The Day "Washington, My Home" Became the State SongMarch 17, 1959

SINCE 1966ou We tee *

A Quarterly Publication of the Pacific County Historical Society, inc .A Non-profit Organization

Magazine subscription rate - $8.00 AnnuallyMembership in the Society - $3.00 single, $5 .00 couple

Payable annually - membership card issuedAddress: P.O. Box P, South Bend, WA 98586

Historical articles accepted for publication may be edited by the editors to conform to size and other re-quirements . Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the historical society . AllRights Reserved . Reprinting of any material approved by special permission from the Pacific CountyHistorical Society . Second class postage paid at South Bend, Washington .

PUB. NO. ISSN-0038-4984

EDITORLarry Weathers

StaffKaren Johnson and Luvirla Evavold - Subscriptions

Joan Mann - Editorial AssistantPrinted by Pacific Printing, Ilwaco, Washington

Our Cover"Washington, My Home" became the official state song on March 17, 1959,

when Governor Albert D. Rosellini signed Senate Bill 151 in the presence of Mrs .Helen Davis of South Bend, author and composer, and several sponsors . Our coverphoto this quarter shows the following persons witnessing the governor's signature :(standing left to right) state senators Harry Elway and Robert Bailey ; Mrs . FrederickB . Cohen of Bremerton, past president of the Washington State Federation of MusicClubs; state senator Dale Nordquist ; state representative Joe Chytil ; Mrs . Davis, andstate representative Chet King . Albert D . Rosellini (Governor 1957-64) is shownpreparing to sign the bill .

The photo was taken by Elton Troth, an Aberdeen Daily World staffphotographer. It is used courtesy of Mrs . Helen Davis .

Table of ContentsTITLE

PAGE

Our Cover 62"Washington, My Home": An Introduction 63"Wet Me Down In Washington" - words by Helen Davis 67The Legislature Approves a State Song - Robert C . Bailey 68"Washington, My Home" - words by Helen Davis 70Hyas Ancutty : A Legend of Willapa Harbor - Dan McNeil 72Christmas Program at Frances 1907 - from The Willapa Harbor Pilot 76An Ilwaco Boy's Experiences Picking Cranberries -Matt Wm . Bill Koski77Does Anyone Know What Time It Is? - editor 80

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"Washington, My Home"An Introduction

Editor's Note : Portions of this introduction are taken from an interview I had with Helen Davis at herhome on October 25, 1984. Incidental information was taken from newspaper articles in the SeattleTimes and Post-Intelligencer, Aberdeen Daily World, South Bend journal, and Raymond Herald andAdvertiser .

When "Washington, My Home", by Helen Davis of South Bend, was first pro-posed as the state's official song in the late 1950's, a few big city long-hairs wereheard to remark "it has the wrong address and was written by a woman" . Whatthey meant, of course, was the song could be ignored because the composer wasfrom a small town and wasn't of the male gender . Evidently they felt a male con-ductor or arts committee could do better . What they overlooked was the fact that"Washington, My Home" is a song with dignity . One which only a woman withsmall town roots could have written .

Helen's small town roots are firmly planted in rich American turf . They arefixed in the buckeye soil of the midwest and reach out for the nourishing moistureof the northwest . They are not necessarily unique roots but the talent they havefostered in her is .

Helen Davis was born Helen Nancy Matson in Zanesville, Ohio, November1905 . Her parents, Austin and Georgia Matson, were both descendants of pioneer-ing Ohio families and had lived in Zanesville all their lives . Helen did not live in herhometown long enough to remember much about her family life there but shedoes remember that there was always music in her home . She says her parents hadan abiding love for music and education and encouraged their children to excel inboth

Somewhere around 1908, Helen says her parents decided to pack up theirhousehold goods and move west to Denver, Colorado . Shortly after arriving theyfound a music teacher (who happened to be named Helen Nancy Matson) andstarted Helen out with lessons at the age of four . The lessons continued until shewas eighteen .

Helen says her music lessons paid off immediately . It wasn't long before shewas composing little melodies which she often performed for family and friends .The first one, she remembers with a smile, was titled "The Geranium Waltz" . Thefirst performance of it was an impromptu recital for a business associate of herfather. The lucky gentleman was waiting in the parlor for her dad to come home .His long wait allowed her enough time to proudly play it more than once .

When Helen was a teenager, her parents moved her and her brother Jim to theOkanogan country of Washington. She recalls her years in the north central part ofthe state with fondness but says her mother always referred to them as the yearsHelen was "just riding horses all day over near Tunk Creek and Riverside" . As soonas she was old enough she was enrolled in college at Bellingham Normal School asa music major. Although she did not graduate from college, due to a shortage offunds, she did complete more than a year and a half of her studies .

Helen met and eventually married Chauncey Davis, a native of Mt . Vernon,Washington, while attending college . Chauncey was an elementary school teacher

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at Riverside, a town between Tonasket and Omak in Okanogan County . After theirmarriage Chauncey took a teaching job in Pierce County .

In the late 1920's Chauncey accepted a job in Pacific County as superintendentof the grade school in the town of Long Beach . Helen suspects that one of thereasons he took the job was because he loved to hunt and fish . Pacific County wasone of the best places in the state for that sort of recreation .

Throughout these years Helen says she was busy raising a family and being ahousewife. However, she did not neglect her music . Whenever possible she per-formed solo for civic groups or helped her husband organize school musical perfor-mances. She also played the piano at the local Methodist churches .

While living in Long Beach Helen became friends with two talented local ar-tists : Dr. Winford G . Sargent and Mrs. Verna Jacobson . Dr. Sargent was a physicianin Long Beach and Mrs . Jacobson operated the Jacobson store in Long Beach withher husband . Both were also accomplished vocalists who often needed an accom-panist. Eventually, Helen and Verna formed a musical partnership whichdeveloped into a friendship that continues to the present day .

On November 6, 1934, Helen's husband Chauncey was elected CountySuperintendent of Schools . Since the job required Chauncey's presence at thecourthouse the family moved the fifty miles north to South Bend . It was the last

move Helen has ever had to make .The move to South Bend did not change Helen's life much in the early years .

She remained busy caring for a family with two boys and keeping house . Even afterChauncey resigned his job with the county in 1938 to accept the position ofSuperintendent of the South Bend school district, and she started teaching musicclasses for district students, her job as a housewife continued to be the focal pointof her life. Her partnership with Verna also continued when Verna was electedCounty Clerk in 1938 and moved to South Bend . (In 1944 Verna was elected Coun-ty Auditor and served until her retirement in 1974 .)

Helen's life did change, however, in the 1940's when a local outbreak of tuber-culosis got her involved in the national campaign to eradicate it . It was the first timeHelen actually worked at a job outside her home .

In the beginning, Helen and Verna concentrated on performing in countycommunities to promote the sale of TB stamps . Sale of the stamps helped to pro-vide rent money and salaries for a reactivated health office in South Bend's LumberExchange Building . The stamps also generated enough money to purchase thecounty's first X-ray machine which Helen operated .

When the health office moved to the basement of the County Courthouse andbecame the County Health Department, Helen slowly removed herself from thedaily operations . She continued to plan and present musical programs for patientsat the Chehalis Tubercular Sanitarium but left the daily details at the office to thedoctors and nurses. She did so in the knowledge that the incidence of TB in PacificCounty was on the decline and a new program of prevention and early detectionwas having a positive effect on the health of her neighbors .

As Helen's involvement in the TB campaign decreased her interest in othercommunity projects increased . Two endeavors which gave her immense satisfac-tion were her contributions to the South Bend Beautification Committee and herwork with teenagers . Her civic work eventually netted her recognition by Willapa

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-photo courtesy of Helen Davis .

Helen's "Logger's Daughters" about 1949.Top row, left to right : Billie Jo Fykerud (Peter-son), Patricia Rogers, Shiela Lavender (Fisher) .Kneeling, left to right : Lorna Triplet (Wright),Ann Pulyan, Betty to Davis (Wicklund) .

Harbor clubs and organizations in 1949 as "Woman of the Year" . Presentation ofthe award was made by Beta Beta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority, sponsors ofthe award .

Helen is proud of all the teenagers she worked with in the 1940's and 50's, andstill recalls all of their names, but one group of six South Bend girls still remains herfavorite . She named the group the "Logger's Daughters" and travelled with themthroughout the county and state performing musical numbers that she wrote and

staged . "They were smart and they were good," Helen says of the girls, and she en-joyed every day she worked with them .

Staging and composing songs for the "Logger's Daughters" performances waspleasant work for Helen and made her eager for similar musical projects . The ap-

propriate challenge came her way in 1949 when she was enlisted to write the musicfor an operetta about the early years of Washington's logging industry . Severalrewrites later the operetta became a musical called "Eliza and the Lumberjack" .

The story for Helen's musical was adapted from Seattle author Patricia Camp-bell's book "Eliza" . Helen wrote and composed all of the songs and Dr . LeroyOstransky, composer-in-residence at Tacoma's University of Puget Sound, did theorchestration .

"Eliza and the Lumberjack" has been produced in dozens of northwest com-munities during the past 35 years . It never fails to delight audiences and is oftenreferred to as the Northwest musical equivalent of "Oklahoma" .

One of the most important productions of "Eliza" took place in 1953 when itwas chosen as the centennial play for the state celebration of Washington's crea-tion as a territory in 1853 . It was staged at the Olympic Theatre in Olympia on May10, 1953, under the direction of Fr . William Dickerson, artistic director of the Ab-bey Theatre, St . Martin's College . Helen credits Fr . Dickerson with making valuablecontributions to the final script and says he is responsible for her decision to sharethe rights to the musical with St . Martin's College .

"Eliza" is not the only musical production Helen has written and composed .She has also produced a pageant celebrating Pacific County's first 100 years as acounty. The pageant was staged at the dedication and opening of Fort ColumbiaHistorical State Park on June 17, 1951, and the Pacific County Historical Societyand Pioneer Association picnic at Bay Center on August 12, 1951 . More than 100

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photo ,ot the Willapa Harbor Herald.

Helen Davis Day, September 1,1984. March 17, 1984 was the 25thAnniversary of the adoption of"Washington, My Home" as the of-ficial state song . Governor JohnSpellman issued a proclamation onSeptember 1st honoring composerHelen Davis . The proclamation waspresented to Helen at the SouthBend Community Building . Left toright : Helen Davis, Dori Halldorson(who presented the Governor's pro-clamation), and Richard Murakami .

talented individuals from all parts of the county participated in the production . Shesays it was one of those wonderful events, seldom seen these days, when the wholecounty worked together . The pageant was a singing, dancing history illustratingand extolling our county's cultural heritage .

While preparing the Pacific County Centennial Helen searched for a song to bethe show's centerpiece . She says she wanted one that would stir the crowd withpride and be remembered beyond the celebration . Someone suggested"Washington Beloved" (a 1909 anthem written by Edmond S . Meany and ReginaldDe Koven) but Helen decided it wasn't what she wanted . Eventually she chose asong she had composed years earlier called "America, My Home ." The combina-tion of music and lyrics brought tears to many eyes and was hailed in newspaperreviews from Seattle to Portland .

Shortly after the centennial programs of 1951, Helen decided to change the ti-tle of her composition to "Washington, My Home" . The simple change of titlemade the song even more appealing and it wasn't long before civic clubs wereopening their meetings with it . In 1956 the Washington State Federation of MusicClubs adopted it as its official song and promoted it around the state . Popular ac-ceptance of the song as the state anthem ultimately led state politicians to make itthe official state song in March 1959 .

Helen's life has been a whirlwind of activity since the adoption of her song bythe state in 1959 . During the past twenty-five years her family continued to be thefocal point of her life, but her business ventures, community work and musicalcareer also demanded her attention as well . Fame and fortune did not accidentallysmile on Helen, she had to work hard for them .

The memory of that attempted slur by big city long-hairs in the late 1950's onlymakes Helen chuckle now. Whereas the critics are long retired from positions ofpower and long forgotten, Helen is still a community leader in South Bend and hersong is heard across the state . She is too gracious to admit it but she has definitelybeen given the last laugh .

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"Wet Me Down In Washington"By Helen Davis

Editor's Note: If it were possible to total the lyrics of Helen Davis' songs they would amount to amusical score glorifying the American way of life, especially life as it is found in the northwest .

Helen has written hundreds of songs in a variety of styles during her lifetime . The ones she wrotefor "Eliza and the Lumberjack" are pure Americana. The romantic ballads evoke images of Pacificsunsets, giant cedars, lovers kissing in the moonlight, warm Chinook winds rustling evergreens,never-ending rainbows, flower covered pastures, Indian maidens lamenting lost loves, westeringpioneers cutting a path through the forest, and the soft pitter-patter of rain upon a windowsill .Others, like "Wet Me Down in Washington", echo the sounds of good old-fashioned hand-clappingfun :

I've lived in AlabamyI've roamed the Texas plainI've felt the mist of OregonAnd never felt the same .I've seen the corn a-poppin'I've tasted sugar caneBut take me back to my landOf drizzle, drip and rain .

Wet me down, wet me down,Wet me down in Washington .Give me Northwest dew and drizzle,Fog so thick you need a chisle,Wet me down in Washington .

I'd top your tallest fir tree,My hands behind my back .I'd twist her off between my teeth,And spit the splinters back .I'll jump right off that tree topJust like hell raising cain,So soak my snooz in corn juice,And drizzle, drip and rain .

Wet me down, wet me down,Wet me down in Washington .Give me Northwest dew and drizzle,Fog so thick you need a chisle,Wet me down in Washington .

I'll limb you widow maker,I'll kick off every knot,I'll do it with my two bare feetFrom butt end to the top .

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Won't cuss the old boss loggerFor all this sweat and pain .Just sprinkle me with whiskey,Our drizzle, drip and rain .

Wet me down, wet me down,Wet me down in Washington .Give me Northwest dew and drizzle,Fog so thick you need a chisle,Wet me down in Washington .

I'll shoulder up my pee-vee,I'll pull that log alone .I'll send her down the old skid road,Just leave the bulls at home .I'll roll 'er in the river,No tug, no grunt, no strain .So kindly pass the bottle,Our drizzle, drip and rain .

Wet me down, wet me down,Wet me down in Washington .Give me Northwest dew and drizzle,Fog so thick you need a chisle,Wet me down in Washington .

Drizzle, drizzle, drizzle, drizzle,Drizzle, drizzle, drizzle, drizzle,Drip, drip, drip, drip,Drip, drip,Drip,Drip,And rain . Wet me down .

The Legislature Approves a State Songby Robert C. Bailey

Editor's Note : Robert C . Bailey is a well-known native of Pacific County . He was born in Raymond,lived in South Bend much of his adult life and now resides in Olympia with his wife Lee .

Robert graduated with the South Bend class of 1935 . While in high school he was an apprenticeat the South Bend Journal where he worked with his father Arthur Bailey for Ezra T . Hazeltine, editorand publisher. After graduation he continued working as a newspaper reporter until he went into theservice in World War II .

Following the war years Robert returned to Pacific County and entered a career of public servicewhich spanned more than three decades . Between 1946 and 1982 he was elected Pacific County Clerk(1946-50), state representative (1950-56) and state senator (1956-77) for the 19th legislative district,and was appointed chairman of the State Utilities and Transportation Commission (1977-1982) byGovernor Ray. He retired as a member of the commission in December 1982 .

Throughout the past three decades Robert has also had a life in the private sector as husband,father and wage earner . From 1948 to 1952 he was editor and publisher of the Raymond Advertiserwith his father; 1953 to 1966 he was a reporter for the Aberdeen Daily World; 1966 to 1974 he wasWestern Administrative Assistant to Congresswoman Julia Butler Hansen, and 1975 to 1977 he wasmanager of the Port of Willapa Harbor .

The following story is Robert's first-hand account of the legislative action on the adoption of ourstate song .

Helen Davis' song, "Washington, My Home," started out in the 1950's with aslow, steady buildup and acceptance . Time and time again it was on the programsof local, regional and statewide women's clubs, usually with Verna Jacobson asvocalist, accompanied by Helen, on the piano .

Ultimately, it was adopted by the Washington State Federation of Music Clubsand received much wider recognition .

State Representative Joe Chytil (R-Chehalis), owner of the radio station KELA(Centralia-Chehalis) and former owner of Raymond's KAPA, opened and closedeach day with a playing of "Washington, My Home ." This was well received and afew other stations followed suit, although not as faithfully .

Sometime about 1958, spearheaded by Rep . Chytil and Mrs . Davis, a move wasstarted to make the song the official state song . This gained support of manysouthwestern Washington groups, as well as other organizations of state clubwomen .

Prior to the session of 1959, Rep. Chytil came to me and asked that I sponsorand get the bill through the Senate first . He figured that being a minorityRepublican in the house it would be difficult to get the bill going. I agreed andbecame prime sponsor of the bill (Senate Bill 151), with Sen . Harry Elway (R-GraysHarbor) and Sen . Dale Nordquist (R-Lewis) as co-sponsors .

I remember that Ezra Hazeltine, publisher of the South Bend journal,humorously told Helen and myself that the bill, when introduced, would likely bereferred to the committee on "Dikes, Drains and Ditches," and never heard ofagain! It thus became my job to get the bill a "decent" committee and I had notrouble getting it referred to the Committee on State Government . It was reportedout of the committee with a recommendation of "do pass" by a vote of 7 to 0 .

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Anyone following legislative bills dealing with designation of an official stateflag, state bird, state dance, etc ., knows that it provides the vehicle for a field day ofirreverent frivolity . Amendments on the floor usually suggest the dodo or the gooeyduck as state bird, and on and on ad infinitum . These bills usually go back to com-mittee and are never heard from again . I was really fearful what might happen onthe Senate floor to Senate Bill 151 .

Testimony of witnesses for or against bills is heard in committee only . Once abill leaves committee it goes to the senate or house floor where only membersengage in the discussion . One of our parliamentary experts advised me of a way tochange this .

We arranged for the committee report to be read in on Monday, February 23,1959, at a Washington's birthday observance . When the senate convened, onesenator quickly moved to advance to an order of business to read in committeereports . This was done and Senate Bill 151 was before the senate . Usually thiswould mean that the bill would go to rules committee for scheduling, but anothersenator quickly rose and moved that "the senate resolve itself into a committee ofthe whole for the purpose of receiving further testimony on Senate Bill 151" .

Quite "accidentally", of course, a piano was available and wheeled in from thewings. With every member of the senate present and with galleries packed for theWashington birthday program, the Rev . Don Raisner, South Bend Baptist minister,

and Mrs . Lila Thomas, Olympia, with Helen Davis at the piano, presented a rendi-tion of "Washington, My Home" .

The presentation was terrific and it brought down the house, members andpublic alike. Rules were quickly suspended and the bill passed the senateunanimously, 49-0, without any amendments!

It was interesting to note the skepticism and doubts of most of my colleagues asto 'why waste our time on this?" and "what are we doing?" as expressed prior tothe presentation . They were greatly impressed and it was with much enthusiasmand without opposition that the bill floated out of the senate .

The momentum gained in the senate was sufficient to give the bill a big boost inthe house where it was herded by Rep . Chytil and Rep . Chet King (D-Raymond) . It

passed there on March 8 by an 81-5 vote and was signed by Governor Rosellini .During the course of hearings on the bill, Sen . Gissberg stated that he felt the

state should own its own song and not be in a position of making a profit for in-dividuals . Both Mr. and Mrs. Davis happily agreed and signed over all rights to thestate, where it was to be administered by the Department of Commerce andEconomic Development .

One thousand dollars was placed in a state song fund and it was contemplatedthat the Department of Commerce would make copies of the words and musicavailable to schools, bands and others, for a fee . It was never the thought that thefund would make a lot of money . It was merely intended as a means of generatingenough money to keep copies available . Unfortunately, such was not the case . Thefund remained on the books but the department failed to do much of anything inthe line of promotion .

Today, the sheet music and words of "Washington, My Home" are beingprinted and distributed by Capitol Music Co., of Seattle . They publish it by permis-sion from the State of Washington . Proceeds from the sale go into the state general

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fund as specified in a legislative act of 1973 . Copies are sold throughout the stateand at our County Museum bookstore in South Bend .

"Washington, My Home" deserves much better publicity than the state hasgiven it over the years . I sometimes think it would have been better promoted if ithad not fallen into the hands of an uncaring bureaucracy .

Verse :

This is my country .God gave it to me ;I will protect it,Ever keep it free .

Small towns and citiesRest here in the sun,Filled with our laughter .Thy will be done .

"Washington, My Home"Words and music by Helen Davis

Editor's Note : Passage of Senate Bill 151 in March 1959 officially sanctioned "Washington, MyHome" as the state song . Helen Davis, composer, assigned the copyright to the State of Washington .Special arrangements of the song, for voice, piano, chorus, orchestra and band were written by StuartChurchill, nationally known musician and former member of Fred Waring's orchestra .

Refrain :

Washington my home ;Wherever I may roam ;This is my land, my native land,Washington, my home .

Our verdant forest green,Caressed by silvery stream .From mountain peak to fields of wheat,Washington, my home .

There's peace you feel and understand,In this, our beloved land .We greet the day with head held high,And forward ever is our cry .

We'll happy ever be,As people always free .For you and me-a destiny;Washington, my home .

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d and music by:

Helen Davis

Arrangement :

Stuart Churchill

Ave., Seattle, WA q

-Pacific County Historical Society collection .

Cover page of the sheet music for "Washington, My Home" . The cover was designed byDarwin Davis, Tourist Promotion Division staff artist, Department of Commerce in1959. The sheet music is sold throughout the state and at the Pacific County Museumbookstore, South Bend .

7 1

Hyas Ancutty: A Legend of Willapa Harborby Dan McNeil

Editor's Note: The following story first appeared in the South Bend newspaper Willapa Harbor Piloton December 15, 1911 . Editor Edwin M. Connor reported that Dan McNeil was the author of "AWoman and a Violin", "A White Lie" and other stories.

Descendants of the Cultee family still live on the coast of Washington .

Old Chief Cultee and I were "Kloshe Tillicums" (good friends), a friendshipborn of the fact that in all of our dealings I had treated him in accordance with acertain Golden Rule, instead of the Rule of Gold that is so generally practiced . Ourfriendship was further cemented by my willingness to become a patient and in-terested listener when he wanted to tell of the by-gone glory of his tribe and family .To the young men of the tribe, who were adopting the ways of the whites, the oldchief's long stories were all "cultus wawa" (no good talk), but to me they wereshadowy glimpses of the unwritten history of a once proud race that is now totter-ing into oblivion .

This is a story he told me one night as we sat on the afterdeck of my scow-house. An inspiring night it was ; brilliantly moonlit; just a wisp of west wind thatbrought to our eyes a faint murmur of the breakers outside of the bar . The magnifi-cent reach of the Harbor with its gleaming sand-spits and fringe of timbered hills laybefore us while the ebb-tide lisped a nocturne as the scow swung lazily to her an-chors .

The spirit of the night was upon him as he told me the story of how the Indiansfirst came to Willapa harbor. The story had been handed down from father to sonfor countless generations and Cultee's only idea of when the incidents happenedwas "hy-e-e-as ancutty" (long, long ago) .

"Long, long ago - many times the years of an old man, and before there wereany white men on the world, on the great river that you call Columbia lived a tribeof Indians; on north bank of the great river they lived, one day's canoe journeyfrom the big salt water . All big strong men, like me, and women that were roundand smooth like the seal, and soft-eyed like the deer .

"Chinook was this tribe named, but they were not like the other Chinook In-dians who loafed and waited around the salmon streams until they became smalland weak. This tribe ate the salmon, yes, but they were great hunters also and hewho could kill the elk or bear with a single arrow was honored by the tribe .

"The greatest of all these great men was their chief, A-akunie, for know youthat in that time a chief was he who was strongest and wisest . To this chief was borna son and when he was yet a boy he was so quick and strong that the tribe said :'Here is the son of a chief who will be a chief also when he is a man .' But when theboy grew to be a young man he was not like the other young men of the tribe . Hedid not join in their games but would rather sit by the great river and think, andwhen the fairest maidens of the tribe passed by and smiled at him he still lookedout over the great river as a wise young man should .

"He was straight and tall, even as tall as his father, and he used a bow that noother man in the tribe could bend . When the young men were running races he

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4

could run to the end of the camp and wait there a long time before any of theothers came, but he would rather sit by the great river and think, so the old men ofthe council were puzzled .

"When the old men were talking and saying wise things he would saysomething that was wiser, and none of them knew how to answer the questions heasked so after a while the old men did not like him because he made them seemfoolish .

"One day he made the medicine man mad at him and the medicine man call-ed him 'cultee'; that is the same as you say in jargon 'cultus' (no good) . When theyoung man heard this he just laughed to the face of the medicine man and said :'That is a good name, 'Cultee ;' when you call me 'Cultee' I know I am all right .'That made the medicine man more mad and he told the old men that the youngman should be called 'Cultee' because he was no good . The young man just laugh-ed at them also and said : 'I'll keep that name, I'm proud to be called 'Cultee' byyou .'

"His family knew that he was very wise and that some day he would show thetribe that the old men were fools, so they laughed too and called him Cultee .

"When Cultee went hunting he always went alone, but the woods told him allher secrets so he always brought game into camp. One time he went hunting anddid not come back for a long time ; twice had the moon grown big while he wasgone and his family mourned and thought he was dead . The old men of the tribewere glad in their hearts that he was not there to make them seem foolish .

"One night when the old men were sitting around the fire, Cultee came intothe village and told of a new hunting ground that he had found while he was away .He said he had traveled up the water that runs toward the sun until the water wasno more, then he crossed over the big hill and found water that ran away from thesun and toward the setting sun ; this water he followed many days until he came toa great water that reached as far as a man could see . He told of the salmon thatwere so thick in the streams that some of them were crowded out on the shore andof elk and deer that came up to smell of him to find out what he was . He told offlocks of ducks and geese that were as many as the leaves of the trees and when thewater went down the shore was covered with small dark clams that were good toeat .

"A wonderful story he told of the new hunting ground and the young men ofthe tribe listened and were glad, but the old men said he was a liar . The medicineman had told them that the end of the world was just over the big hill .

"Cultee only laughed at them and gathered a party of the strongest young mento go with him to see the new hunting ground . The medicine man said they mustnot go with Cultee but they must stay on the hunting ground where the Great Spirithad put them . He said the Great Spirit would be mad at them if they went . But theyoung men listened to Cultee and went with him . They were gone a long time ;three moons had come and gone when one of the party came back . He was verytired and hungry .

"He told the tribe that they had followed up the water that runs toward the sununtil the water was no more, then they had camped on the big hill . As they lay incamp that night a great storm came up, a big cedar tree fell amongst them and kill-ed Cultee . He was their chief on the trip so they buried him with the honors of a

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chief. They made a canoe out of a piece of the cedar to hold him ; they wrappedhim in his deer skin robe and put his bow and arrows by his side ; then they put thecanoe into a spruce tree as high up as they could reach ; then they went on over thehill to find the new hunting ground .

"They found water that run away from the sun but it run towards the rising sun,instead of toward the setting sun, as Cultee had said . This water they followedmany days through a country of steep hills where there was no game, then theyturned back . One by one they had died on the way until only he was left to comeback and tell the tribe that Cultee was indeed a liar and that there was no huntingground over the big hill .

"Then there were long days and nights of wailing in the village as fathers andmothers mourned for their sons . The medicine man said the Great Spirit hadpunished the young men because they did not mind him . The family of Cultee wasdisgraced, for know you that to be a liar was the greatest disgrace that could be puton an Indian before the whites came and taught them that it is good to lie .

"The father of Cultee was no more a chief, for the tribe said : 'We will not havea chief whose son was a liar, and who led the finest of our young men to their deathwith his lies,' so old A-akunie hung his head in shame and no more was his voiceheard in the council .

"Cultee's mother would not believe that her son had lied because he hadalways told her the truth so she taught his younger brothers, while they were yetchildren, that Cultee was not a liar . She told them that they must keep his nameand when they were men they must go and find the hunting ground and take theshame off the family .

"The younger ones grew up but they did not go to find the hunting ground .They told the story to their children and to their children's children and many,many years went by and many families of children heard the story told by theirgrandfathers but none went to find the hunting ground so the family was stilldisgraced in the eyes of the tribe .

"But the time came when some of the young men of the family talked amongthemselves and said : 'We will go and find this hunting ground, that the man whosename we bear told about and we will show the tribe that we are not a family ofliars.' So they started out when no one saw them and followed up the water thatruns toward the sun . They camped one night on the top of the big flat hill and madetheir camp under a great spruce tree .

"As they sat by the camp fire they heard a noise in the tree above them anddown through the branches fell a cedar canoe . Though it fell from a great height, itcame to the ground as softly as a feather, and up out of it rose a tall young man . Hethrew off his deer skin robe and said to them :

" 'Who are you and where do you go?'"One of the young men answered . 'We are named Cultee and are of the

Chinook tribe ; we go to find a hunting ground that was seen long ago by the manwhose name we bear .'

" 'Then you are my brothers - I am Cultee. I am glad you have come,brothers, long have I waited for you . More times than a man can count have thebirds built their nests in that tree while I waited ; many times has the sun came backto melt the snow in my canoe while I waited - the tree that held me was only as

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high as a man could reach when I was put there, and now it is as high as an arrowcan fly, but still I waited for you . My spirit could not rest in the Happy HuntingGround while my family was shamed by the tribe, and I knew that some time therewould be some among you who would have enough pride in your family to comeand prove to the tribe that Cultee was not a liar. I am glad you have come brothers,and I am glad you have kept my name . Tomorrow I will lead you to the huntingground I found so long ago . The young men who came with me before got lost andfollowed the wrong water, but I will show you the right way ; my spirit has beenover the trail many times while I waited for you .'

"The next day they started on and Cultee led them over the hill and down thewater that runs toward the setting sun ; this water they followed until they came tothe great water he had told about. They stayed but a few days to see the place forthey were in a hurry to get back to the village and take the shame off their family .They made baskets of cedar bark and filled them with oysters to show the tribe thatthey had found the new hunting ground and when they left the water up near thebig hill Cultee told them to break the branches of the small trees to mark the trail .

"When they reached the big spruce tree where Cultee's canoe was, he said tothem : 'Brothers, I must leave you now ; my spirit can rest in peace in the HappyHunting Ground, now that we have taken the disgrace off our family . Go back tothe tribe and show them that I was not a liar and always be proud that you are nam-ed Cultee . I have spoken - Farewell .' He wrapped himself in his deer skin robeand lay down in the canoe and in an instant the canoe and man became as dust, sofine that the sharpest eyed among them could not see a bit of it in the grass .

"The young men went back to the village and told their story and showed theoysters and there was great rejoicing among the family of Cultee that they were nomore disgraced . Then they invited the best and strongest of the tribe to come andlive in the new hunting ground that Cultee had found . The medicine man said theymust not go, so the tribe was divided, but the wisest and best of the tribe followedthe Cultee family .

"They traveled up the water that you call Gray's River and crossed over the bigflat hill, then they came down the water that you call Nasel. Many days they wereon the journey for they had their families and the trail was long and hard, but finallythey came to the great water that Cultee had found and everything was as he hadsaid . Then they knew that Cultees were not liars . That is how the Indians first cameto Willapa Harbor ."

The old chief paused in hisstory, and rising, with a sweep ofarm that took in all of the Har-bor, said : "Cultees have alwaysbeen chiefs on WillapaHarbor and Me I'm proudI'm CULTEE .

- Pacific County Historical Society collection .

Willapa Bay from Camp Morehead,Nahcotta, about 1930 .

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Christmas Program at Frances 1907from The Willapa Harbor Pilot

Editor's Note : The following Christmas program was presented at the Frances public school in 1907 .It is taken from an article in the December 20, 1907 issue of the Willapa Harbor Pilot.

Frances School District No . 14 was organized in 1897 . In 1946 it was consolidated with LebamSchool District No. 46 to become District No . 140 .

The following is the Christmas program of the Frances Public Schools :

Address of Welcome, Mary Boyd .Recitation : The Bad Little Boys, Frances Raviage .Song: The Star of the East, Doris Habersetzer and Agnes Calouri .Recitation : A Present for Mama, Rosa Breen .Recitation : A Wish that Jeffy Wished, Eva Nicholson .Recitation : Harry's Lecture, Harry Sweeny .Recitation : Christmas Eve, Eva Nicholson .Song: Beautiful Gates of Gold, Susie Campbell .Christmas Exercise: Louise Calouri, Eddie Shore, Harry Gibson, Ida

Raviage .Recitation : Baby's Stocking, Helen Calouri .Recitation : A Real Santa, Bennie Strozyk .Recitation : A Present for Santa, Mildred Lemons .Recitation : A Christmas Carol, Edna Gibson .Duet: The Yellow Rose of Texas, Noel and Daniel Campbell .Recitation : Santa Claus, Willie Breen .Song: Buttercup Meadows, primary class .Recitation : Baby and Santa, Manley Patton .Recitation : The Christmas Stocking, Anna Strozyk .Recitation : Kris Kringle, Mary Kneitch .Recitation : My Ma, She Knows, Frank Raviage .Recitation : Johnny's Letter, Herman Inglin .Recitation : Spelling in the Nursery, Clara Musknoski .Recitation : Christ Child and King, Stanley Gibson .Music : A Christmas Acoustic, Eddie Musknoski, Freddie Vetter, Isabelle

Tyski, Fontelle Soule, Manley Patton, Stanley Habersetzer, LeonProsiloski, Mary Lemons .

Song: Christmas, primary class .Dialogue : Mother's Visiting (in two scenes), Agnes Calouri, Curtis Bates,

Dan Campbell, Walter Sweeney, Mrs .-D.C. Troth .Dialogue : Scene in the Chaplin's Family, Mary Sweeney, Mary Boyd,

Pearl Bates, Frances Breen, Pearl Todd .Recitation : The Old Arm Chair, Mrs. Hilliard .Recitation : Johnny's History Lesson, Ida Lemons .Recitation : Christmas Baby, Mary Strozyk .Recitation : Barbara Frietchie, Harold Patton .Recitation : Christmas Bells, Harry Lemons .Song: Coon Song, Frances Breen, Mary Boyd, Pearl Bates, Mary

Sweeney, banjo accompaniment by Hardy Hilliard .

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An Ilwaco Boy's ExperiencesPicking Cranberriesby Matt Wm. "Bill" Koski

Editor's Note : The 1984 harvest of cranberries in Pacific County is now complete. The decades oldprocess of preparing bogs for another year's harvest in 1985 has started . Last year the Sou'westercelebrated the 100th harvest in the autumn issue (Vol . XVIII, No . 3, 1984) . This year we would like toend the 101st year with a short remembrance of an earlier time with a story written by Bill Koski .

Matt Wm. Koski, or Bill as he was known to friends, was born in Ilwaco on November 1, 1889 .He was a retired shingle sawyer living in Raymond at the time of his death on November 25, 1974. Hehad just celebrated his 85th birthday .

Although Bill Koski was born in Ilwaco and spent his first ten years there, he lived in Grays Har-bor County most of his adult life . He came to Raymond in 1954 and retired there in the 60's . Duringhis retirement he found time to record his memories of life in Ilwaco at the turn-of-the-century . Fourinstallments of "As I Remember Ilwaco" were published in the Sou'wester between 1968 and 1971(those who would like to re-read them may refer to the issues in winter 1968, summer and winter1969, and autumn 1971) . His stories included memories of a Finnish style Christmas in Ilwaco, hisfirst days in school, Koski family home life, and seining on Sand Island in Baker Bay .

Bill's stories have a special humor that make all of his memories come alive for his readers . Thestory that follows is a case in point . In it he mentions his father, mother, and two of his siblings ; Waltand Pauline (Lena) . The other Koski children included Jalmer, Einard, Valfred (V .A.) and Hilda. Herecounts one autumn in which the Koski family made their annual trek to the cranberry fields northof Ilwaco to pick those pesky cranberries we all love so much during the winter holidays .

We didn't get to go "tenting" to the cranberry bogs every season because ofDad's work and school. Each such outing missed was a blessing to me . Pickingthose tiny berries into a big pail and then dumping them into a bigger wooden box,that took forever to fill, seemed a lot worse than going to school . During this stageof my existence it was hard to tell which of the two was the better, going to schoolfive days each week or picking those everlasting berries from daybreak to dark .

To me it seemed as though Dad was aiming for us to pick all of those berries onthe Long Beach bogs by ourselves in the few days we were to be there . By the timeOld Man Koski called it a day, I couldn't tell if I was picking cranberries or pebbles .And on top of that the first thing next morning he would nearly pull the plants upby the roots to show me where I had missed a couple and maybe a few more that Ididn't cover up very good . He never crabbed at Lena or Walt about anything, so Isupposed that being after me continually served as a warning to the other kids .(Sometimes I wondered, too, if he was ever going to forget that I was a witnesswhen our cow kicked him out of the barn) .

Of course we had more freedom at the bogs than at school . Whenever wewere in school and "had to go", and the teacher was busy, valuable time would belost, but at the bogs, when we "had to go", we went .

The most rewarding part of this child slavery was when the word came to packup and go home. And boy, did I work then . Anyway, going back to Ilwaco was easy

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because we had eaten near everything we brought . We stall had too much to takeback though, as the people we were picking for were too generous. In addition tothe use of their tent, which was fully set up when we arrived, they furnished mostof the milk for the kids, cake and cookies, and for none of at would they accept anypay. They even objected when Dad and I helped them with their cattle and otherlivestock . Their objection would have been okay with me if at hadn't been for Dad .I saw more cattle than I cared for up an the woods behind our cow barn every day .(Funny thing about that animal of ours. When she was being milked, I would haveto hunt for that critter all over that part of the country . But when she was dry, Mawas always "brooming" her out of what little garden we had near the house) .

During our stay at those bogs and working tall dark, at was kinda rough for Mato provide food for seven mouths, with the aid of a coal oil lantern for light .However, by resorting to one-pot meals of fish and potatoes, or maybe just a pot ofbeans for supper, hot cakes or eggs for breakfast, or perhaps a pot of mush, we ate .

Of course Ma had to start her offerings during daylight, besides looking afterthe baby and a two-year old . The rest of us would run back and forth stoking thestove. Sister Lena was charged with the dishwashing, and at served her right, too .Eggs and milk we could buy near the bogs. But at wasn't necessary all the tame,because of our landlord's generosity .

Dad was eating all the tame before he hat the hay, gnawing on a smoked orfresh salted salmon, an addition to has regular meals . And he would sat on a boxsmoking has stinking corncob pipe .

I would always try to get to sleep first because I knew that the minute Dadwould hat the hay he would start snoring with a racket similar to a Model T missingon two cylinders. Although I slept on the far side of the tent from ham, I could ac-tually feel the vibrations as if he was sawing through a knot . How Ma ever stood at asmore than I could understand . At tames has snoring would get so loud that he wouldwake up with a start. Then he would get up and smoke on that corncob pipe again .

About the tame we were an the midst of our tenting and weekend traps to theLong Beach bogs, we would hear of some improvement an the making to speed upthe harvesting of cranberries. The first one was the hand-operated scoop affair witha row of rigid "fingers" across the bottom . They were not much better thanharvesting by hand .

Then the "brains" started building power-driven machines . They came up withvarious types of harvesters and are stall trying to build something better even now .One of the faster types roars through the bogs dislodging the berries, after whichthe bog, or section of same, as flooded and the floating berries skimmed offmechanically into receptacles for the cannery .

They tried a few cranberry harvesting machines on the Long Beach marshes anthe past which were of several sizes and not very successful . One particularmachine was conceived and produced by an outfit (an one of the Scandinaviancountries) named Thorsen and Thorsen . The machine was called "Thor" for short .When first used at crawled, more or less aimlessly, whale picking the berries . Thenimprovements were made to the machine which confined at to a strap of berries

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fV)- Pacific county Historical Society collection .

Picking cranberries by hand near Long Beach bogs, about 1912 .

maybe eight feet wide for the length of the particular bog . This strip was designatedby two long lines, which were supposed to keep the machine centered . But as themachine was not yet perfected, it had a tendency at times to crowd one line, or theother, too close, thereby breaking it . This would mean a halt in the picking until thebroken line was repaired .

The cranberry harvesting machine had two universally-jointed arms, one oneach side of the frame, and each arm was equipped with three universal joints . Atthe lower end of each arm was a scooped shaped affair with several small flexiblefingers on it . Each scoop could be moved separately or in unison . At the top of theframe was housed the means to automatically guide the machine along thedesignated path so it would not wander too far from the path between the twoguide lines .

The complete control of this machine was accomplished by means of visualperception from within the housing on top of the frame . Thus, as the machinemoved . forward to harvest the cranberries, the two arms would extend downwardtowards the berries and the scoops at the ends of the arms would close around thefruit and draw said berries into a hopper attached to the lower end of the frame .From the hopper the berries would roll down an incline into a large wooden boxwhich trailed the machine as it moved forward harvesting .

After several hours in the bog, this machine would need refueling . So afterreaching the refueling station, I would crash down into a chair, snarling "What aheluva day this was, nothing but buckshot, and great big berries on both sides ofme, and out of reach!"

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Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?

Editor's Note: The use of daylight saving time (DST), once called fast time, to add one hour of daylightto our summer evenings has been a state law in Washington since 1961 . Each year newspapers, radio,and television remind us on the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October to set our clocksaccording to the reminder "spring forward/fall back" . Those who still have trouble with this littlephrase will be wise to recall a day when knowing the correct time was even more confusing . In the1950's, for instance, daylight saving time was a matter of choice from one municipality to another .Looking back at those years is enough to make one wonder if there really ever was a time known as"the good old days" .

The three newspaper items below illustrate the situation .

Cities, County Offices to Adopt Fast TimeApril 27, 1950 (Raymond Advertiser) . Residents of Raymond, South Bend and Il-waco, will go on Daylight Saving Time this weekend . According to the Raymondresolution, clocks will be set ahead one hour at midnight Saturday, while SouthBend will follow 24 hours later at midnight Sunday .

County elective officials, in a meeting in the courthouse Tuesday morning,voted to follow the lead of the populated areas and go on fast time Monday . In ad-dition to 9 to 5 hours (DST), the county offices will go on the legal summerschedule of 8 to 4 (DST) commencing on June 1 . . .

County Commissioners still keep the unincorporated areas of the county onstandard time .

Courthouse Crowd Votes 'Fast Time'April 27, 1950 (Raymond Herald) . The executive heads of the departments housedin the county courthouse in South Bend yesterday voted overwhelmingly to followthe lead of the cities of Raymond and South Bend and go on daylight saving timewhen they open their offices next Monday morning, a spokesman for the countyofficials said . The only negative vote was cast by (the) county extension agent .

The county commissioners are still standing on their decision to stay on stand-ard time which will apply to all county operations outside the courthouse . JudgeJohn Langenbach said that Superior court will establish the hours believed best toserve the majority .

When June 1 arrives, the inmates of the "gilded palace" are due for anothershift when they go to the traditional "summer hours" until September 1 . After June1, the hours will be from 8 a .m . to 4 p.m ., Monday through Friday, and until 12noon on Saturday .

No Time Change in Mail Service

April 27, 1950 (Raymond Herald) . Postmaster Ralph Nelson announced this morn-ing that the change to daylight saving time here next Monday will not affect incom-ing and outgoing mail as the trains and other carriers of mail to this city will operateon standard time. In other words, there will be one-hour difference between thetime being used by the people of the city and that used by the postoffice in deliver-ing and collecting mail .

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