, 1867-10-04

On Thursday afternoon, at o'clock, the
throng in attendance was called to order for
the purpose of hearing the annual address.
The orator SELECTED for the occasion, was Mr..
Philip Ritz, of whom it is slight praise to
say that he acquitted himself well, and gave
our farmers and friends generally, vast
deal Of excellent advice. Thus much by way
of Introduction to
MR.. RITz's ADDRESS.
Fslloso Citizens AS / have been selected to
address you on this occasion, will endeavor not
to weary you, but will be as brief as the nature
of the occasion will permit. With your permis.
sion, will first glance hastily over the past, the
present, and what may be the future history of
our beautiful little Valley.
ITS EARLY HISTORY.
The early history of this Valley, with its rich,
rolling prairies, aud its cool, pure streams Of
water, gushing down from the mountain sides,
about which the outside world knows so little
occupies one of the oldest and most interesting
epochs in the early history of the Pacific coast.
! Sixty years ago, this summer, Lewis and Clark,
With their little handful of brave explorers came
cautiously and timidly along up Mill Creek, on
their return from the coast, and found, on this
very spot aye, by these very same little brooks
and springs, Immediately around this stand a
large and powerful Indian village, a common
center for barter and traffic for all the Indians
in the country. This was at period when, even
the Hudson Bay Company had not established
trading posts in the country. In 1896, DR.. Whit
man and Mr.. Spaulding, with their families, and
Wm. H. Gray, settled in this Valley, as mission
aries among the Indians, and two years after>
wards, the Rev. Mr.. Eells, the worthy Principal
of the Whitman Seminary, in this place, with bis
! family, arrived and remained until l847, the time
of the Whitman massacre From that time U D
to the time that Governor Stevens came through
| here, making the survey of tue North Pacific
Railroad line in 1853, the Indians appear TO
have had it pretty much their own way.
ITS PRESENT HISTORY
From 1856 and SO, to 1860, the first perma-
nent settlements were made here Yet even in
| 1861, as had occasion to see most of the sets
tiers did not fad one 10 twenty, who expected
to make this their home. They all came here to
make some money, or for the benefit of the
health Of some member of the family, and Just
as soon as they could sell few horses aud cat.
tie, and improve their land claim a little by
planting out small orchard, or by some 9th sr
means, so that it would sell, they intended to
| leave and to settle in some other part of the
u world. Yet, strange to say, nine. .ttnths of all
who ever settled here, will live and die in this
Valley, Such is the case with all new countries,
and this will not likely prove an exception Be-
sides, the question arises, why should want
to leave? Where would we 90 to better our
condition? During the last eight months have
travelled some IA 900 miles, and have failed to
see any place, considering climate and other
natural advantages that considered preferable
to Walla Walla Valley Besides, is it manly is
it noble to shrink from duty to turn back,
when we have once put our hands to the plow ?
Some of US came to this coast ten, fifteen aud
twenty years ago; q little handful of determined
pioneers, we have already laid tbe.foundation OF
au immense empire, whose commerce, manufac,
tnres, and products of the. soil, already being
felt and recognized throughout the world.
? Should we now turn from the work of reclaim
ing and civilizing an immense wilderness, capa-
bic of furnishing and maintaining tens of thou
sands of happy families, with happy homes, after
so many noble lives have been sacrificed in the
effort, in crossing the mountains and plains ioI
that purpose. Tnever so fully realized how greai
a deOt OF gratitude the people Of this coast owed
the early pioneers, as | did the other dav, in
passing tue spot where the Ward family were
massacred by the Indians on Boise river, in 1854
) There, in that quiet, secluded spot, where now
the little birds warble forth their holy requiem
over their graves, in mound lie buried the
|
women aud children as were ever sacrificed il
any noble cause. l could not refrain from feel
ings Of the most sacred reverence, as | stood
e there, all alone, by that lonely tomb, for tha
little band OF brave martyrs, whose uuaYeugeC
blood even yet calls to heaven for vengeance, OF
that bloody clan of red devils incarnate who
E wantonly, and without provocation, tortured auC
slaughtered, in tue most hendsh manner, th,
brave and the innocent there together. But thos
scenes are about over aud we now live to enjol
the peaceful prosperity of new and thrivinI
4 country, and see sprnging up all over the Valley
neat little cottages, surrounded with trees, flow
ers, orchards, and all the comforts of civiza
a tion, where, but a few years ago, all was doub
e and uncertainty What would have been th
- result, had our forelathers turned back discour
> aged aud disheartened from their laudiug on To
cold, inhospiIabe Plymouth Rock or the savag
d wilds Of New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia
A aud returned to tue sweet memories of thei
homes they had leftin green Old Eugland7 Thin
u you they had no hardships and priVatins TO en-
e duref Just turn back with me one moment
/. you please, and take a retrospective glance q
our early history, as did last April, in passin
u over that hAllOwed ground: There less thA
k 100 years ago, might have been seen ltd
g SHATTERED army, camped on the Brandywiue, Q
marching bareioOted aud ragged by Vale
Forge, their red trail plainly marked by thei
d bleeding feet 10 the snow, or Washingtonis pei
b. llous Efforts in crossing the Delaware. 1t wa
:, well worth "trip across the continent, to stan
Is there as did, on the banks of that beautifr
T river, on that very spot, and look back, dow
al through the long vista Of years, aud see tbs
re little brave army battling for the right, aud fC
=, free and independent homes for rs That will
VI river still solls on the hills on the oppos
s. shore are there the same, and readily recognize
s. by the picture we have been accustomed 10 loo
at in our school histories but that little aru
is gone, aud that "crossing" is spanned by
ne noble bridge, and as We pass on down the Del,
re ware, We eross at Trenton on another bridR
m. and passing up through "Penn's Grove . the o
a. stone Forge still stands in the valley below
" but now, the iron horse, with its train OF poreeol
at cars, loaded with human beings, sweeps male
ns tieally around the bluff far above, and on ov
the BrAndywine, over magnificent iron bridg
" aud on, passing beautiful villas, and towns. ar
nd cities, 10 such rapid succession, that to perss
nd who has spent seventeen years in the wilds
In the Pacific coast, be hardly realize that il
a not painted, moving panorama, instead of
NJ reality. And yet the soil aud resources Of Ia
OF country are naturally not a. rich and varied