REMINISCENCES OF CAPT. W. P. GRAY 347
rapids. My report was forwarded to the chief of the board of engineers of the United States army.
"I went up with the Billings and continued to run between Pasco and Kennewick, transferring freight and passenger cars until the Columbia river bridge was completed.
"When I went to Pasco to begin my work there I decided to have a home. D. W. Owen had homesteaded a tract of land where now the city of Pasco is located. He offered to relin- quish a fraction containing 19 acres on the bank of the Colum- bia for $100. I thought $100 for 19 acres of sagebrush land was highway robbery, but as I needed some ground for a home, I accepted his offer and built a home. Though I was born in Oregon City and brought up in the West, and though my father was one of the earliest pioneers of Oregon, I had never before owned land. I became quite enthused with the idea of owning land. I secured a relinquishment from Henry Gantenbein of 80 acres, which extended from the river to the railroad section where Pasco is located. I filed a pre-emption upon it. I paid $2.50 an acre for it and as soon as I had secured the receiver's receipt I platted 50 acres of it as an addition to Pasco.
"I remember they thought it very peculiar to file an addition to Pasco before the plat of Pasco itself was filed. I never was much busier than I was then. I was the local land agent for the Northern Pacific. I had charge of the selling of their lots and acreage. I was county commissioner, I had a dairy with 10 cows, I had 100 hogs, and had over 200 horses, and was feeding over 400 of the Northern Pacific employes. In addi- tion to this I was attending every Republican state convention. My purpose of attending the conventions was to be appointed on the resolutions committee. That was all the office I wanted. Each time I secured the adoption of a resolution demanding of Congress the immediate opening of the Columbia river to un- obstructed navigation.
"The railroad wanted to cross my land. I told the graders they could not cross without my permission. They sent their attorney, who told me if I didn't let them cross I would lose my contract for feeding the Northern Pacific employes and
