Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-04
FRou THE MISSOURI ro THE PA.
a. CrFrC.

dents Of Frontier History -Sslf Government
AIaong Tho Pioneers-Tle Bearer Coin--Eariy
Compare Voyage ArOuad hs World By a
Ship Of me Hudson Bag Consany-The Com
paay's Enormous Claim Agains me United
Stafss-R,sourees and Developments Of Oregon
From Special Correspondent NY. Tribune
PosrLaSD. Oregon. Monday July "a, 1865.
We found this pleasant. Struggling growing
cIty Of 1900 people irontea by the smooth,
giAssy. transparent river. brokea just above b.
- Island OF vivid, drooping foliage inclosed on
the three land sides BY al amphitheater OF smooth
synmetric hills covered with tall. dark pines
At the whaFyes, bali dozen river STEAMBOATS,,
several sailing vessels. one Just from the Sand
vch Islands, and the great ocean steamer Sierra
Nevada. On the lower. business streets, ample
bIiek blocks further back. the graceful. new
Presbyterian church. and other buildings for
school and worship; then spacious frame dwell
lings. stcas colored, yerandahed, and lfhidden
by foliage finally an irregular fringe of little
cottages and rough cabins scattered far up among
hillside ssumps. The stars and Stripes every
vhere flying streets filled with busy. inteli gent
faces hne horses, with graceful carriages, trot-
ting up the macadamized road along the river to-
ward. a delightful suburban resort known as the
White House. Driving Is the pssime of the Pa
Neu England and New ork are largely rep
resented, for emigration goes due West with un-
erring precision unless diverted from it, PARALLEL
bv some exceptonai influence like the early ex
elements OF California and Kansas. Portland
grosIng. enterprisidg aud intensely loyal--ls a
worthy young sister OF her beautiful namesake
on the coast of Maine. May she one day rival
every feature OF the elder, even to hsr matchless
City Hall, unequaled upon this continent This
Portland was founded IN 1913, by two wandering
Yankees-Pettigrou from Portland, and Love
Joy from Boston. Each desired TO give II the
name of bis birth place, and thew finally decided
the vexed question By tossing up the only coin in
their possessiOn-a rusty copper. Heads won;
wherefore the future metropolis of the North
Pacific ia Portland and not Boston. corner
lot. ffty feet by hundred recently sold for
S23 900. Parentheticaly, all my money figures
mean gold, not greenbacks. Washington Terri
tory alone, on the Pacific slope, has adopted the
National currency. La California, Oregon. Ne
vada, and Idaho gold only crculates But the
hard times have aroused hot conflict on the
subject. certain 10 result, sooner or later, IN the
adoption OF treasury notes
One Of the earliest newspapers in Oregon was
printed from wooden types cut out by hand The
State has now three daIlies: The Portland Ore
gonian the Salem Statesman, and the Dallas
Mountaineer The editor of the Oregonian was
the first graduate of an Oregon university, IL ~
full OF suggestlyeness that leaders and formers
of public opinion are OF native culture and
growth. Indeed. few things have impressed me
more than to hear several young ladies', who
have lived here from infancy. discuss spprecia-
lively aud critically the merits and dement's of
Thackeray aud Tennyson. Whittier aud Gail
Hamilton.
The war has taught all who car earn anything.
that Presidents and Governors. Cabinets aud
Oongresses statesmen and Generals, are but the
merest servants and agents-that the plain peo-
pie, the working many. are the bedrock OF
American stability and greatness Frontier hts
tory is full of similar lessons. La Colorado. ia
1860. the people tracked the murderer OF poor
German 700 miles. captured him, protected him
from a Leavenwotth mob. brought him back %
Denver tried and convicted him IN Citizens'
Court" guarded hin Tor week against rescue
from his friends and then executed him. Thus
was before Territ rial organization or the est ,b
lishment of civil law, and the expenses were de-
frayed by voluntary contributions; but no court
in the world could have acted with moro delibera-
ton. fairness OF hrmness.
Lord Brougham SAID that all the oloodshed
revolutions aud struggles OF Great Britain had
been simply TO establish the principle that every
question of life. liberty or property must be sub
mitted 10 the judgment OF twelve unbiased men
Our own pioneers who usually have to govern
themselves a few years before Congress extends
civil law over them instiactiyey enforce this
and the right OF the maj ority to rule. Establish
1000 American settlers to- morrow in the heart
of the Himalayss aud In les than a month they
would have all needfui laws in operation. with
life aud property better protected than In the city
Of New fork
In early day. the miners OF Jacksonville. Ore
gon, elected an Alcslde A party To a contested
claim case thinking himself wronged, posted
this notice. w Whereas, the Alcade has given
al unjust and corrupt decision against me, on
Sunday next shall take an appeal to the Su-
preme Court. Sunday saw hundred miners
attracted by curiosity. to learn what the Supreme
Court vas They themselves were that august
tribunal The aggrieved party organized them
into q mass meeting: they retired the case and
rendered a verdict reversing the Alcaldes de-
csion. All acquesced, recognizing them as the
Supreme Court of original aud hnal Jurisdiction
From lstl TO le49, Oregon was ruled by a
Provisional Government established by the
squatters to meet their necessities Unrecog-
nized by the United States. without the least pre-
tense of technical legality. they framed Con-
sthutiou. elected Legislatures and organized
Courts. Their officers imposed aud collected
taxes. coined money carried on war and made
peace with the lndians-in short. exercised all
governmental functions until lS49. when Con
gress granted to the precocious sister Terri
torial organization. The French have always
claimed TO be The Great Nation" but think
We may contest the title with them.
The early money, the Beaver Con," is
nearly extinct. and specimens very rare.
am indebted to Portland friend for g. piece
bearings rude efhgy of the beaver-the chsrac-
teristic animal OF Oregon-the initials of several
pioneers. and Native Gold. ID --ls49 Il;
vas male BY a blacksmith Before its introduc-
tioA no money circulated except the little specie
broughi from the States Wheat was legal ten
der 81 per bushel. and DAYS labor com
nandeJ tue same sum Al the mouth OF the
CoutoGia river lcdians still exhibit medals lett
in ls0:. by Lewis aud CLARK. sent on their ex
ploring tour 10y the wisdom and far-reaching
sagacity of Thomas Jefferson.
The Hudson Bay Company aud Wyeth's Mas
sschusetts Expedition we're the earliest white set
lers. The Indians It'll call every American
Boston" aud all English King Georges Men -
The Hudson Bay Company post was at Fort
Vancouver. ON the Columbia Every June one
of their ships arrived AZ the fort with wears
supply OF goods. took away the years accumula-
ton OF wheat 20 Sitka. there selling Il 10 the
Russian Govern merit for tnrs. carried Tue furs 20
China and and exchanged them Tor teas and
silks. transported these 20 London. and then
bringing another supply OF goods around the
Horn, again reached Vancouver IN June Thus
began the commerce. 81 our Western coast.
which. although vel IN IT. Infancy already Viii
tens every sea lie Company uow DEMANDS
- GOO 900 Tor its po--e~-ors -h-s' iu North