"The year 1917 has been marked by a 'Kirmess,' the proceeds of which are to be devoted to Red Cross work. It is the judgment of all concerned that though the park needs work, the soldiers in the field need our money more."
While there are naturally many more recollections in respect to Walla Walla and its near vicinity, yet we have a number of others of great interest from other parts of the field.
We are turning therefore, now from Walla Walla to the youngest sister of the counties, Asotin. We have first a reminiscence of early settlement in Asotin County, by Mrs. Mary A. Wormell, whose family is among the most prominent of the builders of the county:
SOME PIONEER RECOLLECTIONS OF ASOTIN COUNTY
By Mrs. Mary A. Wormell
In the summer of 1880 the writer came with her family to that portion of Asotin County known as Asotin flat. We arrived late in July from California travelling by the "prairie schooner" route. We had encountered many difficulties and no little discouragement en route, and heard many disparaging stories about the new country towards which we were travelling. One Californian, disgusted and homeward bound, solemnly informed us that we would see icicles in Washington a foot and a half long. And as the darky said: "We have seen all that an' mo'."
One day we met a family taking the back trail that had left our locality the year before with this slogan printed on the new, white cover of their "prairie schooner"—"Washington or Bust." They passed slowly by, a weary, dejected looking outfit, and the weather-beaten old canvas top bore the single word—"Busted." But even this demonstration of defeat did not daunt us, for we were already "busted," had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we kept right on as the western phrase so aptly puts it—"hitting the trail," to the north that brought us at last to what is now Asotin County. It "looked good" to us then and has kept right on looking good to us ever since.
A SPANISH CHESTNUT, CLARKSTON-VINELAND, 1907