diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-30 19:48:46 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-30 19:48:46 -0800 |
| commit | 647d3df53a7c2ba360e92117234da4a253ed5df4 (patch) | |
| tree | 345da4e2978728bc36e55ff3dcaa2c7c9656cb94 | |
| parent | 8ad775dae378b28c636702847e912a605b2463fc (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62009-0.txt | 4759 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62009-0.zip | bin | 99832 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62009-h.zip | bin | 268964 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62009-h/62009-h.htm | 5768 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62009-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 93339 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62009-h/images/i_sigil.jpg | bin | 70987 -> 0 bytes |
9 files changed, 17 insertions, 10527 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55c52c6 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #62009 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62009) diff --git a/old/62009-0.txt b/old/62009-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 44938c6..0000000 --- a/old/62009-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4759 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical -Society,(Vol. I, No. 3), by Oregon Historical Society - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society,(Vol. I, No. 3) - -Author: Oregon Historical Society - -Release Date: May 3, 2020 [EBook #62009] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY *** - - - - -Produced by Gísli Valgeirsson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - - - - - THE QUARTERLY - - OF THE - - OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. - - ===================================== - VOLUME I ] SEPTEMBER, 1900 [ NUMBER 3 - ===================================== - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS - - - THE OREGON QUESTION II.—_Joseph R. Wilson_ 213 - - REMINISCENCES OF HUGH COSGROVE—_H. S. Lyman_ 253 - - REMINISCENCES OF WM. M. CASE—_H. S. Lyman_ 269 - - THE NUMBER AND CONDITION OF THE NATIVE RACE IN OREGON 296 - WHEN FIRST SEEN BY WHITE MEN—_John Minio_ - - INDIAN NAMES—_H. S. Lyman_ 316 - - DOCUMENTS—Oregon articles reprinted from a file of the 327 - N. Y. _Tribune_, 1812. - - Letter by William Plumer, Senator from N. H. 336 - - * * * * * - - PRICE: THIRTY-FIVE CENTS PER MONTH, ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY - - ORGANIZED DECEMBER 17, 1898 - - --------------------- - - H. W. SCOTT PRESIDENT - C. B. BELLINGER VICE-PRESIDENT - F. G. YOUNG SECRETARY - CHARLES E. LADD TREASURER - GEORGE H. HIMES, Assistant Secretary. - - --------------------- - - DIRECTORS - - THE GOVERNOR OF OREGON, _ex officio_. - - THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, _ex officio_. - - Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1900, - H. W. SCOTT, MRS. HARRIET K. McARTHUR. - - Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1901, - F. G. YOUNG, L. B. COX. - - Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1902, - JAMES R. ROBERTSON, JOSEPH R. WILSON. - - Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1903, - C. B. BELLINGER, MRS. MARIA L. MYRICK. - - --------------------- - -_The Quarterly_ is sent free to all members of the Society. The annual -dues are two dollars. The fee for life membership is twenty-five -dollars. - -Contributions to _The Quarterly_ and correspondence relative to -historical materials, or pertaining to the affairs of this Society, -should be addressed to - - F. G. YOUNG, - EUGENE, OREGON. _Secretary_. - -Subscriptions for _The Quarterly_, or for the other publications of the -Society, should be sent to - - GEORGE H. HIMES, - CITY HALL, PORTLAND, OREGON. _Assistant Secretary_. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - VOLUME I] SEPTEMBER, 1900 [NUMBER 3 - - THE QUARTERLY - - OF THE - - OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - THE OREGON QUESTION. - - II. - - -The conventions of 1824 and 1825 marked the formal and final withdrawal -of Russia as claimant to the sovereignty of the Oregon country, or of -any part of it. The convention of the former year pledged her withdrawal -as claimant against the United States, that of the latter year as -claimant against Great Britain. The boundaries of the territories in -question were thus finally determined, and the parties to the dispute -were reduced to the two nations by whom the question at issue was -ultimately to be decided. - -It was a great step taken toward settlement when the claims of all -nations but Great Britain and the United States were eliminated from the -question. But elimination of claims was not the only respect in which -progress towards settlement had been made during the period which closed -with the convention between Great Britain and Russia. The ten years -between the treaty of Ghent and this convention show a substantial -approach to agreement between Great Britain and America. The events of -the year 1818 in particular mark this approach. This year, so important -in the history of the relations between Great Britain and America, -opened with the issue of the order of January 26 by the British -government for the restitution of Fort George, the post at the mouth of -the Columbia, which, under the name of Astoria, had been taken -possession of by the British early in the late war. This order, which -was formally carried out in October of that year, gains in significance -the more closely the whole history of the case is examined. Astoria, it -will be remembered, was the name of the trading post established in 1811 -by the Pacific Fur Company, of which John Jacob Astor, of New York, was -founder and chief stockholder. It was nominally an American company, -and was established under the American flag; but of the party of -thirty-three that landed April 12, 1811, to form the settlement, all -except three are said to have been British subjects. On the twelfth -day of November, 1813, in the absence of Mr. Astor’s agent, who was an -American, Mr. McDougall, his sub-agent, a British subject, representing -himself and the other partners present, likewise British subjects, -signed the bills of sale, and delivered up Astoria to the Northwest -Company, a British company. One month later, Captain Black, of the -British navy, in the sloop-of-war, Racoon, arrived in the Columbia, and -took possession of Astoria in the name of his sovereign, and in honor -of his sovereign changed the name to Fort George. He seems to have been -chagrined not a little to find that, instead of the glory of battering -down an American fort, nothing awaited him but to take peaceful -possession in the name of his king of a British settlement. - -By the first article of the treaty of Ghent, “all territory, places, and -possessions whatsoever, taken by either party from the other during the -war” should be restored. In view of the history just given, it is not -strange that the British government, when called upon by the United -States to make restitution of Astoria in accordance with this article of -the treaty, objected, on the ground that the place was already a British -settlement when taken possession of by a British officer. And yet, in -the course of the negotiations that followed, Great Britain yielded this -point, and through her representative, Lord Castlereagh, “admitted, in -the most ample extent, our right to be reinstated, and to be the party -in possession while treating of the title.” Accordingly, October, 1818, -the order first issued January 26 preceding, was executed, and Fort -George was formally handed over to an American officer specially sent to -the Columbia to receive it, and once more the American flag floated over -this British settlement. - -This act of restitution, under these circumstances, can hardly be -regarded as less than a concession on the part of Great Britain, a -concession the full significance of which appears only when the act of -restitution is taken in connection with the convention of joint -occupation entered into by the two governments that year, and with -certain intimations made by the British Plenipotentiaries in the -conferences which led up to that convention. It was in this convention -that the boundary between the two countries west from Lake of the Woods -to the Rocky Mountains on the forty-ninth parallel was agreed upon. In -the preliminary conferences the representatives of Great Britain -insisted that the boundary west of the Rocky Mountains should be settled -at the same time with the boundary eastward; that the two should stand -or fall together. In response to this wish, the American representatives -proposed that the same line of the forty-ninth parallel be extended -westward to the Pacific. This the representatives of Great Britain -refused to accept, nor would they themselves propose a line; but they -did intimate that the Columbia River itself was the most convenient -boundary that could be adopted, and that they would not agree to any -boundary that did not give to Great Britain a harbor at the mouth of the -Columbia River in common with the United States. The American -representatives not consenting to this, after further proposals and -counter proposals, none of which were acceptable to both governments, it -was finally agreed to adopt the now celebrated plan of joint occupation -as that plan is embodied in the third article of the convention of that -year. - -Thus it is that the order of the British government for the restitution -of Astoria at the opening of the year 1818, taken in connection with all -the circumstances of the case, and the convention of joint occupation -made by the two governments at the close of the year, taken in -connection with concessions in conferences made by both parties, make -this year an era in the history of the Oregon Question. In particular, -two important lines had been proposed and discussed, each proposal -showing an important concession on the part of the party making it, and -each line proposed practically setting a limit for the future, in its -direction, to the territory that remained in question. For it may safely -be said that from this time the extreme limits of the claims of the -several parties were fixed; that henceforth the United States would not -press their claim to territory north of latitude 49°, nor would Great -Britain press hers to territory south of the Columbia. The territory -longer in question lay between these two lines, and it is doubtful -if ever after this year there was a time when the question might not -have been settled by Great Britain’s consenting to the line of the -forty-ninth parallel, or by the United States’ consenting to that of -the Columbia. With these limits to their several claims practically -agreed upon by Great Britain and the United States, and a plan of joint -occupation adopted at the close of the year 1818, it remained only to -eliminate claims of other nations to the territory in order to reduce -the question to its simplest terms. This elimination, as we have seen, -was effected by the conventions of 1819, of 1824, and of 1825, the -last of which left Britain and America free to settle the question of -sovereignty between themselves. - -The conditions of the Oregon Question at the close of the period ending -1825 were, upon the whole, not unfavorable to America. It is true Great -Britain was the party in possession at this time through the settlements -of the Hudson’s Bay Company, but when it is remembered that these -settlements were made even before the more important concessions of the -conventions were made, these concessions are only the more strongly -significant of the disposition of the government of Great Britain to -treat fairly, at least, the claims of America. It is especially -significant of this disposition that the settlement at Fort George was -abandoned in the spring of 1825 by the British company in the -expectation that the Americans would speedily occupy it, and, though the -Americans failed at once to occupy it, it was left by the British -unoccupied for five years, as if they were waiting for the Americans to -come and claim their own. When we remember Britain’s well known -doctrine, of occupation within a reasonable time as necessary to -establish full title to lands claimed on the ground of prior discovery -and exploration, this can hardly be regarded as else than an invitation -on the part of Britain to the United States to come and make good their -title to at least that part of Oregon that lay south of the Columbia. - -Occupation had been attempted, it will be remembered, in the case of the -establishments of the Pacific Fur Company at Astoria and other points on -the south and east of the Columbia. The whole conduct of England in -regard to these establishments, made for the purposes of trade, goes to -show that she regarded them as belonging to a legitimate mode of -occupation, the right of which she not only assumed to herself, but was -ready to allow to America. The failure of the settlements and their -ultimate abandonment as a mode of American occupation were due to the -accidents of war, not to the interference of diplomacy. The convention -of 1818, of joint occupation, was the embodiment of no new principle, -but simply the formal assent of both parties to a principle of -occupation assumed by America in the Astoria settlements, and by Great -Britain in those in the valley of the Columbia, and by each tacitly -allowed to the other. - -In 1821, however, three years after the convention of joint occupation, -a movement was begun in the Congress of the United States toward an -occupation of the territory in dispute, of a very different character, -which, if it had actually been adopted as a measure enjoined upon the -executive, and once been attempted to be carried out, would have met -from Great Britain a very different response. In the house of -representatives, December 10, 1821, on motion of Mr. Floyd, of Virginia, -a committee was appointed to inquire into the expediency of occupying -the Columbia River and the country adjacent thereto; and the committee -had leave to report by bill or otherwise. Later in the same session this -committee reported a bill providing for the occupation of the mouth of -the Columbia. The occupation contemplated by this bill was to be, first -of all, military occupation, or, as one of the advocates of the bill -wished to make it by amendment, “an occupation by military force only, -with some encouragement to settlers.” The view of the territorial rights -of the United States in that region on which the bill was based was -briefly and clearly put by another of its advocates: “The bill under -consideration does not attempt a colonial settlement. The territory -proposed to be occupied is already a part of the United States.” The -convention of joint occupation of 1818 left the question of sovereignty -of the entire territory westward of the Rocky Mountains in abeyance. All -occupation, therefore, of any part of this territory, to be lawful under -this convention, must be of such a nature as to leave the question of -sovereignty to be settled by agreement of the powers participant in the -convention. Whatever rights either of the two parties to the convention -had, or conceived that it had, by the act of entering into the -convention it agreed, so long as the convention was in force, neither to -assert sovereignty, nor to do any act in the territory covered by the -convention that could be justly construed as an act of sovereignty. What -acts the two powers might lawfully do under the convention were not -clear at first, but it is difficult at this day to understand how anyone -who looked carefully into the question could have failed to see that the -acts contemplated in this first bill providing for occupation were not -such as could lawfully be done under the convention. The same may be -said of all the measures proposed in congress in regard to the -occupation of the territory during the earlier period of the convention. -There were men in congress who saw the unlawful character of each -measure as it was proposed, and opposed it on this ground. Others joined -these actively, on the ground that the Oregon Territory, if settled, -because of its distance and the barriers which separated it from the -United States, never could become a part of the union. To these were -added enough who based their opposition on other grounds to defeat every -such measure, either in the senate or in the house, or, as was the case -in the early history of congressional agitation, in both houses of -congress. - -This early discussion in congress of our interests in Oregon, though it -failed to reach any practicable plan of occupation, was not without -valuable results. It served to clarify the minds of men in congress, and -out of it, on the nature of the question involved, and through the -information brought out and published in the course of the debates and -reports went far toward enlightening the public mind on the character -and resources of the territory in dispute. In the course of the -negotiations that preceded the convention of 1818, and led up to it, Mr. -Adams, as Secretary of State, in a letter of instructions to the -American Plenipotentiaries, had expressed his government’s low estimate -of the interests involved in the Oregon Question. “It may be proper,” he -then wrote, “to remark the minuteness of the present interests, either -to Great Britain or to the United States, involved in this concern, and -the unwillingness, for this reason, of this government to include it -among the objects of serious discussion with them.” - -Such words, written on the eve of the first congressional agitation of -the question, could hardly have been written at the close of that -discussion. For at that time the Oregon Question had become a matter of -widespread interest, and both government and people were disposed to -include it among objects of serious discussion. Agitation of the -question in congress had the further effect of bringing the two -governments to make another attempt to effect a settlement by -convention. In 1824, when measures providing for occupation had been -discussed in congress for three years, Mr. Adams, Secretary of State, -wrote that though the government was aware that the convention of 1818 -between the United States and Great Britain had four years to run, the -President was of the opinion that the present was not an unsuitable -moment for attempting a new and more definite adjustment of the claims -of the two powers in question; that the Oregon Territory was a country -daily assuming an aspect political, commercial, and territorial of more -and more interest to the United States. Negotiations were at this time -renewed between the two governments, but failed to issue in any -agreement. Two years later they were resumed, on motion of the British -government, but the two governments adhering substantially to their -several positions of 1818, no settlement was reached. The third article -of the convention of 1818 was, however, renewed for an indefinite -period. In the communications of Mr. Clay to Mr. Gallatin during this -period of negotiation, there is manifested an increase of interest in -the question on the part of the American government, even over that of -two years before. - -The depth of this interest and the source of its inspiration appear from -various expressions of these official communications. “The President,” -Mr. Clay writes, “is anxious for a settlement on just principles. Such a -settlement alone would be satisfactory to the people of the United -States, or would command the concurrence of the senate.” “Much better,” -he continues, “that matters of difference should remain unadjusted than -be settled on terms disadvantageous to the United States, and which, -therefore, would be unsatisfactory to the people and to other -departments of government.” - -From these words, and words of like tenor, it is evident that from this -out an interested people and an alert congress will have part in shaping -the policy of the government on the Oregon Question. It is to be noted, -too, that the government of the United States did not advance its -demands beyond the terms proposed at first, nor longer minimized the -interest of the question to itself, and that it took a firmer stand on -the boundary proposed. The Secretary of State now wrote of the line of -latitude 49° as a concession on the part of his government, and boldly -declared that as such it was an ultimatum. - -After the renewal, in 1827, of the third article of the convention of -1818, with a provision for its indefinite continuance, or its abrogation -by either power on due notice, the subject drops out of congress for a -period of ten years, but only to return at the end of that time on the -demand of that voice which, as we have just observed, the administration -of Mr. Adams had already heard and attended to. This interval is an -important period in the history of the Oregon Territory. The two -governments stand stubbornly each on the boundary line of its own -proposal, the United States for the line of latitude 49°, Great Britain -for the line of the Columbia, seemingly making no approach to an -agreement. Other influences, however, were at work preparing the way for -final settlement, and determining the lines on which that settlement -should be made. - -The ten years between the renewal, in 1827, of the convention of 1818, -and the resumption of the discussion of the subject in congress in the -year 1837, present a new phase of the Oregon Question, and may be termed -the period of early American settlement. In thus designating this -period, the settlement of Astoria in 1811 has not been forgotten. It has -already been shown that, though projected and supported by an American -capitalist, and made under letters from the American government and the -protection of the American flag, that settlement was scarcely entitled -to be called an American settlement; that whatever of American character -it had in its inception it lost two years later in its transfer to a -British company and to the protection of the British flag. The -settlement of Astoria, even as a British settlement, was not of a -permanent character. It contributed, it is true, a few settlers to later -communities as they were established, but by far its greatest -contributions to the settlement of the Oregon Question was in the -diplomatic transfer which it was the occasion of under the terms of the -treaty of Ghent. It did serve under the provisions of that treaty to -secure to the United States the valuable concession from Great Britain -of their right to be in possession of this position on the south bank of -the Columbia, pending the final settlement of the question of -sovereignty over the territory. As a permanent American settlement, -however, it has no place in the history of Oregon. - -There is reason, therefore, in making the period of early American -settlement begin with the period mentioned. No actual settlement, it is -true, was made at the very first of this period, but about this time the -question of colonizing the region of the Columbia River began to be -seriously agitated in various parts of the United States. A company -having this end in view was organized about this time in Boston, and -another in New Orleans, while in various parts of the country the -propriety of forming such organizations was seriously discussed. Every -effort was made by these societies, and by individuals whose interest in -the subject had been awakened, to obtain and disseminate such -information as should awaken popular interest in the territory and -further the ends of its colonization. - -The first enterprise that followed from this agitation, was that of -Nathaniel J. Wyeth, of Boston, for the establishment of a settlement for -trade and agriculture on the Lower Columbia. After the failure of a -first attempt in 1832, Wyeth succeeded in the year 1834 in planting a -small settlement on Wapato Island, at the junction of the Willamette -with the Columbia. Untoward circumstances and disaffection among his -followers defeated his first attempt, and sent him back to the east, -after two years of gallant struggle, feeling that his second was far -from successful. His settlement, while it has had in some sense an -unbroken continuity, and has contributed of its members to the -subsequent settlements in Oregon, can hardly be said to have had the -character of a permanent colony. The largest results of Wyeth’s -enterprise are rather to be looked for in the contribution he made in -various ways to the furtherance of other enterprises than his own. - -Substantially the same may be said of the enterprise of Hall J. Kelley, -the leading promoter of one or more of the emigration societies already -mentioned. He contributed materially to the ultimate settlement of the -territory by his persistent and widespread agitation in the east, and -later in some measure by bringing into the Willamette Valley a small -band of men, some of whose number became permanent settlers. No colony, -however, was planted in this region under his leadership, and he did not -himself finally make Oregon his home. - -The American settlements in Oregon that have thus far been mentioned, -were organized primarily for the purpose of trade, and that, too, trade -of a character that was not likely to bring into the country and -permanently establish there colonists that should become rooted to the -soil. Traders and trappers might in time abandon their pursuits as such, -and, attaching themselves as individuals to a settled community, become -useful members of that community, as more than one such did in the early -history of Oregon, but no aggregation of such men, brought together for -their own peculiar purposes, was likely to become an organic society, -with powers of life and growth. - -The American settlements in Oregon thus far lacked the first essential -to the planting even of the germs of a state. In no one of them was -there so much as one American home, nor were there the elements of one. -An American white woman had not yet set foot on Oregon soil, nor any -woman, save the native and her offspring. It was now more than a score -of years since that first settlement at Astoria, but Oregon still waited -the coming of that institution that lies at the foundation of every -American state, the American family. - -About the time of Wyeth’s first expedition, there appeared in Saint -Louis what had somewhat of the character of a delegation from the native -tribes west of the Rocky Mountains. It consisted, as the story runs, of -four or five men from the Nez Perce tribe, who, having heard of the -White Man’s God and his Book, were come to ask that men be sent to teach -their people of these. The story of this strange and interesting mission -was taken up by the press and spread throughout the country. It gave a -new impulse and a new direction to the efforts of missionary societies -for the evangelization of the native tribes. One of the first fruits of -this new interest in missions was the organization by the Mission Board -of the Methodist Episcopal Church of a mission to the Oregon Indians. -This mission, as finally constituted, consisted of the Reverend Jason -Lee, as leader, and his nephew, Daniel Lee, and three lay members, Cyrus -Shepard, Philipp L. Edwards, and Courtney M. Walker, five in all, a -mission of men only. Sending their goods and supplies by sea to the -Columbia, they joined Wyeth in the spring of 1834, and traveled with him -overland, reaching Vancouver about the middle of September of that year. -After personal examination of the field by the leader, it was determined -that the mission should settle in the Willamette Valley, and a spot was -fixed upon not far from the site of the present town of Salem, and -within easy reach of a settlement already made by some retired employees -of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The object of the mission was the -evangelization of the Indian tribes of the valley, seemingly with little -thought at first of contributing to the colonization of the country. -This mission, indeed, the first among the Oregon Indians, like the -trading settlements that preceded it, lacked as first constituted one -essential to permanence. It did not include the family. The mistake was -doubtless early seen by the missionaries themselves, but was not -remedied until the arrival of the first reinforcement to the mission, -more than two years later. From the coming of the first reinforcement in -the spring of 1837, and the constitution thereupon of several families, -the mission began to take on somewhat of the character of a permanent -settlement, and with still further reinforcements a year or two later, -became the nucleus of the first permanent American colony in the -Willamette Valley. - -In the meantime a second mission had been established east of the -Cascade Mountains. In the summer of 1836, Dr. Marcus Whitman and Mrs. -Whitman, the Rev. Henry H. Spaulding and Mrs. Spaulding, and William H. -Gray, under commission from the American Board of Commissioners for -Foreign Missions, crossed the Rocky Mountains, and settled among the -native tribes of the Upper Columbia. The primary object of this mission, -as was that of the mission to the tribes of the Willamette Valley, was -the evangelization of the Indians. But this mission, unlike that, was -based from the first on the family, and thus brought with it this first -condition of permanence. Within its limited number were the two first -American white families to settle in Oregon, and were included for a -period of six months or more the only American white women dwelling west -of the Rocky Mountains. From its original number, and more largely from -its later reinforcements, the mission made valuable contributions to the -body of permanent settlers, but perhaps its greatest contribution to the -history of Oregon was one incidental to its primary work as a mission, -in its showing to America and the world by its own first treading of the -same, that there was an open pathway for American families through the -Rocky Mountains into the valley of the Columbia. This mission thus -demonstrated for the first the practical contiguity of the Oregon -Territory to the United States. It was this contiguity as it was -subsequently made patent that was, almost more than all else, to -influence the Oregon Question to an issue favorable to the United -States. Whitman seems to have seen this from the first. The settlement -of the Oregon Question came to appear to him simply a matter of prior -settlement of the territory from contiguous states, and such prior -settlement was a question only of an open pathway through the -intervening mountains. To his mind, therefore, the first duty of the -American government was not in military occupation of the region in -question, nor in the extension over it of civil jurisdiction, but in -making the pathway thither already pointed out, a plain and safe highway -for American settlers. This done, the people would do the rest. - -In the year 1837, after a silence of nearly ten years, the Oregon -Question was again moved in congress. Many things had happened in the -interval since its last appearance there to make it certain that with -its reappearance the question had come to abide until settled. The -settlements already mentioned, small as they were, were not -inconsiderable in their influence at the east. They were the centers of -ties that reached back into various influential communities in the -states of the union; nor were the men who composed the settlements slow -to avail themselves of every such tie to make and influence public -sentiment at home. The same energy and indomitable spirit which they -manifested in reaching the new land were shown again in their efforts to -enlighten the country in regard to the land they had come to possess, -and to persuade others to join them in their efforts to take and keep -possession of it. Never was a new country so much talked of, nor its -excellencies so enthusiastically set forth, when those who could do so -from experience were so few. From the time the first real American -colony was founded in Oregon, and there had been time for word from it -to reach the states from which its members had come, neither the -government nor the country was ever allowed for long at a time to forget -the existence of Oregon, of the Oregon colony, or of the Oregon -Question. - -In the late summer of 1835, President Jackson, through certain letters, -as it appears, of William N. Slacum, a paymaster in the navy, who at -that time was spending some months in Alexandria, Virginia, on sick -leave, became strongly of the mind that the bay of San Francisco should -be in the possession of the United States. He almost immediately, on -receipt of these letters, directed Mr. Forsythe, Secretary of State, to -write to Anthony Butler, then in Mexico for the purpose of negotiating -the purchase of Texas, enlarging his instructions so as to include the -purchase of so much of the possessions of Mexico on the coast as would -embrace the bay of San Francisco. A little later the same year President -Jackson commissioned Slacum to visit the North Pacific Coast, directing -him at the earliest opportunity after arriving in the Pacific, “to -proceed to and up the Oregon, to obtain specific and authentic -information in regard to the inhabitants of the country, the relative -number of whites and Indians; the jurisdiction which the whites -acknowledged; the sentiments entertained by all in respect to the United -States and the two European powers having possessions in that region; -and finally all information, political, statistical, and geographical, -that might prove useful and interesting to the government.” The -commission thus specifically and somewhat peremptorily given was -fulfilled with promptness and energy, and, though the chief by whom the -commission had been given had retired from office before Mr. Slacum’s -return, the country was not deprived of the results of the -investigation. In December, 1837, through a memorial presented by Mr. -Slacum to congress, and by congress ordered to be published, coincident -with the recurrence of the discussion in congress of the Oregon -Question, congress and the country had the detailed results of this -first official inquiry into the condition and prospects of the -settlements in the region of the Columbia. - -Throughout this period when the question was in abeyance, individual -explorers, American and British, had from time to time visited this -region and had returned to write for eager readers of what they saw and -learned in the strange new land, until a piqued interest on two -continents was alert for the next news from Oregon. The publication at -the close of this period of Irving’s Astoria in 1836, and of his -Adventures of Captain Bonneville in 1837, books which were themselves -the offspring of the widespread and romantic interest already felt, -served in turn to make that interest still more keen, and to awaken it -in minds where else it had never been felt. - -But greatest among all the forces that had been at work during this -period toward the solution of this question was one that had worked -silently and unobserved, but persistently and effectively, and withal -wholly in the American interest. In the ten years that followed the -extension of the convention of 1818, more than three hundred thousand -people, immigrants from foreign lands and emigrants from older states, -had crossed the Mississippi and settled in the two states of Arkansas -and Missouri, and the territory of Iowa. At the close of this period, -when congress again took up the question more than half a million of -people were settled between the Mississippi River and the Rocky -Mountains, and of these more than three hundred thousand were in -Missouri alone, the state which stood upon the highway to the new -country, and nearest to the gate of entrance. The fact of this great -array of American families fast moving toward the intervening barrier, -and all but pressing upon it, with myriads of other families in the -older states following after, taken together with the door open no -farther than it had been proved to be open by the few American families -that had passed through, should have been enough to assure any calm -observer of what the issue was to be. There were such observers whom it -did so assure, and their calm faith and clear forecast stood the nation -in good stead in the exciting debates that were to follow. - -The second period of the discussion of the Oregon Question in congress -began late in the year 1837, near the close of the first session of the -twenty-fifth congress. It was opened a few days before adjournment by -each house calling upon the President “to furnish at an early period of -the next session any correspondence that may have taken place between -the government and foreign powers in relation to our territory west of -the Rocky Mountains.” To both these resolutions the President, promptly -on the opening of the next congress, replied that no correspondence -whatever had passed between the government of the United States and any -other government in relation to that subject since the renewal in 1827 -of the convention of joint occupancy. It thus appeared that while the -subject had been in abeyance in congress it had been equally so in the -executive department of the government, and it was not destined to -reappear in this department for a further period of more than four -years. Meanwhile the subject in one form or another was seldom absent -for long at a time from the discussions of congress. This was especially -true of the senate, where, in the person of Dr. Lewis F. Linn, senator -from Missouri, the title of the United States to Oregon and the cause of -the citizens of the United States who had settled there found an earnest -advocate and a zealous and indefatigable friend. Measures were -introduced in both houses of congress, by Doctor Linn in the senate, and -by Mr. Cushing in the house, looking to the occupation and settlement of -Oregon. These first measures elicited but little debate, and failed of -reaching action. They did, however, by bringing out reports from the -executive and committees, get before congress and the country a large -amount of information on the subject. In the house, after a year of -unavailing effort to reach action on the measures introduced, the -subject remained again in abeyance for two or three years. In the -senate, however, chiefly through the active interest of Doctor Linn, new -measures were introduced each session which, though failing in every -case of reaching the point of action, gained more and more the ear of -the senate and a wider attention in the country. In each of the measures -as thus far proposed there was some vitiating clause or provision which -to the calmer and clearer minds in the senate made it inconsistent with -the terms of the existing convention. It was open to congress to -abrogate that convention by giving due notice to Great Britain, and so -to open the way for a larger action on the part of the government, and -resolutions to this effect were introduced, but neither congress nor the -country as yet was ready for this step. Not yet clear as to what action -should next be adopted, congress was not prepared to remove this bar to -hasty or ill-advised measures. Thus far the convention had certainly -been in the interests of peace, and had not seriously interfered with -the progress of settlement. - -The year 1842 was an important one in the history of the Oregon -Question. Early that year Doctor Linn had returned to the contest in the -senate with new zeal and determination, and other friends in congress -and out of it came to his support. His bill, as heretofore, was a bill -for the adoption of means for the occupation and settlement of the -Oregon Territory, and the extension of the jurisdiction of our courts -over our citizens settled there, with a provision promising a large -grant of land to actual settlers. This and previous bills had been -prefaced by a declaration that the United States held its title to the -Oregon country valid, and would not abandon it. The year opened with -better promise of favorable action than heretofore; the preamble, while -its adoption was strongly opposed by the majority in the senate, had -brought from even those who opposed its adoption the declaration that it -was a just expression of the sentiment of the country, while the -provision for the land grant to settlers, though opposed for the present -on the ground that it was not consistent with the convention, was -acknowledged by all to contemplate but a just compensation, which should -be made in due time, to pioneers who had taken the hardships and risks -of early colonization. The bill at this session had been presented under -most favorable auspices; the select committee to which it had been -referred was of great influence in the senate, and had unanimously -instructed their chairman to report the bill with the recommendation -that it pass. And yet, though thus auspiciously introduced, for some -reason as the months of the session went on it failed of being -vigorously pressed. We have the explanation of this in Senator Linn’s -own words, spoken in the senate on the last day of August, the closing -day of the session. After speaking of the favorable circumstances -attending the introduction of the bill, Senator Linn continued: “It was -thus placed in its order upon the calendar, but upon its coming up for -consideration as a special order Lord Ashburton arrived from England, to -enter upon a negotiation touching all points of dispute between the two -countries, boundaries as well as others, Oregon as well as Maine. In -this posture of affairs it was considered indelicate, not to say unwise, -to press the bill to a decision while these negotiations were pending. -They are now over, and a treaty is published to the world between the -United States and Great Britain, in which it seems that the question of -the Oregon Territory has been deferred to some more remote or auspicious -period, for an ultimate decision.” In conclusion Mr. Linn said that he -was confident that there were majorities in both houses for this bill; -and he felt equally certain that it would have passed at this session -but for the arrival of Lord Ashburton, and the pendency of the -negotiations. He gave notice that he would deem it “his imperative duty” -to bring in at an early day of the coming session this same bill, and -press it to a final decision. That the decision would be favorable he -did not entertain the slightest doubt, and he took pleasure in making -that opinion public “for the satisfaction of all those who might take an -interest in this beautiful country, the germ of future states to be -settled by the Anglo-American race, which will extend our limits from -the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.” - -There is a tone of confidence in the words with which Senator Linn -dismissed the bill of 1842 that was not wholly unwarranted. As he spoke -he was aware that the largest colony of American settlers that had ever -set out for Oregon, a colony of staunch men and women, who had been -encouraged to set out by the assurances which his bill had given, were -then steadily nearing their destination. He was aware, too, that in the -brief time since the publication of the Ashburton treaty, in which no -mention was made of the Oregon boundary, congress and the country had -shown a temper that promised well for his measure when next it should be -introduced. - -The interval between the publication of the treaty, August 9, and the -reassembling of congress in December, was one of earnest and often -heated discussion, not only of the provisions of the treaty, but of its -one noted omission. No satisfactory reason had yet been given why the -Oregon boundary had not been included with that of Maine. This omission, -taken together with intimations that soon reached the public that the -two governments were again engaged in negotiations on this subject, -began to awaken, in some quarters, at least, fears for the result. The -nature and ground of these fears, as far as they were capable of being -defined, may be seen in the declaration of the legislature of Illinois, -prefixed to resolutions on the Oregon Question presented to congress -early the next session. That declaration was, that “the safety of the -title of the United States [to Oregon] was greatly endangered by the -concessions made in the late treaty in relation to the boundary of -Maine, by her rights not being persisted in and made part of said -treaty, and will be more endangered by longer delay.” - -In his annual message to congress, December 6, 1842, President Tyler, -after giving as the reason for the omission of the Oregon boundary from -the late treaty the fear that its discussion might imperil the treaty as -a whole, went on to express the purpose of the administration to urge -upon the government of Great Britain the importance of an early -settlement of this question. A few days later, the senate passed a -resolution calling upon the President to communicate to the senate the -nature of any “informal communications” that might have passed between -the Secretary of State and the Special Minister of the British -Government on the question of the Oregon boundary. To this resolution -the President, in his message of December 23, answered that measures had -been already taken in pursuance of the purpose expressed in his annual -message, and, under these circumstances, he did not deem it consistent -with the public interest to make any communication on the subject. But -neither the President’s expressed purpose, nor his subsequent -declaration that measures in pursuance of that purpose had already been -taken, stayed the progress of measures in congress. - -On the nineteenth of December, in accordance with his promise made at -the close of the last session of congress, Mr. Linn introduced a bill of -like import with that of the former session. This bill was referred to a -select committee, of which Mr. Linn was chairman, and was soon reported -back to the house, when it was made a regular order for immediate -discussion. The discussion was continuous and earnest for more than a -month, when by a vote of twenty-four to twenty-two it passed the senate. -A vote of reconsideration failing to pass, the bill went to the house, -and was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, of which John -Quincy Adams was chairman, by whom, a few days later, it was reported to -the house with the recommendation that it should not pass. Thus the bill -failed of finally becoming a law, and doubtless many who advocated it in -the senate, on cooler reflection, felt that it was well that it did -fail. In a wider view, however, the measure was not a failure, for it -served its object well, though not in the way its supporters intended. -Few bills ever have called out from the senate a more earnest or an -abler discussion. The best talent of the body was enlisted in the -discussion, the spirit in which the debate was carried on was broad and -patriotic, and for the progressive illumination of the subject under -discussion the debate has never been surpassed. When it closed there -remained little to be said. The future course of congress in the matter -was practically settled in this debate and the action which followed; -while in the course of the discussion, the pathway by which the question -was ultimately to reach its solution was again and again pointed out. -This was done by no one more clearly than by Calhoun, who spoke twice at -length in opposition to the measure. He opposed the bill with the whole -force of his power of keen analysis and convincing logic, but he opposed -it because he saw in its adoption certain defeat of the very object -which he in common with the promoters of the bill desired to reach. He -counseled patience, and a strict abiding by the terms of the convention, -at the same time assuring his countrymen that time and the sure movement -of population toward and into the region in question were certain to -bring the solution desired. So accurately did he foresee and describe -the course by which the question would advance to its final settlement, -that his words at this day read rather like an epitome of history than -what they were, a forecast of events. - -American colonists in Oregon at that moment were not indeed sufficiently -numerous to promise a speedy fulfillment of this prophesy. All told, -they scarcely numbered five hundred, men, women, and children, and -included not more than two score American families. They were enough, -however, to test the excellence of the land, and enough of them had -entered through the gateway of the mountains to prove that the country -was accessible to men and women who were serious in their purpose of -reaching it. Then, too, at the moment when Mr. Calhoun was speaking, at -various centers throughout the union and on the frontiers of Missouri, a -colony was organizing of men and women of the best stuff of which new -states are made, setting their faces toward the new land with the full -purpose of making it their home. This colony, nearly double in its -numbers the total American population then in Oregon, before the year -ended, successfully passed the barrier of the mountains, and with its -whole great caravan safely reached the valley of the Columbia. Thus, -sooner perhaps, and with a stronger and bolder movement than Mr. Calhoun -himself had expected when he spoke, the onward movement of population -began to make good the words of his prophesy. - -When, in February, 1843, the senate bill failed in the house, it was -understood that the two governments were in communication on the subject -of the Oregon Territory. It was this understanding more than anything -else that led to the suppression of the Oregon bill in the Committee on -Foreign Relations. No proposal had as yet been made in official form, -but it is now known that the President and his secretary had a definite -policy in mind, and that while desirous of checking any measures in -congress which might hinder the negotiations which they aimed to bring -about, they felt obliged to conceal the nature of their policy with the -utmost care, for fear of arousing opposition in congress and the -country. As it was, there was no little dissatisfaction in congress with -the treaty which had just been negotiated by Webster and Lord Ashburton. -Like most treaties on boundary lines, this treaty was a settlement by -compromise. Many citizens from the section affected by the new boundary -line, and enemies of the administration from all sections, were prompt -to say that the secretary had yielded too much—that he had allowed the -United States to be overreached in the negotiations. The friends of -Oregon took alarm. They thought they saw in the omission of the Oregon -boundary from the treaty an occasion for another compromise, in which -there should be a surrender of territory justly claimed by the United -States. That this fear was widespread in the states of the Mississippi -Valley appears from the resolutions of state legislatures presented to -congress early in the following session. In more than one set of these -resolutions it was manifest, through plain statement or through -implication, that apprehensions for Oregon had been awakened by the -terms of settlement of the boundary line of Maine. There was reason for -uneasiness in the well known leaning of Mr. Webster toward certain -commercial advantages to be got by treaty from Great Britain, and his -low estimate of the value of the Oregon Territory to the United States. -We now know that for this and for other reasons the prevalent -apprehensions of the time in regard to the Oregon Territory were not -groundless. The evidence is now at hand that the President and his -secretary did contemplate a treaty with England which would involve a -surrender of territory on the North Pacific Coast such as no -administration hitherto had been willing for a moment to consider. The -compensation, however, for the territory surrendered was not, as was -then surmised, to be found wholly, if at all, on the Atlantic Coast. - -It will be remembered that the Oregon Question was not the only question -that agitated the country at this time. There was the Texas question, -well nigh as old as that of Oregon, lately become pressing through -events in Texas itself, and through the growing importunity of the -Southern States. Then, too, there was the California question,—not a -question of as widespread and popular interest as either of the others, -but one which for a decade or more had been of growing interest to a -narrow but intelligent circle. There was a popular demand for the -assertion and maintenance of our rights in Oregon; there had come to be -a popular demand for the annexation to the union, or the reannexation, -as some chose to put it, of Texas; while as far back as the second -administration of President Jackson there had been a desire on the part -of farseeing statesmen to secure from Mexico the cession to the United -States of so much of California as to include the bay of San Francisco. -England was interested in Texas, was even thought by many in the United -States to be contemplating making it a colony; England had influence -with Mexico, her capitalists having loaned the Mexican government to the -amount of $50,000,000 on security of lands in New Mexico, California, -and other of her possessions; and England was urgent in all negotiations -on the Oregon boundary that she be allowed free navigation of the -Columbia, if not that that river be her southern boundary. In the United -States, the slave states were desirous of Texas; the Western States -pressed for the Oregon Territory at least to the forty-ninth parallel, -while there was a growing desire in commercial centers in the North -Atlantic States to have in American possession what was then regarded as -the only ample and safe harbor on the North Pacific Coast south of the -Straits of Fuca. Out of these various interests in England and America, -President Tyler and Mr. Webster, his Secretary of State, shaped the -policy of the administration. It is not likely that the President and -his secretary were in entire accord on the details of the policy; but -both alike were desirous that the administration should be signalized by -a settlement through negotiation of the questions then pressing upon the -country. In its earlier and more comprehensive form, the policy of the -administration included all the questions that have been mentioned. -These it sought to settle by a comprehension of them all in a tripartite -treaty between the United States, Mexico and Great Britain, whereby it -was hoped to secure from Mexico the recognition of the independence of -Texas, and the cession to the United States of her possessions on the -Pacific down to the thirty-sixth parallel. In compensation for her good -offices in these matters, the United States was to yield to Great -Britain all claim to the Oregon Territory down to the line of the -Columbia River. It was thought that the large acquisition thus secured -of territory south of the forty-second parallel would compensate for the -loss of Oregon north of the Columbia, while the northern and southern -sections would be reconciled to the treaty by the large acquisition it -secured north and south, respectively, of parallel thirty-six. - -The plan of the administration included a special mission to England, on -which it was expected Mr. Webster should be sent, that he might be the -better able to negotiate the treaty; and, failing this, a mission to -China, to which Mr. Everett, then Minister to England, should be -transferred, thus still accomplishing the desired end by allowing Mr. -Webster to take his place in London. The mission to England failed in -committee; the mission to China passed in congress, but failed to carry -Mr. Webster to England, through Mr. Everett’s unwillingness to accept -the China mission. With his failure to reach England at this time, Mr. -Webster’s hope of being able to effect a settlement of the questions -pending between the two governments died; this having been his main -reason for remaining in President Tyler’s cabinet, his resignation -shortly followed. And thus, with Mr. Webster’s resignation from the -cabinet, passed forever all danger of a settlement of the Oregon -boundary on a line below the forty-ninth parallel. - -There were causes operating to produce this result which do not appear -in this narrative. Even if the mission to England had succeeded, and Mr. -Webster had effected the tripartite treaty as he desired, it is doubtful -if it would have been accepted by the senate. Events were occurring -contemporaneously with the movement of these measures that rendered it -probable that the treaty, if made, would have failed of confirmation. -Certain it is that the early spring of that year found the President -less disposed to press for the settlement of the Oregon boundary -contemplated in this scheme, and with less reason to expect the approval -of congress or the country in any such settlement. Events had been -rapidly making such a settlement impossible. A notable one, the great -emigration of 1843, has already been mentioned. There were others -precedent to this. - -Some years previous, the Rev. Jason Lee, while on a visit to the United -States, had visited Washington, and made a strong representation of the -need of a representative of the United States in Oregon. As a late -response to this plea, in the spring of 1842, the government had sent a -sub-agent to look after the interests of the Indians in Oregon. The -appointment fell upon Dr. Elijah White, who himself had been a member of -the Willamette mission. Doctor White had at once set out for Oregon, in -May of that year, and was accompanied by a colony of more than one -hundred persons, assembled largely through his influence, the first real -colony of American families, aside from the missions, to enter the -Oregon Territory. By the end of the winter of 1843, the government was -in possession of Doctor White’s report of the safe arrival in Oregon of -himself, and this colony; of the satisfaction of the colonists with what -they found there; and of the favorable condition and prospects of the -settlers already there. Some of the colonists themselves had written to -newspapers at their old homes giving good accounts of the new land, and -urging their friends to join them there. And these letters, wherever -found, were copied by all the great newspapers, north and south, -because, as their editors sometimes apologetically added, “every one was -eager to hear the latest news from the Oregon country.” About the same -time with the arrival of the report of the government’s own agent, there -appeared in Washington, fresh from his winter ride from Oregon, Dr. -Marcus Whitman, of the Walla Walla mission. In repeated interviews with -the President, and members of his cabinet, as well as with members of -congress, Doctor Whitman presented earnestly the practicability of large -companies of emigrants with their cattle and wagons reaching Oregon -through the mountains, and urged the government to encourage such -caravans by making the way thither as easy and safe as possible. What -was thus said in the ears of government, and through the public press, -was talked by many voices in crowded assemblies, at village stores, and -at firesides throughout the country, from the frontiers of Missouri to -the coast of Massachusetts, and from Portland, Maine, to New Orleans. -The people were thus already aroused, even before the failure in -congress of the administration’s plans for the settlement of the -boundary question. The country of the Oregon had been made to appear -inviting for seekers for new homes in all parts of the land, and -colonization of it by the direct route through the Rocky Mountains -practicable to the nation at large, so that the state of the public mind -at this time boded ill to any plan of settlement that proposed a -surrender of any part of the territory to which the United States was -believed to have a well grounded claim. The time for bargaining away any -part of the Oregon Territory, south of the forty-ninth parallel and the -Straits of Fuca, had now fully passed. No one was quicker to see and -appreciate the changed conditions of the question, than was the -President himself. Naturally desirous that his administration should -have the honor of settling this long pending question, he continued, -through his succeeding secretaries, to endeavor to bring the -negotiations to a successful conclusion; but henceforth his proposals -were based upon a return to the former position of the government on the -line of the forty-ninth parallel. After a proposal of the line of the -Columbia our government was at a disadvantage in renewing proposals -based upon the more northern line, while the changed temper of congress -and the country obliged to a firmer standing to the old position, once -it was resumed. The President’s best efforts, however, to bring -negotiations to a happy issue failed, and his administration closed with -the question still pending. The negotiations of this time show a zealous -purpose on the part of the President to effect a settlement, but show no -real progress toward that end. The same may be said of the measures in -congress of this period. Discussion of the question had been resumed in -the house, and went on in the senate, but since negotiations on the part -of the government with a view to a speedy settlement were almost -continuously pending, congress was induced to refrain from any action -that might thwart or trammel the government in its efforts. - -It has already been pointed out in this paper that the correspondence -between the two governments precedent to the convention of 1818, pointed -to the line of the forty-ninth parallel as the final position of our -government in this question. In subsequent negotiations between the -United States and Great Britain, this line came to be regarded as in -some sort traditional with our government, and as such became -increasingly influential in shaping the proposals of succeeding -administrations. We have just seen how under pressure of considerations -external to the Oregon Question the administration of Mr. Tyler had been -momentarily in danger of yielding this our traditional line for one to -the south, on the Columbia. We have now to see how under pressure of -another sort the government under the administration of Mr. Polk came -near abandoning this traditional position for a line farther to the -north. - -In 1824, in a treaty between the United States and Russia, the line of -54° and 40′ was fixed as the limit of the claim of the United States -northward as against Russia, and of Russia’s claim southward as against -the United States. This line was thenceforth considered as the northern -limit of the Oregon Territory. In the course of negotiations with Great -Britain it had been mentioned as the northern limit of our claim, but -the claim of the United States to this line had never been pressed by -the government. In the same paragraph in which the claim had been -mentioned by our government, it had been abandoned for the lower line of -the forty-ninth parallel. In the year 1842, however, after the treaty of -that year had been concluded and made public, in the reaction caused by -what was regarded as a surrender of rights and just claims on the part -of our government, a disposition was manifested in some sections of the -country, particularly in the west, to recur to the extreme northern -line, and to press our claim to the Oregon Territory fully up to that -limit. This disposition found expression in some of the resolutions of -the state legislatures which were presented to congress at its next -session. Later, it found more distinct and emphatic expression in -resolutions adopted by public meetings and local conventions in various -parts of the country held for the purpose of promoting the occupation -and settlement of the Oregon Territory. The agitation thus carried on in -the latter part of 1842, and the earlier months of 1843, culminated in a -convention held in Cincinnati in July of the latter year. This -convention from its size and representative character had somewhat of -national importance. The circular calling the convention issued from -Cincinnati under date of May 23, was sent to representative men far and -wide over the union, and was given publicity by the leading journals of -the day. In this circular the object of the convention was formally -stated to be, “to urge upon congress the immediate occupation of the -Oregon Territory by the arms and laws of the republic, and to adopt such -measures as may seem most conducive to its immediate and effective -occupation, whether the government acts or not in the matter.” It will -be proposed, the circular continues, “to base the action of the -convention on Mr. Monroe’s declaration of 1823, ‘that the American -continents are not to be considered subject to colonization by any -European powers.’” The convention in a session of three days discussed -thoroughly the various aspects of the subject on which it came together, -and concluded by adopting a declaration of principles which was signed -by the chairman, Col. R. M. Johnson, and ninety other delegates, -representing six states of the Mississippi Valley. The first of the -principles adopted defined clearly what the convention understood by the -Oregon Territory which it was sought to occupy and settle, asserting, as -it did, the right of the United States from the line of latitude 42° to -that of 54° and 40′. Among letters read in the convention from prominent -men unable to be present was one from Mr. Cass, in which he declared -that no one would be present who would concur more heartily with the -convention in the measures that might be adopted than should he; he -would take and hold possession of the territory of the Pacific Coast, -come what might. It is not difficult to see in the utterance of the -Cincinnati convention, when taken in connection with the political -weight of the convention itself, the origin of that party war-cry which -was to make the presidential campaign of the following year so -celebrated in our history. Here was a constituency united in a solemn -pledge, which could not well be ignored in the estimate of political -forces. It was an influence to be bid for, and what more natural than -that it should be bid for, as it was bid for, by the party seeking a -means of reconciling northern and western voters to its more distinctly -southern policy of the annexation of Texas? - -On becoming President, Mr. Polk seems not to have felt himself bound by -the extreme statement of his party’s position on the Oregon Question. -The tone of his inaugural is rather more conservative upon this subject -than might have been expected from the circumstances of his election. -His position, as stated in this paper, was sufficiently advanced, -however, to alarm the British government. In a letter of April 3, -addressed to Packenham, British Minister at Washington, Lord Aberdeen -said: “The inaugural speech of President Polk has impressed a very -serious character on our actual relations with the United States, and -the manner in which he has referred to the Oregon Question, so different -from the language of his predecessor, leaves little reason to hope for -any favorable result of the existing negotiation.” And yet Mr. Polk, -shortly after entering upon office, took up the negotiation as he found -it then pending, and made an honest effort to effect a settlement upon -the compromise line of his predecessors. In explanation of his course, -in his annual message to congress, December following, he said: “Though -entertaining the settled conviction that the British pretensions of -title could not be maintained to any portion of the Oregon Territory, -upon any principle of public law recognized by nations, yet, in -deference to what had been done by my predecessors, and especially in -consideration that propositions of compromise had been thrice made by -two preceding administrations to adjust the question on the parallel of -the forty-ninth degree of latitude, and in two of them yielding the free -navigation of the Columbia, and that the pending negotiations had been -commenced on the basis of compromise, I deemed it my duty not abruptly -to break it off. In consideration, too, that under the conventions of -1818 and 1827 the citizens and subjects of the two powers held a joint -occupancy of the country, I was induced to make another effort to settle -this long pending controversy in the spirit of moderation which had -given birth to the renewed discussion.” - -In the letter above referred to, Lord Aberdeen, notwithstanding his -fears, directed Mr. Packenham to submit again to the new Secretary of -State the proposal for arbitration which he had submitted to his -predecessor, if conditions for such a proposal seemed favorable. On Mr. -Packenham’s informing Mr. Buchanan, the new Secretary of State, of his -instructions to this effect, Mr. Buchanan expressed the hope that a -satisfactory settlement of the question might yet be effected through -negotiation. In accordance with this expressed hope, Mr. Buchanan, a few -days later, submitted a proposal of the line of the forty-ninth parallel -extended through to the Pacific, offering to Great Britain any port or -ports on Vancouver’s Island she might choose. This proposal was rejected -by Mr. Packenham, without first submitting it to his government, in a -paper in which, after declaring the proposal offered less than was -offered by the United States in 1826, he concluded: “The undersigned -trusts that the American Plenipotentiary will be prepared to offer some -other proposal for the settlement of the Oregon Question more consistent -with fairness and equity, and with the reasonable expectations of the -British government.” This paper was presented on July 29; on August 30 -Mr. Buchanan presented to Mr. Packenham a carefully prepared paper, in -which, after reviewing the position in which the President found himself -in reference to the question on coming into office, and setting forth -the motives which had actuated him in making the present proposal in -spite of his personal views on the subject, he called the British -Minister’s attention to the fact that the President’s proposal had been -rejected by him in terms not over courteous, without even a reference of -it to his government, and concluded: “Under such circumstances, I am -instructed by the President to say that he owes it to his own country, -and to a just appreciation of her title to the Oregon Territory, to -withdraw this proposition to the British government, which was made -under his direction; and it is hereby accordingly withdrawn.” - -We have it on the authority of Mr. Polk’s diary that the concluding -paragraph is of the President’s own wording; that Mr. Buchanan urged the -President so to couch his answer as to encourage the British government -to make an offer on their part; that this the President positively -declined to do, saying that if the British government wished to make an -offer they must do so on their own responsibility. It was a matter of -regret on the part of Lord Aberdeen, on hearing of the matter, that this -proposition of our government had not been referred by Mr. Packenham to -his government. Later, Mr. Packenham, on receipt of a communication from -Lord Aberdeen, approached Mr. Buchanan with a view of getting from the -President encouragement to present another proposition on behalf of -Great Britain. This, though repeatedly urged to do so by Mr. Buchanan, -the President firmly refused to give. And thus the question stood at the -convening of congress in December. - -The President’s message had, on the question of the Oregon Territory, -been prepared with special care. The several paragraphs bearing on this -subject were read and discussed in cabinet, and amended, until they -embodied the President’s policy in its maturest form. Again Mr. Polk was -besought by the Secretary of State to soften the tone of his message on -this point, but he refused, preferring, as he said, “his own bold -stand.” After reviewing briefly the history of negotiations on the -question under his predecessors, and noting that these had uniformly -been maintained on the part of the United States on the compromise line -of the forty-ninth parallel; and after stating somewhat particularly the -reasons that had induced him to take up the negotiations as he found -them pending on his entrance to office, and to continue them on the same -line in spite of his own personal convictions that the United States had -a just claim to the whole of the Oregon Territory, the President -proceeded to recommend to the favorable consideration of congress five -measures, all of which he thought clearly within the right of the United -States under the terms of the convention of joint occupancy. The first -and capital one of these recommendations was, that congress authorize -the President to terminate the convention of joint occupancy by giving -the British government the required notice. In accordance with this -recommendation a resolution to that effect was promptly introduced in -congress, and thereupon the Oregon Question was thought by all to have -assumed a grave aspect. Many men within congress, and without, some of -them Mr. Polk’s best friends and advisors, felt that while the measure -was clearly within the terms of the convention it was neither wise nor -safe at that time to adopt it. To every representation, however, of this -view of the case made to the President, he returned the uniform answer -that in his judgment the notice should be given. - -The Secretary of State was not alone in his alarm at the President’s -bold stand on this question. He, with others, finding themselves unable -to induce the President to change his attitude on this point, and -finding that in the present mood of congress the resolution of notice -was likely to pass, used every endeavor to induce him to consent to a -renewal of the proposition for compromise on the line of the forty-ninth -parallel, or to invite such a proposal from the British government. - -On the twenty-fifth of February, Mr. Calhoun, now returned to the -senate, called upon the President and met there Senator Colquitt, of -Georgia. Mr. Calhoun urged upon Mr. Polk that it was important that some -action of pacific character should go to England upon the next steamer, -and asked the President’s opinion of the policy of the senate’s passing -a resolution in executive session, advising the President to reopen -negotiations on the basis of the forty-ninth parallel. Mr. Polk was -unwilling to advise such a course; he did, however, finally tell Mr. -Calhoun and Mr. Colquitt, in confidence, as members of the senate, that -if Great Britain should see fit to submit a proposition for compromise -on that line, he should feel it his duty, following the example of -Washington on important occasions, to submit the proposition to the -senate confidentially for their previous advice. This course had already -been considered in cabinet two days before, on the reading of a dispatch -from Mr. McLane, our Minister in London, and had met with the almost -unanimous approval of the members. - -The house had already, on the ninth of February, passed the resolution -of notice; the senate yet delayed and debated. But from the time when -the President consented to encourage a further proposition of compromise -from the British government by promising to submit the same to the -senate for advice, events moved rapidly to a favorable conclusion. April -17 the resolution of notice passed the senate. Formal notice -was addressed by our President to the Minister in London on the -twenty-eighth of April, was received by him in London on the fifteenth -of May, and on the twentieth of May was by him presented to Lord -Aberdeen. Two days before receiving the notice, however, on the -eighteenth of May, Lord Aberdeen had addressed a note to Mr. Packenham, -at Washington, instructing him to offer a compromise on the basis of -such a modification of the line of the forty-ninth degree of north -latitude as would give to Great Britain Vancouver’s Island, and allow -her the free navigation of the Columbia for a limited term of years. -On the tenth of June, in a message to the senate, the President -submitted this proposal, and asked the senate’s previous advice. -This was formally given in a resolution adopted June 12, by a vote -of thirty-eight to ten, in which the senate advised the President to -accept the proposal of the British government. A treaty based upon -this proposal was concluded and signed on the fifteenth day of June by -the representatives of the two powers. This treaty, on the following -day, was laid before the senate by the President, for its approval, -and three days later was confirmed without amendment. This convention -provided for the extension of a line on the forty-ninth degree of -north latitude, westward from the Rocky Mountains, to the middle of -the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver’s Island, -and thence southerly, through the middle of said channel, and of Fuca -Straits, to the Pacific Ocean. - -It was found by the commissioners appointed to determine a line in -accordance with this convention that in one part of the strait there -were two recognized channels, an easterly one, by the Straits of -Rosario, and a westerly one, by the Canal De Haro. The commissioners -failing to agree as to which of the channels was the channel -contemplated by the treaty, the determination of this portion of the -line was left in abeyance. It remained so until the year 1871, when the -joint high commission appointed to adjust sundry differences between the -two governments, met in Washington. By certain articles of a convention, -concluded at this time it was agreed by the representatives of the two -powers, to submit to the Emperor of Germany the question as to which of -the two channels was the more in accordance with the treaty of June 15, -1846, the commissioners pledging their respective governments to accept -his award as final. The Emperor of Germany submitted the question to -three experts, Doctor Grimm, Doctor Goldschmidt, and Doctor Kiepert. In -accordance with the report of these distinguished scholars, the Emperor -of Germany, on the twenty-first of October, 1872, rendered his decision, -that the line by way of the Canal De Haro was the one most in accordance -with the treaty. This decision was accepted by the two governments, and -the unsettled portion of the boundary line determined in accordance with -it. - -Thus, after the vicissitudes of more than three-quarters of a century of -debate and negotiations, with the determination of this last detail, the -Oregon Question reached its full and final decision. - - JOSEPH R. WILSON. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - REMINISCENCES OF HUGH COSGROVE - - By H. S. LYMAN. - - -Hugh Cosgrove, an Oregon pioneer of 1847, and a representative of the -men of some means, who established the business interests of the state, -is of Irish birth, having been born in County Cavan, North Ireland, in -1811. Although now in his ninetieth year, he is still of clear mind and -memory, and recalls with perfect distinctness the many scenes of his -active life. He is still living on the place which he purchased, in -1850, on French Prairie, near Saint Paul. He is a man of fine physical -proportion, being in his prime, five feet, eleven inches tall, and full -chested, broad shouldered, and erect, and weighing about one hundred and -eighty pounds. He has the finely moulded Celtic features, and genial -expression of the land of Ulster, and enjoys the fine wit and humor for -which his race is famous. His father was a farmer, but learning much of -the opportunities in Canada, concluded to cross the ocean to improve the -conditions of himself and his family. It was about that period when -assisted emigration from East Britain was in vogue, and mechanics of -Glasgow, Scotland, were loaned 10£ sterling for each member of the -family, to take up free homes in Canada; the loan to be returned after a -certain time. The Cosgroves not being from that city, did not enjoy this -loan, but determined to take advantage of the other opportunities -offered all the immigrants, which were a concession of one hundred acres -of land free, and an outfit of goods necessary to setting up a home in -the new land. - -Taking passage on a lumber ship, the Eliza, of Dublin, at a rate of 3£ -each, and furnishing their own victualing, they made a speedy and -prosperous voyage, some considerable glimpses of which remain in the -memory of Mr. Cosgrove, after the lapse of eighty years. He remembers -well, also, the breaking up of the old home, the auction of the family -belongings, and the general sense of hope and abandon with which they -cut loose from the shores of the old world. None of the family, -probably, had any considerable appreciation of the vast race movement to -which they as units of society were answering, but felt keenly the -bracing effect of increased energy and enthusiasm which that movement -imparted. - -In Canada they hastened to secure their possessions, locating the one -hundred-acre lot of their own, in the hard timber woods out on the -boulder-sprinkled soil of lower Canada, in the Dalhousie township, -within five miles of Lanark, and obtaining a free government outfit at -the government store at Lanark. Here young Hugh spent the most of his -boyhood, helping to clear the farm, becoming an expert axeman, burning -the hard wood, from the ashes of which was leached the potash that paid -for the clearing; and also getting his education at the free school. He -recalls these as very happy years, and the pride and joy that all the -family took in owning their own home did very much to form his character -on a more liberal and progressive plan than could have been had in old -world conditions. At the age of twenty-one he was married to Mary, a -daughter of Richard Rositer,—“a glorious good man,” of Perth. Learning -at length that land of a better quality, less stony, was vacant “out -west,” a move was made to Chatham, in Canada West, as then known. Having -a “birth-right claim,” as it was called, to one hundred acres, and -finding that he could make a purchase adjoining of one hundred acres of -“clerical land,” the young farmer laid out his two hundred-acre farm, -and made buildings to improve it. But learning that land was still -better the farther west one went, he proceeded as far as the Detroit -River. - -But just at this juncture all things were thrown in confusion by the -uprising of the “Patriots,” the extent of whose organization was not -known. There was great alarm felt, and the Canadian militia were likely -to be called out. Now the Cosgroves had been duly taught that “the -Yankees” were terrible people, almost ready to eat innocent people from -the old country. But now that the Canadian side looked warlike, Mrs. -Cosgrove said to her husband: “Very likely now you will be called out -with the militia, and I will be left alone; why not cross over into the -United States, and begin there?” She was acquainted, moreover, with a -family in Detroit. Mr. Cosgrove acted upon the suggestion, and this led -into a very much larger field of operations. - -They found life on the American side much more intense and extensive, -and discovered that the Yankees, instead of being a species of -man-eaters, were royal good fellows. - -Having saved some money for a new start, he prudently looked about how -to invest it so as to make increase as he crossed the line. He found at -the custom house that duty on cattle was low. He bought cows, selling at -$10 each in Canada, which he disposed of in Michigan at as much as $40 -each,—his first “good luck.” This gave him some ready money to begin -business. - -Fortunately in disposing of his cattle he made the acquaintance of a Mr. -Saxon, a business man of very high character, recently from New Jersey. -He was, indeed, not only a strict business man, but strictly religious, -and a crank in habits of morality, taking pains to advise young men -against bad habits. By this Mr. Saxon, Cosgrove was interested in taking -work, just being begun on the railway line from Detroit to Chicago, -Illinois, then a landing place on the marshy shores of Lake Michigan. -“Why not take a contract?” asked Mr. Saxon, who had himself the work of -locating a twenty-mile section of the road; and offered all assistance -necessary in making bids, and was willing to guarantee Cosgrove’s -responsibility. By this great service a paying contract was secured of -grading a section of road. The contract was profitable, and the ins and -outs of business were learned—especially the art of how to employ and -work other men profitably,—Mr. Saxon, the ever ready friend, frequently -giving the young immigrant helpful advice. - -Having saved something like $5,000 from his operations, he was next -visited by a coterie of eastern men who were coming west to mend their -fortunes—to go to Chicago, and take a contract of excavating and filling -on the great projected canal from Chicago to the Mississippi—a work only -just completed at this day. It was then begun under state control. He -soon discovered that he was the only capitalist in the number, and in -order to save the job, bought out the main man, a Mr. Smith, who had a -contract of $80,000. This was finished to advantage, although the state -suspended operations. Prices were excellent, some of the rock excavating -being done at fifty to seventy-five cents, and rock filling at $1.25 per -square yard. Further contracts were taken, but in the course of time -prices were forced down. In following up the railway development, a -residence was made at Joliet, where he bought one hundred and sixty -acres of land, on which much of the city now stands. But two things -acted as a motive to make him look elsewhere. One was the malaria of the -Illinois prairie; the other was the report of Oregon. - -A newspaper man by the name of Hudson, of the Joliet _Courier_, who had -come to Oregon, wrote back very favorable accounts of that then -territory, especially praising the equable climate. A number of Joliet -men, among whom were Lot Whitcomb and James McKay, read these articles -with interest, and finally made up their minds to cross the country to -Oregon, a name that was to the old west about what the new world was to -the old. Lot Whitcomb, a man of affairs, who afterwards made himself -famous in Oregon as a steamboat man, thought Oregon would be a great -place for contractors and men able to carry on large undertakings, as he -heard that there were few such there. - -In April, 1847, accordingly, a party of thirteen families were ready to -start. Cosgrove had been trading during the winter, to get suitable -wagons and ox teams. He preferred to make the eventful journey -comfortably and safely, and lack nothing that forethought could provide. -He did not belong to the poorer class, who had to make the trip partly -on faith. Three well made, well built wagons, drawn each by three yoke -of oxen—young oxen—and a band of fifteen cows constituted his outfit. He -had young men as drivers, and his family was comfortably housed under -the big canvas tops. - -He now recalls the journey that followed as one of the pleasantest -incidents of his life. It was a long picnic, the changing scenes of the -journey, the animals of the prairie, the Indians, the traders and -trappers of the mountain country; the progress of the season, which was -exceptionally mild, just about sufficed to keep up the interest, and -formed a sort of mental culture that the world has rarely offered. -Almost all migration has been carried on in circumstances of danger and -distress, but this was, although daring in the extreme, a summer jaunt, -with nothing to vitiate the effect of the great changes in making out -the American type. - -The following particulars of the journey have the interest of being -recalled by a pioneer now in his ninetieth year, showing what sharp -lines the original experiences had drawn on the mind, and also being in -themselves worthy of preservation. However much alike may have been the -journeyings across the plains in general features, in each particular -case, it was different from all others, and no true comprehension of the -whole journey, the movement of civilization across the American -continent, can be gained without all the details; the memory of one -supplying one thing, and that of another supplying another. The -experiences of the Cosgroves were those of the pleasantest kinds, the -better-to-do way of doing it, without danger, sickness, great fatigue, -or worry, and with no distress. - -After making the drive across Iowa and Missouri, in the springtime, when -the grass was starting and growing, the Missouri River was crossed, -waiting almost a week for their turn at Saint Joe, and then they were -west of the Mississippi, with the plains and the Indian country before -them. An “organization” was duly effected. Nothing showed the American -character more distinctly than the impulse to “organize,” whenever two -or three were gathered together. It was the social spirit. There was no -lack of materials, as besides this party of thirteen families, there -were hundreds of others gathering at Saint Joe, the immigration of that -year amounting to almost two thousand persons. A train of one hundred -and fourteen wagons was soon made up, and Lot Whitcomb was elected -captain. Mr. Cosgrove says, “I was elected something. I have forgotten -what it was”—but some duty was assigned to each and all, and the big -train moved. - -Almost immediately upon starting, however, they were met by some -trappers coming out of the mountains, who said, “You will never get -through that way; but break up in small parties of not over fifteen -wagons each.” - -It soon proved as the trappers said. The fondness of organization, and -having officers, is only exceeded among Americans by the fondness of -“going it on one’s own hook;” and this, coupled with the delays of the -train, broke up Lot Whitcomb’s company in two days. In a company, as -large as that, a close organization was next to impossible. A trifling -break down or accident to one hindered all, and the progress of the -whole body was determined by the slowest ox. When Mr. Cosgrove separated -his three fine wagons, and active young oxen, and drove out on the -prairie, Captain Whitcomb said, “that settles it. If Cosgrove won’t stay -by me, there is no use trying to keep the company together.” With -thirteen wagons, and oxen well matched, all went well. - -Indians of many tribes were gathered or camped at Saint Joe, and -followed the train along the now well traveled road. They were polite as -Frenchmen, bowing or tipping their hats, which were worn by some, as -they rode along. They expected some little present, usually, but were -well satisfied with any article that might be given; and the immigrants -expected to pass out a little tobacco or sugar, or some trifle. - -There was but one affair with Indians that had any serious side. This -occurred at Castle Rock, an eminence out on the prairie, some hundreds -of miles from the Mississippi. Here the train was visited, after making -the afternoon encampment, by a party of about forty mounted Pawnees, -clothed only in buffalo robes. They seemed friendly, asking for sugar -and tobacco, as usual. But as they rode off, they disclosed their -purpose—making a sudden swoop, to stampede the cattle and the horses of -the train. The young men of the train, however, instantly ran for the -trail ropes of their horses, and began discharging their pieces at the -Indians, who, perhaps, were more in sport than in earnest, or, at least, -simply “saucing” the immigrants; and wheeled off to the hills, letting -the stock go. - -But this was not all of it, as the Pawnees soon overtook two men of the -train who were out hunting, and, quickly surrounding them, began making -sport, passing jokes, and pointing at the men and laughing to one -another; and ended by commanding the alarmed and mystified hunters to -take off their clothes, article by article, beginning with their boots. -When it came to giving up their shirts, one of the white men hesitated, -but was speedily brought to time by a smart stroke across the shoulders -by the Indian chief’s bow. When the two white men were entirely -disrobed, the Pawnees again made remarks, and then commanded them to run -for camp; but considerately threw their boots after them, saying they -did not want them. Much crestfallen, the two forlorn hunters came out of -the hills, “clipping it as fast as they could go” to the train, which -was already excited, and thought at first that this was a fresh -onslaught of the savages. The men of the train, however, were not very -sorry for the young fellows, as they were notorious boasters, and from -the first had been declaring that they would shoot, first or last, one -Indian a piece before they reached Oregon. - -The animal life, as it gradually was encountered, was a source of great -interest. The gentle and fleet, but curious, antelopes were the first -game. Mr. Cosgrove had two very large and swift greyhounds, which were -able to overtake the antelopes. But the meat of these animals was not -very greatly relished, being rather dry. - -The wolves were the most constant attendants of the train, appearing -daily, and howling nightly. These were the large gray wolves, much like -our forest species; also, a handsome cream-colored animal, and the black -kind, and most curious of all, the variety that was marked with a dark -stripe down the back, crossed by another over the shoulders. Then the -coyotes were innumerable, and yelped at almost every camp fire. Shooting -at the wolves, however, was nothing more than a waste of ammunition, and -these animals were at length disregarded. Even the greyhounds learned to -let them severely alone, for though at first giving chase ferociously, -they soon found a pack of fierce wolves no fun, and were chased back -even more ferociously than they started out. - -The cities of the prairie dogs were interesting places, and the tiny -chirp, a yelp, of the guardian of the door, became a familiar sound. Mr. -Cosgrove recalls shooting one of these, finding it much like a chipmunk, -only of larger size. - -But the great animal of the prairie was the buffalo. The vast herds of -these grand animals impressed the travelers of the plains quite -differently, almost always giving a shock of strange surprise. One -immigrant recalls that his first thought at seeing distant buffaloes, -but few in number, in the sparkling distance, was that they were -rabbits. With Mr. Cosgrove’s party there were indications enough of the -animals. Indeed, the plains were strewn with the buffalo chips, and it -was the regular thing, noon and evening, as they came to camp, for each -man to take his sack and gather enough of them for the camp fire; and -coming to the Platte Valley they found the region strewn with the dead -bodies of the thousands of the animals, which had probably come north -too soon, and were caught in the last blizzard of the winter; but no -live buffaloes were seen. But at length, as the train crested a slope, -and a vast expanse of prairie opened in view, Mr. Cosgrove looked over, -and seeing what seemed brown, shaggy tufts thickly studding the distance -as far as eye could reach, he exclaimed, “We shall have plenty of -firewood now! No need of gathering chips tonight!” He thought the vast -Platte Valley was covered with stunted clumps of brush-wood. One of the -girls was near, however, and after looking, cried out, “See, they are -moving!” Then first he realized it was a herd of buffaloes. Nor were -they simply grazing; they were on the run and bearing down on the train. -The cry of “buffaloes!” was passed back. It was not altogether safe to -be in the path of such an immense herd, and the train was quickly -halted, the wagon pins drawn, and a band of hunters quickly went out on -horseback to meet the host, and also to get buffalo meat. The herd -divided, leaving the train clear and the oxen standing their ground. One -part went off to the hills; the other took the fords of the Platte, -making the water boil as they dashed through. Enough were shot to stock -the train; yet the herd was so vast that at least four hours elapsed -before the last flying columns had galloped by—like the last shags of a -thundercloud. What a picture—thirteen families with their oxen and -wagons, sitting quietly in the midday blaze, while a buffalo troop, -perhaps one hundred thousand strong, or even more, dashed past on either -side. The best method of preparing the buffalo meat was by jerking it, -over a slow fire of sagebrush sticks; the meat being sliced thin, and -dried in the smoke in one night. At a later time, when buffalo had -become as familiar as cattle, however, the train was stopped by one -single monarch. It was just at evening, and the man detailed to go ahead -to find a good camping place was out of sight. A shot was heard, -however, and the startled train was halted, and the king-pins were -drawn, all ready for any emergency; for it might be Indians ahead. - -The picket soon was seen, riding at top speed, and crying as he came, -“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” and just behind him was an enormous buffalo, -charging the whole train. The animal did not stop until within a few -rods, and then only with lowered head, and huge square shoulders. The -difficulty of shooting him without inducing him to make a charge, if not -dropped, was at once apparent. But at length, at a signal, about fifteen -rifle balls were poured into his front; and after a moment he began to -reel from side to side, and then fell over. Even then no one dared to go -and cut the throat, to bleed him; but after a time one cried, “I’ll do -it!” and the deed was done. It required several yoke of oxen to make a -team strong enough to drag him to camp, and his estimated weight was -twenty-two hundred pounds. - -The last buffalo meat was from an animal that had just been killed by a -party of trappers near the divide of the Rocky Mountains. As for deer -and elk, none of these were seen on the plains. Birds of the prairie -were abundant, especially the sage hens, as the more arid regions were -crossed; but the flavor of this fowl was too high for the ordinary -appetite. Rattlesnakes were innumerable, but no one of the train -suffered from these reptiles except a girl. This occurred at -Independence Rock. As the young lady was clambering among the crevices, -she incidentally placed her hand upon a snake, which struck. Large doses -of whiskey, however, soon neutralized the venom. - -After crossing the divide of the Rocky Mountains to the headwaters of -the Snake River, the numberless salmon of the streams become the wild -food in place of the buffalo meat of the plains. At Salmon Falls there -were many Indians of different western tribes taking the fish as they -ascended the rapids. In consequence, the royal Chinook was sold very -cheap; for a brass button one could buy all that he could carry away. -Here occurred a laughable incident. The whole camp was almost stampeded -by one wild Indian. He was a venerable fellow, dressed in a tall old -silk hat, and a vest, and walked pompously as if conscious of his -finery; his clothing, however, being nothing except the hat and vest. At -his approach, the camp was alarmed. The more modest hastily retreated to -their tents; and some of the men, angry that their wives should be -insulted, were for shooting the inconsiderate visitor. A young married -man, whose bride was particularly scandalized, was greatly exasperated. -But the object of the old Indian was merely peaceable barter. He carried -in each hand an immense fish; and Mr. Cosgrove, seeing his inoffensive -purpose, bade the boys be moderate, and going out to meet him, hastily -sawed a button from his coat, with which he purchased the fish, and sent -the old fellow off thoroughly satisfied. - -On the Umatilla, after crossing the Blue Mountains, with all their -wonders of peak and valley, as they were camped beside the river, -the immigrants were visited by Doctor Whitman and his wife, and Mr. -and Mrs. Spaulding. Mr. Cosgrove remembers them all very distinctly. -Doctor Whitman he describes as tall and well proportioned, of easy -bearing, and hair perhaps a little tinged with gray; and very affable. -Mrs. Whitman was remarkably fine looking, and much more noticeable -than Mrs. Spaulding. Mr. Cosgrove has especial reason to remember the -missionaries, because, himself not being well, and this circumstance -being discovered by them, he was the recipient of various little -delicacies, of fruit, etc., not to be had in the train. A trade was -also made between himself and Whitman, of a young cow that had become -foot-sore, and could go no further, for a very good horse. Doctor -Whitman, says Mr. Cosgrove, “was a glorious good man;” and the news of -his massacre by the Indians a few months later, went over Oregon with a -shock like the loss of a personal friend. - -Mr. Spaulding gave notice of a preaching service to be held about six -miles distant from the camp, and some of the immigrants attended. The -coming of the Catholic priests to that region was alluded to in the -sermon, and they were spoken of as intruders. - -At The Dalles there was a division of opinion among the immigrants as to -the best route to follow into the Willamette Valley; whether over the -mountains or down the Columbia by bateaux to Vancouver. However, this -was easily settled for Mr. Cosgrove’s family. Word having reached -Vancouver that there were immigrants arriving, bateaux were sent up and -in readiness. The price asked for the service was moderate, and the -voyage was made quickly and comfortably. The wagons were taken to pieces -and loaded upon the boats, and the teamsters had no difficulty in -driving the oxen by the old trail, swimming them across the Columbia. - -James McKay, a traveling companion, not being able then—though -afterwards a wealthy man—to employ a bateaux; built a raft, which -brought him through safely. Others went over the mountains. - -On arrival at Vancouver, Mr. Cosgrove found a small house, with a big -fireplace, which he rented, and housed his family, feeling as happy as a -king to be under a roof once more. Here he could leave his family safely -while he looked over the country. - -By the time that he reached the Cascades, the early autumn rains were -falling gently, and at Vancouver they were continuing; but they seemed -so light and warm as to cause little discomfort; and the Indians were -noticed going around in it unconcernedly barefooted. - -At one time Mr. Cosgrove was eagerly advised by Daniel Lownsdale to -locate a claim immediately back of his own, on what is now included in a -part of the Portland townsite. But the timber here was so dense, and the -hills so abrupt that he saw no possible chance to make a living there, -and decided to look further. - -Valuable advice was given by Peter Speen Ogden, then governor of the -fort. Mr. Cosgrove was quite for going down the river to Clatsop, so as -to be by the ocean. Mr. Ogden said, however, “It depends on what you are -able to do. If you want to go into the timber, go to Puget Sound; if you -want to farm, go up the Willamette Valley.” - -Mr. Cosgrove decided that as he knew nothing of lumbering, but did know -something of farming, that he had better proceed to the farming country. - -Coming on up the Willamette Valley, he was met everywhere in the most -friendly fashion; especially so by Mr. Hudson, the newspaper man of the -Joliet _Courier_, who constrained him, “right or wrong,” to turn his -cattle into a fine field of young wheat to pasture over night. Hudson -was living a few miles above Oregon City, opposite Rock Island, and was -a flourishing farmer. He went to the California mines, and was very -fortunate, discovering a pocket in the American River bed, in a crease -in the rocks, so rich that he dared not leave it, but worked without -cessation a number of days, ordering his meals brought to him, at an -ounce of gold dust each, and took over $22,000 from his claim. - -Meeting Baptiste Dorio, of Saint Louis, on French Prairie, he proceeded -with him to look up farm lands. At Dorio’s a somewhat laughable incident -occurred. It was, at that early day, the custom for all to carry knife -and fork with them, and these were the only individual articles of table -furniture. The meal, usually beef and potatoes, was placed on an immense -trencher, hewed out of an oak log, and around this all sat, and each -helped himself at his side of the trencher. - -Mr. Cosgrove ate heartily of the fine beef, which, however, he noticed -looked rather white. At the conclusion of the meal Dorio asked suddenly, -“Which do you like best, ox beef or horse beef?” “I do not know that I -could answer that,” said the fresh arrival, “as I have never yet eaten -horse beef?” “Yes, you have,” said the Frenchman imperturbably; “that -was horse beef that you have just eaten,”—a piece of information that -nearly ruined Mr. Cosgrove’s digestion for the rest of the day. - -He found the Canadian farmers ready to dispose of their places, and was -besieged by many who had square mile claims to sell for $100, or less, -each; and with the fertile prairie, its deep sod, tall grass, and -expanse diversified with strips of forest trees, or lordly old groves, -he was very much pleased. Coming to Saint Paul he found entertainment at -the Catholic mission, and by a Mr. Jones, who was employed then as -foreman, he was furnished much valuable information. By the brusqueness -of Father Baldu, in charge of the establishment, he was, however, rather -taken aback. When he was ready to go, and went to the father to tell him -so, with the idea of offering pay for his entertainment, the reverend -gentleman simply remarked, “Well, the road is ready for you.” -Nevertheless, with St. Paul he was well pleased. There was a church and -a school, and a good place to sell his produce. He therefore purchased -the section adjoining the mission, paying $800,—two oxen and two cows, -and included in the bargain was the use of a fairly good house. - -He had some stout sod plows of much better make than those of the -Canadians, and at once, as the winter was open, began to break the -prairie, and sowed forty acres to wheat. His family were comfortably -established, but met rather a severe shock as they went to meeting for -the first time. With feminine interest and delight his wife and -daughters brought out their best dresses and bonnets, as they would at -Chicago or Joliet. Mr. Cosgrove himself selected his best suit for the -occasion—he had three with him, a blue, and a gray frock, and a -swallowtail coat. The swallowtail and a rather high silk hat, and the -other accompaniments of full dress, was the suit that he chose. At the -meeting, however, where the appearance of the strangers caused minute -observation, the men all sitting on one side and the women on the other, -there were no bonnets,—the women wore only a red handkerchief tied over -the head; and the latest style bonnets from the east created not only -admiration, but much suppressed—though not very well suppressed— -merriment in the congregation. - -On returning home Mrs. Cosgrove was very much dispirited, and exclaimed, -“To think that I have brought my family here to raise them in such a -place as this!” However, taking up the difficulty in a truly womanly -way, she soon had the women of the neighborhood making sun-bonnets, and -then instructed them how to weave wheat straw and make chip hats; and in -course of time they even put on bonnets. Not so, however, with Mr. -Cosgrove’s swallowtail coat and silk hat. These were such a mark for -ridicule that he never tried them again, at least in that circle; but -found his blue frock good enough. Indeed, even to this day, swell dress -is much despised among Oregon men. - -However, the placid life of the Oregon farmer was not to be long -continued. The California mines broke out, and Mr. Cosgrove was -constrained to go along with the rest of the settlers. He made two -trips, returning the first time after a month’s mining to spend the -winter. The second time, which was prolonged to a stay of about twenty -months in the mines, he made very successful, but occasion arising to -sell his store in the mines for $15,000, he finally decided to do so, -and taking his dust, went down to San Francisco to look for a ship for -the Columbia. - -While at the bustling town he was induced to invest $15,000 in a stock -of goods, which he brought to Oregon, and set up a store at Saint Paul. -Here he continued in business for a number of years, but says that he -discovered he was not cut out for a merchant, and so in course of time -fell back upon the farm. - -The place upon which he is now living, which is part prairie and part -wood land, of fine quality, is immediately adjoining his original square -mile, which he sold, as under the donation act, but one square mile -could be claimed. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - REMINISCENCES OF WM. M. CASE. - - By H. S. LYMAN. - - -William M. Case, a pioneer of 1844, who is still living on the donation -claim taken by him in 1845 on French Prairie, was born in Wayne County, -Indiana, not far from the Ohio line, in 1820. He is consequently now -eighty years of age, but is still vigorous, of unimpaired memory, firm -voice, and still master of affairs on his large farm of over one -thousand acres. He is six feet tall, of wiry build, and rather nervous -temperament, and very distinctively an American. In mind he is intensely -positive of the most definite views and opinions, and has the peculiarly -American qualities of fondness for concrete affairs. His hair and beard -are now nearly snow white, and worn long; and his face is almost as -venerable as that of the poet Bryant, which it somewhat resembles. - -His life covers almost numberless interesting experiences, but is -perhaps most intimately connected with the part played by the Oregonians -in the California mines. This sketch will be confined more particularly -to the peculiar facts of his life not common to all the pioneers. Mr. -Case is particularly the man who can tell of the effects of the gold -mining and California life upon Oregon and Oregonians, and he can -explain a number of facts, quite apparent in their effects, but seldom -or never given in their causes, of the feeling that has arisen between -Californians and Oregonians. - -It was an interesting incident that first directed his attention to -Oregon. By William Henry Harrison, while serving as delegate to congress -from the then territory of Indiana, public documents were forwarded -freely to his constituents. To William M.’s father, who was an -acquaintance of Harrison’s, there came, among other volumes, a journal -of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Columbia River. Over this the -boy used to pore, even while still young, and out of the crabbed volume, -whose matter (certainly not the literary style) interested the whole -nation, a most vivid picture was constructed of Oregon scenery, with the -big trees, and the mild climate, and grass green all the winter. He made -up his mind to come to Oregon when he was old enough. Before he was -twenty he told his father of his intention, and was met with no -opposition, the father being both considerate and intelligent; but with -his consent, was given this advice: “Don’t go, William, before you are -married; take a wife with you.” This wise and not at all unpleasant -counsel young Case put into execution; hating, like all born men of -action, to keep an idea long which he did not carry out in performance. -By his young wife, who was from New Jersey, he was encouraged, rather -than otherwise, to make the journey. She said, “My father used to dip me -in the surf of the Atlantic on the New Jersey shore, and I would like to -go and dip in the surf of the Pacific Ocean.” - -Proceedings in congress in regard to Oregon were carefully watched by -Mr. Case, especial note being taken of the Linn bill, by whose -provisions there were to be given a square mile of land to each man, -another to his wife, and a quarter section to each child. It was well -understood that the United States government could not give title to -land in Oregon; but this bill was introduced as a promise of what it -would do; and was in reality a test of the American spirit. Would the -American people settle Oregon? If so, the United States would claim the -territory. - -Men like Case were found, who had a broad outlook, who understood the -value of land in the Columbia or Willamette Valley, and who saw that the -United States must front the Pacific as well as the Atlantic. These -ideas were largely formed by the broad spirit of the west, the Ohio and -Mississippi Valley, whose chief representatives were men like Doctor -Linn and Colonel Benton in congress. Such men wished to live their lives -on a more liberal scale than was possible even in the old west. Mr. -Case, like his father, was an old line whig, and later an uncompromising -republican. He says: “The United States Bank helped the country a great -deal. But when, upon the expiration of its charter, the bill to grant a -second charter was vetoed by President Jackson, there followed a crash -such as can never be described. The country never fully recovered from -the depression until the discovery of gold in 1848.” Wages, he says, -were twenty-five cents a day in Indiana, or $6 a month, or $100 a year, -in special cases. Under such circumstances, a young man saw no chance -for accumulating a competence, but in Oregon he might begin with a -better outlook. - -During the year of 1841, when he was married at the age of twenty-one, -Case was making his preparations, and on April 1, 1842, started out for -Platte City, Missouri, which he reached June 10. However, he was too -late to catch the Oregon train, which had left the first of the month. -Going to Northern Missouri, he remained until 1844, but was on time to -catch the first train of that season. The crossing of the Missouri River -was made at a point about ten miles below the present City of Omaha, at -a place now called Bellevue. The train of sixty wagons was organized -under Captain Tharp; and a regular line of march was established, the -train moving in two divisions, on parallel lines, and about a quarter to -half a mile apart, to be in easy supporting distance in case of an -attack by Indians. The whole train was brought together at nighttime, -the wagons being driven in such a way as to form a perfect corral, -inside of which the tents for the night were placed; although frequently -no tents were set, especially after Nebraska was passed, where the -season of 1844 was very late and stormy. With the company of General -Gilliam of that year, traveling with which were R. W. Morrison, John -Minto, W. R. Rees, and other well-known pioneers, the company of Captain -Tharp and Mr. Case had no connection, and were in advance all the way. -John Marshall, however, who went to California in 1846, and discovered -gold in 1848, was a member of the train. - -The three following incidents on the plains may be mentioned as -presenting something new. One was a charge, or stampede, of about one -thousand buffaloes. This occurred in the Platte Valley. As the two -divisions were moving along deliberately, at ox-speed, in the usual -parallel columns, the drivers were startled by a low sound to the north -as of distant thunder. There was no appearance of a storm, however, in -that or any other direction, and the noise grew louder and louder, and -was steady and uninterrupted. It soon became clear that there was a herd -of buffaloes approaching and on the run. Scouring anxiously the line of -hills rimming the edge of the valley, the dark brown outline of the herd -was at length descried, and was distinctly made out with a telescope, as -buffaloes in violent motion and making directly for the train. The front -of the line was perhaps half a mile long and the animals were several -columns deep, and coming like a tornado. They had probably been -stampeded by hunters and would now stop at nothing. The only apparent -chance of safety was to drive ahead and get out of the range of the -herd. The oxen were consequently urged into a run and the train itself -had the appearance of a stampede. Neither were they too quick; for the -flying herds of the buffaloes passed but a few yards to the rear of the -last wagons, and were going at such a rate that to be struck by them -would have been like the shock of rolling boulders of a ton’s weight. -Mr. Case recalls measuring one buffalo that was six feet, two inches, -from hoof to hump, and was over four feet from dewlap across the body. - -Another most important occurrence was near Fort Platte, where a -Frenchman by the name of Bisnette was in command, and in which another -Frenchman, Joe Batonne, was also an important actor; something, perhaps, -that has never been related, but which probably prevented the -destruction of the train. It happened that at Bellevue Mr. Case found -and employed a young Frenchman by the name of Berdreau, and about two -hundred miles out from Omaha he was asked by this Berdreau to take in -another young Frenchman, Joe Batonne, who had started with a Doctor -Townsend of the train, but had fallen out with him and now was seeking -another position. Batonne was therefore traveling with Case. As they -were approaching Fort Platte, however, word was received from the -commandant, Bisnette, to come forward no further; but if they had anyone -in the train who knew the Sioux language to send him. “There is a war -party of Sioux Indians here,” was his information, “and I cannot -understand why they should be here. The place for them at this time of -the year is on the Blackfoot or Crow border, while this is in the very -center of their territory. I fear they mean some mischief to the train.” -Batonne was the only one in the train who understood Sioux. He was -accordingly sent forward, being inconspicuously dressed, along with some -others, all riding their horses. The party reached Fort Platte and -passed freely among the Sioux Indians. These formed an immense host, -being a full party of six men to a tent, and five hundred tents, which, -although crowded together irregularly, still covered a considerable -space. - -Batonne kept his ears open as his party rode here and there, but said -nothing. Finally, as they were passing a certain tent, a young Sioux was -heard to exclaim, “It always makes me itch to see an American horse; I -want to ride it so bad.” A chief answered him in a low voice, “Wait a -few days, until the immigrants come up, and we shall have all their -horses.” This was soon reported by Batonne to Bisnette, who at once sent -word back to the train to wait until he had contrived some plan to send -the Indians off. The plan he hit upon was this—and he told it afterwards -only to Mr. Case and Joe Batonne, under strict promises of secrecy: - -He called all the chiefs together with the message that he had very -important news for them. They accordingly assembled and sat in solemn -council. After the pipe was passed and smoked, the first whiff, as -usual, being directed to the Great Spirit, Bisnette began: - -“I have lived with you now many years and have always dealt honorably.” - -“Yes,” answered the Sioux. - -“I have never told you a lie.” - -“Never,” said the chiefs. - -“And have been as a brother.” - -“You have been our white brother,” they said. - -“Well,” he continued, “I have just heard news that is of utmost -importance to you. The immigrants who come from the sunrise and will -soon be here have been delayed; a man died; they buried him; he had the -smallpox. I advise you, therefore, to leave this place as soon as -possible, and to go to your northern border and not return for over a -month.” - -No news could have been more alarming to the Indians, who understood -only too well what the smallpox was; not many years before infected -blankets having been distributed among them through the agency of white -trappers whom they had been allowed to rob, as a sort of punishment for -having robbed lone trappers heretofore; and by this the whole tribe had -been decimated by the scourge, very many dying, and some even of those -who recovered, but were badly marked, had killed themselves. They had -been told by the trappers that the smallpox pits were the mark of the -devil. “The devil will get you sure now” they told them. As soon as -Bisnette told these Indians that there was smallpox in the train the -chiefs slid out to their tents, and within fifteen minutes the whole -army was on the move, going to the north, and not returning while the -immigrants of that season were passing. - -The other point was the cause of the breaking up of the organization. -After passing the Sioux country, fear of the Indians wore off, and the -necessity of rapid travel became more and more apparent, but among the -one hundred and twenty men of the train—as many at least as two to the -wagon—at least one hundred, says Mr. Case, were “worthless,” or -dangerously near that line. The daily labor of the march was devolved -more and more upon the twenty men or so that felt the necessity of -pushing on. The majority, however, often spent their evenings playing -cards to a late hour, or dancing and fiddling with the young folks -around the fire, and slept the next morning until called for breakfast -by the women. Various ways were devised to equalize these matters; the -women, among other devices, being put up to taking and burning the packs -of cards, unbeknown to the men. But it finally became old—getting up 2 -o’clock of a morning to hunt the cattle, which, in grazing, always -attempted to go ahead of one another, and thus sometimes were spread out -for several miles on the prairie. Doing this again and again, for men -who would not take their turn, but were sleeping at the camp, was -finally too much to be borne. Case and some others, accordingly made -ready, and one morning struck out with their wagons, and before night -the whole train was resolved into two sections; the jolly boys who -danced and fiddled being left behind. - -Arriving in Oregon, Mr. Case first stopped at Linnton, but soon went -over to Tualatin Plains, and settled first near Mr. Hill’s place, now -Hillsboro. In 1845, he recalls that he was employed in building the -first frame barn in Oregon (W. M. C.), on the Wilkins place; and he here -made the acquaintance of the old mountain men, Wilkins, Ebberts, Newell, -Meek, and Walker. He was not well satisfied, however, with the locality. -It was a long way over the hills and through the deep woods to the -Willamette River at Linnton, or at Oregon City—Portland then being a -mere camping station on the Willamette. Case wished to locate on the -river, and accordingly, in 1846, moved to French Prairie, and acquired, -partly by donation claim, and afterwards by purchase, two sections of -land, being about one-half prairie, and the other half timber. It was -three miles from Champoeg, where Newell acquired the Donald Manson -place, and became town proprietor. Here he has remained, engaged in -farming, saw milling, and running a tile factory, performing his duties -as a citizen, being known during the war period as an unyielding union -man, and occupying the responsible place during that time and later of -County Judge of Marion County. He has had a family of thirteen children, -eight of whom are now living. He has twenty-three grand-children. His -life has been one of intense activity, and he has performed almost no -end of hard physical work, and has borne heavy responsibilities. - -He says, however, that the most intense and thrilling experiences of his -life were during the season that he spent in California, and going to -and returning from the mines. This was 1849. It is worthy of the most -careful record, being remembered to the most minute details by Mr. Case, -and affording a chapter in human experience seldom equalled. It also -shows the moulding influences brought to bear upon Oregon men, who -showed themselves as perhaps of the firmest fibre to be found on the -Pacific slope in 1849; which is saying a great deal. It deserves to be -told in the language of Mr. Case himself, and perhaps it will be. But -for some reasons it will be proper to give these recollections in a -somewhat condensed form, as in their entirety, as told by himself, they -would compose a volume. Indeed, in his rapid and energetic conversation, -with which only the most experienced stenographer could keep pace, it -required him four hours to tell the whole thing—even omitting many of -the details that he remembers. However, it is only an idle thought or -wish to imagine that what men were years in living in the fastest period -of Pacific Coast history, can ever be told in full or the life itself be -reproduced. There are distinct parts to his narrative. The Voyage; the -Oregon Miner’s Vengeance; and The Return Overland. - - - THE VOYAGE. - -News of the discovery of gold in 1848 was first brought to Oregon by an -Oregonian by the name of Barnard. Marshall was building a mill, as is -well known, for Sutter, on the American River, and after allowing the -water to run through the tail ditch to sluice it out, examined the bed, -as the water was again shut off, and found at the bottom of the ditch -many little yellow rocks, which were highly polished and very heavy. Not -being acquainted with gold, which he had an idea occurred in native form -only as dust, not as nuggets, he tried pounding out one of the little -yellow rocks—which instead of crumbling under the hammer, was flattened -finally to the size of a saucer, and of course was made very thin. Even -then, however, the true nature of the rock was not suspected; and it was -not known that it was gold until Marshall had word from the United -States’ Assay Office at San Francisco to which he had sent a small -collection of nuggets to the value, however, of $1,000. - -By this news, Barnard, the Oregonian, was incited to return home and -tell his neighbors. But at San Francisco he was detained two months, -being positively refused passage on the ships for the Columbia. He -believed that he was purposely hindered by parties who wished to go to -Oregon and buy up all the provisions, tools, etc., to be had here, at -low prices, and to sell them at San Francisco at a great advance. -Finally he got a ship, and reaching Oregon late in August, the news was -published, and the Oregonians, many of them just returning from the -Cayuse war, formed a company, and that season broke and completed the -first wagon road to California, taking the high table-land route by way -of Klamath Lake, Lost Lake, the lava beds, and across the Pitt River -Valley far to the eastward of Mount Shasta—or Shasta Butte, as called by -the old pioneers. Mr. Case was not ready to go with the overland party, -but found passage on the bark Anita, which sailed from the Columbia the -middle of February. There was a large crowd of men on board, considering -the size of the ship, being sixty-six in number, and the quarters were -very narrow, 12 × 20 feet, and the ceiling being only 5 feet high, with -two tiers of berths arranged around the sides of the apartment. The -voyage, moreover, was long and tedious. As the crossing of the Columbia -bar was made, with a stiff wind, Mr. Case was reminded by the breakers -as they ran and tossed and finally broke upon the rocks of Cape -Disappointment, of the herds of buffaloes that thundered over the -plains—the movement of the waves seeming about equally swift and -tumultuous. But the wind soon stiffened to a gale, the bark put to sea, -and land was lost to sight; and the storm did not at last abate until -they were far off the coast to the west of Vancouver Island. Then, -however, with a west or north wind, that was bitterly cold, the voyage -was made down to the latitude of San Francisco, but in constant storms -of snow, frequently sufficient to leave as much as a foot of the article -on deck over one night. When at last the clouds dispersed and a fair -west wind blew, and the skies were again clear, the entire sweep of the -horizon appeared as one world of water, except that far to the -northeast, the very tip of Shasta, white and glittering, just jutted out -of the sea. It was then seventeen hours sailing before the shore -appeared in sight. Then the Golden Gate was reached and passed, and the -voyage was over. It occupied a month. Sailing to Sacramento and -proceeding thence to Coloma, Mr. Case, being a mechanic, found -employment at such good prices as to detain him from the mines. But the -season proved to be one of excitement during which even bloodshed -occurred; and Mr. Case was forced to play an important part in the -program. - - - THE COLUMBIA RIVER MEN’S VENGEANCE. - -Very soon after reaching Coloma, Mr. Case found that the community was -in a broil. No open troubles had yet occurred, but there were causes of -exasperation which were working rapidly to a climax. It was due -primarily to a difference in system and ideas between the various -elements of the people then in California. It was in fact a part of the -final clash between the old Spanish system and the American; the -beneficiaries of the Spanish system, or Grandees, being on one side, and -on the other the Oregonians, representing the American idea. It was -proved in the event that men who could establish an independent -government in Oregon, and were able to compel the obedience of the -Cayuse Indians, were able also to make in California a deep impression -for their idea of liberty. The disturbed, or rather the entirely -unorganized condition of government in California, made possible the -following course of events. The military government of this territory, -just taken from Mexico, had not given place to a civil organization, and -it was not thoroughly known what authorities were in power. Sutter had -received a large grant of land, and with this was coupled certain power -to enforce justice among the Indians, and he was recognized as a sort of -justice of the peace; but this was of very limited extent, and there was -no central authority in the whole state, unless military. - -California was occupied originally by men who had received great land -grants, some of which were as much as six leagues square. These men were -at first Spanish-Americans, who were thus rewarded for government -services. They formed a sort of nobility or aristocracy, and held their -places like the baronies or counties of the old world, and their -possessions were frequently of the dimensions of a county. Their ranches -were on an average about twenty-five miles apart, and the ranges between -were stocked with great bands of cattle. The Indians, a mild and -inoffensive people, were employed as laborers and cattle drivers by the -Spanish-Americans, and a genuine European feudal system was in force. -The first Americans (or Germans, or English) who went to California -acquired some of these ranches, and continued the Mexican system. Only -they employed it with characteristic American energy, and pushed it to a -much greater extreme. With the discovery of gold and the opening of the -mines, a prospect of vast profits appeared to the early Californians, -who were English, or American, or German; and their first intention was -to work the mines in the same manner that they worked their ranches—by -the labor of the native Indian, or by importation of Mexican debtors, -who could be procured very cheap. It was still the law in Mexico to put -debtors in prison on the complaint of their creditors, and they could be -held until the debt was paid, and the debtor himself failing in this, -his son could be held. Many of these debtors were imprisoned for but -trifling sums, and upon settlement with the creditors, could be -practically bought by other parties almost like slaves, the purchase of -the debt giving the right to hold the debtor. Hundreds of Mexicans were -thus procured and sent to the mines, at a cost in some cases of but a -few dollars to the purchasers, and contracted to work for some trifling -sum, often not over twenty-five cents a day, in washing gold. Contract -labor from Chili (W. M. C.) was also obtained, and it was estimated that -by the midsummer of 1849 as many as five thousand such laborers were at -work on the California placers. - -But the original traders were making even more profit by trade with the -contract laborers, or with the Indians who were employed to wash gold, -the Indian women doing such work along with the men. When they had a -little dust their natural fondness for finery was stimulated, and cheap -and gaudy articles, such as shawls and shirts, were sold for dust. But -the dust that was brought by the Indians was balanced by the shrewd -trader with a weight which was the Mexican silver dollar, weighing just -an ounce, with whose value the Indians were well acquainted. By this -method of reckoning, the gold was valued the same as the silver. A -shirt, for instance, which was marked to begin with at the regular price -of $3, was bought with a balance of three silver dollars in gold dust, -making $48 in actual value. Indeed the amount of dust obtained of the -Indians for some of the articles was truly “fabulous.” Mr. Case recalls -that a certain shawl of unusually magnificent pattern and blinding -colors, which cost the trader but $1.50, was bought by an Indian chief -for his favorite daughter for $1,500 worth of dust. - -Into this flourishing condition of things the Oregonians, or Columbia -River men, as they were called, entered in 1849. The most of them went -into the mines, but there were some who quickly saw that there was more -profit in trading with the Indians than in digging the gold. -Consequently they began setting up stores, and bought and sold goods. -Competition thus began. The price of a shirt, a standard article, was -forced down to $2, that is, to two ounces of dust; and then to one -ounce, and even lower. By this operation the old traders, such as Weimer -and Besters, of Coloma, and Marshall, and even Sutter, were offended, as -it soon became apparent to those who were intending to operate the mines -on the medieval Spanish system, and by the employment of Indians and -contract labor, that their whole system of trade and business was in -danger of collapsing. Mr. Case is confident that the Indians were then -incited against the Columbia River men, that they were told that the -people from Oregon were intruders and had no business there, and were -taking gold that belonged to themselves. At all events, mysterious -murders began to take place in the mountains and along the mining -streams. This was not greatly noticed at first, but as one after another -fell and it began to be asked who was killed, it became plain that in -every case the victim was a Columbia River man. The authorities, such as -they were, gave the subject no attention. Sutter himself, acting as a -justice of the district under his old concession, showed no concern; and -the Californians, among whom were such traders as Weimer and Besters, -Winters, Marshall and others, when asked for their explanation, replied -that these murders were evidently committed by the Oregonians -themselves; they were old trappers and mountain men of the most -desperate character, and they were undoubtedly murdering and robbing one -another. This the Oregonians knew to be false, and that it should be -said created a presumption in their minds that the California traders -were inciting the Indians to cut off the Columbia River men. This -suspicion led them to talk quietly to one another and to consider what -should be done. Finally a little band of about thirteen in number was -organized quite secretly, and of this Mr. Case, as one of the most -intelligent, was chosen virtual leader. In this band of Oregonians was -Fleming Hill (usually called Flem), and Greenwood, a half-breed Crow -Indian. - -Affairs were brought to a crisis at last by the murder of six -Oregonians, all on one bar. The first that Case heard of the affair was -at the house of Besters, where he was boarding while he was working upon -a building. Besters, coming in late to supper, was in great glee, saying -that he had taken in $2,500 that afternoon from the Indians. The news of -the murder of the six Columbia River men was soon abroad, and it seemed -impossible but that the murderers were the Indians who had brought the -dust. This was the conclusion at which the Oregonians arrived, but they -would not proceed until full evidence had been procured. Meeting Hill, -as if casually, on the streets of Coloma, Case told him to take the -thirteen men and find and follow the trail of the murderers, whom he -felt certain were the Indians of the tribe in the vicinity, belonging to -that very valley, and not a distant tribe from the mountains. A -circumstance favoring such a conclusion was the fact that the tribe in -the valley numbered over a hundred; but those who had come in to trade -at Weimer and Bester’s store were only about twenty-five. The rest of -the tribe, it was apparent to those acquainted with the Indians, had -struck off in a body to make a trail to the mountains, to lead off -suspicion, and would return, singly or in small groups, to their homes. - -Case himself continued working as usual at Coloma, as it was very -necessary that some one be at that point to watch the progress of -affairs. He soon discovered, however, that there was a spy on him, an -Indian employed at the sawmill of a Californian, Mr. Winters. - -At the end of several days Hill appeared again in town. Seeing him while -he was working upon the roof, Mr. Case contrived to meet him as soon as -possible, and inquired what had been discovered. Hill replied, “We found -various tracks from the pit where the six miners who had been killed and -stripped were buried. These, taking across the river, then made one -plain, broad trail out to the mountains. We followed this for two days, -when it suddenly disappeared, scattering in all directions, and could be -followed no longer.” “Then they are not mountain Indians,” said Case; -“they belong right here in this valley.” - -This brought the Oregonians decisively to what was to be done; whether -to tell their discoveries to the Californians, or Sutter, or to take -vengeance into their own hands. The former course seemed entirely -useless, as they felt sure that the Californians knew enough of the -affair already, and had decided to let the Oregonians take care of -themselves. Confirmation of the guilt of the Indians, if any were -needed, was found in the report of an American who kept a horse ranch at -some distance from town. He had, shortly before, seen a large number of -Indians coming down the mountain side on foot, and dispersed in separate -groups, and not in single file, as he had always observed them before. -They were evidently that part of the band who had led a trail off to the -mountains, returning home. The Oregonians concluded, therefore, that the -only way to put an end to the murders was to proceed precisely as they -would out on the plains; that is, make war on the Indians irrespective -of the California authorities and wipe out the tribe, if that was -necessary. This was accordingly done. The tribe was found and surprised -by the band of thirteen armed Oregonians. Twenty-six of the Indians were -killed on the instant. No women were shot, however, though they fought -the same as the men. They and six men surrendered. Greenwood shouted as -the blow was struck, “Now, this is what you get for killing Columbia -River men.” - -After the surrender, the Indian women began weeping and wailing in a -manner truly heart-rending over the bodies of their dead husbands and -fathers; but they acknowledged that the punishment was just, as they had -killed the Columbia River men. But they pleaded that they were told to -do it, which, if true, cannot but create a feeling of sympathy for them, -the unfortunate dupes. After the slaughter and surrender, Hill mounted -his horse and rode to Coloma, and the six Indian men were hurried after -under a guard, and the women and children were driven after these by the -rest of the thirteen Oregonians. It was 4 o’clock when Hill arrived. The -six Indians were but a short distance behind, and hardly had been placed -in prison, together with the Indian spy, at Winter’s mill, who was owned -as a leading partner in the crime, when the remnant of the tribe, on the -run, with the Oregonians galloping behind them, came into town. It was a -burning day, the mercury standing at 106° in the shade, but the distance -from the scene of the slaughter, forty miles, had been covered since 11 -o’clock that forenoon. The town was excited beyond measure. Men and boys -to the number of hundreds gathered in a circle about the Oregonians, who -drove the tribe to the shelter of a spreading pine tree, in whose shade -they lay stretched on the ground. There was great complaint and deep -mutterings on the part of the Californians, who said, “See what you have -done! We can stay here no longer. There are eighty thousand Indians in -California, and now they will drive every white man from the mines.” So -great indeed was the terror, that many new arrivals just up the river -from San Francisco, coming to the mines from the east, turned around -immediately and left. Others were scarcely dissuaded by the Oregonians -themselves, or those who took their part, who declared that the trouble -was now ended, if all stood together. However, it required great -firmness on the part of the Columbia River men. Sutter, to whom word was -sent asking if he would try the seven Indians in prison, replied that he -had better not, as he could do nothing but release the men who had been -captured by the murderers from Oregon. With this message from the civil -authority, such as it was, the Oregonians proceeded to try the Indians -themselves, disregarding Sutter entirely. But just as the Indians were -being taken from prison, and were in the midst of a thick crowd of -spectators, the one known as the spy made a sudden shout, and all the -seven dropped on the instant to the ground and began wriggling on all -fours between the legs of the astonished bystanders; the Oregon guard -instantly attempted to shoot them—which created a scene of strange and -almost ludicrous excitement. Two were shot at once; two were shot after -they left the crowd; the other two reached the river and began swimming -away, and one of these was shot as he rose on the opposite side of the -stream. What became of the seventh was not known. - -The women and children were of course released, but with the warning -that no Indian should again work on the bars. But this did not end the -trouble. Another Oregonian was killed. The Oregonians again took the -warpath, with the intention of killing all the savages they saw. One was -soon found and dispatched. Eleven were next found and pursued to the -cabin of an English rancher named Goff, who at first made no response to -their summons at his door. But as the boys began picking the mud -chinking out of the logs, and threatened to fire into the room, he -opened the house and delivered the Indians, who were then immediately -hanged. The tribe was then traced, and although taking refuge in the -tules of a swamp of a marshy lake, were attacked by the guards on -horseback, and all the men, and one woman, who was fighting with the -men, were killed—making in all seventy-six of the tribe that fell, the -Oregonians having lost by secret murder thirty-three. The women and -children were again brought back by the Oregonians to Coloma, and were -furnished by them with provisions and pans, and were allowed to wash -gold and support themselves. But they secretly took their leave, and -were found at length in a distant canyon of the high mountains, at the -limit of snow, nearly starved, but subsisting on pine nuts and the roots -of wild clover, gathered by a few old men in a lower valley. It was a -man named Smith who traced them, as among the tribe were his Indian wife -and child. They were again induced to return to Coloma, and now in a -pitiable condition, Californians injudiciously sent them a large supply -of beef and flour—a sort of food to which they were unaccustomed, and of -which they ate so greedily as to induce a virulent disease, of which -fifty-two died, practically exterminating the tribe. - -This was Rocky Mountain men’s justice that was thus dealt out in the -California mines, and of the same piece as that of the Cayuse war, or -that of the general Indian war of 1855-56. - -It was rough and terrible, and the Indians were the victims; but the old -California system was the real cause. The attempt was made to work the -mines upon a system of inequality—of proprietors and peons. The -Oregonians, accustomed to a system of equality, finding themselves -exposed to outlawry, and not protected from the poor savagery of the -Indians, struck as they could. It is to be remembered, too, that the -secret murder of thirty-two men, without any attempt at meting out -justice, was an enormity that no community should brook. But that it was -not mere personal vengeance, but the purpose to establish the system of -free labor, and to root out the contract system, or rather the peon -system, was shown by the following: - -At length Case decided to go up into the mines when affairs were at last -settled, and the men were working without trouble or danger; he had -fallen in with a certain Major Whiting, an American by birth, who had, -however, been living in Mexico, and had even served in the Mexican army -against the United States. This Mexican officer was now bringing up from -that region a long mule train of provisions and a company of peons whom -he had taken from prison at a cost to himself on the average of but $2 -each, and had contracted with them to work for him at eighteen cents a -day. Case reached the mines before him. When Whiting arrived he called -upon Case first of all to ask what was the intention of the Oregon -miners about allowing his debtors to work upon the bars. Case replied, -“I speak only for myself; but I am opposed to it.” Whiting then asked -him to call a meeting to determine the opinion of the miners. Case -complied. Mr. Finley of Oregon City happened to be chosen chairman of -this meeting, and a young man named——, secretary. The call had been made -most literally by Case’s getting up upon a high rock and shouting so as -to be heard all over the canyon, and then those that came first raised -such a cry that it could be heard for a distance of two miles up and -down, and a pistol was also fired. At such a summons, of course, the -miners came to the camp in great numbers, and upon the object of the -meeting being announced, resolutions were passed unanimously to allow no -working of the mines except by those who were American citizens and -intended to remain in the United States; thus forbidding those who were -not citizens or who came simply to work and then return to foreign -homes. In the face of this decision, Whiting, of course, was obliged to -leave, having no inclination to meet the Oregon riflemen; and took his -Mexican debtors along with him. When Case came to inform him of the -action of the meeting he showed the utmost coldness, refusing to speak -except to say that he knew their action already, having been present. -This resolution of the miners, backed by their reputation acquired as -dead-shots and no let-up, not only decided Major Whiting to leave, but -those very same resolutions forwarded to the military governor, Smith, -were issued by him as a proclamation. He believed that this was the only -way to restore and maintain order in the mines, the will of the mountain -men not being safely disregarded. A national spirit and a certain -primary justice also required that American mines and privileges for -which many millions of dollars had been paid to Mexico should be -preserved to American citizens and worked for the benefit of this -country, and not be turned over to the speculators and contractors of -the whole world. - -By this proclamation the Mexican and Chelano peons were required to -return to their own country. The system of equality which the Oregonians -rudely, but rightly represented, was established. Thousands of miners in -California who never heard of this little contest which was worked out -principally by a few rugged young mountain men from Oregon, began to -enjoy thenceforth the free and equal opportunity of the California -mines, and California thus became Americanized, and in the end a great -free state. The influence of Oregon, therefore, cannot be disregarded— -although the actions of the Oregon men at the time created intense -feeling against themselves, and Mr. Case considers this the source of -the still persistent dislike of Oregon shown by Californians; which has -hardened into a sort of tradition. - - - RETURN HOME. - -The journey overland from the Sacramento up to the Willamette was, in -1849, one long adventure; and, on three hundred miles of the distance, -that of no peaceful kind. Case had had enough of sea voyaging in going -to California, and when, in the early fall, he counted over his -earnings, amounting to about $2,800, he said that he would go home by -land. The Indians of Northern California and Southern Oregon were -hostile, being declared enemies to the whites. The Oregon men had, -during the previous autumn, built a road through, making a long detour -from the Rogue River Valley to the borders of Klamath Lake by the old -Applegate route, and thence by Lost River and Lake, the Lava Beds, and -the long plateau east of Mount Shasta, to Pitt River, and then two -hundred miles across the chain of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the -Sacramento. The Indians of this region had ever been of the wildest and -most warlike character, regarding white men as natural enemies. The -famous Modocs were a remnant of one of these tribes. The large party of -the Oregonians who had passed through the previous year had, to quite an -extent, overawed the natives, especially in the Pitt River Valley. The -party of Case consisted of only eight men, himself being chosen captain, -and they carried some $28,000 worth of dust. - -Over the mountains, from the Sacramento to the Pitt River Valley, a -distance of some two hundred miles, and through the Pitt River Valley, -they proceeded in a leisurely manner, allowing their horses to graze at -will upon the wild pea vines that grew luxuriously, and thus kept them -thriving. A large number of travelers were met on the way, going to the -mines, among whom was a party of strict Presbyterians from Springfield, -Illinois, who always rested on the Sabbaths. It was almost universally -taken by new travelers of that road that the Pitt River Valley was the -main Sacramento, and they were loth to strike over the mountains as the -way required. - -Later upon the journey, Major Warner was fallen in with, having a party -of one hundred soldiers, mostly Irishmen. With this officer pleasant -conversations were held. He expressed his surprise that Case should try -to go through the Indian country with but eight men, while he felt -unsafe with his one hundred. But Case replied that his party was the -best. They all knew the Indians were like snapping dogs, that would snap -and run, while Warner’s men knew nothing of Indians. The event proved -only too truly Case’s estimate. Warner with his one hundred men were -subsequently attacked and all were destroyed (W. M. C.). Warner also had -imbibed the California idea of Oregon. He once remarked to Case, “I -understand that Oregon can never be an agricultural section.” “Why?” -asked Case. “The valleys are too narrow. I am told that there are few -over a thousand yards wide—that gives no room for ranches.” “The -Willamette Valley,” said Case, “where I live is forty miles across, not -counting the foothills. That gives room for ranches.” - -Emerging finally out of the Pitt River Valley and entering upon the -great plateau east of Shasta Butte, Case’s little party traveled so near -the snow of the mountain region, and it was now late September, that the -snow-banks seemed no higher above them than the tops of the trees. They -were coming to the Modoc country, and the lava beds. These last were a -great curiosity; the natural forts made by boiling and finally subsiding -little craters of not over an acre in area, and looking so much like -fortifications that many took them for the work of Indians, especially -attracted attention. Here began the forced marches. For three nights and -four days Case slept not a wink, and the distance covered during that -time was about three hundred miles. Skirting the marshy shores of Lost -Lake, where Lost River disappears, and the water is so stained with -ochre as to be a deep red; and finally crossing the natural bridge, or -causeway, and coming to the Klamath Basin; and crossing the Klamath -River where there is a series of three low falls of about two feet -high each, over some flat tabular rock formations—they finally reached -the dangerous Indian country of the Rogue River. Here occurred one -of the strangest Indian fights. Mr. Case’s party was not concerned -in this, but was a few hours behind; yet enjoyed the results of the -victory. The road at a certain point skirted along a bluff where there -were many crevices and natural hiding places, and below the road ran -the river. The wagon-way here was only just about wide enough for one -vehicle to pass. This was a natural place for the Indians to ambush a -passing party, and Case and his comrades would no doubt have suffered -and probably have been cut off entirely, if it had not been that just -before they reached this place, two other parties were passing, one -on the way to California and the other but a few hours ahead of Case -going to Oregon. The Oregon party was that of Robert Newell, consisting -of thirty men, for California. As he came to this dangerous point, -about four or five o’clock in the afternoon, Newell discovered that -there were Indians in the crevices of the rock ready to attack him. -With the capacity of a general, he divided his force so as to command -the situation. Five of his men he sent forward so as to attract the -Indians’ attention along the road and to draw their fire, but still to -keep out of reach. A reserve of seven he stationed under cover; and in -the meantime he detailed the eighteen others to pass under the shelter -of the wild plum bushes that skirted the river and faced the bluff, -and under this shelter to creep up into the very midst of the Indians, -select their men and shoot them down instantly—which would surprise and -stampede the savages, and is the true way, so says Mr. Case, to fight -the Indians. - -This manouvre was executed with perfect success. The eighteen men that -crept up through the brush succeeded in falling upon the Indians in the -rocks, and were shooting them down before their presence was discovered; -and the Indians, surprised and confused, seeing white men in front and -in their midst, rushed out of their hiding places and began retreating -along the face of the bluff. But just at this time the party from -California, under Weston and Howard, arrived from the other direction, -and hearing the firing, hurried forward, and seeing the Indians pouring -out of the rocks, began discharging their rifles upon them. By this the -savages were entirely demoralized. The only space left was the river -itself, and into its tumultuous current they began to precipitate -themselves, the miners still firing upon them as they struggled in the -water, until the river ran red. The slaughter must have been very great. -Yet of all this, though but a few miles away, Case knew nothing. He -placed his camp for the night in a sink, so that any Indians creeping up -must be seen, and kept guard himself, with his ear to the ground, so as -to hear any stealthy steps approaching. He saw or heard nothing. -Nevertheless, the next morning, when one of his men went to the river -for water, he reported upon his return that there were the footprints of -as many as five hundred Indians upon the sand bar of the river, where -the night before there were none to be seen. This, Case found to be -about so, and with hands on the trigger, and hearts ready for anything, -the little company started out, expecting an ambuscade at any moment. -Case’s advice to his men was, “If we are attacked, keep close together. -If you divide up, we are lost.” But they had not gone far before they -heard a shot, and soon were greeted by the advance of Newell’s men; and -the next moment were met by Newell himself, who told them of the fight, -and that the country was full of hostile Indians; but Weston and Howard -were not far ahead, and the best thing for them was to shove forward and -overtake them. Accordingly, Case shoved forward, passing hour after hour -in the depths of the canyons, and hearing almost continually the Indians -calling to one another from the mountains—now on this side and now on -that. But still they were not attacked. They were often upon the trail -of the white men, but they, too, were shoving ahead, and not until the -Rogue River Valley was passed and the Umpqua reached, was Weston’s party -overtaken. The junction was made early in the morning. The night before, -Mr. Case, although for the third night without sleep, kept guard, and at -about 2 o’clock A. M. heard a dog baying not over a quarter of a mile -away. He knew this indicated the white men’s camp, and in fact -recognized the dog. Very cautiously approaching the camp, for fear of -being mistaken for Indians, and being fired upon, the little party -advanced and were recognized. Then the peril was over. The rest of the -journey was made more deliberately, but though now relieved of guard -duty, Mr. Case felt sleepless, and scarcely rested until some days had -passed. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -THE NUMBER AND CONDITION OF THE NATIVE RACE IN OREGON WHEN FIRST SEEN BY - WHITE MEN. - - -The first estimates we have of the number of the native race in the -valley of the Columbia were by Lewis and Clark, who gained their -information while exploring the river from its sources in the Rocky -Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Based upon information derived from the -natives, their estimate was forty thousand. This was in 1805-6. - -Forty years later, Rev. C. G. Nicolay, of King’s College, Oxford, and -member of the Royal Geographical Society of London, writing in support -of England’s right to the country created by the assumed moral benefits -to the natives effected by the trade influences of the Hudson’s Bay -Company—and, doubtless, with all the information that company could -furnish—estimated the number at thirty thousand, including all the -country from the California line north to 54° 40′. Noting that the -second estimate is for the wider bounds, and yet twenty-five per cent. -less, the numbers seem strongly to indicate that the native race was -rapidly decreasing between the dates mentioned. - -In looking for the causes of this decrease of population of the native -race, we find at the outset diseases common to, but not very destructive -to civilized life, are, nevertheless, terrible in their effects on -people living so near the plane of mere animal life as were the natives -of Oregon—especially those of them in the largest valleys, and near the -sea,—when first seen by white men. The first American explorers received -information from the Clatsop tribe of Indians during their stay near -them in the winter of 1805-6, that some time previous to that a malady -had been brought to them from the sea, which caused the death of many of -their people. As they reached the Lower Willamette Valley, on their -return eastward, they found living evidence that the malady had been -smallpox, and the remains of capacious houses within the district—now -covered, or being rapidly covered, by the white race,—which indicated -that the disease had swept out of existence, or caused to flee the -locality, large numbers of the natives. A woman was seen by Captain -Clark in the company of an old man, presumably her father, sole -occupants of a building two hundred and twenty-five feet long and thirty -feet wide, under one roof, and divided by narrow alleys or partitions -into rooms thirty feet square. Other buildings, empty or in ruins, were -found near this. This woman was badly marked with smallpox; and from her -apparent age, and information the old man endeavored to convey, this -disease had killed many people and frightened others away about thirty -years previously. - -Information received from natives by signs cannot be deemed reliable; -but no writing can be plainer than the human face marked by smallpox. We -have, then, from the journal of Lewis and Clark, traditional information -from the Clatsop natives, and in the appearance of this woman—presumably -of the Multnomah tribe—evidence of the presence of smallpox one hundred -miles in the interior; and fifty years later we have from the Yakima -chieftain, Kamiakin, at the Walla Walla council held by Gov. I. I. -Stevens, intimations that the suffering of his people from smallpox in -former times was one reason for his objection to whites’ settling in his -country. - -Whatever truth there may be in these earlier traditions of the natives, -the rapid decrease of the tribes on the Lower Columbia and in the -Willamette Valley, between 1805 and 1845, and the decaying condition of -those found here at the latter date, are facts which cannot be called in -question. Those writers who are predisposed to blame the white man for -all the results of the commercial and social contact between the races -will see only the fearful and repulsive effects upon the ignorant -native—supposed to be innocent—of drunkenness and debauchery, which the -white man’s avaricious trade and licentiousness ministered to. While, -beyond question, these were destructive agencies, they, in my judgment, -never were but a small moiety of the cause of the general decay of the -race west of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges, from Alaska to Lower -California. As to the licentious intercourse between the sexes, the -natives were ready and sought opportunity to participate in the -destructive commerce. And their customs, which were their only laws, -left womanhood—especially widowhood—an outcast, where she was not held -as a slave. It was a fact well known to pioneers yet living that a woman -of bright, kindly disposition, of natural intelligence, which made her a -natural leader of her sex, who was in 1840 the honored wife of the chief -of one of the strongest coast tribes, and as such styled a queen by some -writers, was in 1845 a leader and guide of native prostitutes, who -watched and followed ships entering the Columbia from the time they -crossed the bar in until they crossed out. And between opportunities of -this kind, she went from camp to camp of white settlers on the Lower -Columbia, thus seeking trade without the least sign of shame. The -customs and usages of the race, for which the leading men were -responsible, debar us of any just right to hold native womanhood -responsible for a social system which deemed a female child the best -trading property—valued high or low according to the status of the male -portion of her family. The husband bought his wife, and might, where she -did not suit, send her back to her people and claim a return of the -property given for her, ostensibly as presents.[1] This, if her family -had any pride or courage, would probably lead to trouble. A native -husband could dispose of an unsatisfactory wife. He could kill her by -personal ill-usage,[2] or keep her to labor for means to purchase and -support another wife, or as many more as his means and desires induced -him to buy.[3] - -The general relations between the husband and wife among the native -races in Western Oregon were that the husband should kill the game or -catch the fish, as the subsistence was from game or fish. The dressing -of skins for clothing, the weaving of rush mats for camp covers or for -beds, the preparation of cedar bark for clothing, nets and ropes, and -the digging of roots, gathering of berries, etc., were all left to the -wife and the slaves at her command, if there were any. The husband and -wife seemed to have separate property rights as to themselves, and on -the death of either the most valuable of it, and often all of it, was -sacrificed to the manes of the dead. Sometimes living slaves were bound -and placed near the dead body of a person of importance in the tribe.[4] - -Under this custom, when a leading man like Chenamus, Chief of the -Chinooks, died, the body was carefully swathed in cedar bark wrappings; -his war canoe or barge of state was used as his coffin, and his second -best canoe, if he had two, was inverted and placed over the body as a -defense against the weather or wild beasts; a small hole was made in the -lower canoe and it was placed in a slanting position to facilitate -complete drainage. No money reward would induce an Indian of the Lower -Columbia to enter and labor in a canoe that had been thus used for the -dead. Thus the best and generally all the property worth notice was -rendered useless to the living. The wife in such a case might be owner -of slaves in her own right, or of a _business canoe_, and in some cases -of a small canoe used on the Lower Columbia root gathering, or by the -husband or sons in hunting water fowl. Such a wife becoming a widow— -supposing her dead husband a chief, succeeded by a son by another of his -wives, or by a brother, unfriendly and jealous of her influence,—would -not be a totally helpless outcast. She would have the means of gathering -her own subsistence. This, however, was above the common lot of native -widows. The same custom of destroying the property of the dead prevailed -amongst natives of the Willamette Valley when the American home builders -first came; and it was a common sight to come upon a recently made grave -and scare the buzzards or coyotes from feasting on carcasses of horses -slain to the departed, the grave itself being indicated by the cooking -utensils and tawdry personal adornments of the deceased. Under this -custom there was no property left for distribution by the average -native. A chief, living with thrifty care for his family, might leave -slaves to be divided among his sons or daughters, as some few did, but -often when the heirs were sons or daughters of different mothers bitter -family feuds were a natural result, and the law of might decided. There -was no marriage record, no law to distribute fairly what might justly -belong to the widow and the fatherless, no individual ownership of land, -no definite boundaries to districts claimed by tribes. Thus the whole -polity of the native race here limited the exertions of the people to -seeking a present subsistence, or, at the most, enough to tide them over -from one season to another. Diversity of seasons has a much more -intimate relation to the food supply of the wild life than to a people -who have arrived at the agricultural stage of evolution. Many wild -animals and feathered game have sufficient of the instinct of the -passenger pigeon and squirrel of the Atlantic seaboard to induce them to -migrate from districts in which their food fails as a result of untoward -seasons and go to others where there is plenty.[5] The native tribes -west of the Cascade Range could not do that, and therefore must have -often been reduced in numbers by bad seasons, before they were known to -the white race. - -The condition of the natives as to surplus food and the scarcity of -large game in the Columbia Valley, as found by Lewis and Clark, shows -that the normal season left the then population little they could spare. -The party may be said to have run a gauntlet against starvation in their -journey from the Rocky Mountains to the mouth of the Columbia. They saw -few deer, and no antelope or elk. Salmon and dogs were their chief -purchases from the Indians, and they ate of the latter till some of the -men got to prefer dog flesh to venison. The salmon grew rancid and -mouldy under the influence of the warm wet winter, and made the men -sick. Their hunters, in what was forty years later the best elk range in -Oregon, often failed to meet their daily wants, and sometimes killed -their game so far from camp that it spoiled in the woods. So that when -they learned that a whale had been thrown on the beach, at the mouth of -the Nehalem, they went thirty miles, and with difficulty succeeded in -the purchase of three hundred pounds of whale blubber. - -They stayed at their winter camp until the latter part of March, 1806. -The game had left their vicinity; they exhausted the surplus of the -Indians near them, so they started on their return journey in order to -reach the Chopannish “Nation,” with whom they had left their horses, -before the natives would leave for their spring hunt for buffalo east of -the Rockies. - -Under date of March 31, their journal reads: “Several parties were met -descending the river in quest of food. They told us that they lived at -the great rapids (the cascades), but the scarcity of provisions had -induced them to come down in hopes of finding subsistence in the more -fertile valley. All living at the rapids, as well as nations above, were -in much distress for want of food, having consumed their winter’s store -of dried fish, and not expecting the return of the salmon before the -next full moon—which would be on the second of May. This information was -not a little embarrassing. From the falls (The Dalles) to the Chopannish -Nation, the plains afforded neither deer, elk, nor antelope, for our -subsistence. The horses were very poor at this season, and the dogs must -be in the same condition, if their food, the dried fish, had failed.” -These considerations compelled the party to go into camp, and send out -their hunters on both sides of the Columbia, from its north bank, -opposite the quick sand (Sandy) river. Their purpose being to obtain -meat enough to last them to where they had left their horses, and this -they did, with the addition of some dogs and wapatos they were able to -secure from the natives by hard bargaining. The eight days they thus -delayed they used to good purpose. Captain Clark, acting on information -by an Indian of the existence of a large river making in from the south, -which they had passed and repassed without having seen it, because of a -diamond shaped island lying across its mouth, hired an Indian guide, and -returning down the south shore, penetrated the Multnomah (Lower -Willamette), to near the present location of Linnton, and saw evidences -in ruined buildings of a much denser population than then existed there, -and in the two hundred and twenty-five foot building already mentioned, -saw the woman marked by smallpox. Here, also, were met Clackamas and -other Indians from the falls of the Willamette. - -Elk, deer, and black bear were the large game their hunters killed. Some -of the deer were extremely poor. They do not mention having seen flesh -of any kind in the hands or camps of natives, much less a successful -native hunter of such game.[6] Neither do they mention seeing a horse -west of the Cascade Range. The receiving of one sturgeon from a native -is mentioned, and some dried anchovies (smelt). But the chief wealth of -this richest part of the district—the most inviting to settlers in their -estimation of any they had seen west of the Rocky Mountains, is the -wapato—“the product of the numerous ponds in the interior of Wapato” -(Sauvie’s) Island. This was almost the sole staple article of commerce -on the Columbia. - -This bulb, the root of the arrowhead lily (_sagittaria variabilis_) is -described by Lewis and Clark as “never out of season,” and as being -“gathered chiefly by the women, who employ for the purpose canoes from -ten to fifteen feet long, about two feet wide, nine inches deep, and -tapering from the middle. They are sufficient to contain a single person -and several bushels of roots, yet so very light that a woman can carry -them with ease. She takes it into a pond where the water is sometimes as -high as the breast, and by means of her toes separates this bulb from -the root, which, on being freed from the mud, immediately rises to the -surface of the water and is thrown into the canoe. In this manner these -patient females will remain in the water for several hours, even in the -dead of winter.”[7] - -This first party of the white race, thirty-six in number, were thus -detained eight days gathering a sufficiency of food to make it prudent -to risk a journey of ten days through the heart of the great and fertile -Columbia Valley, then so devoid of large game as to make it reasonable -to assume that at some period not very remote from the time of their -visit the population had slaughtered the elk, deer, and antelope, and -driven the buffalo to the east side of the Rockies. The practice of -large parties of the strongest tribes passing that backbone of the -continent every summer to hunt this noblest of North American game is -good presumptive evidence that it had at no remote period ranged in the -valley of the Columbia. In 1806, then, we have the fact of a population, -roughly estimated at forty thousand, ekeing out a hand-to-mouth living, -from salmon chiefly, with the additions of wokas kouse (wapato and -camas),—the latter much the more generally distributed from the Pacific -Ocean to the summit flats of the Rocky Mountains—by going across those -mountains annually for game. They had, of course, to go in parties -sufficiently strong for defense against the hated, dreaded and -destructive Blackfeet. The taking of such journeys proves their -necessity. The tribes unable through weakness or situation to make such -expeditions, as were all those of Western and Southwestern Oregon, had -to gather their precarious living from the plants mentioned, grass -seeds, the small native fruits, of crab apple, haw, huckleberries, -cranberries, etc. Looking over a recent report of the Division of -Botany, United States Department of Agriculture—a contribution from the -United States Herbarium, Vol. V, No. 2, by Frederick V. Coville—I find -one hundred plants described as used by the Klamath Indians, forty-six -of which—as seeds, fruits or roots—were used as food by that tribe. No -effort has yet been made to enumerate all the kinds of flesh, fish, and -insect life used by the native race for sustenance. Lewis and Clark -found evidence that the coast native sometimes resorted to searching the -beach for fish cast up by the tide. The tribes on the south bank of the -Snake River, and southward, used to fire the high, arid plains, where -possible, and collect the crickets and grasshoppers thus killed. As late -as 1844 these insects were dried and made into a kind of pemmican by -pestle and mortar. The Rogue River natives used the grasshopper meal as -a delectable food as late as 1848, and as late as 1878 the writer saw -the chief medicine man of the Calipooyas collecting in a large mining -pan the tent caterpillars from the ash trees within four miles of Salem. -He asserted most emphatically that they were “close muckamuck” (good -food). - -For years before and after the last mentioned date the writer knew -Joseph Hudson (Pa-pe-a, his native name), the lineal chief of the -Calipooyas, who signed the treaty of cession of the east side of the -Willamette Valley to the United States. He was the only native of -Western Oregon the writer ever talked with who seemed to comprehend, or -care for, the consequences to the natives of the appropriation of -ownership of the soil by the white race. He had judgment to perceive -that the latter had agencies of power and of progress with which his -people could not have coped, even at their best estate—which family -tradition had handed down to him. This pointed to a time when his people -had numbered eight thousand, as he estimated, at which time and later, -to the time of his grandfather, Chief San-de-am, _his people used the -circle hunt_, driving the deer to a center agreed upon, by young men as -runners, the point to drive to being selected as good cover to enable -the bowmen to get close to the quarry. From him the information was -gained as a family tradition that about 1818 eight men, carrying packs -on their backs and coming from the north, reached his grandfather’s -village, near where the town of Jefferson now is. They were set across, -and, going southward, they conveyed to other natives that they had -crossed San-de-am’s river. The whites shortened the name to Santiam, as -they did Yam-il to Yamhill. These eight men returned after several -months and brought the first horses the Calipooyas ever saw. They sold a -mare and colt for forty-five beaver skins. Joe, as he was familiarly -called, a man of truth and honor, could not but mourn the fate of his -people. Being in a small way his banker for small loans (he working for -me) I know he was kept poor by the general worthlessness of his tribe, -as it was one of the functions of a Calipooya chief to help the weak and -good for nothing members of his tribe. This man honestly performed any -rough and common contract labor (he would never work for day wages), -carrying his burden of sorrow for his people’s condition to where the -wicked and low can no longer trouble. The writer received from him many -hints and plain statements as to the mental capacity or mode of -reasoning of the native race. Custom led them to appeal to him in -troubles resulting from drunken rows. A young dandy of the tribe, -getting into the power of the law for knifing a woman in a camp fray, -would appeal to Joe, as chief, for financial help, with no more sense of -shame than an Irish landlord who had wasted his property in riotous -living would have in spunging off his former tenants to a green old age. -There are many people of the white race who cannot help being -participants in the results of the change of racial dominion which has -taken place on the North Pacific Slope within the past century. They -feel they are participants in a gigantic act of robbery. A lady whose -writings on any subject it is a delight to read, in the June number of -the Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, shows the origin of land -titles so far as the English race of men have made them. It would be an -instructive addition to her able paper if some one, well read on the -effects of guarded land titles in sufficient area to support family life -on each allotment, would describe their influences upon a community so -blessed. - -Already enough has been said to indicate that prior to the visit of -Lewis and Clark, the native race was in a condition of decline; that in -a normal or average season a body of forty men, or less, found it -difficult to avoid starvation while moving from place to place in a -country estimated to contain forty thousand. - -It may be admitted, because it is true though shameful, that the -licentiousness of trade had sown the seeds accelerating the decay of the -native race in Western Oregon, from the Columbia River to the Umpqua, -and from its mouth to Fort Hall. Within these bounds, but especially -near the chief lines of commerce, the missionary even had as much need -of a medical book as he had of his bible, as far as the people he had -come to guide in the way of life was concerned. - -Abundant reason had Dr. John McLoughlin (that living copy of the great -heart of Bunyan’s matchless fancy) for giving welcome to the American -missionaries. He knew the value of a clean mind or soul in keeping a -clean and healthy body; though with a wise physican’s care he kept the -hospital at Vancouver open to any white sick, whom the resident doctor -the Hudson’s Bay Company maintained there recommended to it. - -Doctor McLoughlin instituted the first hospital in Oregon for white -people here prior to the overland immigration of family life from the -Missouri border in 1843. The native race then were being removed rapidly -by a disease they themselves called the “cold sick,” which had raged -among them from 1832. Some of the symptoms indicated a malarial cause, -but quinine and other ague remedies had no effect upon the Indian sick. -Like the plague now raging in India, it was confined, seemingly, -entirely to the natives; also, almost entirely to the fishing villages -on the large rivers. I have long had a theory which I confess being -unable to give an intelligent reason for; that that plague had its -origin in eating filth. The natives themselves found that to thrust -their arrow points through the putrid liver of a deer or elk would -enable them to kill their enemies by a slight wound by blood poison. Is -it not, then, possible that eating putrid flesh, or fish—the garbage -cast up by the tide,—the spent salmon from the river shore, or those -wallowing in death throes on its surface, could not be done with -impunity? - -In times of famine the natives, on the sea coast and on the rivers, did -eat such food; as the inland tribes, like the Klamaths, sometimes -sustained life by eating black moss, and the bark of certain trees. -These latter foods, however, were not putrid. - -To support the theory that this cold sick plague, which began on the -Lower Columbia in 1832, and which kept the wail for the dead sounding -along its banks till 1844, may have originated in poisoned food, we have -the statement of Lewis and Clark’s journal that salmon pemmican which -they purchased in quantity at The Dalles moulded, and made the men sick, -in the damp and warm winter camp, near the sea. But, whatever the cause, -the effect was to depopulate, or cause the abandonment of once populous -villages. - -In 1805, the central seat of the Multnomahs, near the east end of Wapato -(Sauvie’s) Island, had a population of “eight hundred souls” noted, “as -the remains of a large nation,” surrounded by kindred near-by tribes, -aggregating two thousand two hundred and sixty souls. In 1845 the site -was without human habitation. “The dead were there,” in large numbers, -swathed in cedar bark, and laid tier above tier on constructions of -cedar slabs about four inches thick, and often four feet wide,—causing -the observer to wonder how the native, with such agencies as he -possessed, could fell and split such timber. At this time so many as two -hundred natives, could not be seen on the banks of the Lower Columbia, -between the mouth of the Willamette and Clatsop Point, without special -effort at counting the few living in the scattered villages, often -separated by several sites once inhabited by large numbers apparently. -This was particularly noticed on the south bank, at Coffin Rock, and the -main shore, between that and Rainier. “The dead were there,” in -abundance, but no life but the eagle, the fish hawk, the black loon, and -the glistening head of the salmon-devouring seal, then very numerous. -There was a village of the Cowlitz tribe on the south bank, below where -Rainier now stands. The people looked poor, ill fed, and worse clothed. -The chief had come to us in the stream to invite us to camp near, -exhibiting a single fresh hen’s egg as inducement. We did so, and -visiting their camp had the first sight of life in a native fishing -village. Some of the children were nearly naked. Though it was -midwinter, the adult females, with one exception, were dressed in the -native petticoat, or kilt, as second garment, the other being a chemise -of what had been white cotton; one was engaged in the manufacture of -cedar bark strings used in the formation of the kind of kilt she wore. -The exception in the camp was a young woman of extraordinary personal -beauty, a daughter of the chief family of the Cathelametts. She had -recently been purchased, or espoused, by the heir-apparent of the -Cowlitz chief. She seemed to be indifferent to the life around her, and -shortly after was, presumably, the cause of tribal war. She was -permitted a few weeks later to pay a visit to her own tribe, accompanied -by an old woman of her husband’s. They both joined a party of the women -of her tribe in a wapato gathering expedition. The old duenna did not -return,—her body was found next day near the wapato beds, horribly -mutilated by a knife murder. The natural fruit of the Chinooks’ polity -of marriage. A short tribal war resulted. - -In order to show the measure of manhood this system produced in a -different phase from that of Chiefs Kalata’s and Chenowith’s, I will -relate from memory a short visit at the lodge of the Cathelamett chief: - -As one of a party of the employees of Hunt’s mill, making our way from -Astoria to the mill, we were approaching Cathelamett Point, the village -of the tribe, on the south shore. We were hailed from the shore and -found ourselves near the women and girls of the tribe, having a good -time gathering the newly risen stems of the common fern and preparing it -for food in earth ovens over heated rocks. They voluntarily told us they -had no prepared food, but pressed us to go on to their village, and -“Lemiyey” (old mother) (pronounced in a tone that conveyed love and -respect) would gladly entertain us. They made no mistake in this. The -old lady seemed proud of the opportunity to act as hostess, and without -ostentation put her help to work and gave us a bountiful meal of fresh -salmon and wapatos, and afterward put on what had evidently been often -used as a robe of state, and passed back and forward in illustration of -scenes she had been part of. Her son, apparently utterly oblivious to -the spirit of his mother’s eye and movement, continued repeating the -offers to sell to us his tribal claim to the lands lying between Tongue -Point and Cathelamett, that he had begun on our arrival. He was but a -youth, not so tall as his stately old mother appeared in her robe (of -what I afterwards concluded was badger skins, but may have been -mistaken), and he seemed mentally incapable of appreciating the -influences then forming around him and his people, which appropriated -their lands, while not one of them had the spirit to assert a right or -raise the question of justice against the action of the white race. This -was, with perhaps one exception, the cleanest, most self-respecting body -of natives left on the Lower Columbia in 1845, where Lewis and Clark -had, only forty years before, enumerated, by information from the -natives, thirteen thousand eight hundred and thirty below the cascades -and between that and the ocean. I do not believe that thirteen hundred -could be found within the same limits at the latter date. There was not -in all that distance, to my knowledge, a single man of the race who had -the intelligence and public spirit combined to appear before the -authorized agents of the United States ten years later and plead for the -rights of their people in the treaties made south of the Columbia. It is -questionable whether there was one in all the country north of Rogue -River who would have done so of his own motion, had not the humane -General Palmer and J. L. Parrish, as agents, advised the Indians to act. -It is not to be understood from this that all good and all beauty had -departed from the native life. When J. L. Parrish was in charge of -Methodist mission property, in 1845, a white man from Oregon City -appeared temporarily at Solomon S. Smith’s to solicit the hand of a -young woman named Oneiclam in marriage. The young woman civilly and -modestly declined the honor, saying such a marriage could not secure the -respect of either the man’s people or the woman’s, and would fail in -conferring happiness. She was clean enough and good enough to secure the -personal friendship and advice of Mrs. J. L. Parrish, which proved her a -rare exception to her class. Such marriages soon ceased after the -American home-builder assumed dominion over Oregon, the white mother -thus arriving being strongly against inter-racial contracts. Doubtless -the hopelessness of the struggle against race prejudice has borne -heavily on the heart of many a man and woman on both sides of the race -question, but the fight is over now and many a heart broken in the -struggle (as I think was that of my friend Joseph Hudson, last Chief of -the Calipooyas) is at rest. The responsibility for the red race is now -the white man’s burden. He carries it well, while already the light of a -brighter day than the red man of fifty years ago could forecast is -piercing the prejudices and hates of that time. The white man brought -the surveying compass, the book in which to record titles to land, -another for the record of marriages, still another to record the rights -of property to the results of wedlock. Schools are open to the native -race and every generous mind wishes it well. But, while our sympathies -may go out toward the ignorant or incompetent race in a conflict of -power, we should not fail to note the services to all races rendered by -the victor. - -A glance at the changed conditions of life within the bounds of old -Oregon: Instead of forty thousand persons ill-fed, ill-clad, living from -hand to mouth, often bordering on famine, unable to support forty -interesting visitors passing through their country, we have now, -perhaps, fully one million, and the surplus of foodstuffs and clothing -material they send out to the markets of the world, would feed well four -millions. And, it is not extravagant to say that the territory to which -the Oregon trail was made fifty-eight years ago will some day be made to -support forty millions in comfort. - -This paper, it will be observed, has dealt entirely with the native race -in Northwestern Oregon, because this was the field of the race contest. -The point to which the guiding minds of the white race looked as most -desirable. Jefferson said, and Benton repeated: “Plant thirty thousand -rifles at the mouth of the Columbia.” The first exploring party sent out -by the former selected as the most interesting region in which to make -excursions, the district now containing the first and second chosen -commercial centers,—Vancouver and Portland. - -The native race amid whom these were planted were described in their -average manhood as mean, cowardly and thievish. Forty years later, -to this description might be added ignorant, superstitious, and -utterly without public spirit. The tribes east and south from this -district were, excepting those located at the great fishing centers -on the Columbia, less thievish, and much more bold and spirited in -self-defense. - -To the recent and valuable historical description of those tribes, -including the natives in what is now Western Washington, I am indebted -to the life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, by his son, Hazard Stevens, for -the number of natives west, as well as east, of the Cascades treated -with by Governor Stevens in 1855, just before the natural leaders of the -native race made their only united effort to stem the tide of inflow of -the white race. - - {Total number found west of the Cascades 9,712 - {Total number with whom treaties were made 8,597 - - {Total number east of the Cascade Mountains 12,000 - {Total number treated with 8,900 - - {Total number found in Washington Territory 21,000 - {Total number treated with 17,497 - -For Governor Stevens’ success in getting the eastern section of the -native race into treaty relations he was indebted solely to the -steadiness and good faith of the Nez Perces, the tribe which was always -conspicuous for its care of its womanhood. - - JOHN MINTO. - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - This custom of purchasing wives seems to have extended through many of - the interior tribes, and amongst some the privilege seems not to have - been confined to the men. It is related of a large war party of Sioux - who, near Independence Rock, in 1842, found Messrs. Hastings and - Lovejoy, and good humoredly gave them up to their fellow travelers, - taking a small present of tobacco as ransom; that, seeing a grown - daughter of one of the few white families of the Oregon immigrants, - they came repeatedly in increased numbers to look at her, until her - father was annoyed and indignant at their visits, and wrathful and - threatening when he learned that the brawny braves desired to purchase - the girl to give her as a present to their war chief. These grown up - children of nature went off like gentlemen when informed by one who - knew their customs that it was not a custom of white fathers, or the - white people, to sell their daughters. [Matthieu’s Reminiscences, Vol. - I, No. 1, Quarterly of the Ore. Hist. Soc.] In 1844, while Gilliam’s - train lay over one day at Fort Laramie, for trade purposes, in close - neighborhood to the tepees of a considerable camp of Sioux, three - female members of the tribe visited the camp of R. W. Morrison, - captain of one of the companies into which the train of eighty-four - wagons was divided. The captain had two assistants, and the Sioux - women seemed to conclude that Mrs. Morrison was blessed with three - husbands. Their proposition, made by signs by the two elder women, was - that the third, apparently a widow, though young, was willing to give - six horses for one of the younger men. It took Mrs. Morrison and the - choice of the young widow some time to convince her two friends that - they had made a mistake, and they departed with all outward signs of - sadness over the failure of their mission. These proposals to secure - connubial happiness by purchase were made, one four and the other two - years, before Francis Parkman, Jr., arrived at Laramie to join a Sioux - camp in order to get material for his Oregon and California Trail. - -Footnote 2: - - Late in 1844, Katata, Chief of the Clatsop Tribe, murdered his - youngest wife, then but recently espoused from a leading family of the - Chinooks. The latter made war upon him for the act. J. L. Parrish, in - charge of the Methodist mission at the time, refused Katata his hand - after learning of his deed. The brutal chief made an effort to be - revenged for what he deemed an insult, but failed in his attempt. - -Footnote 3: - - The kind of chivalry the system bred was illustrated by Chief - Chenowith, supposed instigator of the Cascades massacre in 1855, who - was tried and condemned for fighting with the Klickitats and Yakimas. - “He offered ten horses, two squaws, and a little something to every - tyee, of (for) his life, boasting that he was not afraid of death, but - was afraid of the grave in the ground.”—[L. W. Coe in _Native Son - Magazine_ for February, 1900. Mr. Coe acted as interpreter at the - execution]. - -Footnote 4: - - In 1844 the Chief of the Wascopams died at The Dalles, and was - succeeded by his brother, who was somewhat under the influence of Rev. - Alvan Waller, of the Methodist Episcopal mission there. A young slave - boy was bound and secured in the dead house with the body of the dead - chief, in accordance with the customs of the tribe. Mr. Waller - continued pleading for the release of the boy for three days and got - the new chief’s consent to take the boy out of his horrible situation - on condition that it be done secretly and the boy taken away, so that - the people of the tribe would never see him. He was taken to Mr. J. L. - Parrish, at Clatsop mission, and remained a member of his family till, - in 1849, he went to the California gold mines. - -Footnote 5: - - The writer has observed this instinct manifested one season by wild - ducks. The oak trees in the vicinity of his residence south of Salem, - of which there were considerable areas, bore a heavy crop of acorns. - The wild ducks by some means found it out, and must have by some means - informed each other, as the flocks of them passing over my farm from a - large beaver dam pond, where they rested at night, to their feeding - grounds daily rapidly increased from day to day, and as rapidly - decreased when the supply of acorns was consumed. - -Footnote 6: - - The writer has had his home fifty-five years in the Willamette Valley, - and has never seen or known of a native to kill a deer. He has known - one spend a day hunting to kill five wood rats. - -Footnote 7: - - This extract illustrates the condition of womanhood. Lewis and Clark - write of the production of wapato in this locality as though it grew - nowhere else; but it grew—yet grows—on the margins of ponds and bayous - of most of the streams flowing into the Columbia west of the Cascades. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - INDIAN NAMES. - - -Indian names and Indian words in general of the tribes of the region of -the Columbia have many peculiarities, and amply repay time spent in -trying to study them out. The following pretends to be only the merest -beginning, and the writer has advanced only to the edges of the subject. -It comprises only those names, and those meagerly and superficially, of -the Lower Columbia and Willamette rivers, and these have been obtained -from but two or three original sources. Those sources, however, are as -reliable and intelligent as are to be found, being the recollections of -Silas B. Smith, of Clatsop, and Louis Labonte, of Saint Paul, Oregon. -That others may present anything they may have on the subject, and thus -the stock of information be increased before those who have the original -information shall have passed away, and the later investigators be left -only to conjecture, is my idea in preparing this paper. - -In the first place we must bear in mind a remark of Mr. Smith’s, and -that is that the most of the Indian names we have incorporated into our -own nomenclature are more or less altered. He says that white men always -like to change the original Indian somewhat. This is no doubt true. Such -a disposition arises partly from the white man’s egotism, which rejoices -in showing that he can make a thing wrong if he pleases, and especially -that an Indian name has no rights which he is bound to respect; and it -arises in part from the white man’s ignorance. This ignorance is shown -partly in the lack of training of our ears in hearing, so that we -frequently are unable to distinguish between allied letters, or sounds, -such as “p” and “b,” or “m,” for the consonants, or between a simple -vowel sound, or a compound, or diphthong. Moreover, our English language -is almost hopelessly mixed up between the open, or broad continental -pronunciation of the vowels, and the narrow, or closed sound; so that no -one is sure that an “a” stands for “ay,” as in “day,” or for “ah,” as in -“hurrah.” The Yankee peculiarity, also, of leaving off the sound of “r” -where it belongs, and putting it on where it does not belong, like -saying “wo’k” for “work,” or “Mariar” for “Mariah,” has very materially -changed the original pronunciation. With us, too, the pronunciation of -the vowels follows a fashion, and varies from time to time according to -what particular “phobia” or “mania” we may happen to be cultivating. At -present the prevailing Anglomania is probably affecting our speech as -well as our fashions and politics. An Indian name, therefore, that might -have been rendered into very good English fifty years ago, may now, -having become subject to the mutations of our fads of pronunciation, be -spoken quite differently from the original tongue. - -But, after making all these allowances, due to our white man’s egotism, -ignorance and change of fashions, the main difficulty is in the -strangeness, and, it might be said, the rudimentariness of the Indian -sounds. Many, perhaps the most, of the aboriginal tones have no exact -phonetic equivalent in English. We must remember that their names were -originated away back in their own history, and were not affected by -contact with Europeans, and have therefore a primitive quality not found -even in the Jargon. This makes them more difficult, but certainly not -less interesting. - -In general it will be found, I think, that the aboriginal languages have -the following peculiarities of pronunciation: - -1. Almost all the sounds are pronounced farther back in the throat than - we pronounce them. This brings into use an almost entirely different - set of tones, or more exactly, it brings the various vocal sounds - produced by the vocal chords to a point at a different, and to us an - unused position of the throat or mouth—at a point where we can - scarcely catch and arrest the sound. This makes the vowel sounds in - general pectoral or ventral, and the consonant sounds guttural or - palatal. As to the consonants, also, it often gives them a clucking or - rasping sound not found in our language, unless in certain - exclamations. - -2. As a consequence of the above, the vowel sounds are not very fully - distinguished from the subvowels. There is no “r” sound; if that is - ever seen in an Indian name it has been interpolated there by some - white mal-transliterator. “L” easily runs into “a,” and “m” into “b.” - Names that upon first pronunciation seem to have an “l” turn out upon - clearer sound to have a short Italian “a,” or those having an “m” to - be more exactly represented by “b.” Probably the fact as to “r” is - that it is identical in the aboriginal throat with long Italian “a,” - or the ah sound, as it still is with Easterners and Southerners. - -3. Many of the most common aboriginal consonants, or atonic sounds, - while simple to them, can be represented in English only by compounds. - Such are the almost universal “ch” which can be as accurately rendered - “ts,” (?) and the very common final syllable “lth.” “T” is also - produced so far back in the throat as to be almost indistinguishable - from “k.” It seems to be a principle to slip a short “e” sound before - an initial “k,” and many names begin with a short introductory “n” - sound, which is nearly a pure vowel. Of the vowels, “a” pronounced as - ah is the most common, though long “a,” properly a diphthong, and long - “i” a diphthong, and long “e” are very frequent. While it is true that - the sounds as a rule are _in_, rather than _out_, still the pure - vowels, especially “a,” and this used as a call, or cry, is often very - open and pure. - -4. It will probably be found, also, that the sounds are varied more or - less according to meaning. With us tones are a matter of expression. - With the aborigines they were probably a matter primarily of meaning. - This would arise from the fact that their language was not written, - but spoken, and their terms were not descriptive, but imitative. We - know, for instance, that the Jargon word indicating pastime, which is - “ahncuttie,” means a shorter or longer period, according as the length - the first vowel is drawn out—a very long time ago admitting also of - imitative gesticulation. This principle would modify the pronunciation - of words, lengthening or shortening the vowels, or opening or closing - them, or perhaps drawing semi-vowels out into pure vowels, and - softening or sharpening the consonants. - -While any expression of opinion must be very modest, still this much may -be ventured: That our language has lost many valuable elements in its -evolution from the spoken to the written form, especially in the matter -of picturesqueness. We have, of course, gained immeasurably in -directness and objective accuracy, but true evolution does not abolish -any former element, but retains and subordinates it, and thereby is able -to advance to new utilities. By study of a pure aboriginal language on -the imitative principle, expressed only in tones, not only may the -advantages of our own tongue be understood, but its deficiencies may be -remedied, and a more complete language at length be developed. I am by -no means of the opinion that all that is human, or of value to -civilization, is to be found in the Anglo-Saxon race, or even in the -white race; but that the slow and painful struggles and ponderings of -the other races are also to be wrought into the final perfect expression -of humanity in society, art, literature and religion. - -After the above, which is perhaps too much in the way of introduction, I -will proceed with the names that I have been favored with—only wishing, -if that were possible, that our aboriginal languages might be -reconstructed in their entirety. - -Water, says Mr. Smith, unless enclosed by land, was never named. The -Columbia or the Willamette had no names. Water was to the native mind, -like air, a spiritual element, and just the same in one place as -another; and the circumstance that it was bounded by land made it no -other than simply “chuck”—the Jargon word. If Indians ever seemed to -give a name to a river, all that was meant was some locality on the -shore. The idea of giving an appellation to a body of water from source -to outlet never occurred to them. - -The following are some of the more common Indian names of places, as -given by Mr. Smith: - - _Chinook_, or _Tsinook_—The headland at Baker’s Bay. - - _Clatsop_, or, more properly, _Tlahtsops_—About the same as - Point Adams at mouth of the Columbia. - - _Wal-lamt_, accented on last syllable, and but two syllables—A - place on the west shore of the Willamette River, near Oregon - City, and the name from which Willamette is taken. - - _E-multh-a-no-mah_—On east side of Sauvie’s Island; from which - the name Multnomah is derived. - - _Chemukata_—Chemekata, site of Salem. - - _Chemayway_—A point on the Willamette River about two and one-half - miles southward from Fairfield, where Joseph Gervais, who came to - Oregon with Wilson G. Hunt in 1811, settled in 1827-28. The name - Chemawa, the Indian school, is derived from this. - - _Champoek_—Champoeg, an Indian name signifying the place of a - certain edible root. The name is not the French term _le campment - sable_, as naturally supposed by some, and stated by Bancroft. - - _Ne-ay-lem_—The name from which Nehalem is derived. - - _Acona_—Yaquina. - -To these might be added, perhaps, Sealth, the name of the Indian chief -after whom the City of Seattle is called. The name is of two syllables, -accented on the first. This well illustrates the tendency of the whites -to transpose letters, here making an “lth” into a “tle” in imitation of -the French, or, perhaps, the Mexican names. Bancroft learnedly discusses -the similarity between the Washington and Mexican “tl,” apparently not -knowing that the Washington termination was not “tl,” but “lth.” - -I will now give, in more detail, names of places, chiefs, and of some -primitive articles of food, and utensils, etc.: - - - NAMES OF PLACES AND CHIEFS IN CLATSOP COUNTY. - - _Tle-las-qua_—Knappa. - - _Se-co-mee-tsiuc_—Tongue Point. - - _O-wa-pun-pun_—Smith’s Point. - - _Kay-ke-ma-que-a_—On John Day’s River. - - _Kil-how-a-nak-kle_—A point on Young’s River. - - _Nee-tul_—A point on Lewis and Clark River. - - _Ne-ahk-al-toun-al-the_—A point on west side of Young’s Bay, - near Sunnymead. - - _Skip-p-er-nawin_—A point at mouth of Skipanon Creek. - - _Ko-na-pee_—A village near Hotel Flavel, where the first white - man in Oregon, Konapee, lived. - - _Ne-ahk-stow_—A large Indian village near Hammond. - - _Ne-ah-keluc_—A large Indian village at Point Adam’s, name - signifying “Place of Okeluc,” or, where the _Okeluc_ is made; - “_Okeluc_” being salmon pemmican. - - _E-will-tsil-hulth_—A high sand hill, or broken end of a sea - ridge, facing the sea beach about west of the “Carnahan” place, - meaning steep hill. - - _E-wil-nes-culp_—A flat-topped hill against the beach about west - of the “West” place, meaning “Hill cut off.” - - _Ne-ah-ko-win_—Village on the beach about west of the “Morrison” - place, where the Ohanna Creek once discharged into the ocean. - - _Ne-ah-coxie_—Village at the mouth of Neacoxie Creek. - - _Ne-co-tat_—Village at Seaside. - - _Ne-hay-ne-hum_—Indian lodge up the Necanicum Creek. - - _Ne-ahk-li-paltli_—A place near Elk Creek where an edible plant, - the Eckutlipatli, was found. - - _Ne-kah-ni_—A precipice overlooking the ocean, meaning the abode - of _Ekahni_, the supreme god; called “Carnie Mountain” by the - whites. - - _Ne-tarts_—Netarts. - - _Nestucca._ - - _Tlats-kani_—A point in Nehalem Valley reached either by way of - Young’s River, or the Clatskanie; and hence the name - “Claskanine” for the branch of Young’s River, and “Clatskanie” - for the stream above Westport. In saying “_tlastani_,” the - Indians meant neither of those streams, but merely the place - where they were going to or coming from; but with usual - carelessness the whites applied it to both. - - There were two lakes on Clatsop plains, one of which was - called _O-mo-pah_, Smith’s Lake: and the other, much larger, - _Ya-se-ya-ma-na-la-tslas-tie_, which now goes by the name of an - Indian, _Oua-i-cul-li-by_, or simply _Culliby_. - - The name of Cape Hancock was _Wa-kee-tle-he-igh_; _Ilwaco_, - _Comcomby_, _Chenamas_, _Skamokoway_, _Kobaiway_, _Tostam_, and - _Totilhum_, were chiefs. - -These chiefs’ names illustrate some of the peculiarities of Indian -pronunciation. _Kobaiway_, who was the Clatsop chief when Lewis and -Clark came, was called by them _Comowool_; _Tostam_ was sometimes called -_Tostab_; and _Totilhum_, “a powerful man of the people,” had the -Columbia River called after him by some whites. Seeing some Indians -coming down the great stream with camas, etc., they asked where they -obtained this: “From _Totilhum_,” was the reply; meaning that they had -been on a visit to the chief. Then thinking they had made a great -discovery, the whites announced that the Columbia was called _Totilhum_. -_Totilhum_ was chief of the Cathlamets, who originally had their village -on the Oregon side, near Clifton. - - - INDIAN NAMES OF PLACES IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY—SOME CHIEFS. - - _Ni-a-kow-kow_—St. Helens. A noted Indian chief here was - _Ke-as-no_. He was made a friend by the Hudson’s Bay Company, was - given fine presents, and entrusted with the duty of firing a salute - to the company’s vessels as they came in sight up the river. - - _Nah-poo-itle_—A village just across the river from - _Niahkowkow_. The name of the chief was _Sha-al_, who was very - large sized. - - _Nah-moo-itk_—A point on Sauvie’s Island. - - _Emulthnomah_—A point a little above. - - _Wa-kan-a-shee-shee_—A point across the river from - _Emulthnomah_; meant “white-headed duck,” or diver. - - _Na-quoith_—On mainland, old Fort William. - - _Na-ka-poulth_—A pond a little above Portland, on the east side, - where the Indians dug wapatoes. - - _E-kee-sa-ti_—The Willamette Falls. The name of the tribe here - was _Tla-we-wul-lo_. The name of a chief was _Wah-nach-ski_; he - had a nephew, _Wah-shah-ams_. - - _Han-te-uc_—Point at mouth of Pudding River. - - _Champo-ek_—Champoeg, meaning the place of a certain edible - root. “Ch” pronounced hard, as in “chant.” - - _Che-sque-a_—Ray’s Landing. - - _Cham-ho-kuc_—A point near the mouth of Chehalem Creek; Chehalem - Village, in Chehalem Valley. A Chehalem chief was _Wow-na-pa_. - - _Chemayway_—_Chemayway_ was also a name given to Wapato Lake. - - _Cham-hal-lach_—A village on French Prairie. - -It will be noticed that the names above the Willamette Falls frequently -begin with “Che” or “Cham,” as the coast names often begin with “Ne.” -The name for Clackamas was _Ne-ka-mas_, and for Molalla, _Mo-lay-less_. -The name Tualatin was _Twhah-la-ti_. At Forest Grove, near the old -A. T. Smith place, was an Indian village, _Koot-pahl_. The bare hill -northwest, now called David’s Hill, was _Tahm-yahn_, and an open -spot up Gales’ Creek Valley was _Pa-ach-ti_. A Tillamook chief was -_Tae-sahlx_. The name of a chief at The Dalles was _Wah-tis-con_. -Labonte remembers several chiefs at Spokane, one of whom was _Ilmicum -Spokanee_, or the Chief of the Moon; another, _Ilmicum Takullhalth_, or -the Chief of the Day, and another, _Kah-wah-kim_, or Broken Shoulder. A -chief of the Colville tribe was _Skohomich_, a very old, white headed -man when Labonte saw him in about 1827. A tribe at the Cascades were -the _Wah-ral-lah_. - - - NAMES OF ANIMALS. - - Coyote—Chinook, _Tallapus_; Klikitat, _Speeleyi_; Spokane, - _Sincheleepp_. - - Fox—Spokane, _Whawhaoolee_. - - Gray wolf—_Cheaitsin_. - - Grizzly bear—Spokane, _Tsim-hi-at-sin_; Chinook, _E-shai-um_. - - Black bear—Spokane, _N’salmbe_; Chinook. _Itch-hoot_. - - Deer—Spokane, _Ah-wa-ia_; Doe, _Poo-may-ia_, or _Poom-a-wa-ia_. - (?) Calapooia, “A big buck,” _Awaia umpaia_. - - Black bear—Clackamas, _Skint-wha_. - - Beaver—_Wa-ca-no_. - - Deer—Chinook, _Mowitch_; Calapooia, _A-mo-quee_. - - Elk—Calapooia, _An-ti-kah_. - - Elk—Clatsop, _Moo-luk_. - - Duck—Clatsop, _Que’ka-que’kh_ (_onomatopœia_). - - Geese—Clatsop, _Kah-lak-ka-lah-ma_ (_ono._). - - Yellow legged goose—_Hi-hi_. - - Columbia Sucker—_Kaht-a-quay_. - - Smelt—Clatsop, _O-tla-hum_. - - Hake—Clatsop, _Sca-nah_. - - Silverside salmon—_O-o-wun_. - - Blue back salmon—Clatsop, _Oo-chooi-hay_. - - Large black salmon of August run—Clatsop, _Ec-ul-ba_. - - Steelhead—Clatsop, _Qua-ne-ah_. - - Dog salmon—Clatsop, _O-le-ahch_. - - Cinook salmon (Royal Chinook)—Clatsop, _E-quin-na_, from which - “_Quinnat_,” the name of the Pacific Coast salmon species has - been taken. - - Trout—_O-tole-whee_. - - Whale—Clatsop, _E-co-lay_. - - Horse—Clatsop, _E-cu-i-ton_. - - Cow—Clatsop, _Moos-moos_ (_ono._). - - Sheep—_Ne-mooi-too_. - - Wildcat—Clatsop, _E-cup-poo_. - - [Mr. Smith conjectures that the name of wildcat was - given from the alarm call of the squirrel, which was - hunted by the wildcats, and whose cry indicated the - presence of these animals.] - - Beaver—Clatsop, _E-nah_. - - Seal—Clatsop, _Ool-hi-you_. - - Sea lion—Clatsop, _Ee-kee-pee-tlea_. - - Sea otter—Clatsop, _E-lah-kee_. - - Coon—Clatsop, _Twa-las-key_. - - - EDIBLE ROOTS, ETC. - - Wapato—Clatsop, _Kah-nat-sin_. - - Camas—Calapooia, _Ah-mees_. - - Loaf of Camas—_Um-punga_. - - Foxtail tuber—Clatsop, _Che-hup_; Calapooia, same. - - [The _che-hup_ was quite an article of commerce, being - prepared by the Calapooias and traded with the coast - tribes. It was black, and sweet tasting.] - - Thistle root—Clatsop, _Sh-nat-a-whee_. - - Blue lupine root—Clatsop, _Cul-whay-ma_. - - [This was a root as large as one’s finger, a foot long, - and roasted, tasted like sweet potato.] - - Wild tulip, or brown lily—Clatsop, _Eck-ut-le-pat-le_. - - Cranberry—Clatsop. _Solh-meh_. - - Strawberry—Clatsop, _Ah-moo-tee_. - - Service berry—Clatsop, _Tip-to-ich_. - - Blue huckleberry—Same as service berry. - - Buffalo berry—Clatsop, _Smee-ugh-tul_. - - Sallal—Clatsop, _Sal-lal_. - - Hazel nuts—Calapoolia, _To-que-la_. - - Wasps’ nest—Calapooia, _An-te-alth_. - - [The nest of the “yellow jackets” was dug out of the - ground, the insects being first well smoked so as not to - sting; and the combs, with the honey and larvæ, were - considered a great delicacy. The expression (Calapooia) - “_msoah quasinafoe antealth_,” means “yellow jacket’s - nests are good eating.”] - - Tar weed seed—Calapooia, _Sah-wahh_. - -The tar weed seeds were small and dark, ripening late. One of the -objects of burning the prairie over in the fall was to ripen and -partially cook these seeds, which, after the fire had passed, were left -dry and easily gathered. They were ground like camas root in a mortar -and then resembled pepper in appearance, but were sweet tasting. - - - CHINOOK AND SPOKANE NUMERALS. - - One—Chinook, _ikt_; Spokane, _nekoo_. - - Two—Chinook, _mox_; Spokane, _es-sel_. - - Three—Chinook, _clone_; Spokane, _tsye-sees_. - - Four—Chinook, _lack-et_; Spokane, _moos_. - - Five—Chinook, _quin-am_ or _quun-un_; Spokane, _chyilks_. - - Six—Chinook, _tahum_; Spokane, _e-tecken_. - - Seven—Chinook, _sinomox_; Spokane, _sees-pul_. - - Eight—Chinook, _sto-ken_; Spokane, _ha-en-um_. - - Nine—Chinook, _quoist_; Spokane, _h’noot_. - - Ten—Chinook, _tat-ta-lum_; Spokane, _oo-pen_. - - Twenty—Chinook, _tattalum-tattalum_; Spokane, _es-sel oo-pen_. - - One hundred—Spokane, _en-kay-kin_. - - - HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES, IMPLEMENTS, ETC. - - Blankets—Calapooia, _Pas-sis-si_. - - Kettle—Calapooia, _Moos-moos_. - - Slaves—Calapooia, _El-ai-tai_. - - _Haiqua_ shells, used for money, a small turritella, found on - the northern coast. - - Small _haiqua_—Calapooia, _Cope-cope_. - - Tobacco—Calapooia, _E-kai-noss_. - - Knives—Calapooia, _Eoptstsh_. - - Powder—Calapooia, _Poo-lal-lie_. - - Buffalo robe—Clatsop, _Too-i-hee_. - - Wagon—Clatsop, _Chick-chick_ (_ono._). - - High-bow Chinook canoe—Clatsop, _Esquai-ah_. - - Big tub Chinook canoe—Clatsop, _Ska-moolsk_. - - Small duck canoe—_Kah-see-tic_(_h_). - - Clackamas canoe—Clackamas, _Tse-quah-min_. - -Even from the above meager list a number of interesting inquiries might -be begun, but my object at present is only to make a small contribution -along what I believe will prove a profitable line of investigation, -hoping that others will add theirs. In this way something will be -accomplished toward reconstructing the simple life of our natives, doing -them a justice, and discovering, I am sure, what will be a delight and -benefit both to the present and to the coming generations of our own -people. - - H. S. LYMAN. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - DOCUMENTS. - - -All of the following newspaper articles were taken from a single year of -the New York _Tribune_. They serve well to indicate the interest with -which Oregon Territory was regarded throughout the country in 1842: - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), January 18, 1842.] - - FROM OREGON. - - EXTRACT OF A LETTER DATED WILHAMET, FEBRUARY 19, 1842. - - I will now tell you something of the people of this country. There - are about seventy-five to eighty French Canadians settled in this - country, principally discharged from the service of the Hudson Bay - Company; there are also about fifty Americans settled in and about - this country, making, perhaps, one hundred and twenty-five to one - hundred and thirty male inhabitants, who are married to Indian - women. They raise from their farms, on an average, from three to - five hundred, and some from ten to twelve hundred bushels of wheat, - besides great quantities of pease, potatoes, oats, barley, corn, - etc. The Hudson Bay Company have in their employ at Fort Vancouver - about one hundred and twenty-five persons, and many in several - other forts both sides of the Rocky Mountains. - - These people, as I said before, are married to Indian women, and - live very much the same, in all respects, as our farmers at - home, with the exception of not being obliged to labor half as - much. They generally have from fifty to one hundred head of - horses, half as many cows, and about the same number of hogs; - these all take care of themselves. The people here cut no hay - and make no pastures; they do not give their hogs any feed, - excepting about a month before they kill them. There is one - church here, and the people have contracted for a brick church - and other buildings necessary, such as a school house for the - French and one for the Americans. The French have one priest - here and one at Fort Vancouver. - - The Americans generally attend at the mission, and, as far as I - can see, the people here are as well behaved and moral as in our - town. We have now a committee at work drafting a constitution and - code of laws; have in nomination a governor, an attorney-general, - three justices of the peace, etc.; overseers of the poor, road - commissioners, etc. We have already chosen a supreme judge with - probate powers, a clerk of the court and recorder, a high sheriff, - and three constables; so that you see we are in a fair way of - starting a rival republic on this side of the mountains, especially - as we are constantly receiving recruits— those people whose time - has expired with the Hudson Bay Company, and from mountain hunters - coming down to settle.—_National Intelligencer_. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), Friday morning, March 24, 1842.] - - Oregon is now the theme of general interest at the west. Large - meetings to discuss the policy of taking formal possession of - and colonizing it have been held at Columbus, Ohio, and several - other places. Many are preparing to emigrate. A band of hardy - settlers will rendezvous at Fort Leavenworth, and set out thence - for Oregon early in May, under the command of Major Fitzpatrick. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), April 26, 1842.] - - FROM OAHU. - - The ship William Gray brings to Salem, Massachusetts, date from - Honolulu, November 27. * * * Late intelligence from Oregon - confirms previous accounts with regard to missionary operations. - From the fewness of the Indians and their migratory habits it is - feared that little good can be effected among them. Many of the - missionaries have become farmers and others are preparing to - leave. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), March 13, 1842.] - - OREGON. - - The following letter is from an intelligent sea captain just - returned from the Pacific Ocean. It gives information of the - progress of the British appropriation of the trade and all the - accessible regions of the Northern Pacific, which should be - impressed upon the American public.—_Globe_. - - BOSTON, May 1, 1842. - - SIR: Thinking it may be interesting or important to know some of - the late operations and present plans of the Hudson’s Bay - Company in the North Pacific Ocean, I beg leave to present to - your notice some facts in relation to the same, and which have - come to my knowledge from personal observation, or from sources - entitled to the fullest credit. - - All that extensive line of coast comprehending the Russian - possessions on the Northwest Coast of America, from Mount Saint - Elias south to the latitude 54° 40′ north (the last being the - boundary line between the Russian and American territories), - together with the sole and exclusive right or privilege of - frequenting all ports, bays, sounds, rivers, etc., within said - territory, and establishing forts and trading with the Indians, - has been leased or granted by the Russian-American Fur Company - to the British Hudson’s Bay Company, for the term of ten years - from January, 1842; and for which the latter are to pay, - _annually_, four thousand seal skins, or the value thereof in - money, at the rate of thirty-two shillings each, say £6,400 - sterling, or $30,720. - - In the above-named lease the Russians have, however, reserved to - themselves the Island of Sitka, or New Archangel; in which - place, you probably are aware, the Russians have a large - settlement—the depot and headquarters of their fur trade with - the Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, and the continental shore - westward of Mount Saint Elias. All the trading establishments of - the Russians lately at Tumgass, Stickene, and other places - within said territory, leased to the Hudson’s Bay Company, have - of consequence been broken up. Thus the Hudson’s Bay Company not - content with monopolizing the heretofore profitable trade of the - Americans, of supplying the Russian settlements on the Northwest - Coast, have now cut them off also from all trade with the most - valuable fur regions in the world. - - Whether the arrangements made between the Russians and English, - above alluded to, are conformable to the treaties existing - between the United States on the one part, and those nations - respectively on the other, I leave to your better knowledge to - determine. - - With the doings of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Puget Sound and - the Columbia River you are doubtless fully informed; those, - however, lately commenced by them in California will admit of my - saying a few words. - - At San Francisco they purchased a large house as a trading - establishment and depot for merchandise; and they intend this - year to have a place of the same kind at each of the principal - ports in Upper California. Two vessels are building in London, - intended for the same trade—that is, for the coasting trade; and - after completing their cargoes, to carry them to England. These - things, with others, give every indication that it is the - purpose of the Hudson’s Bay Company to monopolize the whole hide - and tallow trade of California, a trade which now employs more - than half a million of American capital. At the Sandwich Islands - the company have a large trading establishment, and have - commenced engaging the commerce of the country, with evident - designs to monopolize it, if possible, and to drive off the - Americans, who have heretofore been its chief creators and - conductors. - - I have been informed, by one of the agents of the Hudson’s Bay - Company, that the agricultural and commercial operations of the - English at Puget Sound, Columbia River, California, and Sandwich - Islands, are carried on, not actually by the Hudson’s Bay - Company, but by what may be termed a branch of it—by gentlemen - who are the chief members and stockholders of said company, and - who have associated themselves under the firm Pelly, Simpson & - Co., in London, and with a capital of more than $15,000,000! - - Seeing these companies, then, marching with iron footsteps to - the possession of the most valuable portion of country in the - Northern Pacific, and considering, too, the immense amount of - their capital, the number, enterprise, and energy of their - agents, and the policy pursued by them, great reason is there to - fear that American commerce in that part of the world must soon - lower its flag. But, sir, it is to be hoped that our government - will soon do something to break up the British settlements in - the Oregon Territory, and thereby destroy the source from which - now emanates the dire evils to American interests in the western - world. In the endeavor to bring about that desirable object, you - have done much; and every friend to his country, every person - interested in the commerce of the Pacific, must feel grateful - for the valuable services rendered them by you. - - With great respect, your obedient servant, - - HENRY A. PRICE. - - HON. LEWIS F. LINN, - - Senator of the United States, Washington. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), July 4, 1842.] - - SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION. - - The Missouri _Reporter_ of the fourteenth instant contains a - notice of the expedition of Lieutenant Fremont, of the United - States Topographical Engineers, to the base of the Rocky - Mountains, in the latitude of the Platte and Kanzas rivers, with - a view to ascertain positions and localities, to explore the - face of the country, and to make the government fully acquainted - with that remote and important point of our extended territory - now becoming of so much greater interest from the extension of - our trade to the northern parts of Mexico and California, and - the settlement growing up in the valley of the Columbia River. - - The line of communication now followed by immigrants, traders - and travelers to the Columbia and California, is upon this - route, and through the famous South Pass—a depression in the - Rocky Mountains at the head of the River Platte, which makes a - gate in that elevated ridge, passable in a state of nature, for - loaded wagons, of which many have passed through. This - examination of the country on this side of the Rocky Mountains - comes at a very auspicious moment to complete our researches in - that direction, and to give more value to the surveys and - examinations of the Columbia River, its estuary, and the - surrounding country, made by Lieutenant Wilkes in his recent - voyage, and of which a full report has been made to the - government. These two examinations will give us an authentic and - interesting view of the important country belonging to the - United States on each side of the Rocky Mountains; and taken in - connection with the great scientific survey of Mr. Nicollet, - commencing at the mouth of the Missouri River, and extending - north to the head of the Mississippi, and to latitude 49°, and - covering all the country in the forks of these two rivers, over - an extent of ten degrees of latitude, will shed immense light - upon the geography and natural history of the vast region west - of the Mississippi River.—_Globe_. - - - The following is the article from the Missouri _Reporter_: - - Lieutenant Fremont, of the corps of the topographical engineers, - left here under orders from the war department, about ten days - ago, with a party of twenty men on a tour to the Rocky - Mountains. The object of the expedition is an examination of the - country between the mouth of the Kanzas and the headwaters of - the great River Platte, including the navigable parts of both - these rivers, and what is called the Southern Pass in the Rocky - Mountains, and intermediate country, with the view to the - establishment of a line of military posts from the frontiers of - Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River. This expedition is - connected with the proposition now before congress to occupy the - territory about the Columbia River as proposed by Dr. Linn’s - bill. - - The great River Platte is the most direct line of communication - between this country and the mouth of the Columbia, and that - route is known to be practicable and easy. It therefore becomes - important to ascertain the general character of that river and - the adjacent country, and the facilities it will be likely to - afford in prosecuting contemplated settlements in Oregon. This - Southern Pass, or depression in the Rocky Mountains, is near the - source of the extreme branch of the River Platte, and affords an - easy passage for wagons and other wheel carriages, which have - frequently passed over the mountains on that route without - difficulty or delay; and it is important that the latitude of - this point should be ascertained, as it is thought that it will - not vary much from the line established between the United - States and Mexico by treaty with Spain, 1819. If this pass - should fall south of that line (the forty-second degree of north - latitude) it may become necessary to examine the country north - of it, the line of the Yellowstone and south branch of the - Columbia would, it is thought, afford the next best route. - - Lieutenant Fremont, though young, has had much experience in - surveys of this kind, having made the topographical survey of - the Des Moines River, and having assisted the scientific Mr. - Nicollet in his great survey of the Upper Mississippi. He is - well supplied with instruments for making astronomical - observations; for fixing the longitude and latitude of important - points; and a daguerrotype apparatus for taking views of - important points and scenes along the route; and, if not - obstructed in his operations by large bands of wild, wandering - Indians, which sometimes trouble small parties passing through - that region, may be expected to impart much valuable information - to the government and to the country. - - Since the attention of the country has been directed to the - settlement of the Oregon Territory by our able senator (Doctor - Linn), and by the reports of those who have visited that region - in person, the importance of providing ample security for - settlers there, and of opening a safe and easy communication - from the western boundary of Missouri to the Columbia River has - been universally admitted. - - The day is not far distant when, if the general government shall - do its duty in the matter, Oregon will be inhabited by a hardy, - industrious, and intelligent population, and the enterprise of - our citizens find a new channel of trade with the islands of the - Pacific, the western coast of this whole continent, and perhaps - with Eastern Asia. Notwithstanding the many obstacles at present - in the way of the settlement of this territory, emigrants are - rapidly pouring into it, and only demand of government that - protection which is due to all our citizens, wherever they may - choose to reside. While negotiations are pending at Washington - to adjust all existing difficulties between this country and - Great Britain, our right to this territory should not be - forgotten. At present, it may seem a small matter to the - negotiations; but they should remember that every year’s delay - will only render the final adjustment of the disputed - northwestern boundary more difficult. - - We are pleased to learn that the proper authorities at - Washington evince a disposition to do something toward - encouraging the early occupation of Oregon by permanent American - settlers. It is known that many of the islands in the Pacific - have already been settled by Americans, and trading houses - established, by which a large and profitable business is carried - on with the Indian tribes on the northwestern coast of America, - and with the East Indies and China. There is nothing to prevent - trading establishments in Oregon from ultimately securing a - large share of this trade, and adding much to the wealth and - prosperity of the whole union. - - But, regardless of these ultimate advantages, the prospect of - immediate success is so great that many of our hardy pioneers - are already turning their attention to the settlement of Oregon, - and many years will not elapse before that territory contains a - large population. Doctor Linn has done much to urge a speedy - occupation of it by permanent American residents. If Lieutenant - Fremont shall be successful in his contemplated exploration of - the route, and if the government shall furnish proper protection - to those who shall seek a home in that distant region, the - English may not only be completely dislodged from the foothold - they have already acquired there, but prevented from making - further inroads upon our western territory, and long - monopolizing the greater part of the trade at present carried on - with the Indian tribes at the Northwest and West. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), July 15, 1842.] - - THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION. - - The Washington correspondent of the _Journal of Commerce_ writes - as follows of the results of the exploring expedition: - - The universal opinion here on the subject of the conduct and - results of the exploring expedition is highly favorable to the - officers who had charge of it. It has certainly given to - Lieutenant Wilkes a reputation as an accomplished seaman and an - energetic and scientific officer. - - He delivered before the national institute a course of lectures, - at the request of that body, on the subject of the expedition, - which gave satisfaction and instruction to a numerous and - enlightened auditory—among whom were Mr. J. Q. Adams, Mr. - Poinsett, Mr. Woodbury, the members of the cabinet, and many - scientific gentlemen from every portion of the union. - - At the close of his last lecture the honorable Secretary of the - Navy (Mr. Upshur) rose and addressed the assembly in the warmest - terms of commendation of the successful labors and efforts of - Captain Wilkes, and the officers and scientific corps under his - command. He adverted to one fact which of itself spoke strongly - of the skill with which the expedition had been conducted—that - it had visited the remotest quarters of the globe, traversed the - most dangerous seas, surveyed the most impenetrable coasts, and - encountered the vicissitudes of every climate with so little - difficulty or loss. - - The secretary also remarked on the immense treasures in natural - science which the officers of the expedition had collected and - transmitted to the government in such admirable order, and which - now formed the basis of the museum of the national institute. - - He commented, also, on Captain Wilkes’ report upon the Oregon - Territory, and declared that this report was alone an ample - compensation to the country for the whole cost of the - expedition. He expressed the opinion, in fine, that the results - of the expedition were highly valuable and honorable, not to - this country alone, but to the cause of civilization in the - world. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), August 10, 1842.] - - _Correspondence from Washington._ - - Points of the treaty. * * * The boundary line agreed upon runs - to the Rocky Mountains, and leaves unsettled the question of the - Oregon Territory. There is nothing lost by this, for our - emigrants are daily settling this question. We grow stronger - there by time, and become _nearer_, too. - - - In the same paper of the same date as the above: - - THE OREGON FUR TRADE. - - This valuable traffic, which is at once the instrument of - exploration and the nursery of seamen, was by the convention of - 1818 suffered to be pursued promiscuously by British and - Americans, and in consequence of that suicidal provision is fast - being diverted from the latter to the former. Our exports of - furs to Canton amounted in 1821, to $480,000; in 1832, to about - $200,000, and in 1839, to $56,000, showing a gradual decrease - between the years 1821 and 1839 of more than seven-eighths, in - the amount and value of this trade. A better practical - commentary is not needed upon the effect of our legislation, and - while Americans are thus annually withdrawing from this trade, - Great Britain is extending her facilities for commanding it - every day. Her hunters and trappers are scattered over the whole - extent of the territory; nor are they content with the - legitimate profits of the business. While within the British - Territory the strictest provisions are made to prevent the - destruction of game unnecessarily, no such precautions are - enforced here, but on the contrary the Indians and others are - encouraged to hunt at all seasons of the year without regard to - the preservation of game. The result of this will be the - extermination of the beaver and other animals killed for their - fur within a few years unless the United States interferes. - - - [From the _Tribune_ (New York), December 14, 1842.] - - THE NORTHWEST COAST. - -Some apprehension exists that a settled design is entertained by Great -Britain of disputing our claim to the territory beyond the Rocky -Mountains and the whole Pacific Coast in that quarter. A letter to the -editor of the _Globe_ from an officer of the United States ship Dale, -belonging to the Pacific Squadron, dated “Bay of Panama, September 23, -1842,” contains the following paragraph: - - We sailed from Callao seventh instant in company with the frigate - United States (Commodore Jones’ flagship), and sloop-of-war Cyane, - but we separated from them and bore up for this port on the seventh - day out. Just previously to our departure two British ships-of-war - (the razee Dublin, and sloop-of-war Champion) sailed thence on - _secret service_! Of course this mysterious movement of Admiral - Thomas elicited a thousand conjectures as to his destination, - the most probable of which seemed to be that he was bound for - the Northwest Coast of Mexico, where, it is surmised, a _British - station_ is to be located in accordance with a secret convention - between the Mexican and English governments! And it is among the - _on dits_ in the squadron that the frigate, the Cyane, and the - Dale, are to rendezvous as soon as practicable at Monterey to keep - an eye upon John Bull’s movements in that quarter. - -The following document is a letter by William Plumer, then United States -Senator from New Hampshire. The original is in the possession of Dr. Jay -Tuttle, of Astoria. Bradbury Cilley, Esqr., to whom the letter is -addressed, was an ancestor of Doctor Tuttle. The copy was secured by -George H. Himes, Assistant Secretary of the Oregon Historical Society. - - WASHINGTON, Feby 25, 1806. - - MY DEAR FRIEND: A few days since I received your kind letter of - the 27th January. It had a long passage. Your letters need no - apology. They always afford me pleasure, and I regret that I so - seldom receive them. - - The papers of the day inform you that we are doing little, - except meeting, talking, and adjourning. Indeed we have little - business to do that is of importance. The great, astonishing - changes that so rapidly succeed one another in Europe admonishes - us to deliberate much and act little in relation to our - connection with them. We ought, in my opinion, to reserve - ourselves for events. - - I do not believe there is any fear of an invasion from any - nation. I am, therefore, opposed to expending millions in - fortifying our seaports. I consider the money to be thus - expended worse than lost. Those works, if erected, will compel - us to an annual expenditure, to a considerable amount, to - support them. The revenues of the United States, for years, - might be expended in erecting fortifications. This kind of a - defense is in its nature unavailing. Witness the great but - useless fortifications at Copenhagen in 1801; witness a single - British frigate in 1776, with the tide and a gentle breeze, - passing unhurt down the Hudson, by all our forts at New York. - If, instead of raising money to fortify against enemies that are - distant as the moon, a reasonable sum was annually and prudently - applied to building a permanent navy, we should then exert our - energies to a useful purpose. We should then find increasing - commerce would not in every sea depend, for protection, on the - capricious whims of nations whose interests it is to capture and - condemn it. But I presume we shall do nothing this session that - will be permanent. In a popular government there are too many - whose constant inquiries are directed rather to please, than - serve, the people. - - The senate to gratify France has interdicted the trade to - Saint Domingo, and to restrain the President from warring - against Great Britain, they have resolved that he must resort - to negotiation. The fact is, the President knew Jay’s rendered - a former administration unpopular, and to remove the - responsibility from the President to the Senate, his friends - induced them in their legislative capacity to assume and - exercise their executive powers and request him to negotiate,— - the very measure he had adopted. I was apprised of the fact, - opposed and voted against it, much against the will of my - friends. I am unwilling to remove the responsibility which the - constitution has imposed on him—’tis dangerous. - - Yesterday I dined with the President. I felt in high glee, and - enjoyed myself; but I thought the President discovered an - unusual weight of care. The times, indeed, require all his - vigilance. - - Mr. Burr is here—but is not yet Minister to Great Britain—nor I - hope never will [be]. - - Our weather is remarkably warm. The grass is verdant, and the - birds of spring are come. I enjoy good health and spirits—but - wish to return to my friends and family—though I fear I shall - not for many weeks. - - Make my compliments agreeable to Mrs. Cilley, and be assured - that I am with much esteem yours sincerely, - - WILLIAM PLUMER. - - BRADBURY CILLEY, ESQR., - - Nottingham, N. H. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PUBLICATIONS - - OF THE - - OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY - - - -------------- - - - SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF OREGON - - VOLUME I - -NUMBER 1.—JOURNAL OF MEDOREM CRAWFORD—AN ACCOUNT OF HIS TRIP ACROSS THE -PLAINS IN 1842. PRICE, 25 CENTS. - -NUMBER 2.—THE INDIAN COUNCIL AT WALLA WALLA, MAY AND JUNE, 1855, BY COL. -LAWRENCE KIP—A JOURNAL. PRICE, 25 CENTS. - -NUMBERS 3 TO 6 INCLUSIVE.—THE CORRESPONDENCE AND JOURNALS OF CAPTAIN -NATHANIEL J. WYETH, 1831-6.—A RECORD OF TWO EXPEDITIONS, FOR THE -OCCUPATION OF THE OREGON COUNTRY, WITH MAPS, INTRODUCTION AND INDEX. -PRICE, $1.10. - -THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR 1898-9, INCLUDING -PAPER BY SILAS B. SMITH, ON “BEGINNINGS IN OREGON,” 97 PAGES. PRICE, 25 -CENTS. - - -------------- - - - QUARTERLY OF THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. - - CONTENTS NO. 1, VOL. I, MARCH, 1900. - - THE GENESIS OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY AND OF A COMMONWEALTH 1 - GOVERNMENT IN OREGON—_James R. Robertson_ - - THE PROCESS OF SELECTION IN OREGON PIONEER SETTLEMENT— 60 - _Thomas Condon_ - - NATHANIEL J. WYETH’S OREGON EXPEDITIONS—“In Historic 66 - Mansions and Highways Around Boston” - - REMINISCENCES OF F. X. MATTHIEU—_H. S. Lyman_ 73 - - DOCUMENTS—Correspondence of John McLoughlin, Nathaniel J. 105 - Wyeth, S. R. Thurston, and R. C. Winthrop, pertaining to - claim of Dr. McLoughlin at the Falls of the Willamette—the - site of Oregon City - - NOTES AND NEWS 70 - - -------------- - - CONTENTS NO. 2, VOL. I, JUNE, 1900. - - THE OREGON QUESTION—_Joseph R. Wilson_ 111 - - OUR PUBLIC LAND SYSTEM AND ITS RELATION TO EDUCATION IN THE 132 - UNITED STATES—_Frances F. Victor_ - - GLIMPSES OF LIFE IN EARLY OREGON—_Mrs. William Markland_ 158 - _Molson_ - - NOT MARJORAM.—THE SPANISH WORD “OREGANO” NOT THE ORIGINAL OF 165 - OREGON—_H. W. Scott_ - - REMINISCENCES OF LOUIS LABONTE—_H. S. Lyman_ 169 - - DR. ELLIOTT COURS—_Frances F. Victor_ 189 - - DOCUMENT.—A Narrative of Events in Early Oregon ascribed to 193 - Dr. John McLoughlin - - REVIEWS OF BOOKS.—“McLoughlin and Old Oregon”—_Eva Emery_ 207 - _Dye_ - - “Missionary History of the Pacific Northwest”—_H. K. Hines,_ 210 - _D. D._ - - NOTE.—A Correction 212 - - - PRICE: THIRTY-FIVE CENTS PER NUMBER, ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. - - - -------------- - -_THE GRADUATE SCHOOL confers the degrees of Master of Arts, (and in -prospect, of Doctor of Philosophy,) Civil and Sanitary Engineer (C. E.), -Electrical Engineer (E. E.), Chemical Engineer (Ch. E.), and Mining -Engineer (Min. E.)_ - - -------------- - -_THE COLLEGE OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND THE ARTS confers the degree of -Bachelor of Arts on graduates from the following groups: (1) General -Classical; (2) General Literary; (3) General Scientific; (4) Civic- -Historical. It offers Collegiate Courses not leading to a degree as -follows: (1) Preparatory to Law or Journalism; (2) Course for Teachers._ - - -------------- - -_THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.—_ - -_A.—The School of Applied Science confers the degree of Bachelor of - Science on graduates from the following groups; (1) General Science; - (2) Chemistry; (3) Physics; (4) Biology; (5) Geology and Mineralogy. - It offers a Course Preparatory to Medicine._ - -_B.—The School of Engineering: (1) Civil and Sanitary; (2) Electrical; - (3) Chemical._ - - -------------- - _THE SCHOOL OF MINES AND MINING. - THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE at Portland. - THE SCHOOL OF LAW at Portland. - THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC. - THE UNIVERSITY ACADEMY._ - - _Address_ - - THE PRESIDENT, - - EUGENE, OREGON. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. - - - 2. Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised if a - predominant form was found within the text, but all other spelling - and punctuation remains unchanged. - - - 3. Underscores in the text, like _this_, are used to represent text - that was italicised in the original book. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical -Society,(Vol. I, No. 3), by Oregon Historical Society - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY *** - -***** This file should be named 62009-0.txt or 62009-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/0/0/62009/ - -Produced by Gísli Valgeirsson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/62009-0.zip b/old/62009-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 46e047c..0000000 --- a/old/62009-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62009-h.zip b/old/62009-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f57d04b..0000000 --- a/old/62009-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62009-h/62009-h.htm b/old/62009-h/62009-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 358650d..0000000 --- a/old/62009-h/62009-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5768 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> - <title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society (Vol. I, No. 3) by Various</title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - body { margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 10%; } - h1 { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.4em; } - h2 { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2em; } - h3 { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2em; } - .pageno { right: 1%; font-size: x-small; background-color: inherit; color: silver; - text-indent: 0em; text-align: right; position: absolute; - border: thin solid silver; padding: .1em .2em; font-style: normal; - font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; } - p { text-indent: 0; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: justify; } - sup { vertical-align: top; font-size: 0.6em; } - .sc { font-variant: small-caps; } - .large { font-size: large; } - .xlarge { font-size: x-large; } - .xxlarge { font-size: xx-large; } - .small { font-size: small; } - ul.ul_1 {padding-left: 0; margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: .5em; - list-style-type: none; } - div.footnote {margin-left: 2.5em; } - div.footnote > :first-child { margin-top: 1em; } - div.footnote .label { display: inline-block; width: 0em; text-indent: -2.5em; - text-align: right; } - div.pbb { page-break-before: always; } - hr.pb { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-bottom: 1em; } - @media handheld { hr.pb { display: none; } } - .chapter { clear: both; page-break-before: always; } - .figcenter { clear: both; max-width: 100%; margin: 2em auto; text-align: center; } - .figcenter img { max-width: 100%; height: auto; } - .id001 { width:400px; } - @media handheld { .id001 { margin-left:25%; width:50%; } } - .ig001 { width:100%; } - .table0 { margin: auto; margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; - width: 80%; } - .table1 { margin: auto; margin-top: 2em; } - .table2 { margin: auto; } - .table3 { margin: auto; width: 80%; } - .table4 { margin: auto; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; width: 80%; } - @media handheld { .table3 { margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; width: 100%; } } - .bbtd { border-bottom: medium double; } - .bttd { border-top: medium double; } - .nf-center { text-align: center; } - .nf-center-c1 { text-align: left; margin: 1em 0; } - .c000 { page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em; } - .c001 { vertical-align: top; text-align: left; padding-right: 1em; } - .c002 { vertical-align: top; text-align: center; padding-right: 1em; } - .c003 { vertical-align: top; text-align: right; min-width: 3em; } - .c004 { margin-top: 1em; } - .c005 { page-break-before:auto; margin-top: 4em; } - .c006 { vertical-align: top; text-align: left; text-indent: -1em; - padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; } - .c007 { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-top: 0.8em; - margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 35%; margin-right: 35%; width: 30%; } - .c008 { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-top: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 35%; width: 30%; margin-right: 35%; } - .c009 { margin-left: 5.56%; margin-right: 5.56%; margin-top: 0.5em; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c010 { margin-left: 5.56%; margin-right: 5.56%; } - .c011 { margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c012 { text-align: center; } - .c013 { margin-top: 2em; } - .c014 { margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c015 { text-align: right; } - .c016 { page-break-before: auto; margin-top: 2em; } - .c017 { margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c018 { text-decoration: none; } - .c019 { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; width: 10%; margin-left: 0; - margin-top: 1em; text-align: left; } - .c020 { margin-left: 2.78%; text-indent: -2.78%; margin-top: 0.5em; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c021 { margin-left: 5.56%; margin-right: 5.56%; font-size: 95%; margin-top: 0.5em; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c022 { margin-left: 5.56%; margin-right: 5.56%; margin-top: 1em; font-size: 95%; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c023 { margin-left: 11.11%; margin-right: 11.11%; font-size: 95%; - margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c024 { margin-left: 5.56%; margin-right: 5.56%; margin-top: 1em; font-size: 95%; } - .c025 { margin-left: 5.56%; margin-right: 5.56%; font-size: 95%; text-align: right; - } - .c026 { margin-left: 11.11%; margin-right: 5.56%; font-size: 95%; - margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c027 { margin-left: 13.89%; margin-right: 5.56%; font-size: 95%; - margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c028 { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-top: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 40%; width: 20%; margin-right: 40%; - margin-top: 2em; } - .c029 { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-top: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 40%; width: 20%; margin-right: 40%; } - .c030 { margin-left: 5.56%; text-indent: -5.56%; margin-top: 0.5em; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c031 { margin-left: 13.89%; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } - .c032 { margin-right: 5.56%; text-align: right; } - .c033 { margin-top: 4em; } - p {margin-top: .55em; text-align: justify;margin-bottom: .44em; } - .tnote {border: dashed 1px; padding-bottom: .5em; - padding-top: .5em; padding-left: .5em; padding-right: 1em; } - </style> - </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical -Society,(Vol. I, No. 3), by Oregon Historical Society - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society,(Vol. I, No. 3) - -Author: Oregon Historical Society - -Release Date: May 3, 2020 [EBook #62009] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY *** - - - - -Produced by Gísli Valgeirsson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span> - <h1 class='c000'><span class='xxlarge'>THE QUARTERLY</span><br /> <br /><span class='small'>OF THE</span><br /> <br /><span class='xxlarge'><span class='sc'>Oregon Historical Society</span>.</span></h1> -</div> -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='28%' /> -<col width='42%' /> -<col width='28%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='bttd bbtd c001'><span class='sc'>Volume I</span> ]</td> - <td class='bttd bbtd c002'>SEPTEMBER, 1900</td> - <td class='bttd bbtd c003'>[ <span class='sc'>Number 3</span></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i_sigil.jpg' alt='Sigil of the Origon Historical Society' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='contents' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>CONTENTS</span></h2> -</div> - -<table class='table1' summary='Table of Contents'> - <tr> - <td class='c006' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>The Oregon question II.</span>—<i>Joseph R. Wilson</i></td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_213'>213</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>Reminiscences of Hugh Cosgrove</span>—<i>H. S. Lyman</i></td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_253'>253</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>Reminiscences of Wm. M. Case</span>—<i>H. S. Lyman</i></td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_269'>269</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>The Number and Condition of the Native Race in Oregon When First Seen by White Men</span>—<i>John Minio</i></td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_296'>296</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>Indian Names</span>—<i>H. S. Lyman</i></td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_316'>316</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>Documents</span>—Oregon articles reprinted from a file of the N. Y. <i>Tribune</i>, 1812.</td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_327'>327</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'> </td> - <td class='c001'>Letter by William Plumer, Senator from N. H.</td> - <td class='c003'><a href='#Page_336'>336</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<hr class='c007' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>PRICE: THIRTY-FIVE CENTS PER MONTH, ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span><span class='xlarge'><span class='sc'>The Oregon Historical Society</span></span></div> - <div class='c004'><span class='sc'>Organized December 17, 1898</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c008' /> - -<table class='table2' summary=''> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>H. W. SCOTT</td> - <td class='c002'> </td> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>President</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>C. B. BELLINGER</td> - <td class='c002'> </td> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Vice-President</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>F. G. YOUNG</td> - <td class='c002'> </td> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Secretary</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>CHARLES E. LADD</td> - <td class='c002'> </td> - <td class='c003'><span class='sc'>Treasurer</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c002 c012' colspan='3'><span class='sc'>George H. Himes</span>, Assistant Secretary.</td> - </tr> -</table> -<hr class='c008' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='large'>DIRECTORS</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>THE GOVERNOR OF OREGON, <i>ex officio</i>.</p> - -<p class='c009'>THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, <i>ex officio</i>.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c010'> - <div>Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1900,</div> - <div>H. W. SCOTT, MRS. HARRIET K. McARTHUR.</div> - <div class='c004'>Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1901,</div> - <div>F. G. YOUNG, L. B. COX.</div> - <div class='c004'>Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1902,</div> - <div>JAMES R. ROBERTSON, JOSEPH R. WILSON.</div> - <div class='c004'>Term Expires at Annual Meeting in December, 1903,</div> - <div>C. B. BELLINGER, MRS. MARIA L. MYRICK.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c008' /> - -<p class='c011'><i>The Quarterly</i> is sent free to all members of the Society. The annual dues -are two dollars. The fee for life membership is twenty-five dollars.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Contributions to <i>The Quarterly</i> and correspondence relative to historical -materials, or pertaining to the affairs of this Society, should be addressed to</p> - -<table class='table3' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='50%' /> -<col width='50%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c001'> </td> - <td class='c003'><b>F. G. YOUNG</b>,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'><span class='sc'>Eugene, Oregon.</span></td> - <td class='c003'><i>Secretary</i>.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p class='c011'>Subscriptions for <i>The Quarterly</i>, or for the other publications of the -Society, should be sent to</p> - -<table class='table3' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='50%' /> -<col width='50%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c001'> </td> - <td class='c003'>GEORGE H. HIMES,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'><span class='sc'>City Hall, Portland, Oregon.</span></td> - <td class='c003'><i>Assistant Secretary</i>.</td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> - -<table class='table4' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='27%' /> -<col width='45%' /> -<col width='27%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr><td class='c012' colspan='3'><span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'><span class='sc'>Volume I</span>]</td> - <td class='c002'>SEPTEMBER, 1900</td> - <td class='c003'>[<span class='sc'>Number 3</span></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='xxlarge'>THE QUARTERLY</span></div> - <div class='c004'><span class='small'>OF THE</span></div> - <div class='c004'><span class='xlarge'><span class='sc'>Oregon Historical Society</span>.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chap1' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>THE OREGON QUESTION.</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c013'> - <div>II.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>The conventions of 1824 and 1825 marked the formal -and final withdrawal of Russia as claimant to the sovereignty -of the Oregon country, or of any part of it. The -convention of the former year pledged her withdrawal as -claimant against the United States, that of the latter year -as claimant against Great Britain. The boundaries of the -territories in question were thus finally determined, and -the parties to the dispute were reduced to the two nations -by whom the question at issue was ultimately to be decided.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It was a great step taken toward settlement when the -claims of all nations but Great Britain and the United -States were eliminated from the question. But elimination -of claims was not the only respect in which progress -towards settlement had been made during the period -which closed with the convention between Great Britain -and Russia. The ten years between the treaty of Ghent -and this convention show a substantial approach to agreement -between Great Britain and America. The events -of the year 1818 in particular mark this approach. This -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>year, so important in the history of the relations between -Great Britain and America, opened with the issue of the -order of January 26 by the British government for the -restitution of Fort George, the post at the mouth of the -Columbia, which, under the name of Astoria, had been -taken possession of by the British early in the late war. -This order, which was formally carried out in October of -that year, gains in significance the more closely the whole -history of the case is examined. Astoria, it will be remembered, -was the name of the trading post established -in 1811 by the Pacific Fur Company, of which John Jacob -Astor, of New York, was founder and chief stockholder. -It was nominally an American company, and was established -under the American flag; but of the party of thirty-three -that landed April 12, 1811, to form the settlement, -all except three are said to have been British subjects. -On the twelfth day of November, 1813, in the absence of -Mr. Astor’s agent, who was an American, Mr. McDougall, -his sub-agent, a British subject, representing himself -and the other partners present, likewise British subjects, -signed the bills of sale, and delivered up Astoria to the -Northwest Company, a British company. One month -later, Captain Black, of the British navy, in the sloop-of-war, -Racoon, arrived in the Columbia, and took possession -of Astoria in the name of his sovereign, and in honor -of his sovereign changed the name to Fort George. He -seems to have been chagrined not a little to find that, instead -of the glory of battering down an American fort, -nothing awaited him but to take peaceful possession in -the name of his king of a British settlement.</p> - -<p class='c011'>By the first article of the treaty of Ghent, “all territory, -places, and possessions whatsoever, taken by either party -from the other during the war” should be restored. In -view of the history just given, it is not strange that the -British government, when called upon by the United -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>States to make restitution of Astoria in accordance with -this article of the treaty, objected, on the ground that the -place was already a British settlement when taken possession -of by a British officer. And yet, in the course of -the negotiations that followed, Great Britain yielded this -point, and through her representative, Lord Castlereagh, -“admitted, in the most ample extent, our right to be reinstated, -and to be the party in possession while treating -of the title.” Accordingly, October, 1818, the order first -issued January 26 preceding, was executed, and Fort -George was formally handed over to an American officer -specially sent to the Columbia to receive it, and once more -the American flag floated over this British settlement.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This act of restitution, under these circumstances, can -hardly be regarded as less than a concession on the part of -Great Britain, a concession the full significance of which -appears only when the act of restitution is taken in connection -with the convention of joint occupation entered -into by the two governments that year, and with certain -intimations made by the British Plenipotentiaries in the -conferences which led up to that convention. It was in -this convention that the boundary between the two countries -west from Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains -on the forty-ninth parallel was agreed upon. In -the preliminary conferences the representatives of Great -Britain insisted that the boundary west of the Rocky -Mountains should be settled at the same time with the -boundary eastward; that the two should stand or fall -together. In response to this wish, the American representatives -proposed that the same line of the forty-ninth -parallel be extended westward to the Pacific. This the -representatives of Great Britain refused to accept, nor -would they themselves propose a line; but they did intimate -that the Columbia River itself was the most convenient -boundary that could be adopted, and that they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>would not agree to any boundary that did not give to -Great Britain a harbor at the mouth of the Columbia -River in common with the United States. The American -representatives not consenting to this, after further proposals -and counter proposals, none of which were acceptable -to both governments, it was finally agreed to adopt -the now celebrated plan of joint occupation as that plan -is embodied in the third article of the convention of that -year.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Thus it is that the order of the British government for -the restitution of Astoria at the opening of the year 1818, -taken in connection with all the circumstances of the case, -and the convention of joint occupation made by the two -governments at the close of the year, taken in connection -with concessions in conferences made by both parties, -make this year an era in the history of the Oregon Question. -In particular, two important lines had been proposed -and discussed, each proposal showing an important -concession on the part of the party making it, and each -line proposed practically setting a limit for the future, in -its direction, to the territory that remained in question. -For it may safely be said that from this time the extreme -limits of the claims of the several parties were fixed; that -henceforth the United States would not press their claim -to territory north of latitude 49°, nor would Great Britain -press hers to territory south of the Columbia. The territory -longer in question lay between these two lines, and -it is doubtful if ever after this year there was a time -when the question might not have been settled by Great -Britain’s consenting to the line of the forty-ninth parallel, -or by the United States’ consenting to that of the Columbia. -With these limits to their several claims practically -agreed upon by Great Britain and the United States, and -a plan of joint occupation adopted at the close of the year -1818, it remained only to eliminate claims of other nations -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>to the territory in order to reduce the question to -its simplest terms. This elimination, as we have seen, -was effected by the conventions of 1819, of 1824, and of -1825, the last of which left Britain and America free to -settle the question of sovereignty between themselves.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The conditions of the Oregon Question at the close of -the period ending 1825 were, upon the whole, not unfavorable -to America. It is true Great Britain was the party -in possession at this time through the settlements of the -Hudson’s Bay Company, but when it is remembered that -these settlements were made even before the more important -concessions of the conventions were made, these -concessions are only the more strongly significant of the -disposition of the government of Great Britain to treat -fairly, at least, the claims of America. It is especially -significant of this disposition that the settlement at Fort -George was abandoned in the spring of 1825 by the -British company in the expectation that the Americans -would speedily occupy it, and, though the Americans -failed at once to occupy it, it was left by the British unoccupied -for five years, as if they were waiting for the -Americans to come and claim their own. When we remember -Britain’s well known doctrine, of occupation -within a reasonable time as necessary to establish full -title to lands claimed on the ground of prior discovery and -exploration, this can hardly be regarded as else than an -invitation on the part of Britain to the United States to -come and make good their title to at least that part of -Oregon that lay south of the Columbia.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Occupation had been attempted, it will be remembered, -in the case of the establishments of the Pacific Fur Company -at Astoria and other points on the south and east of -the Columbia. The whole conduct of England in regard -to these establishments, made for the purposes of trade, -goes to show that she regarded them as belonging to a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>legitimate mode of occupation, the right of which she -not only assumed to herself, but was ready to allow to -America. The failure of the settlements and their ultimate -abandonment as a mode of American occupation -were due to the accidents of war, not to the interference -of diplomacy. The convention of 1818, of joint occupation, -was the embodiment of no new principle, but simply -the formal assent of both parties to a principle of occupation -assumed by America in the Astoria settlements, -and by Great Britain in those in the valley of the Columbia, -and by each tacitly allowed to the other.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In 1821, however, three years after the convention of -joint occupation, a movement was begun in the Congress -of the United States toward an occupation of the territory -in dispute, of a very different character, which, if -it had actually been adopted as a measure enjoined upon -the executive, and once been attempted to be carried out, -would have met from Great Britain a very different response. -In the house of representatives, December 10, -1821, on motion of Mr. Floyd, of Virginia, a committee -was appointed to inquire into the expediency of occupying -the Columbia River and the country adjacent thereto; -and the committee had leave to report by bill or otherwise. -Later in the same session this committee reported -a bill providing for the occupation of the mouth of the -Columbia. The occupation contemplated by this bill was -to be, first of all, military occupation, or, as one of the -advocates of the bill wished to make it by amendment, -“an occupation by military force only, with some encouragement -to settlers.” The view of the territorial -rights of the United States in that region on which the -bill was based was briefly and clearly put by another of -its advocates: “The bill under consideration does not -attempt a colonial settlement. The territory proposed to -be occupied is already a part of the United States.” The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>convention of joint occupation of 1818 left the question -of sovereignty of the entire territory westward of the -Rocky Mountains in abeyance. All occupation, therefore, -of any part of this territory, to be lawful under this -convention, must be of such a nature as to leave the question -of sovereignty to be settled by agreement of the powers -participant in the convention. Whatever rights either -of the two parties to the convention had, or conceived -that it had, by the act of entering into the convention it -agreed, so long as the convention was in force, neither -to assert sovereignty, nor to do any act in the territory -covered by the convention that could be justly construed -as an act of sovereignty. What acts the two powers -might lawfully do under the convention were not clear -at first, but it is difficult at this day to understand how -anyone who looked carefully into the question could have -failed to see that the acts contemplated in this first bill -providing for occupation were not such as could lawfully -be done under the convention. The same may be said -of all the measures proposed in congress in regard to the -occupation of the territory during the earlier period of -the convention. There were men in congress who saw -the unlawful character of each measure as it was proposed, -and opposed it on this ground. Others joined -these actively, on the ground that the Oregon Territory, -if settled, because of its distance and the barriers which -separated it from the United States, never could become -a part of the union. To these were added enough who -based their opposition on other grounds to defeat every -such measure, either in the senate or in the house, or, as -was the case in the early history of congressional agitation, -in both houses of congress.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This early discussion in congress of our interests in -Oregon, though it failed to reach any practicable plan of -occupation, was not without valuable results. It served -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>to clarify the minds of men in congress, and out of it, on -the nature of the question involved, and through the information -brought out and published in the course of the -debates and reports went far toward enlightening the -public mind on the character and resources of the territory -in dispute. In the course of the negotiations that -preceded the convention of 1818, and led up to it, Mr. -Adams, as Secretary of State, in a letter of instructions -to the American Plenipotentiaries, had expressed his government’s -low estimate of the interests involved in the -Oregon Question. “It may be proper,” he then wrote, -“to remark the minuteness of the present interests, either -to Great Britain or to the United States, involved in this -concern, and the unwillingness, for this reason, of this -government to include it among the objects of serious -discussion with them.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Such words, written on the eve of the first congressional -agitation of the question, could hardly have been written -at the close of that discussion. For at that time the Oregon -Question had become a matter of widespread interest, -and both government and people were disposed to include -it among objects of serious discussion. Agitation of the -question in congress had the further effect of bringing -the two governments to make another attempt to effect -a settlement by convention. In 1824, when measures -providing for occupation had been discussed in congress -for three years, Mr. Adams, Secretary of State, wrote that -though the government was aware that the convention of -1818 between the United States and Great Britain had -four years to run, the President was of the opinion that -the present was not an unsuitable moment for attempting -a new and more definite adjustment of the claims of the -two powers in question; that the Oregon Territory was -a country daily assuming an aspect political, commercial, -and territorial of more and more interest to the United -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>States. Negotiations were at this time renewed between -the two governments, but failed to issue in any agreement. -Two years later they were resumed, on motion of the -British government, but the two governments adhering -substantially to their several positions of 1818, no settlement -was reached. The third article of the convention -of 1818 was, however, renewed for an indefinite period. -In the communications of Mr. Clay to Mr. Gallatin during -this period of negotiation, there is manifested an increase -of interest in the question on the part of the American -government, even over that of two years before.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The depth of this interest and the source of its inspiration -appear from various expressions of these official communications. -“The President,” Mr. Clay writes, “is -anxious for a settlement on just principles. Such a settlement -alone would be satisfactory to the people of the -United States, or would command the concurrence of the -senate.” “Much better,” he continues, “that matters -of difference should remain unadjusted than be settled on -terms disadvantageous to the United States, and which, -therefore, would be unsatisfactory to the people and to -other departments of government.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>From these words, and words of like tenor, it is evident -that from this out an interested people and an alert congress -will have part in shaping the policy of the government -on the Oregon Question. It is to be noted, too, that -the government of the United States did not advance its -demands beyond the terms proposed at first, nor longer -minimized the interest of the question to itself, and that -it took a firmer stand on the boundary proposed. The -Secretary of State now wrote of the line of latitude 49° as -a concession on the part of his government, and boldly -declared that as such it was an ultimatum.</p> - -<p class='c011'>After the renewal, in 1827, of the third article of the -convention of 1818, with a provision for its indefinite continuance, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>or its abrogation by either power on due notice, -the subject drops out of congress for a period of ten years, -but only to return at the end of that time on the demand -of that voice which, as we have just observed, the administration -of Mr. Adams had already heard and attended -to. This interval is an important period in the history of -the Oregon Territory. The two governments stand stubbornly -each on the boundary line of its own proposal, the -United States for the line of latitude 49°, Great Britain -for the line of the Columbia, seemingly making no approach -to an agreement. Other influences, however, were -at work preparing the way for final settlement, and determining -the lines on which that settlement should be made.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The ten years between the renewal, in 1827, of the convention -of 1818, and the resumption of the discussion of -the subject in congress in the year 1837, present a new -phase of the Oregon Question, and may be termed the -period of early American settlement. In thus designating -this period, the settlement of Astoria in 1811 has not -been forgotten. It has already been shown that, though -projected and supported by an American capitalist, and -made under letters from the American government and -the protection of the American flag, that settlement was -scarcely entitled to be called an American settlement; -that whatever of American character it had in its inception -it lost two years later in its transfer to a British company -and to the protection of the British flag. The settlement -of Astoria, even as a British settlement, was not of -a permanent character. It contributed, it is true, a few -settlers to later communities as they were established, but -by far its greatest contributions to the settlement of the -Oregon Question was in the diplomatic transfer which it -was the occasion of under the terms of the treaty of -Ghent. It did serve under the provisions of that treaty -to secure to the United States the valuable concession -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>from Great Britain of their right to be in possession of -this position on the south bank of the Columbia, pending -the final settlement of the question of sovereignty over -the territory. As a permanent American settlement, however, -it has no place in the history of Oregon.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is reason, therefore, in making the period of -early American settlement begin with the period mentioned. -No actual settlement, it is true, was made at the -very first of this period, but about this time the question -of colonizing the region of the Columbia River began to be -seriously agitated in various parts of the United States. -A company having this end in view was organized about -this time in Boston, and another in New Orleans, while -in various parts of the country the propriety of forming -such organizations was seriously discussed. Every effort -was made by these societies, and by individuals whose -interest in the subject had been awakened, to obtain and -disseminate such information as should awaken popular -interest in the territory and further the ends of its colonization.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The first enterprise that followed from this agitation, -was that of Nathaniel J. Wyeth, of Boston, for the establishment -of a settlement for trade and agriculture on the -Lower Columbia. After the failure of a first attempt in -1832, Wyeth succeeded in the year 1834 in planting a -small settlement on Wapato Island, at the junction of the -Willamette with the Columbia. Untoward circumstances -and disaffection among his followers defeated his first attempt, -and sent him back to the east, after two years of -gallant struggle, feeling that his second was far from successful. -His settlement, while it has had in some sense -an unbroken continuity, and has contributed of its members -to the subsequent settlements in Oregon, can hardly -be said to have had the character of a permanent colony. -The largest results of Wyeth’s enterprise are rather to be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>looked for in the contribution he made in various ways -to the furtherance of other enterprises than his own.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Substantially the same may be said of the enterprise of -Hall J. Kelley, the leading promoter of one or more of the -emigration societies already mentioned. He contributed -materially to the ultimate settlement of the territory by -his persistent and widespread agitation in the east, and -later in some measure by bringing into the Willamette -Valley a small band of men, some of whose number -became permanent settlers. No colony, however, was -planted in this region under his leadership, and he did -not himself finally make Oregon his home.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The American settlements in Oregon that have thus far -been mentioned, were organized primarily for the purpose -of trade, and that, too, trade of a character that was -not likely to bring into the country and permanently establish -there colonists that should become rooted to the soil. -Traders and trappers might in time abandon their pursuits -as such, and, attaching themselves as individuals -to a settled community, become useful members of that -community, as more than one such did in the early history -of Oregon, but no aggregation of such men, brought -together for their own peculiar purposes, was likely to become -an organic society, with powers of life and growth.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The American settlements in Oregon thus far lacked the -first essential to the planting even of the germs of a state. -In no one of them was there so much as one American -home, nor were there the elements of one. An American -white woman had not yet set foot on Oregon soil, nor any -woman, save the native and her offspring. It was now -more than a score of years since that first settlement at -Astoria, but Oregon still waited the coming of that institution -that lies at the foundation of every American state, -the American family.</p> - -<p class='c011'>About the time of Wyeth’s first expedition, there appeared -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>in Saint Louis what had somewhat of the character -of a delegation from the native tribes west of the Rocky -Mountains. It consisted, as the story runs, of four or -five men from the Nez Perce tribe, who, having heard of -the White Man’s God and his Book, were come to ask -that men be sent to teach their people of these. The -story of this strange and interesting mission was taken -up by the press and spread throughout the country. It -gave a new impulse and a new direction to the efforts of -missionary societies for the evangelization of the native -tribes. One of the first fruits of this new interest in -missions was the organization by the Mission Board of the -Methodist Episcopal Church of a mission to the Oregon -Indians. This mission, as finally constituted, consisted of -the Reverend Jason Lee, as leader, and his nephew, Daniel -Lee, and three lay members, Cyrus Shepard, Philipp L. -Edwards, and Courtney M. Walker, five in all, a mission -of men only. Sending their goods and supplies by sea to -the Columbia, they joined Wyeth in the spring of 1834, -and traveled with him overland, reaching Vancouver -about the middle of September of that year. After personal -examination of the field by the leader, it was determined -that the mission should settle in the Willamette -Valley, and a spot was fixed upon not far from the site of -the present town of Salem, and within easy reach of a settlement -already made by some retired employees of the -Hudson’s Bay Company. The object of the mission was -the evangelization of the Indian tribes of the valley, seemingly -with little thought at first of contributing to the colonization -of the country. This mission, indeed, the first -among the Oregon Indians, like the trading settlements -that preceded it, lacked as first constituted one essential -to permanence. It did not include the family. The mistake -was doubtless early seen by the missionaries themselves, -but was not remedied until the arrival of the first -<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>reinforcement to the mission, more than two years later. -From the coming of the first reinforcement in the spring -of 1837, and the constitution thereupon of several families, -the mission began to take on somewhat of the character -of a permanent settlement, and with still further -reinforcements a year or two later, became the nucleus of -the first permanent American colony in the Willamette -Valley.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In the meantime a second mission had been established -east of the Cascade Mountains. In the summer of 1836, -Dr. Marcus Whitman and Mrs. Whitman, the Rev. Henry -H. Spaulding and Mrs. Spaulding, and William H. Gray, -under commission from the American Board of Commissioners -for Foreign Missions, crossed the Rocky Mountains, -and settled among the native tribes of the Upper -Columbia. The primary object of this mission, as was -that of the mission to the tribes of the Willamette Valley, -was the evangelization of the Indians. But this mission, -unlike that, was based from the first on the family, and -thus brought with it this first condition of permanence. -Within its limited number were the two first American -white families to settle in Oregon, and were included for -a period of six months or more the only American white -women dwelling west of the Rocky Mountains. From -its original number, and more largely from its later reinforcements, -the mission made valuable contributions to -the body of permanent settlers, but perhaps its greatest -contribution to the history of Oregon was one incidental -to its primary work as a mission, in its showing to America -and the world by its own first treading of the same, that -there was an open pathway for American families through -the Rocky Mountains into the valley of the Columbia. -This mission thus demonstrated for the first the practical -contiguity of the Oregon Territory to the United States. -It was this contiguity as it was subsequently made patent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>that was, almost more than all else, to influence the Oregon -Question to an issue favorable to the United States. -Whitman seems to have seen this from the first. The -settlement of the Oregon Question came to appear to him -simply a matter of prior settlement of the territory from -contiguous states, and such prior settlement was a question -only of an open pathway through the intervening -mountains. To his mind, therefore, the first duty of the -American government was not in military occupation of -the region in question, nor in the extension over it of -civil jurisdiction, but in making the pathway thither already -pointed out, a plain and safe highway for American -settlers. This done, the people would do the rest.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In the year 1837, after a silence of nearly ten years, the -Oregon Question was again moved in congress. Many -things had happened in the interval since its last appearance -there to make it certain that with its reappearance -the question had come to abide until settled. The settlements -already mentioned, small as they were, were not -inconsiderable in their influence at the east. They were -the centers of ties that reached back into various influential -communities in the states of the union; nor were -the men who composed the settlements slow to avail -themselves of every such tie to make and influence public -sentiment at home. The same energy and indomitable -spirit which they manifested in reaching the new land -were shown again in their efforts to enlighten the country -in regard to the land they had come to possess, and to -persuade others to join them in their efforts to take and -keep possession of it. Never was a new country so much -talked of, nor its excellencies so enthusiastically set forth, -when those who could do so from experience were so few. -From the time the first real American colony was founded -in Oregon, and there had been time for word from it to -reach the states from which its members had come, neither -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>the government nor the country was ever allowed -for long at a time to forget the existence of Oregon, of -the Oregon colony, or of the Oregon Question.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In the late summer of 1835, President Jackson, through -certain letters, as it appears, of William N. Slacum, a -paymaster in the navy, who at that time was spending -some months in Alexandria, Virginia, on sick leave, became -strongly of the mind that the bay of San Francisco -should be in the possession of the United States. He -almost immediately, on receipt of these letters, directed -Mr. Forsythe, Secretary of State, to write to Anthony -Butler, then in Mexico for the purpose of negotiating the -purchase of Texas, enlarging his instructions so as to include -the purchase of so much of the possessions of Mexico -on the coast as would embrace the bay of San Francisco. -A little later the same year President Jackson -commissioned Slacum to visit the North Pacific Coast, -directing him at the earliest opportunity after arriving in -the Pacific, “to proceed to and up the Oregon, to obtain -specific and authentic information in regard to the inhabitants -of the country, the relative number of whites and -Indians; the jurisdiction which the whites acknowledged; -the sentiments entertained by all in respect to the United -States and the two European powers having possessions -in that region; and finally all information, political, statistical, -and geographical, that might prove useful and -interesting to the government.” The commission thus -specifically and somewhat peremptorily given was fulfilled -with promptness and energy, and, though the chief -by whom the commission had been given had retired -from office before Mr. Slacum’s return, the country was -not deprived of the results of the investigation. In December, -1837, through a memorial presented by Mr. Slacum -to congress, and by congress ordered to be published, -coincident with the recurrence of the discussion -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>in congress of the Oregon Question, congress and the -country had the detailed results of this first official inquiry -into the condition and prospects of the settlements -in the region of the Columbia.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Throughout this period when the question was in abeyance, -individual explorers, American and British, had -from time to time visited this region and had returned to -write for eager readers of what they saw and learned in -the strange new land, until a piqued interest on two continents -was alert for the next news from Oregon. The -publication at the close of this period of Irving’s Astoria -in 1836, and of his Adventures of Captain Bonneville in -1837, books which were themselves the offspring of the -widespread and romantic interest already felt, served in -turn to make that interest still more keen, and to awaken -it in minds where else it had never been felt.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But greatest among all the forces that had been at work -during this period toward the solution of this question -was one that had worked silently and unobserved, but -persistently and effectively, and withal wholly in the -American interest. In the ten years that followed the -extension of the convention of 1818, more than three hundred -thousand people, immigrants from foreign lands and -emigrants from older states, had crossed the Mississippi -and settled in the two states of Arkansas and Missouri, -and the territory of Iowa. At the close of this period, -when congress again took up the question more than half -a million of people were settled between the Mississippi -River and the Rocky Mountains, and of these more than -three hundred thousand were in Missouri alone, the state -which stood upon the highway to the new country, and -nearest to the gate of entrance. The fact of this great -array of American families fast moving toward the intervening -barrier, and all but pressing upon it, with myriads -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>of other families in the older states following after, taken -together with the door open no farther than it had been -proved to be open by the few American families that had -passed through, should have been enough to assure any -calm observer of what the issue was to be. There were -such observers whom it did so assure, and their calm -faith and clear forecast stood the nation in good stead in -the exciting debates that were to follow.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The second period of the discussion of the Oregon Question -in congress began late in the year 1837, near the close -of the first session of the twenty-fifth congress. It was -opened a few days before adjournment by each house -calling upon the President “to furnish at an early period -of the next session any correspondence that may have -taken place between the government and foreign powers -in relation to our territory west of the Rocky Mountains.” -To both these resolutions the President, promptly on the -opening of the next congress, replied that no correspondence -whatever had passed between the government -of the United States and any other government in relation -to that subject since the renewal in 1827 of the convention -of joint occupancy. It thus appeared that while -the subject had been in abeyance in congress it had been -equally so in the executive department of the government, -and it was not destined to reappear in this department -for a further period of more than four years. Meanwhile -the subject in one form or another was seldom absent -for long at a time from the discussions of congress. -This was especially true of the senate, where, in the person -of Dr. Lewis F. Linn, senator from Missouri, the title of -the United States to Oregon and the cause of the citizens -of the United States who had settled there found an earnest -advocate and a zealous and indefatigable friend. Measures -were introduced in both houses of congress, by Doctor -Linn in the senate, and by Mr. Cushing in the house, looking -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>to the occupation and settlement of Oregon. These -first measures elicited but little debate, and failed of reaching -action. They did, however, by bringing out reports -from the executive and committees, get before congress -and the country a large amount of information on the -subject. In the house, after a year of unavailing effort -to reach action on the measures introduced, the subject -remained again in abeyance for two or three years. In -the senate, however, chiefly through the active interest of -Doctor Linn, new measures were introduced each session -which, though failing in every case of reaching the point -of action, gained more and more the ear of the senate -and a wider attention in the country. In each of the -measures as thus far proposed there was some vitiating -clause or provision which to the calmer and clearer minds -in the senate made it inconsistent with the terms of the -existing convention. It was open to congress to abrogate -that convention by giving due notice to Great Britain, and -so to open the way for a larger action on the part of the -government, and resolutions to this effect were introduced, -but neither congress nor the country as yet was -ready for this step. Not yet clear as to what action should -next be adopted, congress was not prepared to remove -this bar to hasty or ill-advised measures. Thus far the -convention had certainly been in the interests of peace, -and had not seriously interfered with the progress of -settlement.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The year 1842 was an important one in the history of -the Oregon Question. Early that year Doctor Linn had -returned to the contest in the senate with new zeal and -determination, and other friends in congress and out of -it came to his support. His bill, as heretofore, was a -bill for the adoption of means for the occupation and settlement -of the Oregon Territory, and the extension of the -jurisdiction of our courts over our citizens settled there, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>with a provision promising a large grant of land to actual -settlers. This and previous bills had been prefaced by a -declaration that the United States held its title to the Oregon -country valid, and would not abandon it. The year -opened with better promise of favorable action than heretofore; -the preamble, while its adoption was strongly -opposed by the majority in the senate, had brought from -even those who opposed its adoption the declaration that -it was a just expression of the sentiment of the country, -while the provision for the land grant to settlers, though -opposed for the present on the ground that it was not consistent -with the convention, was acknowledged by all to -contemplate but a just compensation, which should be -made in due time, to pioneers who had taken the hardships -and risks of early colonization. The bill at this -session had been presented under most favorable auspices; -the select committee to which it had been referred -was of great influence in the senate, and had unanimously -instructed their chairman to report the bill with the -recommendation that it pass. And yet, though thus auspiciously -introduced, for some reason as the months of -the session went on it failed of being vigorously pressed. -We have the explanation of this in Senator Linn’s own -words, spoken in the senate on the last day of August, -the closing day of the session. After speaking of the -favorable circumstances attending the introduction of the -bill, Senator Linn continued: “It was thus placed in its -order upon the calendar, but upon its coming up for consideration -as a special order Lord Ashburton arrived from -England, to enter upon a negotiation touching all points -of dispute between the two countries, boundaries as well -as others, Oregon as well as Maine. In this posture of -affairs it was considered indelicate, not to say unwise, to -press the bill to a decision while these negotiations were -pending. They are now over, and a treaty is published -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>to the world between the United States and Great Britain, -in which it seems that the question of the Oregon Territory -has been deferred to some more remote or auspicious -period, for an ultimate decision.” In conclusion Mr. -Linn said that he was confident that there were majorities -in both houses for this bill; and he felt equally certain -that it would have passed at this session but for the -arrival of Lord Ashburton, and the pendency of the negotiations. -He gave notice that he would deem it “his imperative -duty” to bring in at an early day of the coming -session this same bill, and press it to a final decision. -That the decision would be favorable he did not entertain -the slightest doubt, and he took pleasure in making that -opinion public “for the satisfaction of all those who might -take an interest in this beautiful country, the germ of -future states to be settled by the Anglo-American race, -which will extend our limits from the Atlantic to the -Pacific Ocean.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>There is a tone of confidence in the words with which -Senator Linn dismissed the bill of 1842 that was not -wholly unwarranted. As he spoke he was aware that -the largest colony of American settlers that had ever set -out for Oregon, a colony of staunch men and women, who -had been encouraged to set out by the assurances which -his bill had given, were then steadily nearing their destination. -He was aware, too, that in the brief time since -the publication of the Ashburton treaty, in which no mention -was made of the Oregon boundary, congress and the -country had shown a temper that promised well for his -measure when next it should be introduced.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The interval between the publication of the treaty, August -9, and the reassembling of congress in December, -was one of earnest and often heated discussion, not only -of the provisions of the treaty, but of its one noted omission. -No satisfactory reason had yet been given why the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>Oregon boundary had not been included with that of -Maine. This omission, taken together with intimations -that soon reached the public that the two governments -were again engaged in negotiations on this subject, began -to awaken, in some quarters, at least, fears for the result. -The nature and ground of these fears, as far as they were -capable of being defined, may be seen in the declaration -of the legislature of Illinois, prefixed to resolutions on -the Oregon Question presented to congress early the next -session. That declaration was, that “the safety of the -title of the United States [to Oregon] was greatly endangered -by the concessions made in the late treaty in -relation to the boundary of Maine, by her rights not being -persisted in and made part of said treaty, and will -be more endangered by longer delay.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>In his annual message to congress, December 6, 1842, -President Tyler, after giving as the reason for the omission -of the Oregon boundary from the late treaty the fear -that its discussion might imperil the treaty as a whole, -went on to express the purpose of the administration to -urge upon the government of Great Britain the importance -of an early settlement of this question. A few days -later, the senate passed a resolution calling upon the -President to communicate to the senate the nature of any -“informal communications” that might have passed between -the Secretary of State and the Special Minister of -the British Government on the question of the Oregon -boundary. To this resolution the President, in his message -of December 23, answered that measures had been -already taken in pursuance of the purpose expressed in -his annual message, and, under these circumstances, he -did not deem it consistent with the public interest to -make any communication on the subject. But neither the -President’s expressed purpose, nor his subsequent declaration -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>that measures in pursuance of that purpose had -already been taken, stayed the progress of measures in -congress.</p> - -<p class='c011'>On the nineteenth of December, in accordance with his -promise made at the close of the last session of congress, -Mr. Linn introduced a bill of like import with that of the -former session. This bill was referred to a select committee, -of which Mr. Linn was chairman, and was soon -reported back to the house, when it was made a regular -order for immediate discussion. The discussion was continuous -and earnest for more than a month, when by a -vote of twenty-four to twenty-two it passed the senate. -A vote of reconsideration failing to pass, the bill went to -the house, and was referred to the Committee on Foreign -Relations, of which John Quincy Adams was chairman, -by whom, a few days later, it was reported to the house -with the recommendation that it should not pass. Thus -the bill failed of finally becoming a law, and doubtless -many who advocated it in the senate, on cooler reflection, -felt that it was well that it did fail. In a wider view, -however, the measure was not a failure, for it served its -object well, though not in the way its supporters intended. -Few bills ever have called out from the senate a more -earnest or an abler discussion. The best talent of the -body was enlisted in the discussion, the spirit in which the -debate was carried on was broad and patriotic, and for the -progressive illumination of the subject under discussion -the debate has never been surpassed. When it closed -there remained little to be said. The future course of -congress in the matter was practically settled in this debate -and the action which followed; while in the course -of the discussion, the pathway by which the question -was ultimately to reach its solution was again and again -pointed out. This was done by no one more clearly than -by Calhoun, who spoke twice at length in opposition to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>the measure. He opposed the bill with the whole force -of his power of keen analysis and convincing logic, but -he opposed it because he saw in its adoption certain defeat -of the very object which he in common with the promoters -of the bill desired to reach. He counseled patience, -and a strict abiding by the terms of the convention, -at the same time assuring his countrymen that time -and the sure movement of population toward and into the -region in question were certain to bring the solution desired. -So accurately did he foresee and describe the -course by which the question would advance to its final -settlement, that his words at this day read rather like an -epitome of history than what they were, a forecast of -events.</p> - -<p class='c011'>American colonists in Oregon at that moment were not -indeed sufficiently numerous to promise a speedy fulfillment -of this prophesy. All told, they scarcely numbered -five hundred, men, women, and children, and included -not more than two score American families. They were -enough, however, to test the excellence of the land, and -enough of them had entered through the gateway of the -mountains to prove that the country was accessible to -men and women who were serious in their purpose of -reaching it. Then, too, at the moment when Mr. Calhoun -was speaking, at various centers throughout the -union and on the frontiers of Missouri, a colony was organizing -of men and women of the best stuff of which -new states are made, setting their faces toward the new -land with the full purpose of making it their home. This -colony, nearly double in its numbers the total American -population then in Oregon, before the year ended, successfully -passed the barrier of the mountains, and with its -whole great caravan safely reached the valley of the Columbia. -Thus, sooner perhaps, and with a stronger and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>bolder movement than Mr. Calhoun himself had expected -when he spoke, the onward movement of population began -to make good the words of his prophesy.</p> - -<p class='c011'>When, in February, 1843, the senate bill failed in the -house, it was understood that the two governments were -in communication on the subject of the Oregon Territory. -It was this understanding more than anything else that -led to the suppression of the Oregon bill in the Committee -on Foreign Relations. No proposal had as yet been made -in official form, but it is now known that the President -and his secretary had a definite policy in mind, and that -while desirous of checking any measures in congress -which might hinder the negotiations which they aimed -to bring about, they felt obliged to conceal the nature of -their policy with the utmost care, for fear of arousing opposition -in congress and the country. As it was, there -was no little dissatisfaction in congress with the treaty -which had just been negotiated by Webster and Lord -Ashburton. Like most treaties on boundary lines, this -treaty was a settlement by compromise. Many citizens -from the section affected by the new boundary line, and -enemies of the administration from all sections, were -prompt to say that the secretary had yielded too much—that -he had allowed the United States to be overreached -in the negotiations. The friends of Oregon took alarm. -They thought they saw in the omission of the Oregon -boundary from the treaty an occasion for another compromise, -in which there should be a surrender of territory -justly claimed by the United States. That this fear -was widespread in the states of the Mississippi Valley appears -from the resolutions of state legislatures presented -to congress early in the following session. In more than -one set of these resolutions it was manifest, through plain -statement or through implication, that apprehensions for -Oregon had been awakened by the terms of settlement of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>the boundary line of Maine. There was reason for uneasiness -in the well known leaning of Mr. Webster -toward certain commercial advantages to be got by treaty -from Great Britain, and his low estimate of the value of -the Oregon Territory to the United States. We now know -that for this and for other reasons the prevalent apprehensions -of the time in regard to the Oregon Territory -were not groundless. The evidence is now at hand that -the President and his secretary did contemplate a treaty -with England which would involve a surrender of territory -on the North Pacific Coast such as no administration -hitherto had been willing for a moment to consider. The -compensation, however, for the territory surrendered was -not, as was then surmised, to be found wholly, if at all, -on the Atlantic Coast.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It will be remembered that the Oregon Question was -not the only question that agitated the country at this -time. There was the Texas question, well nigh as old as -that of Oregon, lately become pressing through events -in Texas itself, and through the growing importunity of -the Southern States. Then, too, there was the California -question,—not a question of as widespread and popular -interest as either of the others, but one which for a decade -or more had been of growing interest to a narrow but intelligent -circle. There was a popular demand for the assertion -and maintenance of our rights in Oregon; there -had come to be a popular demand for the annexation to -the union, or the reannexation, as some chose to put it, -of Texas; while as far back as the second administration -of President Jackson there had been a desire on the part -of farseeing statesmen to secure from Mexico the cession -to the United States of so much of California as to include -the bay of San Francisco. England was interested -in Texas, was even thought by many in the United States -to be contemplating making it a colony; England had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>influence with Mexico, her capitalists having loaned the -Mexican government to the amount of $50,000,000 on security -of lands in New Mexico, California, and other of -her possessions; and England was urgent in all negotiations -on the Oregon boundary that she be allowed free -navigation of the Columbia, if not that that river be her -southern boundary. In the United States, the slave states -were desirous of Texas; the Western States pressed for -the Oregon Territory at least to the forty-ninth parallel, -while there was a growing desire in commercial centers -in the North Atlantic States to have in American possession -what was then regarded as the only ample and safe -harbor on the North Pacific Coast south of the Straits of -Fuca. Out of these various interests in England and -America, President Tyler and Mr. Webster, his Secretary -of State, shaped the policy of the administration. -It is not likely that the President and his secretary were -in entire accord on the details of the policy; but both -alike were desirous that the administration should be -signalized by a settlement through negotiation of the -questions then pressing upon the country. In its earlier -and more comprehensive form, the policy of the administration -included all the questions that have been mentioned. -These it sought to settle by a comprehension of -them all in a tripartite treaty between the United States, -Mexico and Great Britain, whereby it was hoped to secure -from Mexico the recognition of the independence of -Texas, and the cession to the United States of her possessions -on the Pacific down to the thirty-sixth parallel. -In compensation for her good offices in these matters, the -United States was to yield to Great Britain all claim to the -Oregon Territory down to the line of the Columbia River. -It was thought that the large acquisition thus secured -of territory south of the forty-second parallel would compensate -for the loss of Oregon north of the Columbia, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>while the northern and southern sections would be reconciled -to the treaty by the large acquisition it secured north -and south, respectively, of parallel thirty-six.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The plan of the administration included a special mission -to England, on which it was expected Mr. Webster -should be sent, that he might be the better able to negotiate -the treaty; and, failing this, a mission to China, to -which Mr. Everett, then Minister to England, should be -transferred, thus still accomplishing the desired end by -allowing Mr. Webster to take his place in London. The -mission to England failed in committee; the mission to -China passed in congress, but failed to carry Mr. Webster -to England, through Mr. Everett’s unwillingness to accept -the China mission. With his failure to reach England -at this time, Mr. Webster’s hope of being able to -effect a settlement of the questions pending between the -two governments died; this having been his main reason -for remaining in President Tyler’s cabinet, his resignation -shortly followed. And thus, with Mr. Webster’s -resignation from the cabinet, passed forever all danger -of a settlement of the Oregon boundary on a line below -the forty-ninth parallel.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There were causes operating to produce this result -which do not appear in this narrative. Even if the mission -to England had succeeded, and Mr. Webster had -effected the tripartite treaty as he desired, it is doubtful -if it would have been accepted by the senate. Events -were occurring contemporaneously with the movement of -these measures that rendered it probable that the treaty, -if made, would have failed of confirmation. Certain it -is that the early spring of that year found the President -less disposed to press for the settlement of the Oregon -boundary contemplated in this scheme, and with less -reason to expect the approval of congress or the country -in any such settlement. Events had been rapidly making -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>such a settlement impossible. A notable one, the -great emigration of 1843, has already been mentioned. -There were others precedent to this.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Some years previous, the Rev. Jason Lee, while on a -visit to the United States, had visited Washington, and -made a strong representation of the need of a representative -of the United States in Oregon. As a late response -to this plea, in the spring of 1842, the government had -sent a sub-agent to look after the interests of the Indians -in Oregon. The appointment fell upon Dr. Elijah White, -who himself had been a member of the Willamette mission. -Doctor White had at once set out for Oregon, in May -of that year, and was accompanied by a colony of more -than one hundred persons, assembled largely through his -influence, the first real colony of American families, aside -from the missions, to enter the Oregon Territory. By the -end of the winter of 1843, the government was in possession -of Doctor White’s report of the safe arrival in Oregon -of himself, and this colony; of the satisfaction of the -colonists with what they found there; and of the favorable -condition and prospects of the settlers already there. -Some of the colonists themselves had written to newspapers -at their old homes giving good accounts of the new -land, and urging their friends to join them there. And -these letters, wherever found, were copied by all the great -newspapers, north and south, because, as their editors -sometimes apologetically added, “every one was eager to -hear the latest news from the Oregon country.” About -the same time with the arrival of the report of the government’s -own agent, there appeared in Washington, -fresh from his winter ride from Oregon, Dr. Marcus Whitman, -of the Walla Walla mission. In repeated interviews -with the President, and members of his cabinet, as well -as with members of congress, Doctor Whitman presented -earnestly the practicability of large companies of emigrants -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>with their cattle and wagons reaching Oregon -through the mountains, and urged the government to -encourage such caravans by making the way thither as -easy and safe as possible. What was thus said in the -ears of government, and through the public press, was -talked by many voices in crowded assemblies, at village -stores, and at firesides throughout the country, from the -frontiers of Missouri to the coast of Massachusetts, and -from Portland, Maine, to New Orleans. The people were -thus already aroused, even before the failure in congress -of the administration’s plans for the settlement of the -boundary question. The country of the Oregon had been -made to appear inviting for seekers for new homes in all -parts of the land, and colonization of it by the direct route -through the Rocky Mountains practicable to the nation -at large, so that the state of the public mind at this time -boded ill to any plan of settlement that proposed a surrender -of any part of the territory to which the United -States was believed to have a well grounded claim. The -time for bargaining away any part of the Oregon Territory, -south of the forty-ninth parallel and the Straits of -Fuca, had now fully passed. No one was quicker to see -and appreciate the changed conditions of the question, -than was the President himself. Naturally desirous that -his administration should have the honor of settling this -long pending question, he continued, through his succeeding -secretaries, to endeavor to bring the negotiations to a -successful conclusion; but henceforth his proposals were -based upon a return to the former position of the government -on the line of the forty-ninth parallel. After a proposal -of the line of the Columbia our government was -at a disadvantage in renewing proposals based upon the -more northern line, while the changed temper of congress -and the country obliged to a firmer standing to the old -position, once it was resumed. The President’s best -<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>efforts, however, to bring negotiations to a happy issue -failed, and his administration closed with the question -still pending. The negotiations of this time show a zealous -purpose on the part of the President to effect a settlement, -but show no real progress toward that end. The -same may be said of the measures in congress of this -period. Discussion of the question had been resumed in -the house, and went on in the senate, but since negotiations -on the part of the government with a view to a -speedy settlement were almost continuously pending, congress -was induced to refrain from any action that might -thwart or trammel the government in its efforts.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It has already been pointed out in this paper that the -correspondence between the two governments precedent -to the convention of 1818, pointed to the line of the forty-ninth -parallel as the final position of our government in -this question. In subsequent negotiations between the -United States and Great Britain, this line came to be regarded -as in some sort traditional with our government, -and as such became increasingly influential in shaping -the proposals of succeeding administrations. We have -just seen how under pressure of considerations external -to the Oregon Question the administration of Mr. Tyler -had been momentarily in danger of yielding this our traditional -line for one to the south, on the Columbia. We -have now to see how under pressure of another sort the -government under the administration of Mr. Polk came -near abandoning this traditional position for a line farther -to the north.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In 1824, in a treaty between the United States and Russia, -the line of 54° and 40′ was fixed as the limit of the -claim of the United States northward as against Russia, -and of Russia’s claim southward as against the United -States. This line was thenceforth considered as the northern -limit of the Oregon Territory. In the course of negotiations -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>with Great Britain it had been mentioned as -the northern limit of our claim, but the claim of the -United States to this line had never been pressed by the -government. In the same paragraph in which the claim -had been mentioned by our government, it had been abandoned -for the lower line of the forty-ninth parallel. In -the year 1842, however, after the treaty of that year had -been concluded and made public, in the reaction caused -by what was regarded as a surrender of rights and just -claims on the part of our government, a disposition was -manifested in some sections of the country, particularly -in the west, to recur to the extreme northern line, and to -press our claim to the Oregon Territory fully up to that -limit. This disposition found expression in some of the -resolutions of the state legislatures which were presented -to congress at its next session. Later, it found more distinct -and emphatic expression in resolutions adopted by -public meetings and local conventions in various parts of -the country held for the purpose of promoting the occupation -and settlement of the Oregon Territory. The agitation -thus carried on in the latter part of 1842, and the -earlier months of 1843, culminated in a convention held -in Cincinnati in July of the latter year. This convention -from its size and representative character had somewhat -of national importance. The circular calling the convention -issued from Cincinnati under date of May 23, was -sent to representative men far and wide over the union, -and was given publicity by the leading journals of the -day. In this circular the object of the convention was -formally stated to be, “to urge upon congress the immediate -occupation of the Oregon Territory by the arms and -laws of the republic, and to adopt such measures as may -seem most conducive to its immediate and effective occupation, -whether the government acts or not in the matter.” -It will be proposed, the circular continues, “to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>base the action of the convention on Mr. Monroe’s declaration -of 1823, ‘that the American continents are not to -be considered subject to colonization by any European -powers.’” The convention in a session of three days discussed -thoroughly the various aspects of the subject on -which it came together, and concluded by adopting a -declaration of principles which was signed by the chairman, -Col. R. M. Johnson, and ninety other delegates, -representing six states of the Mississippi Valley. The -first of the principles adopted defined clearly what the -convention understood by the Oregon Territory which it -was sought to occupy and settle, asserting, as it did, the -right of the United States from the line of latitude 42° -to that of 54° and 40′. Among letters read in the convention -from prominent men unable to be present was -one from Mr. Cass, in which he declared that no one -would be present who would concur more heartily with -the convention in the measures that might be adopted -than should he; he would take and hold possession of -the territory of the Pacific Coast, come what might. It -is not difficult to see in the utterance of the Cincinnati -convention, when taken in connection with the political -weight of the convention itself, the origin of that party -war-cry which was to make the presidential campaign of -the following year so celebrated in our history. Here -was a constituency united in a solemn pledge, which could -not well be ignored in the estimate of political forces. It -was an influence to be bid for, and what more natural -than that it should be bid for, as it was bid for, by the -party seeking a means of reconciling northern and western -voters to its more distinctly southern policy of the -annexation of Texas?</p> - -<p class='c011'>On becoming President, Mr. Polk seems not to have felt -himself bound by the extreme statement of his party’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>position on the Oregon Question. The tone of his inaugural -is rather more conservative upon this subject -than might have been expected from the circumstances -of his election. His position, as stated in this paper, was -sufficiently advanced, however, to alarm the British government. -In a letter of April 3, addressed to Packenham, -British Minister at Washington, Lord Aberdeen said: -“The inaugural speech of President Polk has impressed -a very serious character on our actual relations with the -United States, and the manner in which he has referred -to the Oregon Question, so different from the language of -his predecessor, leaves little reason to hope for any favorable -result of the existing negotiation.” And yet Mr. -Polk, shortly after entering upon office, took up the negotiation -as he found it then pending, and made an honest -effort to effect a settlement upon the compromise line of -his predecessors. In explanation of his course, in his annual -message to congress, December following, he said: -“Though entertaining the settled conviction that the British -pretensions of title could not be maintained to any portion -of the Oregon Territory, upon any principle of public -law recognized by nations, yet, in deference to what had -been done by my predecessors, and especially in consideration -that propositions of compromise had been thrice -made by two preceding administrations to adjust the question -on the parallel of the forty-ninth degree of latitude, -and in two of them yielding the free navigation of the -Columbia, and that the pending negotiations had been -commenced on the basis of compromise, I deemed it my -duty not abruptly to break it off. In consideration, too, -that under the conventions of 1818 and 1827 the citizens -and subjects of the two powers held a joint occupancy of -the country, I was induced to make another effort to settle -this long pending controversy in the spirit of moderation -which had given birth to the renewed discussion.”</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>In the letter above referred to, Lord Aberdeen, notwithstanding -his fears, directed Mr. Packenham to submit -again to the new Secretary of State the proposal for -arbitration which he had submitted to his predecessor, if -conditions for such a proposal seemed favorable. On Mr. -Packenham’s informing Mr. Buchanan, the new Secretary -of State, of his instructions to this effect, Mr. Buchanan -expressed the hope that a satisfactory settlement of the -question might yet be effected through negotiation. In -accordance with this expressed hope, Mr. Buchanan, a -few days later, submitted a proposal of the line of the -forty-ninth parallel extended through to the Pacific, offering -to Great Britain any port or ports on Vancouver’s Island -she might choose. This proposal was rejected by -Mr. Packenham, without first submitting it to his government, -in a paper in which, after declaring the proposal -offered less than was offered by the United States in 1826, -he concluded: “The undersigned trusts that the American -Plenipotentiary will be prepared to offer some other -proposal for the settlement of the Oregon Question more -consistent with fairness and equity, and with the reasonable -expectations of the British government.” This paper -was presented on July 29; on August 30 Mr. Buchanan -presented to Mr. Packenham a carefully prepared paper, -in which, after reviewing the position in which the President -found himself in reference to the question on coming -into office, and setting forth the motives which had actuated -him in making the present proposal in spite of his -personal views on the subject, he called the British Minister’s -attention to the fact that the President’s proposal -had been rejected by him in terms not over courteous, -without even a reference of it to his government, and concluded: -“Under such circumstances, I am instructed by -the President to say that he owes it to his own country, -and to a just appreciation of her title to the Oregon Territory, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>to withdraw this proposition to the British government, -which was made under his direction; and it is hereby -accordingly withdrawn.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>We have it on the authority of Mr. Polk’s diary that -the concluding paragraph is of the President’s own wording; -that Mr. Buchanan urged the President so to couch -his answer as to encourage the British government to -make an offer on their part; that this the President positively -declined to do, saying that if the British government -wished to make an offer they must do so on their -own responsibility. It was a matter of regret on the part -of Lord Aberdeen, on hearing of the matter, that this -proposition of our government had not been referred by -Mr. Packenham to his government. Later, Mr. Packenham, -on receipt of a communication from Lord Aberdeen, -approached Mr. Buchanan with a view of getting from -the President encouragement to present another proposition -on behalf of Great Britain. This, though repeatedly -urged to do so by Mr. Buchanan, the President firmly -refused to give. And thus the question stood at the convening -of congress in December.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The President’s message had, on the question of the -Oregon Territory, been prepared with special care. The -several paragraphs bearing on this subject were read and -discussed in cabinet, and amended, until they embodied -the President’s policy in its maturest form. Again Mr. -Polk was besought by the Secretary of State to soften the -tone of his message on this point, but he refused, preferring, -as he said, “his own bold stand.” After reviewing -briefly the history of negotiations on the question under -his predecessors, and noting that these had uniformly -been maintained on the part of the United States on the -compromise line of the forty-ninth parallel; and after -stating somewhat particularly the reasons that had induced -him to take up the negotiations as he found them -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>pending on his entrance to office, and to continue them -on the same line in spite of his own personal convictions -that the United States had a just claim to the whole of -the Oregon Territory, the President proceeded to recommend -to the favorable consideration of congress five measures, -all of which he thought clearly within the right of -the United States under the terms of the convention of -joint occupancy. The first and capital one of these recommendations -was, that congress authorize the President to -terminate the convention of joint occupancy by giving -the British government the required notice. In accordance -with this recommendation a resolution to that effect -was promptly introduced in congress, and thereupon the -Oregon Question was thought by all to have assumed a -grave aspect. Many men within congress, and without, -some of them Mr. Polk’s best friends and advisors, felt -that while the measure was clearly within the terms of -the convention it was neither wise nor safe at that time -to adopt it. To every representation, however, of this -view of the case made to the President, he returned the -uniform answer that in his judgment the notice should -be given.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The Secretary of State was not alone in his alarm at -the President’s bold stand on this question. He, with -others, finding themselves unable to induce the President -to change his attitude on this point, and finding that in -the present mood of congress the resolution of notice was -likely to pass, used every endeavor to induce him to consent -to a renewal of the proposition for compromise on -the line of the forty-ninth parallel, or to invite such a -proposal from the British government.</p> - -<p class='c011'>On the twenty-fifth of February, Mr. Calhoun, now returned -to the senate, called upon the President and met -there Senator Colquitt, of Georgia. Mr. Calhoun urged -upon Mr. Polk that it was important that some action of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>pacific character should go to England upon the next -steamer, and asked the President’s opinion of the policy -of the senate’s passing a resolution in executive session, -advising the President to reopen negotiations on the basis -of the forty-ninth parallel. Mr. Polk was unwilling to -advise such a course; he did, however, finally tell Mr. -Calhoun and Mr. Colquitt, in confidence, as members of -the senate, that if Great Britain should see fit to submit -a proposition for compromise on that line, he should feel -it his duty, following the example of Washington on important -occasions, to submit the proposition to the senate -confidentially for their previous advice. This course had -already been considered in cabinet two days before, on -the reading of a dispatch from Mr. McLane, our Minister -in London, and had met with the almost unanimous approval -of the members.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The house had already, on the ninth of February, -passed the resolution of notice; the senate yet delayed -and debated. But from the time when the President consented -to encourage a further proposition of compromise -from the British government by promising to submit the -same to the senate for advice, events moved rapidly to a -favorable conclusion. April 17 the resolution of notice -passed the senate. Formal notice was addressed by our -President to the Minister in London on the twenty-eighth -of April, was received by him in London on the fifteenth -of May, and on the twentieth of May was by him presented -to Lord Aberdeen. Two days before receiving the -notice, however, on the eighteenth of May, Lord Aberdeen -had addressed a note to Mr. Packenham, at Washington, -instructing him to offer a compromise on the basis of such -a modification of the line of the forty-ninth degree of -north latitude as would give to Great Britain Vancouver’s -Island, and allow her the free navigation of the Columbia -for a limited term of years. On the tenth of June, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>in a message to the senate, the President submitted this -proposal, and asked the senate’s previous advice. This -was formally given in a resolution adopted June 12, by -a vote of thirty-eight to ten, in which the senate advised -the President to accept the proposal of the British government. -A treaty based upon this proposal was concluded -and signed on the fifteenth day of June by the -representatives of the two powers. This treaty, on the -following day, was laid before the senate by the President, -for its approval, and three days later was confirmed -without amendment. This convention provided for the -extension of a line on the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, -westward from the Rocky Mountains, to the middle -of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver’s -Island, and thence southerly, through the middle -of said channel, and of Fuca Straits, to the Pacific Ocean.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It was found by the commissioners appointed to determine -a line in accordance with this convention that in -one part of the strait there were two recognized channels, -an easterly one, by the Straits of Rosario, and a westerly -one, by the Canal De Haro. The commissioners failing to -agree as to which of the channels was the channel contemplated -by the treaty, the determination of this portion -of the line was left in abeyance. It remained so until the -year 1871, when the joint high commission appointed to -adjust sundry differences between the two governments, -met in Washington. By certain articles of a convention, -concluded at this time it was agreed by the representatives -of the two powers, to submit to the Emperor of -Germany the question as to which of the two channels -was the more in accordance with the treaty of June 15, -1846, the commissioners pledging their respective governments -to accept his award as final. The Emperor of -Germany submitted the question to three experts, Doctor -Grimm, Doctor Goldschmidt, and Doctor Kiepert. In accordance -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>with the report of these distinguished scholars, -the Emperor of Germany, on the twenty-first of October, -1872, rendered his decision, that the line by way of the -Canal De Haro was the one most in accordance with the -treaty. This decision was accepted by the two governments, -and the unsettled portion of the boundary line determined -in accordance with it.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Thus, after the vicissitudes of more than three-quarters -of a century of debate and negotiations, with the -determination of this last detail, the Oregon Question -reached its full and final decision.</p> - -<div class='c015'>JOSEPH R. WILSON.</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span> - <h2 id='chap2' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>REMINISCENCES OF HUGH COSGROVE</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c013'> - <div>By <span class='sc'>H. S. Lyman</span>.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>Hugh Cosgrove, an Oregon pioneer of 1847, and a representative -of the men of some means, who established -the business interests of the state, is of Irish birth, having -been born in County Cavan, North Ireland, in 1811. -Although now in his ninetieth year, he is still of clear -mind and memory, and recalls with perfect distinctness -the many scenes of his active life. He is still living on -the place which he purchased, in 1850, on French Prairie, -near Saint Paul. He is a man of fine physical proportion, -being in his prime, five feet, eleven inches tall, and full -chested, broad shouldered, and erect, and weighing about -one hundred and eighty pounds. He has the finely -moulded Celtic features, and genial expression of the land -of Ulster, and enjoys the fine wit and humor for which -his race is famous. His father was a farmer, but learning -much of the opportunities in Canada, concluded to -cross the ocean to improve the conditions of himself and -his family. It was about that period when assisted emigration -from East Britain was in vogue, and mechanics -of Glasgow, Scotland, were loaned 10£ sterling for each -member of the family, to take up free homes in Canada; -the loan to be returned after a certain time. The Cosgroves -not being from that city, did not enjoy this loan, -but determined to take advantage of the other opportunities -offered all the immigrants, which were a concession -of one hundred acres of land free, and an outfit of goods -necessary to setting up a home in the new land.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Taking passage on a lumber ship, the Eliza, of Dublin, -at a rate of 3£ each, and furnishing their own victualing, -they made a speedy and prosperous voyage, some considerable -glimpses of which remain in the memory of Mr. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>Cosgrove, after the lapse of eighty years. He remembers -well, also, the breaking up of the old home, the auction -of the family belongings, and the general sense of hope -and abandon with which they cut loose from the shores -of the old world. None of the family, probably, had any -considerable appreciation of the vast race movement to -which they as units of society were answering, but felt -keenly the bracing effect of increased energy and enthusiasm -which that movement imparted.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In Canada they hastened to secure their possessions, -locating the one hundred-acre lot of their own, in the hard -timber woods out on the boulder-sprinkled soil of lower -Canada, in the Dalhousie township, within five miles of -Lanark, and obtaining a free government outfit at the -government store at Lanark. Here young Hugh spent -the most of his boyhood, helping to clear the farm, becoming -an expert axeman, burning the hard wood, from -the ashes of which was leached the potash that paid for -the clearing; and also getting his education at the free -school. He recalls these as very happy years, and the -pride and joy that all the family took in owning their own -home did very much to form his character on a more -liberal and progressive plan than could have been had in -old world conditions. At the age of twenty-one he was -married to Mary, a daughter of Richard Rositer,—“a -glorious good man,” of Perth. Learning at length that -land of a better quality, less stony, was vacant “out west,” -a move was made to Chatham, in Canada West, as then -known. Having a “birth-right claim,” as it was called, -to one hundred acres, and finding that he could make a -purchase adjoining of one hundred acres of “clerical -land,” the young farmer laid out his two hundred-acre -farm, and made buildings to improve it. But learning -that land was still better the farther west one went, he -proceeded as far as the Detroit River.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>But just at this juncture all things were thrown in confusion -by the uprising of the “Patriots,” the extent of -whose organization was not known. There was great -alarm felt, and the Canadian militia were likely to be -called out. Now the Cosgroves had been duly taught -that “the Yankees” were terrible people, almost ready -to eat innocent people from the old country. But now -that the Canadian side looked warlike, Mrs. Cosgrove said -to her husband: “Very likely now you will be called out -with the militia, and I will be left alone; why not cross -over into the United States, and begin there?” She was -acquainted, moreover, with a family in Detroit. Mr. -Cosgrove acted upon the suggestion, and this led into a -very much larger field of operations.</p> - -<p class='c011'>They found life on the American side much more intense -and extensive, and discovered that the Yankees, -instead of being a species of man-eaters, were royal good -fellows.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Having saved some money for a new start, he prudently -looked about how to invest it so as to make increase -as he crossed the line. He found at the custom -house that duty on cattle was low. He bought cows, -selling at $10 each in Canada, which he disposed of in -Michigan at as much as $40 each,—his first “good luck.” -This gave him some ready money to begin business.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Fortunately in disposing of his cattle he made the acquaintance -of a Mr. Saxon, a business man of very high -character, recently from New Jersey. He was, indeed, -not only a strict business man, but strictly religious, and -a crank in habits of morality, taking pains to advise -young men against bad habits. By this Mr. Saxon, Cosgrove -was interested in taking work, just being begun -on the railway line from Detroit to Chicago, Illinois, then -a landing place on the marshy shores of Lake Michigan. -“Why not take a contract?” asked Mr. Saxon, who had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>himself the work of locating a twenty-mile section of the -road; and offered all assistance necessary in making -bids, and was willing to guarantee Cosgrove’s responsibility. -By this great service a paying contract was secured -of grading a section of road. The contract was -profitable, and the ins and outs of business were learned—especially -the art of how to employ and work other -men profitably,—Mr. Saxon, the ever ready friend, frequently -giving the young immigrant helpful advice.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Having saved something like $5,000 from his operations, -he was next visited by a coterie of eastern men who -were coming west to mend their fortunes—to go to Chicago, -and take a contract of excavating and filling on the -great projected canal from Chicago to the Mississippi—a -work only just completed at this day. It was then begun -under state control. He soon discovered that he was the -only capitalist in the number, and in order to save the -job, bought out the main man, a Mr. Smith, who had a -contract of $80,000. This was finished to advantage, -although the state suspended operations. Prices were -excellent, some of the rock excavating being done at fifty -to seventy-five cents, and rock filling at $1.25 per square -yard. Further contracts were taken, but in the course of -time prices were forced down. In following up the railway -development, a residence was made at Joliet, where -he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which -much of the city now stands. But two things acted as -a motive to make him look elsewhere. One was the -malaria of the Illinois prairie; the other was the report -of Oregon.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A newspaper man by the name of Hudson, of the Joliet -<em>Courier</em>, who had come to Oregon, wrote back very favorable -accounts of that then territory, especially praising -the equable climate. A number of Joliet men, among -whom were Lot Whitcomb and James McKay, read these -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>articles with interest, and finally made up their minds to -cross the country to Oregon, a name that was to the old -west about what the new world was to the old. Lot Whitcomb, -a man of affairs, who afterwards made himself -famous in Oregon as a steamboat man, thought Oregon -would be a great place for contractors and men able to -carry on large undertakings, as he heard that there were -few such there.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In April, 1847, accordingly, a party of thirteen families -were ready to start. Cosgrove had been trading during -the winter, to get suitable wagons and ox teams. He -preferred to make the eventful journey comfortably and -safely, and lack nothing that forethought could provide. -He did not belong to the poorer class, who had to make -the trip partly on faith. Three well made, well built -wagons, drawn each by three yoke of oxen—young oxen—and -a band of fifteen cows constituted his outfit. He had -young men as drivers, and his family was comfortably -housed under the big canvas tops.</p> - -<p class='c011'>He now recalls the journey that followed as one of the -pleasantest incidents of his life. It was a long picnic, -the changing scenes of the journey, the animals of the -prairie, the Indians, the traders and trappers of the mountain -country; the progress of the season, which was exceptionally -mild, just about sufficed to keep up the interest, -and formed a sort of mental culture that the world -has rarely offered. Almost all migration has been carried -on in circumstances of danger and distress, but this -was, although daring in the extreme, a summer jaunt, -with nothing to vitiate the effect of the great changes in -making out the American type.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The following particulars of the journey have the interest -of being recalled by a pioneer now in his ninetieth -year, showing what sharp lines the original experiences -had drawn on the mind, and also being in themselves -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>worthy of preservation. However much alike may have -been the journeyings across the plains in general features, -in each particular case, it was different from all others, -and no true comprehension of the whole journey, the -movement of civilization across the American continent, -can be gained without all the details; the memory of one -supplying one thing, and that of another supplying another. -The experiences of the Cosgroves were those of -the pleasantest kinds, the better-to-do way of doing it, -without danger, sickness, great fatigue, or worry, and -with no distress.</p> - -<p class='c011'>After making the drive across Iowa and Missouri, in -the springtime, when the grass was starting and growing, -the Missouri River was crossed, waiting almost a week -for their turn at Saint Joe, and then they were west of the -Mississippi, with the plains and the Indian country before -them. An “organization” was duly effected. Nothing -showed the American character more distinctly than the -impulse to “organize,” whenever two or three were gathered -together. It was the social spirit. There was no -lack of materials, as besides this party of thirteen families, -there were hundreds of others gathering at Saint Joe, the -immigration of that year amounting to almost two thousand -persons. A train of one hundred and fourteen -wagons was soon made up, and Lot Whitcomb was elected -captain. Mr. Cosgrove says, “I was elected something. -I have forgotten what it was”—but some duty was assigned -to each and all, and the big train moved.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Almost immediately upon starting, however, they were -met by some trappers coming out of the mountains, who -said, “You will never get through that way; but break -up in small parties of not over fifteen wagons each.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>It soon proved as the trappers said. The fondness of -organization, and having officers, is only exceeded among -Americans by the fondness of “going it on one’s own -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>hook;” and this, coupled with the delays of the train, -broke up Lot Whitcomb’s company in two days. In a -company, as large as that, a close organization was next -to impossible. A trifling break down or accident to one -hindered all, and the progress of the whole body was determined -by the slowest ox. When Mr. Cosgrove separated -his three fine wagons, and active young oxen, and -drove out on the prairie, Captain Whitcomb said, “that -settles it. If Cosgrove won’t stay by me, there is no use -trying to keep the company together.” With thirteen -wagons, and oxen well matched, all went well.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Indians of many tribes were gathered or camped at -Saint Joe, and followed the train along the now well traveled -road. They were polite as Frenchmen, bowing or -tipping their hats, which were worn by some, as they -rode along. They expected some little present, usually, -but were well satisfied with any article that might be -given; and the immigrants expected to pass out a little -tobacco or sugar, or some trifle.</p> - -<p class='c011'>There was but one affair with Indians that had any serious -side. This occurred at Castle Rock, an eminence out -on the prairie, some hundreds of miles from the Mississippi. -Here the train was visited, after making the afternoon -encampment, by a party of about forty mounted -Pawnees, clothed only in buffalo robes. They seemed -friendly, asking for sugar and tobacco, as usual. But -as they rode off, they disclosed their purpose—making a -sudden swoop, to stampede the cattle and the horses of -the train. The young men of the train, however, instantly -ran for the trail ropes of their horses, and began -discharging their pieces at the Indians, who, perhaps, -were more in sport than in earnest, or, at least, simply -“saucing” the immigrants; and wheeled off to the hills, -letting the stock go.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But this was not all of it, as the Pawnees soon overtook -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>two men of the train who were out hunting, and, quickly -surrounding them, began making sport, passing jokes, -and pointing at the men and laughing to one another; -and ended by commanding the alarmed and mystified -hunters to take off their clothes, article by article, beginning -with their boots. When it came to giving up their -shirts, one of the white men hesitated, but was speedily -brought to time by a smart stroke across the shoulders -by the Indian chief’s bow. When the two white men -were entirely disrobed, the Pawnees again made remarks, -and then commanded them to run for camp; but considerately -threw their boots after them, saying they did -not want them. Much crestfallen, the two forlorn hunters -came out of the hills, “clipping it as fast as they could -go” to the train, which was already excited, and thought -at first that this was a fresh onslaught of the savages. -The men of the train, however, were not very sorry for -the young fellows, as they were notorious boasters, and -from the first had been declaring that they would shoot, -first or last, one Indian a piece before they reached Oregon.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The animal life, as it gradually was encountered, was -a source of great interest. The gentle and fleet, but curious, -antelopes were the first game. Mr. Cosgrove had -two very large and swift greyhounds, which were able to -overtake the antelopes. But the meat of these animals -was not very greatly relished, being rather dry.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The wolves were the most constant attendants of the -train, appearing daily, and howling nightly. These were -the large gray wolves, much like our forest species; also, -a handsome cream-colored animal, and the black kind, -and most curious of all, the variety that was marked -with a dark stripe down the back, crossed by another -over the shoulders. Then the coyotes were innumerable, -and yelped at almost every camp fire. Shooting at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>wolves, however, was nothing more than a waste of ammunition, -and these animals were at length disregarded. -Even the greyhounds learned to let them severely alone, -for though at first giving chase ferociously, they soon -found a pack of fierce wolves no fun, and were chased -back even more ferociously than they started out.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The cities of the prairie dogs were interesting places, -and the tiny chirp, a yelp, of the guardian of the door, -became a familiar sound. Mr. Cosgrove recalls shooting -one of these, finding it much like a chipmunk, only of -larger size.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But the great animal of the prairie was the buffalo. -The vast herds of these grand animals impressed the -travelers of the plains quite differently, almost always -giving a shock of strange surprise. One immigrant recalls -that his first thought at seeing distant buffaloes, but -few in number, in the sparkling distance, was that they -were rabbits. With Mr. Cosgrove’s party there were indications -enough of the animals. Indeed, the plains were -strewn with the buffalo chips, and it was the regular -thing, noon and evening, as they came to camp, for each -man to take his sack and gather enough of them for the -camp fire; and coming to the Platte Valley they found -the region strewn with the dead bodies of the thousands -of the animals, which had probably come north too soon, -and were caught in the last blizzard of the winter; but -no live buffaloes were seen. But at length, as the train -crested a slope, and a vast expanse of prairie opened in -view, Mr. Cosgrove looked over, and seeing what seemed -brown, shaggy tufts thickly studding the distance as far -as eye could reach, he exclaimed, “We shall have plenty -of firewood now! No need of gathering chips tonight!” -He thought the vast Platte Valley was covered with -stunted clumps of brush-wood. One of the girls was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>near, however, and after looking, cried out, “See, they -are moving!” Then first he realized it was a herd of -buffaloes. Nor were they simply grazing; they were on -the run and bearing down on the train. The cry of -“buffaloes!” was passed back. It was not altogether -safe to be in the path of such an immense herd, and the -train was quickly halted, the wagon pins drawn, and a -band of hunters quickly went out on horseback to meet -the host, and also to get buffalo meat. The herd divided, -leaving the train clear and the oxen standing their -ground. One part went off to the hills; the other took -the fords of the Platte, making the water boil as they -dashed through. Enough were shot to stock the train; -yet the herd was so vast that at least four hours elapsed -before the last flying columns had galloped by—like the -last shags of a thundercloud. What a picture—thirteen -families with their oxen and wagons, sitting quietly in -the midday blaze, while a buffalo troop, perhaps one -hundred thousand strong, or even more, dashed past on -either side. The best method of preparing the buffalo -meat was by jerking it, over a slow fire of sagebrush -sticks; the meat being sliced thin, and dried in the smoke -in one night. At a later time, when buffalo had become -as familiar as cattle, however, the train was stopped by -one single monarch. It was just at evening, and the man -detailed to go ahead to find a good camping place was -out of sight. A shot was heard, however, and the startled -train was halted, and the king-pins were drawn, all ready -for any emergency; for it might be Indians ahead.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The picket soon was seen, riding at top speed, and crying -as he came, “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” and just -behind him was an enormous buffalo, charging the whole -train. The animal did not stop until within a few rods, -and then only with lowered head, and huge square shoulders. -The difficulty of shooting him without inducing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>him to make a charge, if not dropped, was at once apparent. -But at length, at a signal, about fifteen rifle -balls were poured into his front; and after a moment he -began to reel from side to side, and then fell over. Even -then no one dared to go and cut the throat, to bleed him; -but after a time one cried, “I’ll do it!” and the deed was -done. It required several yoke of oxen to make a team -strong enough to drag him to camp, and his estimated -weight was twenty-two hundred pounds.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The last buffalo meat was from an animal that had just -been killed by a party of trappers near the divide of the -Rocky Mountains. As for deer and elk, none of these -were seen on the plains. Birds of the prairie were abundant, -especially the sage hens, as the more arid regions -were crossed; but the flavor of this fowl was too high -for the ordinary appetite. Rattlesnakes were innumerable, -but no one of the train suffered from these reptiles -except a girl. This occurred at Independence Rock. As -the young lady was clambering among the crevices, she -incidentally placed her hand upon a snake, which struck. -Large doses of whiskey, however, soon neutralized the -venom.</p> - -<p class='c011'>After crossing the divide of the Rocky Mountains to the -headwaters of the Snake River, the numberless salmon of -the streams become the wild food in place of the buffalo -meat of the plains. At Salmon Falls there were many -Indians of different western tribes taking the fish as they -ascended the rapids. In consequence, the royal Chinook -was sold very cheap; for a brass button one could buy -all that he could carry away. Here occurred a laughable -incident. The whole camp was almost stampeded by one -wild Indian. He was a venerable fellow, dressed in a tall -old silk hat, and a vest, and walked pompously as if conscious -of his finery; his clothing, however, being nothing -except the hat and vest. At his approach, the camp was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>alarmed. The more modest hastily retreated to their -tents; and some of the men, angry that their wives should -be insulted, were for shooting the inconsiderate visitor. -A young married man, whose bride was particularly scandalized, -was greatly exasperated. But the object of the -old Indian was merely peaceable barter. He carried in -each hand an immense fish; and Mr. Cosgrove, seeing -his inoffensive purpose, bade the boys be moderate, and -going out to meet him, hastily sawed a button from his -coat, with which he purchased the fish, and sent the old -fellow off thoroughly satisfied.</p> - -<p class='c011'>On the Umatilla, after crossing the Blue Mountains, -with all their wonders of peak and valley, as they were -camped beside the river, the immigrants were visited by -Doctor Whitman and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding. -Mr. Cosgrove remembers them all very distinctly. -Doctor Whitman he describes as tall and well proportioned, -of easy bearing, and hair perhaps a little tinged -with gray; and very affable. Mrs. Whitman was remarkably -fine looking, and much more noticeable than Mrs. -Spaulding. Mr. Cosgrove has especial reason to remember -the missionaries, because, himself not being well, and -this circumstance being discovered by them, he was the -recipient of various little delicacies, of fruit, etc., not to -be had in the train. A trade was also made between himself -and Whitman, of a young cow that had become foot-sore, -and could go no further, for a very good horse. -Doctor Whitman, says Mr. Cosgrove, “was a glorious good -man;” and the news of his massacre by the Indians a -few months later, went over Oregon with a shock like the -loss of a personal friend.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Mr. Spaulding gave notice of a preaching service to be -held about six miles distant from the camp, and some of -the immigrants attended. The coming of the Catholic -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>priests to that region was alluded to in the sermon, and -they were spoken of as intruders.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At The Dalles there was a division of opinion among -the immigrants as to the best route to follow into the -Willamette Valley; whether over the mountains or down -the Columbia by bateaux to Vancouver. However, this -was easily settled for Mr. Cosgrove’s family. Word having -reached Vancouver that there were immigrants arriving, -bateaux were sent up and in readiness. The price -asked for the service was moderate, and the voyage was -made quickly and comfortably. The wagons were taken -to pieces and loaded upon the boats, and the teamsters -had no difficulty in driving the oxen by the old trail, -swimming them across the Columbia.</p> - -<p class='c011'>James McKay, a traveling companion, not being able -then—though afterwards a wealthy man—to employ a -bateaux; built a raft, which brought him through safely. -Others went over the mountains.</p> - -<p class='c011'>On arrival at Vancouver, Mr. Cosgrove found a small -house, with a big fireplace, which he rented, and housed -his family, feeling as happy as a king to be under a roof -once more. Here he could leave his family safely while -he looked over the country.</p> - -<p class='c011'>By the time that he reached the Cascades, the early -autumn rains were falling gently, and at Vancouver they -were continuing; but they seemed so light and warm as -to cause little discomfort; and the Indians were noticed -going around in it unconcernedly barefooted.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At one time Mr. Cosgrove was eagerly advised by -Daniel Lownsdale to locate a claim immediately back of -his own, on what is now included in a part of the Portland -townsite. But the timber here was so dense, and -the hills so abrupt that he saw no possible chance to make -a living there, and decided to look further.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Valuable advice was given by Peter Speen Ogden, then -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>governor of the fort. Mr. Cosgrove was quite for going -down the river to Clatsop, so as to be by the ocean. Mr. -Ogden said, however, “It depends on what you are able -to do. If you want to go into the timber, go to Puget -Sound; if you want to farm, go up the Willamette Valley.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Mr. Cosgrove decided that as he knew nothing of lumbering, -but did know something of farming, that he had -better proceed to the farming country.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Coming on up the Willamette Valley, he was met everywhere -in the most friendly fashion; especially so by Mr. -Hudson, the newspaper man of the Joliet <em>Courier</em>, who -constrained him, “right or wrong,” to turn his cattle into -a fine field of young wheat to pasture over night. Hudson -was living a few miles above Oregon City, opposite -Rock Island, and was a flourishing farmer. He went to -the California mines, and was very fortunate, discovering -a pocket in the American River bed, in a crease in the -rocks, so rich that he dared not leave it, but worked without -cessation a number of days, ordering his meals brought -to him, at an ounce of gold dust each, and took over $22,000 -from his claim.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Meeting Baptiste Dorio, of Saint Louis, on French Prairie, -he proceeded with him to look up farm lands. At -Dorio’s a somewhat laughable incident occurred. It was, -at that early day, the custom for all to carry knife and -fork with them, and these were the only individual articles -of table furniture. The meal, usually beef and potatoes, -was placed on an immense trencher, hewed out of -an oak log, and around this all sat, and each helped himself -at his side of the trencher.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Mr. Cosgrove ate heartily of the fine beef, which, however, -he noticed looked rather white. At the conclusion -of the meal Dorio asked suddenly, “Which do you like -best, ox beef or horse beef?” “I do not know that I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>could answer that,” said the fresh arrival, “as I have -never yet eaten horse beef?” “Yes, you have,” said the -Frenchman imperturbably; “that was horse beef that -you have just eaten,”—a piece of information that nearly -ruined Mr. Cosgrove’s digestion for the rest of the day.</p> - -<p class='c011'>He found the Canadian farmers ready to dispose of -their places, and was besieged by many who had square -mile claims to sell for $100, or less, each; and with the -fertile prairie, its deep sod, tall grass, and expanse diversified -with strips of forest trees, or lordly old groves, he -was very much pleased. Coming to Saint Paul he found -entertainment at the Catholic mission, and by a Mr. -Jones, who was employed then as foreman, he was furnished -much valuable information. By the brusqueness -of Father Baldu, in charge of the establishment, he was, -however, rather taken aback. When he was ready to go, -and went to the father to tell him so, with the idea of -offering pay for his entertainment, the reverend gentleman -simply remarked, “Well, the road is ready for you.” -Nevertheless, with St. Paul he was well pleased. There -was a church and a school, and a good place to sell his -produce. He therefore purchased the section adjoining -the mission, paying $800,—two oxen and two cows, and -included in the bargain was the use of a fairly good house.</p> - -<p class='c011'>He had some stout sod plows of much better make than -those of the Canadians, and at once, as the winter was -open, began to break the prairie, and sowed forty acres to -wheat. His family were comfortably established, but met -rather a severe shock as they went to meeting for the first -time. With feminine interest and delight his wife and -daughters brought out their best dresses and bonnets, as -they would at Chicago or Joliet. Mr. Cosgrove himself -selected his best suit for the occasion—he had three with -him, a blue, and a gray frock, and a swallowtail coat. -The swallowtail and a rather high silk hat, and the other -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>accompaniments of full dress, was the suit that he chose. -At the meeting, however, where the appearance of the -strangers caused minute observation, the men all sitting -on one side and the women on the other, there were no -bonnets,—the women wore only a red handkerchief tied -over the head; and the latest style bonnets from the east -created not only admiration, but much suppressed—though -not very well suppressed—merriment in the congregation.</p> - -<p class='c011'>On returning home Mrs. Cosgrove was very much dispirited, -and exclaimed, “To think that I have brought -my family here to raise them in such a place as this!” -However, taking up the difficulty in a truly womanly -way, she soon had the women of the neighborhood making -sun-bonnets, and then instructed them how to weave -wheat straw and make chip hats; and in course of time -they even put on bonnets. Not so, however, with Mr. -Cosgrove’s swallowtail coat and silk hat. These were -such a mark for ridicule that he never tried them again, -at least in that circle; but found his blue frock good -enough. Indeed, even to this day, swell dress is much -despised among Oregon men.</p> - -<p class='c011'>However, the placid life of the Oregon farmer was not -to be long continued. The California mines broke out, -and Mr. Cosgrove was constrained to go along with the rest -of the settlers. He made two trips, returning the first -time after a month’s mining to spend the winter. The -second time, which was prolonged to a stay of about -twenty months in the mines, he made very successful, -but occasion arising to sell his store in the mines for -$15,000, he finally decided to do so, and taking his dust, -went down to San Francisco to look for a ship for the -Columbia.</p> - -<p class='c011'>While at the bustling town he was induced to invest -$15,000 in a stock of goods, which he brought to Oregon, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>and set up a store at Saint Paul. Here he continued in -business for a number of years, but says that he discovered -he was not cut out for a merchant, and so in -course of time fell back upon the farm.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The place upon which he is now living, which is part -prairie and part wood land, of fine quality, is immediately -adjoining his original square mile, which he sold, as under -the donation act, but one square mile could be claimed.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chap3' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>REMINISCENCES OF WM. M. CASE.</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c013'> - <div>By <span class='sc'>H. S. Lyman</span>.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>William M. Case, a pioneer of 1844, who is still living -on the donation claim taken by him in 1845 on French -Prairie, was born in Wayne County, Indiana, not far from -the Ohio line, in 1820. He is consequently now eighty -years of age, but is still vigorous, of unimpaired memory, -firm voice, and still master of affairs on his large farm -of over one thousand acres. He is six feet tall, of wiry -build, and rather nervous temperament, and very distinctively -an American. In mind he is intensely positive -of the most definite views and opinions, and has the peculiarly -American qualities of fondness for concrete affairs. -His hair and beard are now nearly snow white, and worn -long; and his face is almost as venerable as that of the -poet Bryant, which it somewhat resembles.</p> - -<p class='c011'>His life covers almost numberless interesting experiences, -but is perhaps most intimately connected with the -part played by the Oregonians in the California mines. -This sketch will be confined more particularly to the peculiar -facts of his life not common to all the pioneers. -Mr. Case is particularly the man who can tell of the effects -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>of the gold mining and California life upon Oregon and -Oregonians, and he can explain a number of facts, quite -apparent in their effects, but seldom or never given in -their causes, of the feeling that has arisen between Californians -and Oregonians.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It was an interesting incident that first directed his -attention to Oregon. By William Henry Harrison, while -serving as delegate to congress from the then territory of -Indiana, public documents were forwarded freely to his -constituents. To William M.’s father, who was an acquaintance -of Harrison’s, there came, among other volumes, -a journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to -the Columbia River. Over this the boy used to pore, -even while still young, and out of the crabbed volume, -whose matter (certainly not the literary style) interested -the whole nation, a most vivid picture was constructed -of Oregon scenery, with the big trees, and the mild climate, -and grass green all the winter. He made up his -mind to come to Oregon when he was old enough. Before -he was twenty he told his father of his intention, and -was met with no opposition, the father being both considerate -and intelligent; but with his consent, was given -this advice: “Don’t go, William, before you are married; -take a wife with you.” This wise and not at all unpleasant -counsel young Case put into execution; hating, like -all born men of action, to keep an idea long which he did -not carry out in performance. By his young wife, who -was from New Jersey, he was encouraged, rather than -otherwise, to make the journey. She said, “My father -used to dip me in the surf of the Atlantic on the New -Jersey shore, and I would like to go and dip in the surf -of the Pacific Ocean.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Proceedings in congress in regard to Oregon were carefully -watched by Mr. Case, especial note being taken of -the Linn bill, by whose provisions there were to be given -<span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>a square mile of land to each man, another to his wife, -and a quarter section to each child. It was well understood -that the United States government could not give -title to land in Oregon; but this bill was introduced as -a promise of what it would do; and was in reality a test -of the American spirit. Would the American people settle -Oregon? If so, the United States would claim the -territory.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Men like Case were found, who had a broad outlook, -who understood the value of land in the Columbia or -Willamette Valley, and who saw that the United States -must front the Pacific as well as the Atlantic. These -ideas were largely formed by the broad spirit of the west, -the Ohio and Mississippi Valley, whose chief representatives -were men like Doctor Linn and Colonel Benton in -congress. Such men wished to live their lives on a more -liberal scale than was possible even in the old west. Mr. -Case, like his father, was an old line whig, and later an -uncompromising republican. He says: “The United -States Bank helped the country a great deal. But when, -upon the expiration of its charter, the bill to grant a -second charter was vetoed by President Jackson, there -followed a crash such as can never be described. The -country never fully recovered from the depression until -the discovery of gold in 1848.” Wages, he says, were -twenty-five cents a day in Indiana, or $6 a month, or $100 -a year, in special cases. Under such circumstances, a -young man saw no chance for accumulating a competence, -but in Oregon he might begin with a better outlook.</p> - -<p class='c011'>During the year of 1841, when he was married at the -age of twenty-one, Case was making his preparations, -and on April 1, 1842, started out for Platte City, Missouri, -which he reached June 10. However, he was too -late to catch the Oregon train, which had left the first of -the month. Going to Northern Missouri, he remained -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>until 1844, but was on time to catch the first train of that -season. The crossing of the Missouri River was made at -a point about ten miles below the present City of Omaha, -at a place now called Bellevue. The train of sixty wagons -was organized under Captain Tharp; and a regular line -of march was established, the train moving in two divisions, -on parallel lines, and about a quarter to half a -mile apart, to be in easy supporting distance in case of -an attack by Indians. The whole train was brought together -at nighttime, the wagons being driven in such a -way as to form a perfect corral, inside of which the tents -for the night were placed; although frequently no tents -were set, especially after Nebraska was passed, where -the season of 1844 was very late and stormy. With the -company of General Gilliam of that year, traveling with -which were R. W. Morrison, John Minto, W. R. Rees, -and other well-known pioneers, the company of Captain -Tharp and Mr. Case had no connection, and were in advance -all the way. John Marshall, however, who went -to California in 1846, and discovered gold in 1848, was a -member of the train.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The three following incidents on the plains may be -mentioned as presenting something new. One was a -charge, or stampede, of about one thousand buffaloes. -This occurred in the Platte Valley. As the two divisions -were moving along deliberately, at ox-speed, in the usual -parallel columns, the drivers were startled by a low sound -to the north as of distant thunder. There was no appearance -of a storm, however, in that or any other direction, -and the noise grew louder and louder, and was steady and -uninterrupted. It soon became clear that there was a -herd of buffaloes approaching and on the run. Scouring -anxiously the line of hills rimming the edge of the valley, -the dark brown outline of the herd was at length descried, -and was distinctly made out with a telescope, as buffaloes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>in violent motion and making directly for the train. The -front of the line was perhaps half a mile long and the -animals were several columns deep, and coming like a -tornado. They had probably been stampeded by hunters -and would now stop at nothing. The only apparent -chance of safety was to drive ahead and get out of the -range of the herd. The oxen were consequently urged -into a run and the train itself had the appearance of a -stampede. Neither were they too quick; for the flying -herds of the buffaloes passed but a few yards to the rear of -the last wagons, and were going at such a rate that to be -struck by them would have been like the shock of rolling -boulders of a ton’s weight. Mr. Case recalls measuring -one buffalo that was six feet, two inches, from hoof to -hump, and was over four feet from dewlap across the -body.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Another most important occurrence was near Fort -Platte, where a Frenchman by the name of Bisnette was -in command, and in which another Frenchman, Joe Batonne, -was also an important actor; something, perhaps, -that has never been related, but which probably prevented -the destruction of the train. It happened that at -Bellevue Mr. Case found and employed a young Frenchman -by the name of Berdreau, and about two hundred -miles out from Omaha he was asked by this Berdreau to -take in another young Frenchman, Joe Batonne, who had -started with a Doctor Townsend of the train, but had -fallen out with him and now was seeking another position. -Batonne was therefore traveling with Case. As -they were approaching Fort Platte, however, word was -received from the commandant, Bisnette, to come forward -no further; but if they had anyone in the train -who knew the Sioux language to send him. “There is -a war party of Sioux Indians here,” was his information, -“and I cannot understand why they should be here. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>place for them at this time of the year is on the Blackfoot -or Crow border, while this is in the very center of their -territory. I fear they mean some mischief to the train.” -Batonne was the only one in the train who understood -Sioux. He was accordingly sent forward, being inconspicuously -dressed, along with some others, all riding -their horses. The party reached Fort Platte and passed -freely among the Sioux Indians. These formed an immense -host, being a full party of six men to a tent, and -five hundred tents, which, although crowded together -irregularly, still covered a considerable space.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Batonne kept his ears open as his party rode here and -there, but said nothing. Finally, as they were passing -a certain tent, a young Sioux was heard to exclaim, “It -always makes me itch to see an American horse; I want -to ride it so bad.” A chief answered him in a low voice, -“Wait a few days, until the immigrants come up, and we -shall have all their horses.” This was soon reported by -Batonne to Bisnette, who at once sent word back to the -train to wait until he had contrived some plan to send -the Indians off. The plan he hit upon was this—and he -told it afterwards only to Mr. Case and Joe Batonne, under -strict promises of secrecy:</p> - -<p class='c011'>He called all the chiefs together with the message that -he had very important news for them. They accordingly -assembled and sat in solemn council. After the pipe was -passed and smoked, the first whiff, as usual, being directed -to the Great Spirit, Bisnette began:</p> - -<p class='c011'>“I have lived with you now many years and have -always dealt honorably.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>“Yes,” answered the Sioux.</p> - -<p class='c011'>“I have never told you a lie.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>“Never,” said the chiefs.</p> - -<p class='c011'>“And have been as a brother.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>“You have been our white brother,” they said.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>“Well,” he continued, “I have just heard news that -is of utmost importance to you. The immigrants who -come from the sunrise and will soon be here have been -delayed; a man died; they buried him; he had the smallpox. -I advise you, therefore, to leave this place as soon -as possible, and to go to your northern border and not -return for over a month.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>No news could have been more alarming to the Indians, -who understood only too well what the smallpox was; -not many years before infected blankets having been distributed -among them through the agency of white trappers -whom they had been allowed to rob, as a sort of -punishment for having robbed lone trappers heretofore; -and by this the whole tribe had been decimated by the -scourge, very many dying, and some even of those who -recovered, but were badly marked, had killed themselves. -They had been told by the trappers that the smallpox -pits were the mark of the devil. “The devil will get you -sure now” they told them. As soon as Bisnette told these -Indians that there was smallpox in the train the chiefs -slid out to their tents, and within fifteen minutes the -whole army was on the move, going to the north, and -not returning while the immigrants of that season were -passing.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The other point was the cause of the breaking up of -the organization. After passing the Sioux country, fear -of the Indians wore off, and the necessity of rapid travel -became more and more apparent, but among the one hundred -and twenty men of the train—as many at least as two -to the wagon—at least one hundred, says Mr. Case, were -“worthless,” or dangerously near that line. The daily -labor of the march was devolved more and more upon the -twenty men or so that felt the necessity of pushing on. -The majority, however, often spent their evenings playing -cards to a late hour, or dancing and fiddling with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>the young folks around the fire, and slept the next morning -until called for breakfast by the women. Various -ways were devised to equalize these matters; the women, -among other devices, being put up to taking and burning -the packs of cards, unbeknown to the men. But it finally -became old—getting up 2 o’clock of a morning to hunt -the cattle, which, in grazing, always attempted to go -ahead of one another, and thus sometimes were spread out -for several miles on the prairie. Doing this again and -again, for men who would not take their turn, but were -sleeping at the camp, was finally too much to be borne. -Case and some others, accordingly made ready, and one -morning struck out with their wagons, and before night -the whole train was resolved into two sections; the jolly -boys who danced and fiddled being left behind.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Arriving in Oregon, Mr. Case first stopped at Linnton, -but soon went over to Tualatin Plains, and settled first -near Mr. Hill’s place, now Hillsboro. In 1845, he recalls -that he was employed in building the first frame barn in -Oregon (W. M. C.), on the Wilkins place; and he here -made the acquaintance of the old mountain men, Wilkins, -Ebberts, Newell, Meek, and Walker. He was not well -satisfied, however, with the locality. It was a long way -over the hills and through the deep woods to the Willamette -River at Linnton, or at Oregon City—Portland -then being a mere camping station on the Willamette. -Case wished to locate on the river, and accordingly, in -1846, moved to French Prairie, and acquired, partly by -donation claim, and afterwards by purchase, two sections -of land, being about one-half prairie, and the other half -timber. It was three miles from Champoeg, where Newell -acquired the Donald Manson place, and became town -proprietor. Here he has remained, engaged in farming, -saw milling, and running a tile factory, performing his -duties as a citizen, being known during the war period -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>as an unyielding union man, and occupying the responsible -place during that time and later of County Judge of -Marion County. He has had a family of thirteen children, -eight of whom are now living. He has twenty-three -grand-children. His life has been one of intense activity, -and he has performed almost no end of hard physical -work, and has borne heavy responsibilities.</p> - -<p class='c011'>He says, however, that the most intense and thrilling -experiences of his life were during the season that he -spent in California, and going to and returning from the -mines. This was 1849. It is worthy of the most careful -record, being remembered to the most minute details by -Mr. Case, and affording a chapter in human experience -seldom equalled. It also shows the moulding influences -brought to bear upon Oregon men, who showed themselves -as perhaps of the firmest fibre to be found on the -Pacific slope in 1849; which is saying a great deal. It -deserves to be told in the language of Mr. Case himself, -and perhaps it will be. But for some reasons it will be -proper to give these recollections in a somewhat condensed -form, as in their entirety, as told by himself, they would -compose a volume. Indeed, in his rapid and energetic -conversation, with which only the most experienced stenographer -could keep pace, it required him four hours to -tell the whole thing—even omitting many of the details -that he remembers. However, it is only an idle thought -or wish to imagine that what men were years in living in -the fastest period of Pacific Coast history, can ever be told -in full or the life itself be reproduced. There are distinct -parts to his narrative. The Voyage; the Oregon Miner’s -Vengeance; and The Return Overland.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span> - <h3 class='c016'>THE VOYAGE.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c017'>News of the discovery of gold in 1848 was first brought -to Oregon by an Oregonian by the name of Barnard. -Marshall was building a mill, as is well known, for Sutter, -on the American River, and after allowing the water to -run through the tail ditch to sluice it out, examined the -bed, as the water was again shut off, and found at the -bottom of the ditch many little yellow rocks, which were -highly polished and very heavy. Not being acquainted -with gold, which he had an idea occurred in native form -only as dust, not as nuggets, he tried pounding out one -of the little yellow rocks—which instead of crumbling -under the hammer, was flattened finally to the size of a -saucer, and of course was made very thin. Even then, -however, the true nature of the rock was not suspected; -and it was not known that it was gold until Marshall had -word from the United States’ Assay Office at San Francisco -to which he had sent a small collection of nuggets -to the value, however, of $1,000.</p> - -<p class='c011'>By this news, Barnard, the Oregonian, was incited to -return home and tell his neighbors. But at San Francisco -he was detained two months, being positively refused -passage on the ships for the Columbia. He believed -that he was purposely hindered by parties who -wished to go to Oregon and buy up all the provisions, -tools, etc., to be had here, at low prices, and to sell them at -San Francisco at a great advance. Finally he got a ship, -and reaching Oregon late in August, the news was published, -and the Oregonians, many of them just returning -from the Cayuse war, formed a company, and that season -broke and completed the first wagon road to California, -taking the high table-land route by way of Klamath Lake, -Lost Lake, the lava beds, and across the Pitt River Valley -far to the eastward of Mount Shasta—or Shasta Butte, -as called by the old pioneers. Mr. Case was not ready to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>go with the overland party, but found passage on the bark -Anita, which sailed from the Columbia the middle of February. -There was a large crowd of men on board, considering -the size of the ship, being sixty-six in number, and -the quarters were very narrow, 12 × 20 feet, and the ceiling -being only 5 feet high, with two tiers of berths arranged -around the sides of the apartment. The voyage, -moreover, was long and tedious. As the crossing of the -Columbia bar was made, with a stiff wind, Mr. Case was -reminded by the breakers as they ran and tossed and -finally broke upon the rocks of Cape Disappointment, of -the herds of buffaloes that thundered over the plains—the -movement of the waves seeming about equally swift -and tumultuous. But the wind soon stiffened to a gale, -the bark put to sea, and land was lost to sight; and the -storm did not at last abate until they were far off the coast -to the west of Vancouver Island. Then, however, with -a west or north wind, that was bitterly cold, the voyage -was made down to the latitude of San Francisco, but in -constant storms of snow, frequently sufficient to leave as -much as a foot of the article on deck over one night. When -at last the clouds dispersed and a fair west wind blew, and -the skies were again clear, the entire sweep of the horizon -appeared as one world of water, except that far to the -northeast, the very tip of Shasta, white and glittering, -just jutted out of the sea. It was then seventeen hours -sailing before the shore appeared in sight. Then the -Golden Gate was reached and passed, and the voyage was -over. It occupied a month. Sailing to Sacramento and -proceeding thence to Coloma, Mr. Case, being a mechanic, -found employment at such good prices as to detain him -from the mines. But the season proved to be one of excitement -during which even bloodshed occurred; and -Mr. Case was forced to play an important part in the -program.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span> - <h3 class='c016'>THE COLUMBIA RIVER MEN’S VENGEANCE.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c017'>Very soon after reaching Coloma, Mr. Case found that -the community was in a broil. No open troubles had yet -occurred, but there were causes of exasperation which -were working rapidly to a climax. It was due primarily -to a difference in system and ideas between the various -elements of the people then in California. It was in fact -a part of the final clash between the old Spanish system -and the American; the beneficiaries of the Spanish system, -or Grandees, being on one side, and on the other -the Oregonians, representing the American idea. It was -proved in the event that men who could establish an independent -government in Oregon, and were able to compel -the obedience of the Cayuse Indians, were able also -to make in California a deep impression for their idea of -liberty. The disturbed, or rather the entirely unorganized -condition of government in California, made possible -the following course of events. The military government -of this territory, just taken from Mexico, had not given -place to a civil organization, and it was not thoroughly -known what authorities were in power. Sutter had received -a large grant of land, and with this was coupled -certain power to enforce justice among the Indians, and -he was recognized as a sort of justice of the peace; but -this was of very limited extent, and there was no central -authority in the whole state, unless military.</p> - -<p class='c011'>California was occupied originally by men who had received -great land grants, some of which were as much as -six leagues square. These men were at first Spanish-Americans, -who were thus rewarded for government services. -They formed a sort of nobility or aristocracy, and -held their places like the baronies or counties of the old -world, and their possessions were frequently of the dimensions -of a county. Their ranches were on an average -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>about twenty-five miles apart, and the ranges between -were stocked with great bands of cattle. The Indians, -a mild and inoffensive people, were employed as laborers -and cattle drivers by the Spanish-Americans, and a genuine -European feudal system was in force. The first Americans -(or Germans, or English) who went to California -acquired some of these ranches, and continued the Mexican -system. Only they employed it with characteristic -American energy, and pushed it to a much greater extreme. -With the discovery of gold and the opening of -the mines, a prospect of vast profits appeared to the early -Californians, who were English, or American, or German; -and their first intention was to work the mines in the same -manner that they worked their ranches—by the labor of -the native Indian, or by importation of Mexican debtors, -who could be procured very cheap. It was still the law -in Mexico to put debtors in prison on the complaint of -their creditors, and they could be held until the debt was -paid, and the debtor himself failing in this, his son could -be held. Many of these debtors were imprisoned for but -trifling sums, and upon settlement with the creditors, -could be practically bought by other parties almost like -slaves, the purchase of the debt giving the right to hold -the debtor. Hundreds of Mexicans were thus procured -and sent to the mines, at a cost in some cases of but a -few dollars to the purchasers, and contracted to work for -some trifling sum, often not over twenty-five cents a day, -in washing gold. Contract labor from Chili (W. M. C.) -was also obtained, and it was estimated that by the midsummer -of 1849 as many as five thousand such laborers -were at work on the California placers.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But the original traders were making even more profit -by trade with the contract laborers, or with the Indians -who were employed to wash gold, the Indian women -doing such work along with the men. When they had a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>little dust their natural fondness for finery was stimulated, -and cheap and gaudy articles, such as shawls and -shirts, were sold for dust. But the dust that was brought -by the Indians was balanced by the shrewd trader with -a weight which was the Mexican silver dollar, weighing -just an ounce, with whose value the Indians were well -acquainted. By this method of reckoning, the gold was -valued the same as the silver. A shirt, for instance, -which was marked to begin with at the regular price of -$3, was bought with a balance of three silver dollars in -gold dust, making $48 in actual value. Indeed the amount -of dust obtained of the Indians for some of the articles -was truly “fabulous.” Mr. Case recalls that a certain -shawl of unusually magnificent pattern and blinding colors, -which cost the trader but $1.50, was bought by an -Indian chief for his favorite daughter for $1,500 worth -of dust.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Into this flourishing condition of things the Oregonians, -or Columbia River men, as they were called, entered -in 1849. The most of them went into the mines, -but there were some who quickly saw that there was more -profit in trading with the Indians than in digging the gold. -Consequently they began setting up stores, and bought -and sold goods. Competition thus began. The price of a -shirt, a standard article, was forced down to $2, that is, to -two ounces of dust; and then to one ounce, and even lower. -By this operation the old traders, such as Weimer and -Besters, of Coloma, and Marshall, and even Sutter, were -offended, as it soon became apparent to those who were -intending to operate the mines on the medieval Spanish -system, and by the employment of Indians and contract -labor, that their whole system of trade and business was -in danger of collapsing. Mr. Case is confident that the -Indians were then incited against the Columbia River -men, that they were told that the people from Oregon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>were intruders and had no business there, and were taking -gold that belonged to themselves. At all events, mysterious -murders began to take place in the mountains and -along the mining streams. This was not greatly noticed -at first, but as one after another fell and it began to be -asked who was killed, it became plain that in every case -the victim was a Columbia River man. The authorities, -such as they were, gave the subject no attention. Sutter -himself, acting as a justice of the district under his old -concession, showed no concern; and the Californians, -among whom were such traders as Weimer and Besters, -Winters, Marshall and others, when asked for their explanation, -replied that these murders were evidently committed -by the Oregonians themselves; they were old trappers -and mountain men of the most desperate character, -and they were undoubtedly murdering and robbing one -another. This the Oregonians knew to be false, and that -it should be said created a presumption in their minds -that the California traders were inciting the Indians to -cut off the Columbia River men. This suspicion led them -to talk quietly to one another and to consider what should -be done. Finally a little band of about thirteen in number -was organized quite secretly, and of this Mr. Case, -as one of the most intelligent, was chosen virtual leader. -In this band of Oregonians was Fleming Hill (usually -called Flem), and Greenwood, a half-breed Crow Indian.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Affairs were brought to a crisis at last by the murder -of six Oregonians, all on one bar. The first that Case -heard of the affair was at the house of Besters, where he -was boarding while he was working upon a building. -Besters, coming in late to supper, was in great glee, saying -that he had taken in $2,500 that afternoon from the -Indians. The news of the murder of the six Columbia -River men was soon abroad, and it seemed impossible -but that the murderers were the Indians who had brought -<span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>the dust. This was the conclusion at which the Oregonians -arrived, but they would not proceed until full evidence -had been procured. Meeting Hill, as if casually, -on the streets of Coloma, Case told him to take the thirteen -men and find and follow the trail of the murderers, -whom he felt certain were the Indians of the tribe in the -vicinity, belonging to that very valley, and not a distant -tribe from the mountains. A circumstance favoring such -a conclusion was the fact that the tribe in the valley numbered -over a hundred; but those who had come in to -trade at Weimer and Bester’s store were only about -twenty-five. The rest of the tribe, it was apparent to -those acquainted with the Indians, had struck off in a -body to make a trail to the mountains, to lead off suspicion, -and would return, singly or in small groups, to -their homes.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Case himself continued working as usual at Coloma, -as it was very necessary that some one be at that point -to watch the progress of affairs. He soon discovered, -however, that there was a spy on him, an Indian employed -at the sawmill of a Californian, Mr. Winters.</p> - -<p class='c011'>At the end of several days Hill appeared again in town. -Seeing him while he was working upon the roof, Mr. Case -contrived to meet him as soon as possible, and inquired -what had been discovered. Hill replied, “We found various -tracks from the pit where the six miners who had -been killed and stripped were buried. These, taking -across the river, then made one plain, broad trail out to -the mountains. We followed this for two days, when it -suddenly disappeared, scattering in all directions, and -could be followed no longer.” “Then they are not mountain -Indians,” said Case; “they belong right here in -this valley.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>This brought the Oregonians decisively to what was to -be done; whether to tell their discoveries to the Californians, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>or Sutter, or to take vengeance into their own -hands. The former course seemed entirely useless, as -they felt sure that the Californians knew enough of the -affair already, and had decided to let the Oregonians take -care of themselves. Confirmation of the guilt of the Indians, -if any were needed, was found in the report of an -American who kept a horse ranch at some distance from -town. He had, shortly before, seen a large number of -Indians coming down the mountain side on foot, and dispersed -in separate groups, and not in single file, as he -had always observed them before. They were evidently -that part of the band who had led a trail off to the mountains, -returning home. The Oregonians concluded, therefore, -that the only way to put an end to the murders was -to proceed precisely as they would out on the plains; -that is, make war on the Indians irrespective of the California -authorities and wipe out the tribe, if that was -necessary. This was accordingly done. The tribe was -found and surprised by the band of thirteen armed Oregonians. -Twenty-six of the Indians were killed on the -instant. No women were shot, however, though they -fought the same as the men. They and six men surrendered. -Greenwood shouted as the blow was struck, -“Now, this is what you get for killing Columbia River -men.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>After the surrender, the Indian women began weeping -and wailing in a manner truly heart-rending over the -bodies of their dead husbands and fathers; but they acknowledged -that the punishment was just, as they had -killed the Columbia River men. But they pleaded that -they were told to do it, which, if true, cannot but create -a feeling of sympathy for them, the unfortunate dupes. -After the slaughter and surrender, Hill mounted his horse -and rode to Coloma, and the six Indian men were hurried -after under a guard, and the women and children were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>driven after these by the rest of the thirteen Oregonians. -It was 4 o’clock when Hill arrived. The six Indians were -but a short distance behind, and hardly had been placed -in prison, together with the Indian spy, at Winter’s mill, -who was owned as a leading partner in the crime, when -the remnant of the tribe, on the run, with the Oregonians -galloping behind them, came into town. It was a burning -day, the mercury standing at 106° in the shade, but -the distance from the scene of the slaughter, forty miles, -had been covered since 11 o’clock that forenoon. The -town was excited beyond measure. Men and boys to the -number of hundreds gathered in a circle about the Oregonians, -who drove the tribe to the shelter of a spreading -pine tree, in whose shade they lay stretched on the ground. -There was great complaint and deep mutterings on the -part of the Californians, who said, “See what you have -done! We can stay here no longer. There are eighty -thousand Indians in California, and now they will drive -every white man from the mines.” So great indeed was -the terror, that many new arrivals just up the river from -San Francisco, coming to the mines from the east, turned -around immediately and left. Others were scarcely dissuaded -by the Oregonians themselves, or those who took -their part, who declared that the trouble was now ended, -if all stood together. However, it required great firmness -on the part of the Columbia River men. Sutter, to -whom word was sent asking if he would try the seven -Indians in prison, replied that he had better not, as he -could do nothing but release the men who had been captured -by the murderers from Oregon. With this message -from the civil authority, such as it was, the Oregonians -proceeded to try the Indians themselves, disregarding -Sutter entirely. But just as the Indians were being taken -from prison, and were in the midst of a thick crowd of -spectators, the one known as the spy made a sudden shout, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>and all the seven dropped on the instant to the ground -and began wriggling on all fours between the legs of the -astonished bystanders; the Oregon guard instantly attempted -to shoot them—which created a scene of strange -and almost ludicrous excitement. Two were shot at once; -two were shot after they left the crowd; the other two -reached the river and began swimming away, and one -of these was shot as he rose on the opposite side of the -stream. What became of the seventh was not known.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The women and children were of course released, but -with the warning that no Indian should again work on -the bars. But this did not end the trouble. Another -Oregonian was killed. The Oregonians again took the -warpath, with the intention of killing all the savages -they saw. One was soon found and dispatched. Eleven -were next found and pursued to the cabin of an English -rancher named Goff, who at first made no response to -their summons at his door. But as the boys began picking -the mud chinking out of the logs, and threatened to -fire into the room, he opened the house and delivered the -Indians, who were then immediately hanged. The tribe -was then traced, and although taking refuge in the tules -of a swamp of a marshy lake, were attacked by the guards -on horseback, and all the men, and one woman, who was -fighting with the men, were killed—making in all seventy-six -of the tribe that fell, the Oregonians having lost -by secret murder thirty-three. The women and children -were again brought back by the Oregonians to Coloma, -and were furnished by them with provisions and pans, -and were allowed to wash gold and support themselves. -But they secretly took their leave, and were found at -length in a distant canyon of the high mountains, at the -limit of snow, nearly starved, but subsisting on pine nuts -and the roots of wild clover, gathered by a few old men -in a lower valley. It was a man named Smith who traced -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>them, as among the tribe were his Indian wife and child. -They were again induced to return to Coloma, and now -in a pitiable condition, Californians injudiciously sent -them a large supply of beef and flour—a sort of food to -which they were unaccustomed, and of which they ate -so greedily as to induce a virulent disease, of which fifty-two -died, practically exterminating the tribe.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This was Rocky Mountain men’s justice that was thus -dealt out in the California mines, and of the same piece -as that of the Cayuse war, or that of the general Indian -war of 1855-56.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It was rough and terrible, and the Indians were the -victims; but the old California system was the real cause. -The attempt was made to work the mines upon a system -of inequality—of proprietors and peons. The Oregonians, -accustomed to a system of equality, finding themselves -exposed to outlawry, and not protected from the -poor savagery of the Indians, struck as they could. It is -to be remembered, too, that the secret murder of thirty-two -men, without any attempt at meting out justice, was -an enormity that no community should brook. But that -it was not mere personal vengeance, but the purpose to -establish the system of free labor, and to root out the contract -system, or rather the peon system, was shown by -the following:</p> - -<p class='c011'>At length Case decided to go up into the mines when -affairs were at last settled, and the men were working -without trouble or danger; he had fallen in with a certain -Major Whiting, an American by birth, who had, however, -been living in Mexico, and had even served in the Mexican -army against the United States. This Mexican officer -was now bringing up from that region a long mule train -of provisions and a company of peons whom he had taken -from prison at a cost to himself on the average of but $2 -each, and had contracted with them to work for him at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>eighteen cents a day. Case reached the mines before him. -When Whiting arrived he called upon Case first of all to -ask what was the intention of the Oregon miners about -allowing his debtors to work upon the bars. Case replied, -“I speak only for myself; but I am opposed to it.” Whiting -then asked him to call a meeting to determine the -opinion of the miners. Case complied. Mr. Finley of -Oregon City happened to be chosen chairman of this meeting, -and a young man named——, secretary. The call -had been made most literally by Case’s getting up upon a -high rock and shouting so as to be heard all over the canyon, -and then those that came first raised such a cry that -it could be heard for a distance of two miles up and down, -and a pistol was also fired. At such a summons, of course, -the miners came to the camp in great numbers, and upon -the object of the meeting being announced, resolutions -were passed unanimously to allow no working of the -mines except by those who were American citizens and -intended to remain in the United States; thus forbidding -those who were not citizens or who came simply to -work and then return to foreign homes. In the face of -this decision, Whiting, of course, was obliged to leave, -having no inclination to meet the Oregon riflemen; and -took his Mexican debtors along with him. When Case -came to inform him of the action of the meeting he showed -the utmost coldness, refusing to speak except to say that -he knew their action already, having been present. This -resolution of the miners, backed by their reputation acquired -as dead-shots and no let-up, not only decided Major -Whiting to leave, but those very same resolutions forwarded -to the military governor, Smith, were issued by -him as a proclamation. He believed that this was the -only way to restore and maintain order in the mines, the -will of the mountain men not being safely disregarded. -A national spirit and a certain primary justice also required -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>that American mines and privileges for which -many millions of dollars had been paid to Mexico should -be preserved to American citizens and worked for the -benefit of this country, and not be turned over to the -speculators and contractors of the whole world.</p> - -<p class='c011'>By this proclamation the Mexican and Chelano peons -were required to return to their own country. The system -of equality which the Oregonians rudely, but rightly represented, -was established. Thousands of miners in California -who never heard of this little contest which was -worked out principally by a few rugged young mountain -men from Oregon, began to enjoy thenceforth the free -and equal opportunity of the California mines, and California -thus became Americanized, and in the end a great -free state. The influence of Oregon, therefore, cannot -be disregarded—although the actions of the Oregon men -at the time created intense feeling against themselves, -and Mr. Case considers this the source of the still persistent -dislike of Oregon shown by Californians; which -has hardened into a sort of tradition.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'>RETURN HOME.</h3> - -<p class='c017'>The journey overland from the Sacramento up to the -Willamette was, in 1849, one long adventure; and, on -three hundred miles of the distance, that of no peaceful -kind. Case had had enough of sea voyaging in going to -California, and when, in the early fall, he counted over -his earnings, amounting to about $2,800, he said that he -would go home by land. The Indians of Northern California -and Southern Oregon were hostile, being declared -enemies to the whites. The Oregon men had, during the -previous autumn, built a road through, making a long -detour from the Rogue River Valley to the borders of -Klamath Lake by the old Applegate route, and thence by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>Lost River and Lake, the Lava Beds, and the long plateau -east of Mount Shasta, to Pitt River, and then two hundred -miles across the chain of the Sierra Nevada Mountains -to the Sacramento. The Indians of this region had -ever been of the wildest and most warlike character, regarding -white men as natural enemies. The famous Modocs -were a remnant of one of these tribes. The large -party of the Oregonians who had passed through the previous -year had, to quite an extent, overawed the natives, -especially in the Pitt River Valley. The party of Case -consisted of only eight men, himself being chosen captain, -and they carried some $28,000 worth of dust.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Over the mountains, from the Sacramento to the Pitt -River Valley, a distance of some two hundred miles, and -through the Pitt River Valley, they proceeded in a leisurely -manner, allowing their horses to graze at will upon -the wild pea vines that grew luxuriously, and thus kept -them thriving. A large number of travelers were met on -the way, going to the mines, among whom was a party -of strict Presbyterians from Springfield, Illinois, who -always rested on the Sabbaths. It was almost universally -taken by new travelers of that road that the Pitt -River Valley was the main Sacramento, and they were -loth to strike over the mountains as the way required.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Later upon the journey, Major Warner was fallen in -with, having a party of one hundred soldiers, mostly -Irishmen. With this officer pleasant conversations were -held. He expressed his surprise that Case should try to -go through the Indian country with but eight men, while -he felt unsafe with his one hundred. But Case replied -that his party was the best. They all knew the Indians -were like snapping dogs, that would snap and run, while -Warner’s men knew nothing of Indians. The event -proved only too truly Case’s estimate. Warner with his -one hundred men were subsequently attacked and all -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>were destroyed (W. M. C.). Warner also had imbibed -the California idea of Oregon. He once remarked to -Case, “I understand that Oregon can never be an agricultural -section.” “Why?” asked Case. “The valleys -are too narrow. I am told that there are few over a -thousand yards wide—that gives no room for ranches.” -“The Willamette Valley,” said Case, “where I live is forty -miles across, not counting the foothills. That gives room -for ranches.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Emerging finally out of the Pitt River Valley and entering -upon the great plateau east of Shasta Butte, Case’s -little party traveled so near the snow of the mountain -region, and it was now late September, that the snow-banks -seemed no higher above them than the tops of the -trees. They were coming to the Modoc country, and the -lava beds. These last were a great curiosity; the natural -forts made by boiling and finally subsiding little craters -of not over an acre in area, and looking so much like fortifications -that many took them for the work of Indians, -especially attracted attention. Here began the forced -marches. For three nights and four days Case slept not -a wink, and the distance covered during that time was -about three hundred miles. Skirting the marshy shores -of Lost Lake, where Lost River disappears, and the water -is so stained with ochre as to be a deep red; and finally -crossing the natural bridge, or causeway, and coming to -the Klamath Basin; and crossing the Klamath River -where there is a series of three low falls of about two feet -high each, over some flat tabular rock formations—they -finally reached the dangerous Indian country of the Rogue -River. Here occurred one of the strangest Indian fights. -Mr. Case’s party was not concerned in this, but was a few -hours behind; yet enjoyed the results of the victory. -The road at a certain point skirted along a bluff where -there were many crevices and natural hiding places, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>below the road ran the river. The wagon-way here was -only just about wide enough for one vehicle to pass. This -was a natural place for the Indians to ambush a passing -party, and Case and his comrades would no doubt have -suffered and probably have been cut off entirely, if it had -not been that just before they reached this place, two -other parties were passing, one on the way to California -and the other but a few hours ahead of Case going to -Oregon. The Oregon party was that of Robert Newell, -consisting of thirty men, for California. As he came to -this dangerous point, about four or five o’clock in the -afternoon, Newell discovered that there were Indians in -the crevices of the rock ready to attack him. With the -capacity of a general, he divided his force so as to command -the situation. Five of his men he sent forward so -as to attract the Indians’ attention along the road and to -draw their fire, but still to keep out of reach. A reserve -of seven he stationed under cover; and in the meantime -he detailed the eighteen others to pass under the shelter -of the wild plum bushes that skirted the river and faced -the bluff, and under this shelter to creep up into the very -midst of the Indians, select their men and shoot them -down instantly—which would surprise and stampede the -savages, and is the true way, so says Mr. Case, to fight -the Indians.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This manouvre was executed with perfect success. The -eighteen men that crept up through the brush succeeded -in falling upon the Indians in the rocks, and were shooting -them down before their presence was discovered; and -the Indians, surprised and confused, seeing white men in -front and in their midst, rushed out of their hiding places -and began retreating along the face of the bluff. But just -at this time the party from California, under Weston and -Howard, arrived from the other direction, and hearing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>the firing, hurried forward, and seeing the Indians pouring -out of the rocks, began discharging their rifles upon -them. By this the savages were entirely demoralized. -The only space left was the river itself, and into its tumultuous -current they began to precipitate themselves, -the miners still firing upon them as they struggled in the -water, until the river ran red. The slaughter must have -been very great. Yet of all this, though but a few miles -away, Case knew nothing. He placed his camp for the -night in a sink, so that any Indians creeping up must be -seen, and kept guard himself, with his ear to the ground, -so as to hear any stealthy steps approaching. He saw or -heard nothing. Nevertheless, the next morning, when -one of his men went to the river for water, he reported -upon his return that there were the footprints of as many -as five hundred Indians upon the sand bar of the river, -where the night before there were none to be seen. This, -Case found to be about so, and with hands on the trigger, -and hearts ready for anything, the little company started -out, expecting an ambuscade at any moment. Case’s advice -to his men was, “If we are attacked, keep close together. -If you divide up, we are lost.” But they had -not gone far before they heard a shot, and soon were -greeted by the advance of Newell’s men; and the next -moment were met by Newell himself, who told them of -the fight, and that the country was full of hostile Indians; -but Weston and Howard were not far ahead, and the best -thing for them was to shove forward and overtake them. -Accordingly, Case shoved forward, passing hour after -hour in the depths of the canyons, and hearing almost -continually the Indians calling to one another from the -mountains—now on this side and now on that. But still -they were not attacked. They were often upon the trail -of the white men, but they, too, were shoving ahead, and -not until the Rogue River Valley was passed and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>Umpqua reached, was Weston’s party overtaken. The -junction was made early in the morning. The night before, -Mr. Case, although for the third night without sleep, -kept guard, and at about 2 o’clock A. M. heard a dog -baying not over a quarter of a mile away. He knew this -indicated the white men’s camp, and in fact recognized -the dog. Very cautiously approaching the camp, for fear -of being mistaken for Indians, and being fired upon, the -little party advanced and were recognized. Then the -peril was over. The rest of the journey was made more -deliberately, but though now relieved of guard duty, Mr. -Case felt sleepless, and scarcely rested until some days -had passed.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span> - <h2 id='chap4' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>THE NUMBER AND CONDITION OF THE NATIVE RACE IN OREGON WHEN FIRST SEEN BY WHITE MEN.</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>The first estimates we have of the number of the native -race in the valley of the Columbia were by Lewis and -Clark, who gained their information while exploring the -river from its sources in the Rocky Mountains to the -Pacific Ocean. Based upon information derived from the -natives, their estimate was forty thousand. This was in -1805-6.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Forty years later, Rev. C. G. Nicolay, of King’s College, -Oxford, and member of the Royal Geographical Society -of London, writing in support of England’s right to -the country created by the assumed moral benefits to the -natives effected by the trade influences of the Hudson’s -Bay Company—and, doubtless, with all the information -that company could furnish—estimated the number at -thirty thousand, including all the country from the California -line north to 54° 40′. Noting that the second estimate -is for the wider bounds, and yet twenty-five per -cent. less, the numbers seem strongly to indicate that the -native race was rapidly decreasing between the dates mentioned.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In looking for the causes of this decrease of population -of the native race, we find at the outset diseases common -to, but not very destructive to civilized life, are, nevertheless, -terrible in their effects on people living so near -the plane of mere animal life as were the natives of -Oregon—especially those of them in the largest valleys, -and near the sea,—when first seen by white men. The -first American explorers received information from the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>Clatsop tribe of Indians during their stay near them in -the winter of 1805-6, that some time previous to that a -malady had been brought to them from the sea, which -caused the death of many of their people. As they reached -the Lower Willamette Valley, on their return eastward, -they found living evidence that the malady had been -smallpox, and the remains of capacious houses within the -district—now covered, or being rapidly covered, by the -white race,—which indicated that the disease had swept -out of existence, or caused to flee the locality, large numbers -of the natives. A woman was seen by Captain Clark -in the company of an old man, presumably her father, -sole occupants of a building two hundred and twenty-five -feet long and thirty feet wide, under one roof, and divided -by narrow alleys or partitions into rooms thirty feet -square. Other buildings, empty or in ruins, were found -near this. This woman was badly marked with smallpox; -and from her apparent age, and information the old -man endeavored to convey, this disease had killed many -people and frightened others away about thirty years previously.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Information received from natives by signs cannot be -deemed reliable; but no writing can be plainer than the -human face marked by smallpox. We have, then, from -the journal of Lewis and Clark, traditional information -from the Clatsop natives, and in the appearance of this -woman—presumably of the Multnomah tribe—evidence -of the presence of smallpox one hundred miles in the -interior; and fifty years later we have from the Yakima -chieftain, Kamiakin, at the Walla Walla council held by -Gov. I. I. Stevens, intimations that the suffering of his -people from smallpox in former times was one reason for -his objection to whites’ settling in his country.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Whatever truth there may be in these earlier traditions -of the natives, the rapid decrease of the tribes on the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>Lower Columbia and in the Willamette Valley, between -1805 and 1845, and the decaying condition of those found -here at the latter date, are facts which cannot be called -in question. Those writers who are predisposed to blame -the white man for all the results of the commercial and -social contact between the races will see only the fearful -and repulsive effects upon the ignorant native—supposed -to be innocent—of drunkenness and debauchery, which -the white man’s avaricious trade and licentiousness ministered -to. While, beyond question, these were destructive -agencies, they, in my judgment, never were but -a small moiety of the cause of the general decay of the -race west of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges, from -Alaska to Lower California. As to the licentious intercourse -between the sexes, the natives were ready and -sought opportunity to participate in the destructive commerce. -And their customs, which were their only laws, -left womanhood—especially widowhood—an outcast, -where she was not held as a slave. It was a fact well -known to pioneers yet living that a woman of bright, -kindly disposition, of natural intelligence, which made -her a natural leader of her sex, who was in 1840 the -honored wife of the chief of one of the strongest coast -tribes, and as such styled a queen by some writers, was -in 1845 a leader and guide of native prostitutes, who -watched and followed ships entering the Columbia from -the time they crossed the bar in until they crossed out. -And between opportunities of this kind, she went from -camp to camp of white settlers on the Lower Columbia, -thus seeking trade without the least sign of shame. The -customs and usages of the race, for which the leading men -were responsible, debar us of any just right to hold native -womanhood responsible for a social system which -deemed a female child the best trading property—valued -high or low according to the status of the male portion -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>of her family. The husband bought his wife, and might, -where she did not suit, send her back to her people and -claim a return of the property given for her, ostensibly as -presents.<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c018'><sup>[1]</sup></a> This, if her family had any pride or courage, -would probably lead to trouble. A native husband could -dispose of an unsatisfactory wife. He could kill her by -personal ill-usage,<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c018'><sup>[2]</sup></a> or keep her to labor for means to purchase -and support another wife, or as many more as his -means and desires induced him to buy.<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c018'><sup>[3]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>The general relations between the husband and wife -among the native races in Western Oregon were that the -husband should kill the game or catch the fish, as the -subsistence was from game or fish. The dressing of skins -for clothing, the weaving of rush mats for camp covers -or for beds, the preparation of cedar bark for clothing, -nets and ropes, and the digging of roots, gathering of -berries, etc., were all left to the wife and the slaves at -her command, if there were any. The husband and wife -seemed to have separate property rights as to themselves, -and on the death of either the most valuable of it, and -often all of it, was sacrificed to the manes of the dead. -Sometimes living slaves were bound and placed near the -dead body of a person of importance in the tribe.<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c018'><sup>[4]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c011'>Under this custom, when a leading man like Chenamus, -Chief of the Chinooks, died, the body was carefully -swathed in cedar bark wrappings; his war canoe -or barge of state was used as his coffin, and his second -best canoe, if he had two, was inverted and placed over -the body as a defense against the weather or wild beasts; -a small hole was made in the lower canoe and it was -placed in a slanting position to facilitate complete drainage. -No money reward would induce an Indian of the -Lower Columbia to enter and labor in a canoe that had -been thus used for the dead. Thus the best and generally -all the property worth notice was rendered useless -to the living. The wife in such a case might be owner -of slaves in her own right, or of a <em>business canoe</em>, and in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>some cases of a small canoe used on the Lower Columbia -root gathering, or by the husband or sons in hunting -water fowl. Such a wife becoming a widow—supposing -her dead husband a chief, succeeded by a son by another -of his wives, or by a brother, unfriendly and jealous of -her influence,—would not be a totally helpless outcast. -She would have the means of gathering her own subsistence. -This, however, was above the common lot of native -widows. The same custom of destroying the property -of the dead prevailed amongst natives of the Willamette -Valley when the American home builders first came; -and it was a common sight to come upon a recently made -grave and scare the buzzards or coyotes from feasting on -carcasses of horses slain to the departed, the grave itself -being indicated by the cooking utensils and tawdry personal -adornments of the deceased. Under this custom -there was no property left for distribution by the average -native. A chief, living with thrifty care for his family, -might leave slaves to be divided among his sons or daughters, -as some few did, but often when the heirs were sons -or daughters of different mothers bitter family feuds -were a natural result, and the law of might decided. -There was no marriage record, no law to distribute fairly -what might justly belong to the widow and the fatherless, -no individual ownership of land, no definite boundaries -to districts claimed by tribes. Thus the whole polity -of the native race here limited the exertions of the people -to seeking a present subsistence, or, at the most, enough -to tide them over from one season to another. Diversity -of seasons has a much more intimate relation to the food -supply of the wild life than to a people who have arrived -at the agricultural stage of evolution. Many wild animals -and feathered game have sufficient of the instinct -of the passenger pigeon and squirrel of the Atlantic seaboard -to induce them to migrate from districts in which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>their food fails as a result of untoward seasons and go to -others where there is plenty.<a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c018'><sup>[5]</sup></a> The native tribes west of -the Cascade Range could not do that, and therefore must -have often been reduced in numbers by bad seasons, before -they were known to the white race.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The condition of the natives as to surplus food and the -scarcity of large game in the Columbia Valley, as found -by Lewis and Clark, shows that the normal season left -the then population little they could spare. The party -may be said to have run a gauntlet against starvation in -their journey from the Rocky Mountains to the mouth of -the Columbia. They saw few deer, and no antelope or -elk. Salmon and dogs were their chief purchases from -the Indians, and they ate of the latter till some of the -men got to prefer dog flesh to venison. The salmon grew -rancid and mouldy under the influence of the warm wet -winter, and made the men sick. Their hunters, in what -was forty years later the best elk range in Oregon, often -failed to meet their daily wants, and sometimes killed -their game so far from camp that it spoiled in the woods. -So that when they learned that a whale had been thrown -on the beach, at the mouth of the Nehalem, they went -thirty miles, and with difficulty succeeded in the purchase -of three hundred pounds of whale blubber.</p> - -<p class='c011'>They stayed at their winter camp until the latter part -of March, 1806. The game had left their vicinity; they -exhausted the surplus of the Indians near them, so they -started on their return journey in order to reach the Chopannish -“Nation,” with whom they had left their horses, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>before the natives would leave for their spring hunt for -buffalo east of the Rockies.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Under date of March 31, their journal reads: “Several -parties were met descending the river in quest of -food. They told us that they lived at the great rapids -(the cascades), but the scarcity of provisions had induced -them to come down in hopes of finding subsistence in the -more fertile valley. All living at the rapids, as well as -nations above, were in much distress for want of food, -having consumed their winter’s store of dried fish, and -not expecting the return of the salmon before the next -full moon—which would be on the second of May. This -information was not a little embarrassing. From the -falls (The Dalles) to the Chopannish Nation, the plains -afforded neither deer, elk, nor antelope, for our subsistence. -The horses were very poor at this season, and the -dogs must be in the same condition, if their food, the dried -fish, had failed.” These considerations compelled the -party to go into camp, and send out their hunters on both -sides of the Columbia, from its north bank, opposite the -quick sand (Sandy) river. Their purpose being to obtain -meat enough to last them to where they had left their -horses, and this they did, with the addition of some dogs -and wapatos they were able to secure from the natives by -hard bargaining. The eight days they thus delayed they -used to good purpose. Captain Clark, acting on information -by an Indian of the existence of a large river making -in from the south, which they had passed and repassed -without having seen it, because of a diamond shaped -island lying across its mouth, hired an Indian guide, and -returning down the south shore, penetrated the Multnomah -(Lower Willamette), to near the present location of -Linnton, and saw evidences in ruined buildings of a much -denser population than then existed there, and in the -two hundred and twenty-five foot building already mentioned, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>saw the woman marked by smallpox. Here, also, -were met Clackamas and other Indians from the falls of -the Willamette.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Elk, deer, and black bear were the large game their -hunters killed. Some of the deer were extremely poor. -They do not mention having seen flesh of any kind in -the hands or camps of natives, much less a successful -native hunter of such game.<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c018'><sup>[6]</sup></a> Neither do they mention -seeing a horse west of the Cascade Range. The receiving -of one sturgeon from a native is mentioned, and some -dried anchovies (smelt). But the chief wealth of this richest -part of the district—the most inviting to settlers in -their estimation of any they had seen west of the Rocky -Mountains, is the wapato—“the product of the numerous -ponds in the interior of Wapato” (Sauvie’s) Island. This -was almost the sole staple article of commerce on the -Columbia.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This bulb, the root of the arrowhead lily (<i>sagittaria -variabilis</i>) is described by Lewis and Clark as “never -out of season,” and as being “gathered chiefly by the -women, who employ for the purpose canoes from ten to -fifteen feet long, about two feet wide, nine inches deep, -and tapering from the middle. They are sufficient to -contain a single person and several bushels of roots, yet -so very light that a woman can carry them with ease. -She takes it into a pond where the water is sometimes as -high as the breast, and by means of her toes separates -this bulb from the root, which, on being freed from the -mud, immediately rises to the surface of the water and -is thrown into the canoe. In this manner these patient -<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>females will remain in the water for several hours, even -in the dead of winter.”<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c018'><sup>[7]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c011'>This first party of the white race, thirty-six in number, -were thus detained eight days gathering a sufficiency -of food to make it prudent to risk a journey of ten days -through the heart of the great and fertile Columbia Valley, -then so devoid of large game as to make it reasonable -to assume that at some period not very remote from -the time of their visit the population had slaughtered -the elk, deer, and antelope, and driven the buffalo to the -east side of the Rockies. The practice of large parties -of the strongest tribes passing that backbone of the continent -every summer to hunt this noblest of North American -game is good presumptive evidence that it had at -no remote period ranged in the valley of the Columbia. -In 1806, then, we have the fact of a population, roughly -estimated at forty thousand, ekeing out a hand-to-mouth -living, from salmon chiefly, with the additions of wokas -kouse (wapato and camas),—the latter much the more -generally distributed from the Pacific Ocean to the summit -flats of the Rocky Mountains—by going across those -mountains annually for game. They had, of course, to -go in parties sufficiently strong for defense against the -hated, dreaded and destructive Blackfeet. The taking of -such journeys proves their necessity. The tribes unable -through weakness or situation to make such expeditions, -as were all those of Western and Southwestern Oregon, -had to gather their precarious living from the plants -mentioned, grass seeds, the small native fruits, of crab -apple, haw, huckleberries, cranberries, etc. Looking -over a recent report of the Division of Botany, United -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>States Department of Agriculture—a contribution from -the United States Herbarium, Vol. V, No. 2, by Frederick -V. Coville—I find one hundred plants described -as used by the Klamath Indians, forty-six of which—as -seeds, fruits or roots—were used as food by that -tribe. No effort has yet been made to enumerate all -the kinds of flesh, fish, and insect life used by the native -race for sustenance. Lewis and Clark found evidence -that the coast native sometimes resorted to searching -the beach for fish cast up by the tide. The tribes on -the south bank of the Snake River, and southward, used -to fire the high, arid plains, where possible, and collect -the crickets and grasshoppers thus killed. As late as -1844 these insects were dried and made into a kind of pemmican -by pestle and mortar. The Rogue River natives -used the grasshopper meal as a delectable food as late as -1848, and as late as 1878 the writer saw the chief medicine -man of the Calipooyas collecting in a large mining -pan the tent caterpillars from the ash trees within four -miles of Salem. He asserted most emphatically that -they were “close muckamuck” (good food).</p> - -<p class='c011'>For years before and after the last mentioned date the -writer knew Joseph Hudson (Pa-pe-a, his native name), -the lineal chief of the Calipooyas, who signed the treaty -of cession of the east side of the Willamette Valley to the -United States. He was the only native of Western Oregon -the writer ever talked with who seemed to comprehend, or -care for, the consequences to the natives of the appropriation -of ownership of the soil by the white race. He had -judgment to perceive that the latter had agencies of power -and of progress with which his people could not have -coped, even at their best estate—which family tradition -had handed down to him. This pointed to a time when -his people had numbered eight thousand, as he estimated, -at which time and later, to the time of his grandfather, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>Chief San-de-am, <em>his people used the circle hunt</em>, driving -the deer to a center agreed upon, by young men as runners, -the point to drive to being selected as good cover to -enable the bowmen to get close to the quarry. From him -the information was gained as a family tradition that -about 1818 eight men, carrying packs on their backs and -coming from the north, reached his grandfather’s village, -near where the town of Jefferson now is. They were set -across, and, going southward, they conveyed to other -natives that they had crossed San-de-am’s river. The -whites shortened the name to Santiam, as they did Yam-il -to Yamhill. These eight men returned after several -months and brought the first horses the Calipooyas ever -saw. They sold a mare and colt for forty-five beaver -skins. Joe, as he was familiarly called, a man of truth -and honor, could not but mourn the fate of his people. -Being in a small way his banker for small loans (he -working for me) I know he was kept poor by the general -worthlessness of his tribe, as it was one of the functions -of a Calipooya chief to help the weak and good for nothing -members of his tribe. This man honestly performed -any rough and common contract labor (he would never -work for day wages), carrying his burden of sorrow for -his people’s condition to where the wicked and low can -no longer trouble. The writer received from him many -hints and plain statements as to the mental capacity or -mode of reasoning of the native race. Custom led them -to appeal to him in troubles resulting from drunken rows. -A young dandy of the tribe, getting into the power of -the law for knifing a woman in a camp fray, would appeal -to Joe, as chief, for financial help, with no more -sense of shame than an Irish landlord who had wasted -his property in riotous living would have in spunging off -his former tenants to a green old age. There are many -people of the white race who cannot help being participants -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>in the results of the change of racial dominion -which has taken place on the North Pacific Slope within -the past century. They feel they are participants in a -gigantic act of robbery. A lady whose writings on any -subject it is a delight to read, in the June number of the -Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, shows the -origin of land titles so far as the English race of men -have made them. It would be an instructive addition to -her able paper if some one, well read on the effects of -guarded land titles in sufficient area to support family -life on each allotment, would describe their influences -upon a community so blessed.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Already enough has been said to indicate that prior to -the visit of Lewis and Clark, the native race was in a condition -of decline; that in a normal or average season a -body of forty men, or less, found it difficult to avoid starvation -while moving from place to place in a country estimated -to contain forty thousand.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It may be admitted, because it is true though shameful, -that the licentiousness of trade had sown the seeds -accelerating the decay of the native race in Western -Oregon, from the Columbia River to the Umpqua, and -from its mouth to Fort Hall. Within these bounds, but -especially near the chief lines of commerce, the missionary -even had as much need of a medical book as he had -of his bible, as far as the people he had come to guide in -the way of life was concerned.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Abundant reason had Dr. John McLoughlin (that living -copy of the great heart of Bunyan’s matchless fancy) for -giving welcome to the American missionaries. He knew -the value of a clean mind or soul in keeping a clean and -healthy body; though with a wise physican’s care he -kept the hospital at Vancouver open to any white sick, -whom the resident doctor the Hudson’s Bay Company -maintained there recommended to it.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>Doctor McLoughlin instituted the first hospital in Oregon -for white people here prior to the overland immigration -of family life from the Missouri border in 1843. The -native race then were being removed rapidly by a disease -they themselves called the “cold sick,” which had raged -among them from 1832. Some of the symptoms indicated -a malarial cause, but quinine and other ague remedies -had no effect upon the Indian sick. Like the plague now -raging in India, it was confined, seemingly, entirely to -the natives; also, almost entirely to the fishing villages -on the large rivers. I have long had a theory which I -confess being unable to give an intelligent reason for; -that that plague had its origin in eating filth. The natives -themselves found that to thrust their arrow points -through the putrid liver of a deer or elk would enable -them to kill their enemies by a slight wound by blood -poison. Is it not, then, possible that eating putrid flesh, -or fish—the garbage cast up by the tide,—the spent salmon -from the river shore, or those wallowing in death throes -on its surface, could not be done with impunity?</p> - -<p class='c011'>In times of famine the natives, on the sea coast and on -the rivers, did eat such food; as the inland tribes, like -the Klamaths, sometimes sustained life by eating black -moss, and the bark of certain trees. These latter foods, -however, were not putrid.</p> - -<p class='c011'>To support the theory that this cold sick plague, which -began on the Lower Columbia in 1832, and which kept -the wail for the dead sounding along its banks till 1844, -may have originated in poisoned food, we have the statement -of Lewis and Clark’s journal that salmon pemmican -which they purchased in quantity at The Dalles moulded, -and made the men sick, in the damp and warm winter -camp, near the sea. But, whatever the cause, the effect -was to depopulate, or cause the abandonment of once -populous villages.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>In 1805, the central seat of the Multnomahs, near the -east end of Wapato (Sauvie’s) Island, had a population of -“eight hundred souls” noted, “as the remains of a large -nation,” surrounded by kindred near-by tribes, aggregating -two thousand two hundred and sixty souls. In 1845 -the site was without human habitation. “The dead -were there,” in large numbers, swathed in cedar bark, -and laid tier above tier on constructions of cedar slabs -about four inches thick, and often four feet wide,—causing -the observer to wonder how the native, with such agencies -as he possessed, could fell and split such timber. At this -time so many as two hundred natives, could not be seen -on the banks of the Lower Columbia, between the mouth -of the Willamette and Clatsop Point, without special effort -at counting the few living in the scattered villages, often -separated by several sites once inhabited by large numbers -apparently. This was particularly noticed on the -south bank, at Coffin Rock, and the main shore, between -that and Rainier. “The dead were there,” in abundance, -but no life but the eagle, the fish hawk, the black loon, -and the glistening head of the salmon-devouring seal, -then very numerous. There was a village of the Cowlitz -tribe on the south bank, below where Rainier now stands. -The people looked poor, ill fed, and worse clothed. The -chief had come to us in the stream to invite us to camp -near, exhibiting a single fresh hen’s egg as inducement. -We did so, and visiting their camp had the first sight of -life in a native fishing village. Some of the children -were nearly naked. Though it was midwinter, the adult -females, with one exception, were dressed in the native -petticoat, or kilt, as second garment, the other being a -chemise of what had been white cotton; one was engaged -in the manufacture of cedar bark strings used in the formation -of the kind of kilt she wore. The exception in the -camp was a young woman of extraordinary personal -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>beauty, a daughter of the chief family of the Cathelametts. -She had recently been purchased, or espoused, by the -heir-apparent of the Cowlitz chief. She seemed to be indifferent -to the life around her, and shortly after was, -presumably, the cause of tribal war. She was permitted -a few weeks later to pay a visit to her own tribe, accompanied -by an old woman of her husband’s. They both -joined a party of the women of her tribe in a wapato -gathering expedition. The old duenna did not return,—her -body was found next day near the wapato beds, horribly -mutilated by a knife murder. The natural fruit of -the Chinooks’ polity of marriage. A short tribal war resulted.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In order to show the measure of manhood this system -produced in a different phase from that of Chiefs Kalata’s -and Chenowith’s, I will relate from memory a short -visit at the lodge of the Cathelamett chief:</p> - -<p class='c011'>As one of a party of the employees of Hunt’s mill, -making our way from Astoria to the mill, we were approaching -Cathelamett Point, the village of the tribe, on -the south shore. We were hailed from the shore and -found ourselves near the women and girls of the tribe, -having a good time gathering the newly risen stems of -the common fern and preparing it for food in earth ovens -over heated rocks. They voluntarily told us they had no -prepared food, but pressed us to go on to their village, -and “Lemiyey” (old mother) (pronounced in a tone that -conveyed love and respect) would gladly entertain us. -They made no mistake in this. The old lady seemed -proud of the opportunity to act as hostess, and without -ostentation put her help to work and gave us a bountiful -meal of fresh salmon and wapatos, and afterward -put on what had evidently been often used as a robe of -state, and passed back and forward in illustration of -scenes she had been part of. Her son, apparently utterly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>oblivious to the spirit of his mother’s eye and movement, -continued repeating the offers to sell to us his tribal -claim to the lands lying between Tongue Point and Cathelamett, -that he had begun on our arrival. He was but -a youth, not so tall as his stately old mother appeared in -her robe (of what I afterwards concluded was badger -skins, but may have been mistaken), and he seemed mentally -incapable of appreciating the influences then forming -around him and his people, which appropriated their -lands, while not one of them had the spirit to assert a -right or raise the question of justice against the action -of the white race. This was, with perhaps one exception, -the cleanest, most self-respecting body of natives -left on the Lower Columbia in 1845, where Lewis and -Clark had, only forty years before, enumerated, by information -from the natives, thirteen thousand eight hundred -and thirty below the cascades and between that and -the ocean. I do not believe that thirteen hundred could -be found within the same limits at the latter date. There -was not in all that distance, to my knowledge, a single -man of the race who had the intelligence and public -spirit combined to appear before the authorized agents of -the United States ten years later and plead for the rights -of their people in the treaties made south of the Columbia. -It is questionable whether there was one in all the -country north of Rogue River who would have done so -of his own motion, had not the humane General Palmer -and J. L. Parrish, as agents, advised the Indians to act. -It is not to be understood from this that all good and all -beauty had departed from the native life. When J. L. -Parrish was in charge of Methodist mission property, in -1845, a white man from Oregon City appeared temporarily -at Solomon S. Smith’s to solicit the hand of a young -woman named Oneiclam in marriage. The young woman -civilly and modestly declined the honor, saying such a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>marriage could not secure the respect of either the man’s -people or the woman’s, and would fail in conferring happiness. -She was clean enough and good enough to secure -the personal friendship and advice of Mrs. J. L. -Parrish, which proved her a rare exception to her class. -Such marriages soon ceased after the American home-builder -assumed dominion over Oregon, the white mother -thus arriving being strongly against inter-racial contracts. -Doubtless the hopelessness of the struggle against -race prejudice has borne heavily on the heart of many a -man and woman on both sides of the race question, but -the fight is over now and many a heart broken in the -struggle (as I think was that of my friend Joseph Hudson, -last Chief of the Calipooyas) is at rest. The responsibility -for the red race is now the white man’s burden. -He carries it well, while already the light of a brighter -day than the red man of fifty years ago could forecast is -piercing the prejudices and hates of that time. The white -man brought the surveying compass, the book in which -to record titles to land, another for the record of marriages, -still another to record the rights of property to -the results of wedlock. Schools are open to the native -race and every generous mind wishes it well. But, while -our sympathies may go out toward the ignorant or incompetent -race in a conflict of power, we should not fail -to note the services to all races rendered by the victor.</p> - -<p class='c011'>A glance at the changed conditions of life within the -bounds of old Oregon: Instead of forty thousand persons -ill-fed, ill-clad, living from hand to mouth, often bordering -on famine, unable to support forty interesting visitors -passing through their country, we have now, perhaps, -fully one million, and the surplus of foodstuffs and -clothing material they send out to the markets of the -world, would feed well four millions. And, it is not extravagant -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>to say that the territory to which the Oregon -trail was made fifty-eight years ago will some day be made -to support forty millions in comfort.</p> - -<p class='c011'>This paper, it will be observed, has dealt entirely with -the native race in Northwestern Oregon, because this was -the field of the race contest. The point to which the -guiding minds of the white race looked as most desirable. -Jefferson said, and Benton repeated: “Plant thirty thousand -rifles at the mouth of the Columbia.” The first exploring -party sent out by the former selected as the most -interesting region in which to make excursions, the district -now containing the first and second chosen commercial -centers,—Vancouver and Portland.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The native race amid whom these were planted were -described in their average manhood as mean, cowardly -and thievish. Forty years later, to this description might -be added ignorant, superstitious, and utterly without public -spirit. The tribes east and south from this district -were, excepting those located at the great fishing centers -on the Columbia, less thievish, and much more bold and -spirited in self-defense.</p> - -<p class='c011'>To the recent and valuable historical description of -those tribes, including the natives in what is now Western -Washington, I am indebted to the life of Isaac Ingalls -Stevens, by his son, Hazard Stevens, for the number of -natives west, as well as east, of the Cascades treated with -by Governor Stevens in 1855, just before the natural leaders -of the native race made their only united effort to -stem the tide of inflow of the white race.</p> - -<table class='table2' summary=''> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>⎧Total number found west of the Cascades</td> - <td class='c003'>9,712</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>⎩Total number with whom treaties were made</td> - <td class='c003'>8,597</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>⎧Total number east of the Cascade Mountains</td> - <td class='c003'>12,000</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>⎩Total number treated with</td> - <td class='c003'>8,900</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>⎧Total number found in Washington Territory</td> - <td class='c003'>21,000</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c001'>⎩Total number treated with</td> - <td class='c003'>17,497</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>For Governor Stevens’ success in getting the eastern -section of the native race into treaty relations he was indebted -solely to the steadiness and good faith of the Nez -Perces, the tribe which was always conspicuous for its -care of its womanhood.</p> - -<div class='c015'>JOHN MINTO.</div> - -<hr class='c019' /> - -<div class='footnote' id='f1'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. </span>This custom of purchasing wives seems to have extended through many of the -interior tribes, and amongst some the privilege seems not to have been confined -to the men. It is related of a large war party of Sioux who, near Independence -Rock, in 1842, found Messrs. Hastings and Lovejoy, and good humoredly gave -them up to their fellow travelers, taking a small present of tobacco as ransom; -that, seeing a grown daughter of one of the few white families of the Oregon immigrants, -they came repeatedly in increased numbers to look at her, until her -father was annoyed and indignant at their visits, and wrathful and threatening -when he learned that the brawny braves desired to purchase the girl to give her -as a present to their war chief. These grown up children of nature went off like -gentlemen when informed by one who knew their customs that it was not a custom -of white fathers, or the white people, to sell their daughters. [Matthieu’s -Reminiscences, Vol. I, No. 1, Quarterly of the Ore. Hist. Soc.] In 1844, while Gilliam’s -train lay over one day at Fort Laramie, for trade purposes, in close neighborhood -to the tepees of a considerable camp of Sioux, three female members of -the tribe visited the camp of R. W. Morrison, captain of one of the companies -into which the train of eighty-four wagons was divided. The captain had two -assistants, and the Sioux women seemed to conclude that Mrs. Morrison was -blessed with three husbands. Their proposition, made by signs by the two elder -women, was that the third, apparently a widow, though young, was willing to -give six horses for one of the younger men. It took Mrs. Morrison and the choice -of the young widow some time to convince her two friends that they had made a -mistake, and they departed with all outward signs of sadness over the failure of -their mission. These proposals to secure connubial happiness by purchase were -made, one four and the other two years, before Francis Parkman, Jr., arrived at -Laramie to join a Sioux camp in order to get material for his Oregon and California -Trail.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f2'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. </span>Late in 1844, Katata, Chief of the Clatsop Tribe, murdered his youngest wife, -then but recently espoused from a leading family of the Chinooks. The latter -made war upon him for the act. J. L. Parrish, in charge of the Methodist mission -at the time, refused Katata his hand after learning of his deed. The brutal chief -made an effort to be revenged for what he deemed an insult, but failed in his attempt.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f3'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. </span>The kind of chivalry the system bred was illustrated by Chief Chenowith, -supposed instigator of the Cascades massacre in 1855, who was tried and condemned -for fighting with the Klickitats and Yakimas. “He offered ten horses, -two squaws, and a little something to every tyee, of (for) his life, boasting that -he was not afraid of death, but was afraid of the grave in the ground.”—[L. W. -Coe in <em>Native Son Magazine</em> for February, 1900. Mr. Coe acted as interpreter at the -execution].</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f4'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. </span>In 1844 the Chief of the Wascopams died at The Dalles, and was succeeded -by his brother, who was somewhat under the influence of Rev. Alvan Waller, of -the Methodist Episcopal mission there. A young slave boy was bound and secured -in the dead house with the body of the dead chief, in accordance with the -customs of the tribe. Mr. Waller continued pleading for the release of the boy -for three days and got the new chief’s consent to take the boy out of his horrible -situation on condition that it be done secretly and the boy taken away, so that -the people of the tribe would never see him. He was taken to Mr. J. L. Parrish, -at Clatsop mission, and remained a member of his family till, in 1849, he went to -the California gold mines.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f5'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. </span>The writer has observed this instinct manifested one season by wild ducks. -The oak trees in the vicinity of his residence south of Salem, of which there were -considerable areas, bore a heavy crop of acorns. The wild ducks by some means -found it out, and must have by some means informed each other, as the flocks of -them passing over my farm from a large beaver dam pond, where they rested at -night, to their feeding grounds daily rapidly increased from day to day, and as -rapidly decreased when the supply of acorns was consumed.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f6'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. </span>The writer has had his home fifty-five years in the Willamette Valley, and -has never seen or known of a native to kill a deer. He has known one spend a -day hunting to kill five wood rats.</p> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f7'> -<p class='c011'><span class='label'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. </span>This extract illustrates the condition of womanhood. Lewis and Clark write -of the production of wapato in this locality as though it grew nowhere else; but -it grew—yet grows—on the margins of ponds and bayous of most of the streams -flowing into the Columbia west of the Cascades.</p> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span> - <h2 id='chap5' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>INDIAN NAMES.</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>Indian names and Indian words in general of the tribes -of the region of the Columbia have many peculiarities, -and amply repay time spent in trying to study them out. -The following pretends to be only the merest beginning, -and the writer has advanced only to the edges of the subject. -It comprises only those names, and those meagerly -and superficially, of the Lower Columbia and Willamette -rivers, and these have been obtained from but two or -three original sources. Those sources, however, are as -reliable and intelligent as are to be found, being the recollections -of Silas B. Smith, of Clatsop, and Louis Labonte, -of Saint Paul, Oregon. That others may present anything -they may have on the subject, and thus the stock -of information be increased before those who have the -original information shall have passed away, and the later -investigators be left only to conjecture, is my idea in preparing -this paper.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In the first place we must bear in mind a remark of -Mr. Smith’s, and that is that the most of the Indian names -we have incorporated into our own nomenclature are more -or less altered. He says that white men always like to -change the original Indian somewhat. This is no doubt -true. Such a disposition arises partly from the white -man’s egotism, which rejoices in showing that he can -make a thing wrong if he pleases, and especially that an -Indian name has no rights which he is bound to respect; -and it arises in part from the white man’s ignorance. -This ignorance is shown partly in the lack of training of -our ears in hearing, so that we frequently are unable to -distinguish between allied letters, or sounds, such as “p” -and “b,” or “m,” for the consonants, or between a simple -<span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>vowel sound, or a compound, or diphthong. Moreover, -our English language is almost hopelessly mixed up between -the open, or broad continental pronunciation of -the vowels, and the narrow, or closed sound; so that -no one is sure that an “a” stands for “ay,” as in “day,” -or for “ah,” as in “hurrah.” The Yankee peculiarity, -also, of leaving off the sound of “r” where it belongs, -and putting it on where it does not belong, like saying -“wo’k” for “work,” or “Mariar” for “Mariah,” has very -materially changed the original pronunciation. With us, -too, the pronunciation of the vowels follows a fashion, -and varies from time to time according to what particular -“phobia” or “mania” we may happen to be cultivating. -At present the prevailing Anglomania is probably -affecting our speech as well as our fashions and politics. -An Indian name, therefore, that might have been -rendered into very good English fifty years ago, may -now, having become subject to the mutations of our fads -of pronunciation, be spoken quite differently from the -original tongue.</p> - -<p class='c011'>But, after making all these allowances, due to our white -man’s egotism, ignorance and change of fashions, the -main difficulty is in the strangeness, and, it might be said, -the rudimentariness of the Indian sounds. Many, perhaps -the most, of the aboriginal tones have no exact phonetic -equivalent in English. We must remember that -their names were originated away back in their own history, -and were not affected by contact with Europeans, -and have therefore a primitive quality not found even in -the Jargon. This makes them more difficult, but certainly -not less interesting.</p> - -<p class='c011'>In general it will be found, I think, that the aboriginal -languages have the following peculiarities of pronunciation:</p> - -<p class='c020'>1. Almost all the sounds are pronounced farther back -<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>in the throat than we pronounce them. This brings into -use an almost entirely different set of tones, or more exactly, -it brings the various vocal sounds produced by the -vocal chords to a point at a different, and to us an unused -position of the throat or mouth—at a point where we can -scarcely catch and arrest the sound. This makes the -vowel sounds in general pectoral or ventral, and the consonant -sounds guttural or palatal. As to the consonants, -also, it often gives them a clucking or rasping sound not -found in our language, unless in certain exclamations.</p> - -<p class='c020'>2. As a consequence of the above, the vowel sounds -are not very fully distinguished from the subvowels. -There is no “r” sound; if that is ever seen in an Indian -name it has been interpolated there by some white mal-transliterator. -“L” easily runs into “a,” and “m” into -“b.” Names that upon first pronunciation seem to have -an “l” turn out upon clearer sound to have a short Italian -“a,” or those having an “m” to be more exactly represented -by “b.” Probably the fact as to “r” is that it -is identical in the aboriginal throat with long Italian -“a,” or the ah sound, as it still is with Easterners and -Southerners.</p> - -<p class='c020'>3. Many of the most common aboriginal consonants, -or atonic sounds, while simple to them, can be represented -in English only by compounds. Such are the almost universal -“ch” which can be as accurately rendered “ts,” (?) -and the very common final syllable “lth.” “T” is also -produced so far back in the throat as to be almost indistinguishable -from “k.” It seems to be a principle to -slip a short “e” sound before an initial “k,” and many -names begin with a short introductory “n” sound, which -is nearly a pure vowel. Of the vowels, “a” pronounced -as ah is the most common, though long “a,” properly a -diphthong, and long “i” a diphthong, and long “e” are -very frequent. While it is true that the sounds as a rule -<span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>are <em>in</em>, rather than <em>out</em>, still the pure vowels, especially -“a,” and this used as a call, or cry, is often very open -and pure.</p> - -<p class='c020'>4. It will probably be found, also, that the sounds are -varied more or less according to meaning. With us tones -are a matter of expression. With the aborigines they were -probably a matter primarily of meaning. This would -arise from the fact that their language was not written, -but spoken, and their terms were not descriptive, but imitative. -We know, for instance, that the Jargon word indicating -pastime, which is “ahncuttie,” means a shorter -or longer period, according as the length the first vowel -is drawn out—a very long time ago admitting also of imitative -gesticulation. This principle would modify the -pronunciation of words, lengthening or shortening the -vowels, or opening or closing them, or perhaps drawing -semi-vowels out into pure vowels, and softening or sharpening -the consonants.</p> -<p class='c011'>While any expression of opinion must be very modest, -still this much may be ventured: That our language has -lost many valuable elements in its evolution from the -spoken to the written form, especially in the matter of -picturesqueness. We have, of course, gained immeasurably -in directness and objective accuracy, but true evolution -does not abolish any former element, but retains and -subordinates it, and thereby is able to advance to new -utilities. By study of a pure aboriginal language on the -imitative principle, expressed only in tones, not only may -the advantages of our own tongue be understood, but its -deficiencies may be remedied, and a more complete language -at length be developed. I am by no means of the -opinion that all that is human, or of value to civilization, -is to be found in the Anglo-Saxon race, or even in the -white race; but that the slow and painful struggles and -ponderings of the other races are also to be wrought into -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span>the final perfect expression of humanity in society, art, -literature and religion.</p> - -<p class='c011'>After the above, which is perhaps too much in the way -of introduction, I will proceed with the names that I -have been favored with—only wishing, if that were possible, -that our aboriginal languages might be reconstructed -in their entirety.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Water, says Mr. Smith, unless enclosed by land, was -never named. The Columbia or the Willamette had no -names. Water was to the native mind, like air, a spiritual -element, and just the same in one place as another; -and the circumstance that it was bounded by land made -it no other than simply “chuck”—the Jargon word. If -Indians ever seemed to give a name to a river, all that -was meant was some locality on the shore. The idea of -giving an appellation to a body of water from source to -outlet never occurred to them.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The following are some of the more common Indian -names of places, as given by Mr. Smith:</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Chinook</em>, or <em>Tsinook</em>—The headland at Baker’s Bay.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Clatsop</em>, or, more properly, <em>Tlahtsops</em>—About the same as Point Adams -at mouth of the Columbia.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Wal-lamt</em>, accented on last syllable, and but two syllables—A place -on the west shore of the Willamette River, near Oregon City, and the -name from which Willamette is taken.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>E-multh-a-no-mah</em>—On east side of Sauvie’s Island; from which the -name Multnomah is derived.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Chemukata</em>—Chemekata, site of Salem.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Chemayway</em>—A point on the Willamette River about two and one-half -miles southward from Fairfield, where Joseph Gervais, who came -to Oregon with Wilson G. Hunt in 1811, settled in 1827-28. The name -Chemawa, the Indian school, is derived from this.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Champoek</em>—Champoeg, an Indian name signifying the place of a -certain edible root. The name is not the French term <i>le campment -sable</i>, as naturally supposed by some, and stated by Bancroft.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ay-lem</em>—The name from which Nehalem is derived.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Acona</em>—Yaquina.</p> - -<p class='c011'>To these might be added, perhaps, Sealth, the name -of the Indian chief after whom the City of Seattle is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span>called. The name is of two syllables, accented on the -first. This well illustrates the tendency of the whites to -transpose letters, here making an “lth” into a “tle” in -imitation of the French, or, perhaps, the Mexican names. -Bancroft learnedly discusses the similarity between the -Washington and Mexican “tl,” apparently not knowing -that the Washington termination was not “tl,” but “lth.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>I will now give, in more detail, names of places, chiefs, -and of some primitive articles of food, and utensils, etc.:</p> - -<h3 class='c016'>NAMES OF PLACES AND CHIEFS IN CLATSOP COUNTY.</h3> - -<p class='c022'><em>Tle-las-qua</em>—Knappa.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Se-co-mee-tsiuc</em>—Tongue Point.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>O-wa-pun-pun</em>—Smith’s Point.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Kay-ke-ma-que-a</em>—On John Day’s River.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Kil-how-a-nak-kle</em>—A point on Young’s River.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Nee-tul</em>—A point on Lewis and Clark River.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ahk-al-toun-al-the</em>—A point on west side of Young’s Bay, near -Sunnymead.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Skip-p-er-nawin</em>—A point at mouth of Skipanon Creek.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ko-na-pee</em>—A village near Hotel Flavel, where the first white man -in Oregon, Konapee, lived.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ahk-stow</em>—A large Indian village near Hammond.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ah-keluc</em>—A large Indian village at Point Adam’s, name signifying -“Place of Okeluc,” or, where the <em>Okeluc</em> is made; “<em>Okeluc</em>” being -salmon pemmican.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>E-will-tsil-hulth</em>—A high sand hill, or broken end of a sea ridge, -facing the sea beach about west of the “Carnahan” place, meaning -steep hill.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>E-wil-nes-culp</em>—A flat-topped hill against the beach about west of -the “West” place, meaning “Hill cut off.”</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ah-ko-win</em>—Village on the beach about west of the “Morrison” -place, where the Ohanna Creek once discharged into the ocean.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ah-coxie</em>—Village at the mouth of Neacoxie Creek.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-co-tat</em>—Village at Seaside.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-hay-ne-hum</em>—Indian lodge up the Necanicum Creek.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-ahk-li-paltli</em>—A place near Elk Creek where an edible plant, the -Eckutlipatli, was found.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-kah-ni</em>—A precipice overlooking the ocean, meaning the abode -of <em>Ekahni</em>, the supreme god; called “Carnie Mountain” by the whites.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Ne-tarts</em>—Netarts.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Nestucca.</em></p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span><em>Tlats-kani</em>—A point in Nehalem Valley reached either by way of -Young’s River, or the Clatskanie; and hence the name “Claskanine” -for the branch of Young’s River, and “Clatskanie” for the stream -above Westport. In saying “<em>tlastani</em>,” the Indians meant neither of -those streams, but merely the place where they were going to or coming -from; but with usual carelessness the whites applied it to both.</p> - -<p class='c021'>There were two lakes on Clatsop plains, one of which was called -<em>O-mo-pah</em>, Smith’s Lake: and the other, much larger, <em>Ya-se-ya-ma-na-la-tslas-tie</em>, -which now goes by the name of an Indian, <em>Oua-i-cul-li-by</em>, -or simply <em>Culliby</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The name of Cape Hancock was <em>Wa-kee-tle-he-igh</em>; <em>Ilwaco</em>, <em>Comcomby</em>, -<em>Chenamas</em>, <em>Skamokoway</em>, <em>Kobaiway</em>, <em>Tostam</em>, and <em>Totilhum</em>, were -chiefs.</p> - -<p class='c011'>These chiefs’ names illustrate some of the peculiarities -of Indian pronunciation. <em>Kobaiway</em>, who was the Clatsop -chief when Lewis and Clark came, was called by -them <em>Comowool</em>; <em>Tostam</em> was sometimes called <em>Tostab</em>; and -<em>Totilhum</em>, “a powerful man of the people,” had the Columbia -River called after him by some whites. Seeing -some Indians coming down the great stream with camas, -etc., they asked where they obtained this: “From <em>Totilhum</em>,” -was the reply; meaning that they had been on a -visit to the chief. Then thinking they had made a great -discovery, the whites announced that the Columbia was -called <em>Totilhum</em>. <em>Totilhum</em> was chief of the Cathlamets, -who originally had their village on the Oregon side, near -Clifton.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'>INDIAN NAMES OF PLACES IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY—SOME CHIEFS.</h3> - -<p class='c022'><em>Ni-a-kow-kow</em>—St. Helens. A noted Indian chief here was <em>Ke-as-no</em>. -He was made a friend by the Hudson’s Bay Company, was given fine -presents, and entrusted with the duty of firing a salute to the company’s -vessels as they came in sight up the river.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Nah-poo-itle</em>—A village just across the river from <em>Niahkowkow</em>. The -name of the chief was <em>Sha-al</em>, who was very large sized.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Nah-moo-itk</em>—A point on Sauvie’s Island.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Emulthnomah</em>—A point a little above.</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span><em>Wa-kan-a-shee-shee</em>—A point across the river from <em>Emulthnomah</em>; -meant “white-headed duck,” or diver.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Na-quoith</em>—On mainland, old Fort William.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Na-ka-poulth</em>—A pond a little above Portland, on the east side, where -the Indians dug wapatoes.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>E-kee-sa-ti</em>—The Willamette Falls. The name of the tribe here was -<em>Tla-we-wul-lo</em>. The name of a chief was <em>Wah-nach-ski</em>; he had a -nephew, <em>Wah-shah-ams</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Han-te-uc</em>—Point at mouth of Pudding River.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Champo-ek</em>—Champoeg, meaning the place of a certain edible root. -“Ch” pronounced hard, as in “chant.”</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Che-sque-a</em>—Ray’s Landing.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Cham-ho-kuc</em>—A point near the mouth of Chehalem Creek; Chehalem -Village, in Chehalem Valley. A Chehalem chief was <em>Wow-na-pa</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Chemayway</em>—<em>Chemayway</em> was also a name given to Wapato Lake.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Cham-hal-lach</em>—A village on French Prairie.</p> - -<p class='c011'>It will be noticed that the names above the Willamette -Falls frequently begin with “Che” or “Cham,” as the -coast names often begin with “Ne.” The name for Clackamas -was <em>Ne-ka-mas</em>, and for Molalla, <em>Mo-lay-less</em>. The -name Tualatin was <em>Twhah-la-ti</em>. At Forest Grove, near -the old A. T. Smith place, was an Indian village, <em>Koot-pahl</em>. -The bare hill northwest, now called David’s Hill, -was <em>Tahm-yahn</em>, and an open spot up Gales’ Creek Valley -was <em>Pa-ach-ti</em>. A Tillamook chief was <em>Tae-sahlx</em>. The -name of a chief at The Dalles was <em>Wah-tis-con</em>. Labonte -remembers several chiefs at Spokane, one of whom was -<em>Ilmicum Spokanee</em>, or the Chief of the Moon; another, -<em>Ilmicum Takullhalth</em>, or the Chief of the Day, and another, -<em>Kah-wah-kim</em>, or Broken Shoulder. A chief of the Colville -tribe was <em>Skohomich</em>, a very old, white headed man -when Labonte saw him in about 1827. A tribe at the -Cascades were the <em>Wah-ral-lah</em>.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span> - <h3 class='c016'>NAMES OF ANIMALS.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c022'>Coyote—Chinook, <em>Tallapus</em>; Klikitat, <em>Speeleyi</em>; Spokane, <em>Sincheleepp</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Fox—Spokane, <em>Whawhaoolee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Gray wolf—<em>Cheaitsin</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Grizzly bear—Spokane, <em>Tsim-hi-at-sin</em>; Chinook, <em>E-shai-um</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Black bear—Spokane, <em>N’salmbe</em>; Chinook. <em>Itch-hoot</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Deer—Spokane, <em>Ah-wa-ia</em>; Doe, <em>Poo-may-ia</em>, or <em>Poom-a-wa-ia</em>. (?) -Calapooia, “A big buck,” <em>Awaia umpaia</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Black bear—Clackamas, <em>Skint-wha</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Beaver—<em>Wa-ca-no</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Deer—Chinook, <em>Mowitch</em>; Calapooia, <em>A-mo-quee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Elk—Calapooia, <em>An-ti-kah</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Elk—Clatsop, <em>Moo-luk</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Duck—Clatsop, <em>Que’ka-que’kh</em> (<em>onomatopœia</em>).</p> - -<p class='c021'>Geese—Clatsop, <em>Kah-lak-ka-lah-ma</em> (<em>ono.</em>).</p> - -<p class='c021'>Yellow legged goose—<em>Hi-hi</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Columbia Sucker—<em>Kaht-a-quay</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Smelt—Clatsop, <em>O-tla-hum</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Hake—Clatsop, <em>Sca-nah</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Silverside salmon—<em>O-o-wun</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Blue back salmon—Clatsop, <em>Oo-chooi-hay</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Large black salmon of August run—Clatsop, <em>Ec-ul-ba</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Steelhead—Clatsop, <em>Qua-ne-ah</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Dog salmon—Clatsop, <em>O-le-ahch</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Cinook salmon (Royal Chinook)—Clatsop, <em>E-quin-na</em>, from which -“<em>Quinnat</em>,” the name of the Pacific Coast salmon species has been -taken.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Trout—<em>O-tole-whee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Whale—Clatsop, <em>E-co-lay</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Horse—Clatsop, <em>E-cu-i-ton</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Cow—Clatsop, <em>Moos-moos</em> (<em>ono.</em>).</p> - -<p class='c021'>Sheep—<em>Ne-mooi-too</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Wildcat—Clatsop, <em>E-cup-poo</em>.</p> - -<p class='c023'>[Mr. Smith conjectures that the name of wildcat was given from the alarm -call of the squirrel, which was hunted by the wildcats, and whose cry indicated -the presence of these animals.]</p> - -<p class='c021'>Beaver—Clatsop, <em>E-nah</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Seal—Clatsop, <em>Ool-hi-you</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Sea lion—Clatsop, <em>Ee-kee-pee-tlea</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Sea otter—Clatsop, <em>E-lah-kee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Coon—Clatsop, <em>Twa-las-key</em>.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span> - <h3 class='c016'>EDIBLE ROOTS, ETC.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c022'>Wapato—Clatsop, <em>Kah-nat-sin</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Camas—Calapooia, <em>Ah-mees</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Loaf of Camas—<em>Um-punga</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Foxtail tuber—Clatsop, <em>Che-hup</em>; Calapooia, same.</p> - -<p class='c023'>[The <em>che-hup</em> was quite an article of commerce, being prepared by the Calapooias -and traded with the coast tribes. It was black, and sweet tasting.]</p> - -<p class='c021'>Thistle root—Clatsop, <em>Sh-nat-a-whee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Blue lupine root—Clatsop, <em>Cul-whay-ma</em>.</p> - -<p class='c023'>[This was a root as large as one’s finger, a foot long, and roasted, tasted like -sweet potato.]</p> - -<p class='c021'>Wild tulip, or brown lily—Clatsop, <em>Eck-ut-le-pat-le</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Cranberry—Clatsop. <em>Solh-meh</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Strawberry—Clatsop, <em>Ah-moo-tee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Service berry—Clatsop, <em>Tip-to-ich</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Blue huckleberry—Same as service berry.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Buffalo berry—Clatsop, <em>Smee-ugh-tul</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Sallal—Clatsop, <em>Sal-lal</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Hazel nuts—Calapoolia, <em>To-que-la</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Wasps’ nest—Calapooia, <em>An-te-alth</em>.</p> - -<p class='c023'>[The nest of the “yellow jackets” was dug out of the ground, the insects being -first well smoked so as not to sting; and the combs, with the honey and -larvæ, were considered a great delicacy. The expression (Calapooia) “<i>msoah -quasinafoe antealth</i>,” means “yellow jacket’s nests are good eating.”]</p> - -<p class='c021'>Tar weed seed—Calapooia, <em>Sah-wahh</em>.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The tar weed seeds were small and dark, ripening late. -One of the objects of burning the prairie over in the fall -was to ripen and partially cook these seeds, which, after -the fire had passed, were left dry and easily gathered. -They were ground like camas root in a mortar and then -resembled pepper in appearance, but were sweet tasting.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'>CHINOOK AND SPOKANE NUMERALS.</h3> - -<p class='c022'>One—Chinook, <em>ikt</em>; Spokane, <em>nekoo</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Two—Chinook, <em>mox</em>; Spokane, <em>es-sel</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Three—Chinook, <em>clone</em>; Spokane, <em>tsye-sees</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Four—Chinook, <em>lack-et</em>; Spokane, <em>moos</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Five—Chinook, <em>quin-am</em> or <em>quun-un</em>; Spokane, <em>chyilks</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Six—Chinook, <em>tahum</em>; Spokane, <em>e-tecken</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Seven—Chinook, <em>sinomox</em>; Spokane, <em>sees-pul</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>Eight—Chinook, <em>sto-ken</em>; Spokane, <em>ha-en-um</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Nine—Chinook, <em>quoist</em>; Spokane, <em>h’noot</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Ten—Chinook, <em>tat-ta-lum</em>; Spokane, <em>oo-pen</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Twenty—Chinook, <em>tattalum-tattalum</em>; Spokane, <em>es-sel oo-pen</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>One hundred—Spokane, <em>en-kay-kin</em>.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'>HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES, IMPLEMENTS, ETC.</h3> - -<p class='c022'>Blankets—Calapooia, <em>Pas-sis-si</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Kettle—Calapooia, <em>Moos-moos</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Slaves—Calapooia, <em>El-ai-tai</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'><em>Haiqua</em> shells, used for money, a small turritella, found on the -northern coast.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Small <em>haiqua</em>—Calapooia, <em>Cope-cope</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Tobacco—Calapooia, <em>E-kai-noss</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Knives—Calapooia, <em>Eoptstsh</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Powder—Calapooia, <em>Poo-lal-lie</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Buffalo robe—Clatsop, <em>Too-i-hee</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Wagon—Clatsop, <em>Chick-chick</em> (<em>ono.</em>).</p> - -<p class='c021'>High-bow Chinook canoe—Clatsop, <em>Esquai-ah</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Big tub Chinook canoe—Clatsop, <em>Ska-moolsk</em>.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Small duck canoe—<em>Kah-see-tic</em>(<em>h</em>).</p> - -<p class='c021'>Clackamas canoe—Clackamas, <em>Tse-quah-min</em>.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Even from the above meager list a number of interesting -inquiries might be begun, but my object at present -is only to make a small contribution along what I believe -will prove a profitable line of investigation, hoping -that others will add theirs. In this way something will -be accomplished toward reconstructing the simple life of -our natives, doing them a justice, and discovering, I am -sure, what will be a delight and benefit both to the present -and to the coming generations of our own people.</p> - -<div class='c015'>H. S. LYMAN.</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span> - <h2 id='chap6' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>DOCUMENTS.</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>All of the following newspaper articles were taken -from a single year of the New York <em>Tribune</em>. They serve -well to indicate the interest with which Oregon Territory -was regarded throughout the country in 1842:</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), January 18, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='large'>FROM OREGON.</span></div> - <div class='c004'>EXTRACT OF A LETTER DATED WILHAMET, FEBRUARY 19, 1842.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>I will now tell you something of the people of this country. There -are about seventy-five to eighty French Canadians settled in this country, -principally discharged from the service of the Hudson Bay Company; -there are also about fifty Americans settled in and about this -country, making, perhaps, one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred -and thirty male inhabitants, who are married to Indian women. -They raise from their farms, on an average, from three to five hundred, -and some from ten to twelve hundred bushels of wheat, besides -great quantities of pease, potatoes, oats, barley, corn, etc. The Hudson -Bay Company have in their employ at Fort Vancouver about one hundred -and twenty-five persons, and many in several other forts both -sides of the Rocky Mountains.</p> - -<p class='c021'>These people, as I said before, are married to Indian women, and -live very much the same, in all respects, as our farmers at home, with -the exception of not being obliged to labor half as much. They generally -have from fifty to one hundred head of horses, half as many -cows, and about the same number of hogs; these all take care of -themselves. The people here cut no hay and make no pastures; they -do not give their hogs any feed, excepting about a month before they -kill them. There is one church here, and the people have contracted -for a brick church and other buildings necessary, such as a school -house for the French and one for the Americans. The French have -one priest here and one at Fort Vancouver.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The Americans generally attend at the mission, and, as far as I can -see, the people here are as well behaved and moral as in our town. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>We have now a committee at work drafting a constitution and code of -laws; have in nomination a governor, an attorney-general, three justices -of the peace, etc.; overseers of the poor, road commissioners, -etc. We have already chosen a supreme judge with probate powers, -a clerk of the court and recorder, a high sheriff, and three constables; -so that you see we are in a fair way of starting a rival republic on this -side of the mountains, especially as we are constantly receiving recruits—those -people whose time has expired with the Hudson Bay -Company, and from mountain hunters coming down to settle.—<i>National -Intelligencer.</i></p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), Friday morning, March 24, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<p class='c022'>Oregon is now the theme of general interest at the west. Large -meetings to discuss the policy of taking formal possession of and colonizing -it have been held at Columbus, Ohio, and several other places. -Many are preparing to emigrate. A band of hardy settlers will rendezvous -at Fort Leavenworth, and set out thence for Oregon early in -May, under the command of Major Fitzpatrick.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), April 26, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='large'>FROM OAHU.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>The ship William Gray brings to Salem, Massachusetts, date from -Honolulu, November 27. * * * Late intelligence from Oregon confirms -previous accounts with regard to missionary operations. From -the fewness of the Indians and their migratory habits it is feared that -little good can be effected among them. Many of the missionaries -have become farmers and others are preparing to leave.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), March 13, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='large'>OREGON.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>The following letter is from an intelligent sea captain just returned -from the Pacific Ocean. It gives information of the progress of the -British appropriation of the trade and all the accessible regions of the -Northern Pacific, which should be impressed upon the American -public.—<i>Globe.</i></p> - -<div class='c025'><span class='sc'>Boston</span>, May 1, 1842.</div> - -<p class='c021'><span class='sc'>Sir</span>: Thinking it may be interesting or important to know some of -the late operations and present plans of the Hudson’s Bay Company in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>the North Pacific Ocean, I beg leave to present to your notice some -facts in relation to the same, and which have come to my knowledge -from personal observation, or from sources entitled to the fullest credit.</p> - -<p class='c021'>All that extensive line of coast comprehending the Russian possessions -on the Northwest Coast of America, from Mount Saint Elias south -to the latitude 54° 40′ north (the last being the boundary line between -the Russian and American territories), together with the sole and exclusive -right or privilege of frequenting all ports, bays, sounds, rivers, -etc., within said territory, and establishing forts and trading with the -Indians, has been leased or granted by the Russian-American Fur -Company to the British Hudson’s Bay Company, for the term of ten -years from January, 1842; and for which the latter are to pay, <em>annually</em>, -four thousand seal skins, or the value thereof in money, at the rate of -thirty-two shillings each, say £6,400 sterling, or $30,720.</p> - -<p class='c021'>In the above-named lease the Russians have, however, reserved to -themselves the Island of Sitka, or New Archangel; in which place, -you probably are aware, the Russians have a large settlement—the -depot and headquarters of their fur trade with the Fox Islands, Aleutian -Islands, and the continental shore westward of Mount Saint Elias. -All the trading establishments of the Russians lately at Tumgass, -Stickene, and other places within said territory, leased to the Hudson’s -Bay Company, have of consequence been broken up. Thus the -Hudson’s Bay Company not content with monopolizing the heretofore -profitable trade of the Americans, of supplying the Russian settlements -on the Northwest Coast, have now cut them off also from all -trade with the most valuable fur regions in the world.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Whether the arrangements made between the Russians and English, -above alluded to, are conformable to the treaties existing between -the United States on the one part, and those nations respectively on -the other, I leave to your better knowledge to determine.</p> - -<p class='c021'>With the doings of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Puget Sound and -the Columbia River you are doubtless fully informed; those, however, -lately commenced by them in California will admit of my saying a few -words.</p> - -<p class='c021'>At San Francisco they purchased a large house as a trading establishment -and depot for merchandise; and they intend this year to -have a place of the same kind at each of the principal ports in Upper -California. Two vessels are building in London, intended for the same -trade—that is, for the coasting trade; and after completing their cargoes, -to carry them to England. These things, with others, give every -indication that it is the purpose of the Hudson’s Bay Company to monopolize -the whole hide and tallow trade of California, a trade which -now employs more than half a million of American capital. At the -Sandwich Islands the company have a large trading establishment, -and have commenced engaging the commerce of the country, with evident -<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>designs to monopolize it, if possible, and to drive off the Americans, -who have heretofore been its chief creators and conductors.</p> - -<p class='c021'>I have been informed, by one of the agents of the Hudson’s Bay -Company, that the agricultural and commercial operations of the English -at Puget Sound, Columbia River, California, and Sandwich Islands, -are carried on, not actually by the Hudson’s Bay Company, but by -what may be termed a branch of it—by gentlemen who are the chief -members and stockholders of said company, and who have associated -themselves under the firm Pelly, Simpson & Co., in London, and with -a capital of more than $15,000,000!</p> - -<p class='c021'>Seeing these companies, then, marching with iron footsteps to the -possession of the most valuable portion of country in the Northern -Pacific, and considering, too, the immense amount of their capital, -the number, enterprise, and energy of their agents, and the policy -pursued by them, great reason is there to fear that American commerce -in that part of the world must soon lower its flag. But, sir, it -is to be hoped that our government will soon do something to break -up the British settlements in the Oregon Territory, and thereby destroy -the source from which now emanates the dire evils to American -interests in the western world. In the endeavor to bring about that -desirable object, you have done much; and every friend to his country, -every person interested in the commerce of the Pacific, must feel -grateful for the valuable services rendered them by you.</p> - -<p class='c021'>With great respect, your obedient servant,</p> - -<div class='c025'>HENRY A. PRICE.</div> - -<p class='c021'><span class='sc'>Hon. Lewis F. Linn</span>,</p> -<p class='c026'>Senator of the United States, Washington.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), July 4, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='large'>SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>The Missouri <em>Reporter</em> of the fourteenth instant contains a notice of -the expedition of Lieutenant Fremont, of the United States Topographical -Engineers, to the base of the Rocky Mountains, in the latitude -of the Platte and Kanzas rivers, with a view to ascertain positions -and localities, to explore the face of the country, and to make the -government fully acquainted with that remote and important point of -our extended territory now becoming of so much greater interest from -the extension of our trade to the northern parts of Mexico and California, -and the settlement growing up in the valley of the Columbia -River.</p> - -<p class='c021'><span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>The line of communication now followed by immigrants, traders -and travelers to the Columbia and California, is upon this route, and -through the famous South Pass—a depression in the Rocky Mountains -at the head of the River Platte, which makes a gate in that elevated -ridge, passable in a state of nature, for loaded wagons, of which many -have passed through. This examination of the country on this side of -the Rocky Mountains comes at a very auspicious moment to complete -our researches in that direction, and to give more value to the surveys -and examinations of the Columbia River, its estuary, and the surrounding -country, made by Lieutenant Wilkes in his recent voyage, and of -which a full report has been made to the government. These two examinations -will give us an authentic and interesting view of the important -country belonging to the United States on each side of the -Rocky Mountains; and taken in connection with the great scientific -survey of Mr. Nicollet, commencing at the mouth of the Missouri -River, and extending north to the head of the Mississippi, and to latitude -49°, and covering all the country in the forks of these two rivers, -over an extent of ten degrees of latitude, will shed immense light upon -the geography and natural history of the vast region west of the Mississippi -River.—<i>Globe.</i></p> - -<h3 class='c016'>The following is the article from the Missouri <em>Reporter</em>:</h3> - -<p class='c022'>Lieutenant Fremont, of the corps of the topographical engineers, -left here under orders from the war department, about ten days ago, -with a party of twenty men on a tour to the Rocky Mountains. The -object of the expedition is an examination of the country between the -mouth of the Kanzas and the headwaters of the great River Platte, -including the navigable parts of both these rivers, and what is called -the Southern Pass in the Rocky Mountains, and intermediate country, -with the view to the establishment of a line of military posts from the -frontiers of Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River. This expedition -is connected with the proposition now before congress to -occupy the territory about the Columbia River as proposed by Dr. -Linn’s bill.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The great River Platte is the most direct line of communication -between this country and the mouth of the Columbia, and that route -is known to be practicable and easy. It therefore becomes important -to ascertain the general character of that river and the adjacent country, -and the facilities it will be likely to afford in prosecuting contemplated -settlements in Oregon. This Southern Pass, or depression in -the Rocky Mountains, is near the source of the extreme branch of the -River Platte, and affords an easy passage for wagons and other wheel -<span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>carriages, which have frequently passed over the mountains on that -route without difficulty or delay; and it is important that the latitude -of this point should be ascertained, as it is thought that it will not vary -much from the line established between the United States and Mexico -by treaty with Spain, 1819. If this pass should fall south of that line -(the forty-second degree of north latitude) it may become necessary to -examine the country north of it, the line of the Yellowstone and south -branch of the Columbia would, it is thought, afford the next best route.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Lieutenant Fremont, though young, has had much experience in -surveys of this kind, having made the topographical survey of the -Des Moines River, and having assisted the scientific Mr. Nicollet in -his great survey of the Upper Mississippi. He is well supplied with -instruments for making astronomical observations; for fixing the longitude -and latitude of important points; and a daguerrotype apparatus -for taking views of important points and scenes along the route; and, -if not obstructed in his operations by large bands of wild, wandering -Indians, which sometimes trouble small parties passing through that -region, may be expected to impart much valuable information to the -government and to the country.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Since the attention of the country has been directed to the settlement -of the Oregon Territory by our able senator (Doctor Linn), and -by the reports of those who have visited that region in person, the -importance of providing ample security for settlers there, and of opening -a safe and easy communication from the western boundary of Missouri -to the Columbia River has been universally admitted.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The day is not far distant when, if the general government shall -do its duty in the matter, Oregon will be inhabited by a hardy, industrious, -and intelligent population, and the enterprise of our citizens -find a new channel of trade with the islands of the Pacific, the western -coast of this whole continent, and perhaps with Eastern Asia. -Notwithstanding the many obstacles at present in the way of the settlement -of this territory, emigrants are rapidly pouring into it, and -only demand of government that protection which is due to all our -citizens, wherever they may choose to reside. While negotiations are -pending at Washington to adjust all existing difficulties between this -country and Great Britain, our right to this territory should not be -forgotten. At present, it may seem a small matter to the negotiations; -but they should remember that every year’s delay will only -render the final adjustment of the disputed northwestern boundary -more difficult.</p> - -<p class='c021'>We are pleased to learn that the proper authorities at Washington -evince a disposition to do something toward encouraging the early occupation -of Oregon by permanent American settlers. It is known -that many of the islands in the Pacific have already been settled by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span>Americans, and trading houses established, by which a large and -profitable business is carried on with the Indian tribes on the northwestern -coast of America, and with the East Indies and China. There -is nothing to prevent trading establishments in Oregon from ultimately -securing a large share of this trade, and adding much to the -wealth and prosperity of the whole union.</p> - -<p class='c021'>But, regardless of these ultimate advantages, the prospect of immediate -success is so great that many of our hardy pioneers are already -turning their attention to the settlement of Oregon, and many -years will not elapse before that territory contains a large population. -Doctor Linn has done much to urge a speedy occupation of it by permanent -American residents. If Lieutenant Fremont shall be successful -in his contemplated exploration of the route, and if the government -shall furnish proper protection to those who shall seek a home -in that distant region, the English may not only be completely dislodged -from the foothold they have already acquired there, but prevented -from making further inroads upon our western territory, and -long monopolizing the greater part of the trade at present carried on -with the Indian tribes at the Northwest and West.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), July 15, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='large'>THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>The Washington correspondent of the <em>Journal of Commerce</em> writes -as follows of the results of the exploring expedition:</p> - -<p class='c021'>The universal opinion here on the subject of the conduct and results -of the exploring expedition is highly favorable to the officers -who had charge of it. It has certainly given to Lieutenant Wilkes a -reputation as an accomplished seaman and an energetic and scientific -officer.</p> - -<p class='c021'>He delivered before the national institute a course of lectures, at -the request of that body, on the subject of the expedition, which gave -satisfaction and instruction to a numerous and enlightened auditory—among -whom were Mr. J. Q. Adams, Mr. Poinsett, Mr. Woodbury, the -members of the cabinet, and many scientific gentlemen from every -portion of the union.</p> - -<p class='c021'>At the close of his last lecture the honorable Secretary of the Navy -(Mr. Upshur) rose and addressed the assembly in the warmest terms -of commendation of the successful labors and efforts of Captain Wilkes, -and the officers and scientific corps under his command. He adverted -to one fact which of itself spoke strongly of the skill with which the -expedition had been conducted—that it had visited the remotest quarters -<span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span>of the globe, traversed the most dangerous seas, surveyed the -most impenetrable coasts, and encountered the vicissitudes of every -climate with so little difficulty or loss.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The secretary also remarked on the immense treasures in natural -science which the officers of the expedition had collected and transmitted -to the government in such admirable order, and which now -formed the basis of the museum of the national institute.</p> - -<p class='c021'>He commented, also, on Captain Wilkes’ report upon the Oregon -Territory, and declared that this report was alone an ample compensation -to the country for the whole cost of the expedition. He expressed -the opinion, in fine, that the results of the expedition were -highly valuable and honorable, not to this country alone, but to the -cause of civilization in the world.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), August 10, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div><span class='small'><i>Correspondence from Washington.</i></span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>Points of the treaty. * * * The boundary line agreed upon -runs to the Rocky Mountains, and leaves unsettled the question of the -Oregon Territory. There is nothing lost by this, for our emigrants -are daily settling this question. We grow stronger there by time, and -become <em>nearer</em>, too.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'>In the same paper of the same date as the above:</h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='large'>THE OREGON FUR TRADE.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c021'>This valuable traffic, which is at once the instrument of exploration -and the nursery of seamen, was by the convention of 1818 suffered to -be pursued promiscuously by British and Americans, and in consequence -of that suicidal provision is fast being diverted from the latter -to the former. Our exports of furs to Canton amounted in 1821, to -$480,000; in 1832, to about $200,000, and in 1839, to $56,000, showing a -gradual decrease between the years 1821 and 1839 of more than seven-eighths, -in the amount and value of this trade. A better practical -commentary is not needed upon the effect of our legislation, and while -Americans are thus annually withdrawing from this trade, Great -<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>Britain is extending her facilities for commanding it every day. Her -hunters and trappers are scattered over the whole extent of the territory; -nor are they content with the legitimate profits of the business. -While within the British Territory the strictest provisions are made -to prevent the destruction of game unnecessarily, no such precautions -are enforced here, but on the contrary the Indians and others are encouraged -to hunt at all seasons of the year without regard to the preservation -of game. The result of this will be the extermination of the -beaver and other animals killed for their fur within a few years unless -the United States interferes.</p> - -<h3 class='c016'><span class='small'>[From the <em>Tribune</em> (New York), December 14, 1842.]</span></h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div><span class='large'>THE NORTHWEST COAST.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Some apprehension exists that a settled design is entertained -by Great Britain of disputing our claim to the territory -beyond the Rocky Mountains and the whole Pacific -Coast in that quarter. A letter to the editor of the <em>Globe</em> -from an officer of the United States ship Dale, belonging -to the Pacific Squadron, dated “Bay of Panama, September -23, 1842,” contains the following paragraph:</p> - -<p class='c021'>We sailed from Callao seventh instant in company with the frigate -United States (Commodore Jones’ flagship), and sloop-of-war Cyane, -but we separated from them and bore up for this port on the seventh -day out. Just previously to our departure two British ships-of-war -(the razee Dublin, and sloop-of-war Champion) sailed thence on <i>secret -service</i>! Of course this mysterious movement of Admiral Thomas -elicited a thousand conjectures as to his destination, the most probable -of which seemed to be that he was bound for the Northwest Coast of -Mexico, where, it is surmised, a <em>British station</em> is to be located in accordance -with a secret convention between the Mexican and English -governments! And it is among the <em>on dits</em> in the squadron that the -frigate, the Cyane, and the Dale, are to rendezvous as soon as practicable -at Monterey to keep an eye upon John Bull’s movements in that -quarter.</p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>The following document is a letter by William Plumer, -then United States Senator from New Hampshire. The -original is in the possession of Dr. Jay Tuttle, of Astoria. -Bradbury Cilley, Esqr., to whom the letter is addressed, -was an ancestor of Doctor Tuttle. The copy was secured -by George H. Himes, Assistant Secretary of the Oregon -Historical Society.</p> - -<div class='c025'><span class='sc'>Washington</span>, Feby 25, 1806.</div> - -<p class='c021'><span class='sc'>My Dear Friend</span>: A few days since I received your kind letter of -the 27th January. It had a long passage. Your letters need no apology. -They always afford me pleasure, and I regret that I so seldom -receive them.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The papers of the day inform you that we are doing little, except -meeting, talking, and adjourning. Indeed we have little business to -do that is of importance. The great, astonishing changes that so rapidly -succeed one another in Europe admonishes us to deliberate much -and act little in relation to our connection with them. We ought, in -my opinion, to reserve ourselves for events.</p> - -<p class='c021'>I do not believe there is any fear of an invasion from any nation. I -am, therefore, opposed to expending millions in fortifying our seaports. -I consider the money to be thus expended worse than lost. Those -works, if erected, will compel us to an annual expenditure, to a considerable -amount, to support them. The revenues of the United -States, for years, might be expended in erecting fortifications. This -kind of a defense is in its nature unavailing. Witness the great but -useless fortifications at Copenhagen in 1801; witness a single British -frigate in 1776, with the tide and a gentle breeze, passing unhurt down -the Hudson, by all our forts at New York. If, instead of raising money -to fortify against enemies that are distant as the moon, a reasonable -sum was annually and prudently applied to building a permanent navy, -we should then exert our energies to a useful purpose. We should -then find increasing commerce would not in every sea depend, for protection, -on the capricious whims of nations whose interests it is to -capture and condemn it. But I presume we shall do nothing this session -that will be permanent. In a popular government there are too -many whose constant inquiries are directed rather to please, than -serve, the people.</p> - -<p class='c021'>The senate to gratify France has interdicted the trade to Saint -Domingo, and to restrain the President from warring against Great -Britain, they have resolved that he must resort to negotiation. The -fact is, the President knew Jay’s rendered a former administration -unpopular, and to remove the responsibility from the President to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span>Senate, his friends induced them in their legislative capacity to assume -and exercise their executive powers and request him to negotiate,—the -very measure he had adopted. I was apprised of the fact, opposed -and voted against it, much against the will of my friends. I am unwilling -to remove the responsibility which the constitution has imposed -on him—’tis dangerous.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Yesterday I dined with the President. I felt in high glee, and -enjoyed myself; but I thought the President discovered an unusual -weight of care. The times, indeed, require all his vigilance.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Mr. Burr is here—but is not yet Minister to Great Britain—nor I -hope never will [be].</p> - -<p class='c021'>Our weather is remarkably warm. The grass is verdant, and the -birds of spring are come. I enjoy good health and spirits—but wish -to return to my friends and family—though I fear I shall not for many -weeks.</p> - -<p class='c021'>Make my compliments agreeable to Mrs. Cilley, and be assured that -I am with much esteem yours sincerely,</p> - -<div class='c025'>WILLIAM PLUMER.</div> - -<p class='c021'><span class='sc'>Bradbury Cilley, Esqr.</span>,</p> -<p class='c027'>Nottingham, N. H.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span> - <h2 id='chap7' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'><span class='large'>PUBLICATIONS</span><br /> <br /><span class='small'>OF THE</span><br /> <br /><span class='large'><span class='sc'>Oregon Historical Society</span></span></span></h2> -</div> -<hr class='c028' /> -<h3 class='c016'>SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF OREGON</h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div><span class='sc'>Volume I</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Number 1.—Journal of Medorem Crawford—An Account of His -Trip Across the Plains in 1842. Price, 25 Cents.</span></p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Number 2.—The Indian Council at Walla Walla, May and June, -1855, by Col. Lawrence Kip—A Journal. Price, 25 Cents.</span></p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Numbers 3 to 6 Inclusive.—The Correspondence and Journals of -Captain Nathaniel J. Wyeth, 1831-6.—A Record of Two Expeditions, -for the Occupation of the Oregon Country, with Maps, Introduction -and Index. Price, $1.10.</span></p> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>The Proceedings of the Oregon Historical Society for 1898-9, -Including Paper by Silas B. Smith, on “Beginnings in Oregon,” -97 Pages. Price, 25 Cents.</span></p> -<hr class='c029' /> -<h3 class='c016'>QUARTERLY OF THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.</h3> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div><span class='sc'>Contents No. 1, Vol. I, March, 1900.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table2' summary=''> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>The Genesis of Political Authority and of a Commonwealth Government in Oregon</span>—<i>James R. Robertson</i></td> - <td class='c003'>1</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>The Process of Selection in Oregon Pioneer Settlement</span>—<i>Thomas Condon</i></td> - <td class='c003'>60</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Nathaniel J. Wyeth’s Oregon Expeditions</span>—“In Historic Mansions and Highways Around Boston”</td> - <td class='c003'>66</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Reminiscences of F. X. Matthieu</span>—<i>H. S. Lyman</i></td> - <td class='c003'>73</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Documents</span>—Correspondence of John McLoughlin, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, S. R. Thurston, and R. C. Winthrop, pertaining to claim of Dr. McLoughlin at the Falls of the Willamette—the site of Oregon City</td> - <td class='c003'>105</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Notes and News</span></td> - <td class='c003'>70</td> - </tr> -</table> -<hr class='c029' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='sc'>Contents No. 2, Vol. I, June, 1900.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<table class='table2' summary=''> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>The Oregon Question</span>—<i>Joseph R. Wilson</i></td> - <td class='c003'>111</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Our Public Land System and its Relation to Education in the United States</span>—<i>Frances F. Victor</i></td> - <td class='c003'>132</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Glimpses of Life in Early Oregon</span>—<i>Mrs. William Markland Molson</i></td> - <td class='c003'>158</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Not Marjoram.—The Spanish Word “Oregano” not the Original of Oregon</span>—<i>H. W. Scott</i></td> - <td class='c003'>165</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Reminiscences of Louis Labonte</span>—<i>H. S. Lyman</i></td> - <td class='c003'>169</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Dr. Elliott Cours</span>—<i>Frances F. Victor</i></td> - <td class='c003'>189</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Document.</span>—A Narrative of Events in Early Oregon ascribed to Dr. John McLoughlin</td> - <td class='c003'>193</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Reviews of Books.</span>—“McLoughlin and Old Oregon”—<i>Eva Emery Dye</i></td> - <td class='c003'>207</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>“Missionary History of the Pacific Northwest”—<i>H. K. Hines, D. D.</i></td> - <td class='c003'>210</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Note.</span>—A Correction</td> - <td class='c003'>212</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c013'> - <div><b>PRICE: THIRTY-FIVE CENTS PER NUMBER, ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR</b></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span> - <h2 id='chap8' class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>UNIVERSITY OF OREGON.</span></h2> -</div> - -<hr class='c028' /> -<p class='c011'><i><b>THE GRADUATE SCHOOL</b> confers the degrees of -Master of Arts, (and in prospect, of Doctor of Philosophy,) -Civil and Sanitary Engineer (C. E.), Electrical -Engineer (E. E.), Chemical Engineer (Ch. E.), -and Mining Engineer (Min. E.)</i></p> - -<hr class='c029' /> - -<p class='c011'><i><b>THE COLLEGE OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND THE -ARTS</b> confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts on -graduates from the following groups: (1) General -Classical; (2) General Literary; (3) General Scientific; -(4) Civic-Historical. It offers Collegiate Courses -not leading to a degree as follows: (1) Preparatory -to Law or Journalism; (2) Course for Teachers.</i></p> - -<hr class='c029' /> -<p class='c011'><i>THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.</i>—</p> - -<p class='c030'><i>A.—The School of Applied Science confers the degree -of Bachelor of Science on graduates from -the following groups; (1) General Science; (2) -Chemistry; (3) Physics; (4) Biology; (5) Geology -and Mineralogy. It offers a Course Preparatory -to Medicine.</i></p> - -<p class='c030'><i>B.—The School of Engineering: (1) Civil and Sanitary; -(2) Electrical; (3) Chemical.</i></p> - -<hr class='c029' /> - - <ul class='ul_1'> - <li><i>THE SCHOOL OF MINES AND MINING.</i> - </li> - <li><i>THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE at Portland.</i> - </li> - <li><i>THE SCHOOL OF LAW at Portland.</i> - </li> - <li><i>THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC.</i> - </li> - <li><i>THE UNIVERSITY ACADEMY.</i> - </li> - </ul> - -<p class='c031'><i>Address</i></p> -<div class='c032'><span class='large'><span class='sc'><b>The President</b>,</span></span></div> -<div class='c015'><span class='sc'>Eugene, Oregon.</span></div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='c033'></div> -<div class="tnote"> -<p>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</p> -<ul> - -<li> -<p class='c011'>Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.</p> - -</li> -<li> -<p class='c011'>Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised if a predominant form was found within the text, but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.</p> - -</li> -</ul> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical -Society,(Vol. I, No. 3), by Oregon Historical Society - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY *** - -***** This file should be named 62009-h.htm or 62009-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/0/0/62009/ - -Produced by Gísli Valgeirsson and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - - </body> - <!-- created with ppgen.py 3.56n on 2018-11-12 17:59:11 GMT --> -</html> diff --git a/old/62009-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/62009-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 22e658b..0000000 --- a/old/62009-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62009-h/images/i_sigil.jpg b/old/62009-h/images/i_sigil.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e0a4232..0000000 --- a/old/62009-h/images/i_sigil.jpg +++ /dev/null |
