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The Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, WA., July 16, 1959, page 1

Society Meets at White Salmon
45 NEW NAMES ADDED TO HISTORICAL GROUP CHARTER

Forty-five new names were added to the charter of the Klickitat County Historical Society Saturday. The quarterly meeting was held at Mt. View Grange hall in White Salmon, with the Grange ladies serving a bounteous luncheon at noon.
The committees met in the morning at 10:30, with the general meeting getting under way after luncheon; over 75 persons attended the main session, with President Al Matsen wielding the gavel.
The charter will be kept open until after the fall quarterly session in Goldendale on the second Saturday of October, it was decided.
Mrs. G. F. Roberts of Klickitat reported that the trail markers sponsored by the society for scenic and historic points in the county are ready for lettering.
Informal discussion followed on the founding of a county historical museum, but no definite action was taken on selection of a site.
The program consisted of old-fashioned fiddling by William Wright, accompanied by Mrs. Clyde Story and Walter Story of Goldendale, and a paper called "The Land of Betwixt and Between" by Dr. H. L. Moon of White Salmon. The text of this light-vein reading is appended to this article.
A talk on the life of Uncle John Wyers in the old days in the White Salmon area was given by William Worthman. He showed colored slides of the rugged country the pioneers traveled on the Lewis and Clerk trail on the way to Washington.

THE BEAUTIFUL LAND OF "BETWIXT AND BETWEEN"
Early Day Transportation in Bingen, White Salmon and Mt. Adams County
A paper presented before the Klickitat County Chapter of the Washington Historical Society,
7-11-59, by Dr. H.L. Moon.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Klickitat County Historical Society and visitors.
As an 18-years-old Johnny come lately resident of White Salmon I apologize for the part I have in today's program.
I did not volunteer. The job was wished upon me.
Will not even go back to the time of your earliest settlers or even those first born here.
We leave that history for a later date and to those more capable of presenting them before the Society.
Before we delve deeply into early local history, perhaps a background building up to it may be in order.
For really early history lets go back in time. Back to the time of the Great Inland Sea. Back to the time when the "Little Eohippres" decided he just must become a horse.
The Cascade Mt. Range was a barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Great Inland Sea.
Accumulating run off waters found a weak spot in the Mt. Range, cut through the Columbia Gorge country from, say the present Dalles Dam on the east to Bonneville Dam on the West.
That left the Hood River Valley; the Bingen-White Salmon area just midway between the two dams.
Also this area is about midway between Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. This then is the beautiful land of "Betwixt and Between,"

Roamed the River

It is between the two dams. Sort of betwixt the two mountains. Really between a wet coastal range and a dry sage brush desert interior. It is the beautiful mid-mountain section of the Columbia gorge country. I first discovered it in 1911. I rediscovered it in 1940 with my family. In 1942 became a cliff dweller on the Columbia. In World War II, like the early Indians, roamed from Vancouver to Spokane as a medicine man.
Left the war path of both World War I and II as a cross red man or better a Red Cross man, content in my White Salmon wigwam. Please pardon the digression but adds to back-ground and shows that new comers as well as old timers love the gorge country.
With the background in place let's get on with our local history.
There are three main ways of travel -- water, land and air.
Water here was the original way. In water; by log, (have seen it happen on the Columbia). By log raft; by canoe; by boat; row, sail, gas or steam. We have had them all on the Co1umbia.
Add now the bateau of the Hudson Bay Co.; the scow early and late types of Schafer Barge & Tow and Inland Navigation Company.
Is that all for our river road? Nay, most emphatically no.
In our century of progress the wheel has made full turn and we are back to boats again. This time not man or sail or horse power, but plenty of gas power and green horns that are a menace to navigation.
So much for the river road. Let's go talk to an old timer regarding early river history.
Ira Rowland, born at Lyle in 1873 is 86 years young. He is as of today Klickitat county's oldest living son. Ira solemnly states his present wife was is a Nebraska girl named Vida Shiell, inferring possibly a fairly recent marriage.
After that sort of settle, he further states, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary December 12, l949. That means they try for the 60th in '59.
Ira works his own little vineyard, large garden, hikes to town for mail and groceries and is still a handy man about the house.
Ira states "the town of White Salmon site was sold to Charles Conver, a squaw man, for $50 and a sack of flour." If so, we are twice as good as Manhattan Island that went on sale for $24. "There must be a slight error somewhere in my statement."

Rattles off Names

On river transportation Mr. Rowland has seen a lot of it. From memory to my question on steam boats on the river, he rattled off names much faster than I could get them on my notes. Here is his list to me: Albina, R.R. Thompson, Idaho, Hassela, Mt. Queen, Harvest Queen, Dalles City, Regulator, New Regulator, D.S. Baker, Charles Spencer, Tahoma, Medlico, Schafer, Undine, Geo. W. Schafer and the Bailey Gatzert and Georgia Burton.
The Bailey Gatzert I had first seen on Puget Sound, saw it later on the Columbia and watched Georgia Burton make its last trip up to The Dalles.
Ira remembers, as a barefoot boy, that two steamers one Sunday afternoon passed upstream with flags half mast. They anchored at Memaloose Island, the "Island of the Dead," an Indian burial ground. They unloaded a casket. In it was the body of Captain Travett, an old time Columbia River boatman. His request was to be buried among his old Indian friends. The Indians being more honest than his white friends.
The steamers, Hasselo and Mt. Queen carted the large funeral party from Portland to the island.
My history reference later changes the story somewhat but I vote for Ira's version.
Ira and J.W. Taylor bought and ran the ferry between White Salmon and Hood River. Said ferry consisting of a 30x10 ft. scow towed by a rowboat. That was a job. They bought the ferry in 1901. No phone, so they ran on flag call. Fare 35c. They later sold out to O.C. Dean, who, later sold out to the bridge company.
Ira's history needs reporting further at a later date, along with our other pioneers. It is worthwhile and of interest.
Time is short. The bridge built a new highway that entered White, Sa1mon and lead us to wonder just why and where other roads lead into and out of town. To do that is to find out who delivered the mail in the early days. That was easy, for the same man has the same star route today that he started in 1894.
This man was born April 15, 1876 in Holland. Family migrated first to Kansas. The boy, Teunis Wyers, was 13 years old when he arrived in White Salmon. Arriving here in 1889 he says he went to work. At 1959, a small matter of 70 years, finds him still at his desk six days a week.

Started on Horseback

Starting his star route in 1894, he started the mail route first on horseback, then added horses and Wagons (sleds in the winter) until he was using probably 65 horses in harness daily on his mail, stage, and freight line.
Along with above, he became, I believe, an early Standard Oil man, hauling kerosene, axle grease and harness oil by wagon.
In the early 1920's he retired teams, but increased horse power by gas trucks. Now all equipment runs on gas, rubber and good roads.
In early days it was sort of a pony express, deep mud, switch teams, wear out animals and buy new ones.
Teunis tells about his wild horse buying trip from Yakima to Burns. He bought to replace for his own use; also picked and broke matched pairs for the Portland carriage trade.
Teun, like, Ira, needs a complete biography later. If drawn out has a lot to tell. Now on limited time, must squeeze a long busy life into a small amount of time and space.
Mail came to Hood River by O.R.&N.R.R. and navigation company. From there on ferry to White Salmon dock or landing. From White Salmon to the back districts by three mail routes.
Teun carried the route nearest the White Salmon river, North to Gilmer Flats, then to Fulda, Laurel and Glenwood, Troutlake and Husum were added later.

Trails Become Roads

Gilmer was a stage stop and a horse change station. Roads often started as game and Indian trails, widened to handle wagons and logs, minus some curves are now our secondary highways.
Teun early accumulated much of the good earth on his equipment. This accumulation calls for conservation by a thrifty man. Low and behold the miracle of mud turns into Camas Prairie on one end of his star mail route and the extra left over became Burdoin Mountain on this end of his route.
Camas Prairie raised grass and hay. Burdoin Mountain has browse, early grass and trees.
What to do? Raise cattle, of course. That accounts for a cattle drive each spring through White Salmon.
Now trees ain't hay, but make nice long green, as lumber. Cattle are not timber, but at 30c a pound on the hoof can compete with it.
A man who worked for Standard Oil usually has a stock interest in the company. Teun, then primarily is a STOCKMAN -- stock in stage company; in animals; land and logs; also in the bank; and with a touch from lady luck and a head that used the brain, he has and knows more about diversified stocks than many of our modern so-called stockbrokers.
To make a short story longer take this thought home with you.

Our orchards are fruitful,
Our forests are green,
Our living delightful
In Betwixt and Between.