early, about 1865, lost what he had made, and died comparatively poor.

"Next is W. H. Tappan, engaged in farming on Lewis River, opposite St. Helens, an Englishman, a painter and an artist of no mean merit, who moved to Pike's Peak during the first Colorado gold excitement, and died a few years since at Denver.

"Then comes Seth Catlin, the sterling old Jeffersonian Democrat, the sage of Monticello, which place he named after his distinguished prototype-a man of strong common sense, who died some twenty years since on the Cowlitz River, leaving to his numerous progeny an honorable name. "And here is Henry Miles-Private Henry Miles, who, during the Indian war, valiantly held the fort, with Sergeant Packwood, at the crossing of the Nisqually River, who is still alive and robust in health and spirits, a leading and prominent citizen of Lewis County, identified with all her interests, a bedrock Democrat and full of incidents and reminiscences of pioneer life.

"Next comes D. R. Bigelow and B. F. Yantis, representing Thurston County, both intelligent and conscientious and upright citizens and legislators; the former living, the latter dead.

"Then there is Lafayette Balch, an old mariner, and the founder of Steilacoom, long since dead; and William P. Sayward, the original projector and builder of the Port Ludlow mills, yet reported to be living in San Bernardino County, California.

"Strolling into the room styled, by courtesy, the Hall of Representatives, we find the deliberations of the House

presided over by Francis A. Chenoweth, as speaker, a man of fine ability, afterward a chief justice of the supreme court, and still living, I believe, at Corvallis, Oregon, engaged in the practice of his profession.

"Benjamin F. Kendall, a man of extraordinary talents as a lawyer, the first superintendent of Indian affairs under President Lincoln, is the chief clerk. He was murderously shot to death in his office in Olympia in 1862, for words editorially spoken by him in the 'Overland Press.'

"King County is represented by Hon. Arthur A. Denny, our honored fellow citizen, whose name is the synonym of probity and honor, who, in his official capacity of late years as register of the Olympia land office, and as delegate to Congress, chosen in 1865, served his country faithfully and well, and who enjoys the merited esteem of all his acquaintances.

"The leader of the Thurston County delegation is Calvin H. Hale, still hale and hearty, a man of level head and business ideas, who has frequently since been honored by the suffrages of the people; who served as Indian superintendent under Lincoln, and who is a true type of an American citizen. His colleagues are David Shelton, still living at Shelton's Point, in Mason County; Ira Ward, residing at Tumwater; and L. D. Durgin, who died a few years since at Puyallup.

"Island County sends Samuel D. Howe, also a man of affairs and sterling parts, for many years Indian agent and assessor of internal revenue in the territory, now residing at Port Townsend.

"From Clarke County there was J. A. Bolon, who, while Indian agent, was foully murdered by the Yakima Indians, in 1855, and whose death produced the terrible Indian war

which devastated this territory for the next eighteen months. John D. Biles, also from Clarke, and in 1850 speaker of the House, is now living in Portland, Oregon, connected with the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company as tax agent. Henry R. Crosby, also a useful and influential member, and a celebrated justice of the peace in Whatcom County during the famous San Juan controversy, and who afterwards moved to Utah, now, I believe, still lives in Washington City. The remaining member from Clarke is A. Lee Lewis, a plain but intelligent farmer on Lewis River, a native of the Red River of the North, and long since dead.

"Pierce County sends L. F. Thompson, a well known, prominent and public-spirited citizen, and now a successful hop grower in the Puyallup Valley; Henry C. Mosely, afterward the first register of the land office, long since dead; and John M. Chapman, still living at Olympia.

"From Jefferson County we find Daniel F. Brownfield, who, I believe, is living yet in King County, somewhere on the shore of Lake Washington.

"And last, but not least, the old county of Lewis sends H. D. Huntington, one of the patriarchs of the numerous Huntington family, pioneer settlers on the Cowlitz River, who by their thrift, industry, intelligence and patriotism, have set a worthy example for others to emulate and follow; and also John R. Jackson, the first clerk of the district court in Lewis County, the noble-hearted pioneer, who, at his house at Highlands, used to dispense hospitality with a lavish hand to the weary traveler, on that worst of all bad roads, which used to connect Olympia with the Columbia River."

By a strange succession of sudden deaths Pacific County was left without representation in this legislature, through

practically the whole session. J. L. Brown, one of the candidates, died just before the election, and Jehu Scudder, who was nominated in his place, was elected but died before the legislature assembled. Henry Feister was chosen to fill the vacancy thus made, as soon as a special election could be held, and made all haste to reach the capitol, which he did on March 29th. He was sworn in and took his seat, but that evening, while talking with a friend, was stricken with apoplexy and died almost immediately. As there was not time to elect another member before the legislature would adjourn, the seat remained vacant to the end of the session.

As soon as the legislature was organized Governor Stevens sent to it his first message. It was an admirable state paper, showing that he had employed the scant three months, since his arrival in the territory, in industrious efforts to ascertain its needs, and in studiously considering what it was best to do or have done, to advance its interests and promote its welfare. Trained as he had been throughout his whole life in employments where energy was not required, and enterprise but little appreciated, it is not a little surprising that he should in so short a time be able to exhibit so much knowledge of the physical characteristics, and the material and political needs of the territory, as are shown in this document, and that he should be prepared to suggest so much that might be done, and such admirable ways of doing it.

The people of a new territory have much to hope for from the general government. Being few in numbers, they can accomplish but little themselves, while their needs are great. The people of Washington, at that time numbering barely 4,000, and occupying a most remote position on the frontier,