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Spokane, Washington
January, 1937
Personal Narrative M.P. Bogle, 1425
Old National Bank Building, Spokane, in
an interview with Veva V. Babb and G. H
Lathrop.
Mr. Bogle, as a young man, arrived in Spokane from Stillwater, Minnesota, on
August 10, 1889 to behold a city of tents erected over the ashes of the "Great
Fire". Mt. Bogle helped clean the streets of debris, sold newspapers and then
opened a restaurant between Post and Lincoln streets. According to Mr. Bogle's
recollections, construction of the Spokane hotel was underway; J. W. Graham's
store was housed in a tent at Bernard and Riverside; Kemp Robert's were a
"Gents Furnishing" house, also in a tent; John Tilsley was operating a large
grocery store at 505 Howard Street; McGowan Bros., Holly -Mason, Marks Co.,
and Jensen -King -Byrd Co., were the pioneer hardware merchants.
Lodging tents would have as many as 125 beds per tent; most of these tents
were lined with heavy building paper.
In the manner of most western cities of the day, Spokane was vide -open. Be-
tween Post and Lincoln streets, "Dutch Jake" Goetz and Harry Baer had a combina-
tion saloon, dance hall, theatre and gambling establishment, which occupied
space from the one street through to the other with an entranoe an each. Saddle
horses and animal drawn conveyances of every description were hitched in front
of the various establishments and on vacant lots. Good equipment was scarce
and anyone possessing a buggy was of the elite.
Mr. Bogle states that the winter of 1889-90 was one of the most severe ever
experienced here. He had gone to Sprague to visit a sister, Mrs. Desmond, and
while there was persuaded to buy some cattle. The temperature went to 33 degrees
below zero, and as early as December the snow was 2 feet deep and stayed on the
ground. Feed was scarce; hay was $40.00 per ton, and as the season progressed
could not be obtained at any price. By spring Mr. Bogle had lost all but five
cows. When the weather had moderated and the snow gone, Mr. Frank D. Garrett,
then at Sprague, after bringing his flock of sheep through the winter with
little loss, turned them out to graze. An unseasonable blizzard wiped out the
flock at an estimated loss of $75,000.00.
This same spring, 1890, Mr. Bogle and Mr. Desmond rode across country from
Sprague to Grand Coulee. This territory was littered with the carcasses of
thousands of cattle and horses. In the Grand Coulee, in many places, stock had
piled up and died in the winter storms in such numbers that it was impossible
to ride between the carcasses.
Mr. Bogle states that at this time grading for the Washington Central Railroad
was underway with some steel laid on the Spokane end.
Later in 1890 Mr. Bogle did considerable logging with Johnny Stone at Stone's
Switch, northeast of Rathdrum; for the Phoenix Lumber Company of Spokane; and in
the Douglas Fir, northeast of Seattle, for Day. Bros. Oxen for skidding were
still in use by Stone at Rathdrum.
In 1891, Mr. Bogle, and Mr. Desmond entered the dairy business at Bonners Ferry.
M. P. Bogle narrative
Memory of the financial panic of 1894 is still vivid with Mr. Bogle. He ttates
that, as he remembers it, the Pedicord Hotel was about the only going concern
on Riverside, east of Washington street. Other buildings were vacant, many of
them with broken windows. Mr. Bogle states that Cowleyes Bank was the only
one in the city to survive the panic. Choice farm lands were offered at prices
ranging from 75X per acre up to $500.00 per quarter section.
Floods occurred in 1895. At Bonners Ferry the Great Northern railway tracks
were under 8 feet of water, and train service was suspended for thirty days or
more.
About this time, Mr. Bogle was engaged in logging on a large scale in northern
Idaho, delivering logs by way of the Kootenay River and Koaltnmy Lake to saw-
mills at Nelson, Kaslo and Pilot Bay in British Columbia.
In 1894, Mr. Bogle, while prospecting in British Columbia near Fort Steele, loca-
ted the first extension of the Sullivan Group mines. Mr. Bogle held this claim
until 1906, selling it then for $350.00. A vast fortune has since been taken
from that property.
Mr. Bogle, Mr. Desmond and Jim Cronin, were camped at Moyle Lake when the "ST.
Eugene" mine was discovered. An Indian discovered the ore and took it to a
priest, Father Kocolo, who immediately realized its value. Mr. Cronin organized
a company to develop the mine. Later, out of the proceeds, a hone and independent
income were established for the Indian, while Father Kocola received a substantial
sum to further his missionary work.
Interesting spectacles of the times were the pow -wows held when the Kalispell
Indians of Montana would come to visit the Kootenay Indians of Idaho near Bonners
Ferry.
In 1902, Messrs. Stone, Shotes Gleed, built a one -band sawmill at Bonners Ferry.
This mill was later purchased by R. H. McCoy and, after being destroyed by fire,
was rebuilt as a double -band mill.
It is interesting to note that, according to Mr. Bogle's records, thunder and light-
ning were experienced at Bonners Ferry on January 15, 1902.
In and about this period, he bought logged timber for the Weyerhaueser interests,
and took out cedar and poles for the Lindsay Bros. (1899) at Priest River, Idaho.
There was some white pine around Bonners Ferry; but yellow pine, red fir, and
tamarack predominated.
Mr. Bogle bought stumpage at 50X per X. from the Northern Pacific railway, cut
the timber and delivered the logs at Nelson and Kaslo, B. C., for $5.50 per X.
Mr. Bogle states that at this time the Humbird Lumber Co. was contracting for logs
in the water qt $3.60 to $4.00 per pr. Cedar poles, 30', were $2.00 each.
In 1909, Mr. Bogle made a deal whereby the controlling interest in the Rose Lake
Lumber Company, a one -band sawmill, was sold by Andy Devlin and Al Page to Messrs.
J. J. O'Neill, Joe Irvine and Jake Colaner. Mr. Bogle was retained as logging and
railroad superintendent. In two years, 32 million feet of white pine, red fir and
tamarack were taken out. The Winton Bros, purchased control of this company in
1911 and doubled the capacity of the mill.
M. P. Bogle narrative
Mr. Bogle then organized the St. Manes Lumber company, built a mill and a rail-
road bLak of Wallace along the north bank of the St. Joe river, to a point known
as Bogle's Spur on the Milwaukee railway, 60 miles east of St. Manes. Mr. Wm.
Kroll and Messrs. Spae and Lopgear-af"New York, financed this enterprise, Mr.
Bogle logged and operated the railroad until 1914. Fran 1914 to 1918, Mr. Bogle
engaged in the land business, selling some 50,000 acres of farm lands in Washing-
ton, Montana and Alberta.
During 1919-1920 he was manager for the Pine Lumber company at Marcus. Then was
assistant superintendent for the Diamond Match company under Chas. Olsen, for two
years, after which Mr. Bogle returned to the Pine Lumber Company as manager at
Fine Creek, Idaho until 1928.
Since 1928, Mr. Bogle has engaged in the insurance business and operated the Bonna
Dell Dairy at Marshall and Otis Orchards. Mr. Bogle is at present active in placer
mining.
An unusual feature of Mi. Bogle's extensive logging experience was the absence of
labor trouble. Mr. Bogle states that he attributes this to the fact that he al-
ways gave his men every possible consideration. As early as 1909, in his camps
at Rose Lake, Mr. Bogle, furnished his men with good sleeping accomodations, showers,
and laundry roams, reading and recreation rooms. Mr. Bogle was an early believer
in good food and lots of it, for his men. In this connection Mr. Bogle quotes
prices on same of the items purchased by him before the war. These prices are
wholesale.
No. 1 Ham and bacon 12 1/21 per lb.
Prime beef, by the side 081 a a
Navy beans 031 if II
raalen Sox (heavy boot) 301 a
pr.
Sugar 5 00 cwt.
Double -bit axes were purchased from
Marshall -wells Hardware company at 12.00 doz.
Hay and oats commanded about the same
prices as at present.
The ordinary wage paid at that time,was 40.00
Teamsters and canthook men were paid 50.00
During the log -drive the usual rate
of pay per day was 3.50
HGL:ME