10 August 1913 – Half way house

Joe Johnson left about 9 o’clock riding one of the horses which belonged to people who stayed here all night. Gay, Stew and myself are the only ones left here of the bunch and things are quiet. We have a lot of grub and want to sell it or give it to packers for being packed in. John Dary has only horse up here and we are left in a stew as to how to get back, anyway tomorrow, because things are too dead up here. I wanted to go up to hot springs but its too late now and Stewart doesn’t care to go up. There are hot mineral baths and drinking water. Some old jake here says, there’s no use comin’ up here, without goin’ up to the hot springs. Nearly 50 people are up there at present. Stewart and I climbed the hill in front of half way house and I took 4 pictures up there. We afterwards went swimming in river. Made arrangements to pack in to North Bend.

9 August 1913 – Half way house

The crazy Isaquah bunch left about 9:30 and left us to recover from our 2 days hearty laugh. The kids had a fierce time catching Tom’s horse. The nutty John Dary would chase around like a chicken with its head cut off which would make the others unmanageable. Tom left about noon. Joe and Gay came back from a hard walk. They did not get to the top but damn near it. No water kept the renowned mountain climbers from reaching the top of the peak. After supper 3 people came Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter and informed most of the pack on their horse fell off about 8 miles back. They lost blankets and food. It’s a wonder one fellow didn’t leave his pants behind along the trail.

8 August 1913 – Half way house

Arose 10 A.M. after breakfast Gay and Joe Johnston left with pack to climb Mt. Garfield. They walk up a little beyond Taylors place and then are supposed to turn strait up hill. In afternoon Tom Jones and myself went fishing up Pratt River. The lower part is fished out. The best way to go fishing is to walk a mile or mile ½ up Pratt trail and cut down E. river. When we came back we heard sorrowful mews and like death mews from Tom. His father had sent word for him to come home immediately to go to work. For such a fine, good natured fellow as Tom to go to work seemed like the world was coming to an end.

7 August 1913 – Half way house

Harvey left this morning riding a pack saddle with pack train.  Tom Perry after he and the others had chased around field for a couple of hours caught John Dary and he too went for home.  Gay, Stew and myself took a trolly ride across the river at Wells place. I met Mr. Wells. He was with Harold Hartman and Engineer Thompson, practically all the property on both sides of the river up to Government reserve starts at mouth of Pratt river. Tom Perry came back after finding John his horse was lame. Later he and Stewart left on other horses for the Bend late in afternoon. We sat around by fire in front of house and laughed at the crazy antics of the fellows from Issaquah. One that was the funniest was called Soapy. They named him Soapy because in running his confectionary store he always was getting schemes to get the nickels from the kids. His name is Armand Lake or something like that and he knows Charlie Robinson and Tom Grisscol very well –

Bed 11:30

6 August 1913 – Easton – Rockdale – Pratt River – Half way house

We dressed 6 A.M. Had breakfast. Sent a postal card to Tom Jones to prove we got over the pass. The train leaves Easton 7:30 and was a few minutes early. To see Tom with a pack on his back and a gun in his hand and me with packages hanging all around me was a sight worth seeing. We left Rockdale at 8:35 for a 15 ½ mile hike back over trail. We got to the pass at 12 noon. Had some lunch, passed the outlet at 12:45 and arrived at Half Way house at 4:45 P.M. The view is certainly magnificent way up near the pass. The lakes are worth hiking to see. The kids were here and 4 other fellows from Issaquah. Tom Jones, Joe Johnson and Gay the day before went up to Hot Springs and had a bath and got back the next day. The whole gang played cards in the evening, Mr. Padden father of Howard Padden told me some of his experiences out here with Indians in the sixties and seventies. He was once one of the best walkers in King County.

Milwaukee Railroad near Easton 1923 from the Washington State Historical Society.

3 August 1913 – Half way house

Arose 8:30. Tom had most of breakfast cooked. About 10 A.M. Stew, Tom, Harvey, Joe, and myself crossed the river and walked upstream. Vetter had already left early in the morning for Snoqualmie Lake. We walked 4 1/2 miles on trail until we came to Taylor river 1/2 mile above its mouth. We fished down to the middle fork and caught fine trout about seven or eight inches long. The best so far. We crossed the river a ways up. The water was up to our knees and got on the main trail on the S.E. side of the middle fork and walked back to camp at 5 P.M. Gay and Tom had already been back for a couple of hours. They walked about 9 miles up Pratt river trail, stayed overnight and Gay the next morning caught about 80 trout in 1/2 mile distance down the creek but not as large as the ones we caught on Taylor river. Tom Perry, the renowned Progressive, gave us some of his famous speeches and stories. Bed 10 P.M.

2 August 1913 – Half way house – Middle Fork

Arose 7:00. Breakfast. The four men had already left. Gay and Tom P. after breakfast left for two day trip up the mountains. Taking a supply of greyband guns. I caught my first fish and biggest one yet. I broke my cedar fishpole landing him and stepped on it, but I pulled him in. Had some supper. Fish, beans, biscuits, cocoa etc. Natts were so bad we built a —– and smoked them out. Bed 10:30.

1 August 1913 – Half way house

Arose 6:30 A.M. — and Stewart came in 4 A.M. We found Tom P. and Gay lying in bed who were supposed to be sleeping by the peaceful river. Breakfast 35, Gay $3.00 for horses. Seven of us with packer left about 8:45 A.M. on horseback and four pack horses. After repacking the buckskin with a top heavy pack about four or five times we arrived at the half way house, owned formely by Lens about 1:30 P.M. We all chased the dirt of the big room and made things look half way decent and had dinner at 2:30. The Forest Service Warden, has his headquarters here and Guy knew him quite well. His name is G. Vetter. Of course he had let us know what the few rules were to show his authority. By supper we had camp fixed quite comfortable. Four young fellows on the way to the hot springs 15 miles up the trail stayed overnight. Went to bed at 10:30.

31 July 1913 – Seattle – North Bend

Got pack saddles and bags packed. Tom Jones, Tom Perry and Gay Fathering left barn at 6 A.M. and rode to North Bend. Stewart Miller, Harvey Linne, Joe Johnson and myself left on 4:30 P.M. Mon. train. Arrive North Bend at 8:30. Stayed all night in North Bend. Started out with $25. $10.90 for tickets were taken out —– money. Should —- [lists names and money amounts.] Bed 1:30 A.M.