Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-01-23
From the Portland Herald
Oregon and Its Resources.

son, before the Chamber of Commerce OF
the State of New York, December I'd, 1868,
upon the possession, settlement, climate
and resources of Oregon and the Northwest
Coast, including some remarks upon Alas
ka. 1t is a neat pamphlet of eighteen
pages, and was printed by order Of the
Chamber. From this address we collect
the following facts Of our earlier history.
The United States has three-fold claim to
Oregon. First, by the right Of discovery /;
second, by the right Of possession by pur-
chase of all the territory west of the Mis-
sissippi claimed as Louisiana by France,
and purchased by Jefferson, in 1SO4;"
third, the right Of possession by purchase
from Spain in 1919 of all their possessions
north of 420 north latitude. But posses
sion in fact was for quite while held by
the Hudson Bay Company, they having
crowded out the Northwest Company, and
the Astor also, and changed the name of
Astoria to Fort George. In 1888 or 1884
the American Missionary Board directed
their attention to this Coast-Dr. Whit
man was the pioneer in this movement
After being on this Coast he saw the ne
cessity of American emigration in order to
save Oregon to the United States. In the
winter of lS43 he started across the noun
tains to lay the matter before the Govern
| ment.
PROSTITUTION and weary, he reached Mis-
souri, in the last days of February, lS43.
He came to Washington and saw Mr..
Webster, then Secretary of State, and told
him his objects and mission. Mr.. Web
ster says: IL have learned that wagons
cannot reach the Columbia river. More
over, Sir George Simpson is here, and the
letters of his correspondents declare that
fact. And not only SO, but am about
trading Oregon for the English fisheries
Of Newfoundland" Mr.. Whitman says
IL hope you will not do it. Our wagons
can reach the Columbia and regard it as
worth great deal more than Newfound-
land" Yet Mr.. Webster felt sure they
could not reach the Columbia.
Mr.. Whitman then went to President
Tyler, and told him the same story. Pres
idcnt Tyler said about the same things
but said: ''Since you are q missionary,
and as you have come on this mission, l will
believe you; and if you will take wagons
over to the Columbia river, the bargain
shall not be made" (Thcse facts have
from surviving missionary. Dr. Whit
man himself, aud all his family, were killed
in 1917. have heard the facts again and
again.) DIR. Whitman says, 81 will do it,"
lie came to Boston to sec the officers Of the
Board, and to see his friends in New York,
and returned in March to Missouri.
lilo Immediately gathered band of cm.
igrants and returned to Oregon, where,
with this accession, tho American element
became strongest, and a. Americans they
proceeded to organize a provisional govern
mcnt, the United States not having extend.
ed it's power over them. They chose
George Abernethy, now Of this city, as
Governor. Speaking Of our national re-
sources, lie says:
Let me remind you, in the first place,
that VIC have upon the slope Of the Pacific
territory Of over, ,400, 900 square miles,
nearly twice as largo ~ all Europe, Rus.
sia excepted. Gen. Halleck reports that
he has II, $50 statute miles Of sea coast, in
Guiding the island under his care, and in.
cluding Alaska. "The States and Terri
tories along the coast, Alone" says Mr..
Cronise, in his book on the Natural Wealth
Of California, including Alaska, comprise
an area Of 1894 ,229 square miles, which is
larger than all the New England Middle
and Western States, or nearly equal to
France, Great Britain, Germany, Prussia
and Austria combined. These nations
contain nearly one hundred and sixty mil.
lions Of inhabitants and the whole Pacific
slope and territories have less than a mil
lion, while there is no country richer in
natural wealth than large portion of the
Pacific coast"
He alludes to our temperate climate, and
quotes from Gen. Stevens Report iu this
respect. He further says:
The moisture and the warm air from the
south give us mild temperature, 80 that l
have had in my garden grass at midwinter;
and we had, winter before last, an inch only
Of ice, and last winter only six or eight in
ches, and l am ut 45o So. Last winter
we had from four to six inches of snow, and
some winters We have scarcely any. You
find that the isothcrmal line of your own
city passes so far north on the western
coast as to reach above 48o up towards
Alaska. You find on our coast climate
like the European climate, only that it
seems to be upon scale made peculiar by
the conformation of the mountains. The
climate on the coast is very salubrious in
summer, mild and humid in winter, and
always healthy. That Of the interior is
warm in summer, dry and bracing in win
ter, and always healthy. :.
Oregon, according to his estimate, has
raised during the last year five million
bushels ofwheat, and Puget Sound has man
ufactured four hundred million feet of lum-
Der. In relation to railroad matters, he
alludes to the fact that the Central Pacific
Company have been compelled to build
forty miles of sheds, and that to the north
ward the mountains are less high, and that