Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/315

Rh between Salem and Albany, in Marion County. After the required term of residence they moved to Salem, where, with periods of absence, they lived for more than 30 years.

She had brought with her across the plains a small folding melodeon, and was one of the early music teachers of Salem. In 1861 she had charge of the pri- mary department of Willamette University, later took a country school in Clackamas County, in 1864 taught during the fall term at Astoria, and for several years conducted a private school in her home at Salem. She gave art lessons and later took lessons from her talented son, Clyde Benton Cooke, referred to by Mrs. Victor, after he had studied in Munich from 1880 to 1885.

She was the first woman clerk in the Oregon Legis- lature, and during several sessions was correspondent for the Oregonian. Although deprived of the sense of smell, she loved the beautiful but odorless flowers and was a student of botany. She took many premiums at the State Fair on her plants, sewing, embroidery, jel- lies and paintings. She was indeed "always a busy wo- man, busy with self-improvement, along with her daily tasks, and continually adding to the family in- come by teaching, writing, sewing and other activi- ties."

This simple recital of her fatigueless and versatile energies, confirms the characterization of her by Col- onel R. A. Miller, who knew her in those active days in Salem:

She kept at a thing until she got what she wanted. She was strong-willed. I think she wrote poetry in that spirit, because she was going to write poetry and nothing could