Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-02-19

Those pioneers, God bless their memo.
ries, were living witnesses to the integrity
Of American claim to this Territory, even
up to tho far-famod $40 40.' Each IN
his proper person bore testimony that the
voyage of Dc Fuca, the labors and discoy.
cries Of Gray and Kendrick, in the Colxm,.
6ia and Washington, should not pass for
nought. After they had threaded their
wearisome way to the Columbia, occupy.
ing whole season, yet the pioneers 10
Puget Sound, were ready at the opening
Of the next, to renew their journey, and
carry northward to these shores, their
families and their household gods. To
those who have made tho trip, even at this
advanced stage of our territorial progress,
from the head of Puget Sound to the Co.
lumbia river, I need not state, that in
those days, before roads had been con-
structed, it was no small task for our
Puget Sound pioneers to reach their des.
tination. .,-',.. r.. .,,r ~.
The first of that noble band, to inaugu-
rate this American thought Of occupying
Northern Oregon, and strengthen Ameri-
can claim by American settlement, was
the late Col. Michael T. Simmons, not in
appropriately called the Daniel Boone Of
Washington Territory. How often, have
1 heard him recount why h. abandoned
his original intention Of settling in south.
ern Oregon. Why he was induced to
make the first American settlement, north
of the Columbia river why he came to
Puget Sound He believed firmly that
Oregon was ours, even up to the Russian
line. And when the officers Of the Hud-
sons Bay Company attempted to prohibit
American occupancy, north of the Colum-
bia river, his big American nature re-
belled aad thus he invited the danger,
risk and doubt of pushing farther to the
frontier, rather than accept the compara-
tive ease and safety offered by settling in
the Wallanet valley. In this act he as
serted his belief in the integrity of Amer-
lean tit!e individually he denied Britain's
arrogance Of Claim, and all alone invited
and de6ed the opposition Of the Hudson's
Bay Company, who then asserted conf.
dently that the Columbia river. would be
the northern boundary of the American
Oregon. He first essayed to reach Puget
Sound, in 1874, but batied in bis efforts,
he renewed the attempt the succeeding
year, and here we are tonight assembled
far north Of his settlement, surrounded
with all the happy incidents Of civilisa.
ton, to attest our regard for, our rerlem-
brance of, the patriotism, devotion and con-
stancy Of our pioneer. About year ago,
he was called from our midst, to render an
account Of the deeds done while on earth.
Will you not, in your prayers, think of
him and what he incurred in our early
Past and commend him as one of the la
borers on earth for mans progress one
who devoted his life and best energies, to
obedience to Jehoyah.s first great COM
maudmcnt. "To replenish the earth and
subdue it'? 'i "i : - ''''
But full appreciation Of che Situation
Of the pioneer American settlements on
Puget Sound, requires the consideration of
the then statxs of its native population,
'Shich till very recently far outnumbered
the American settlers. It has already
been stated that this region had been oc-
tLa .~.i,,s;o, ,c On. ..1;,. .ot,lo-s m.
1nc eao.usU" s" III. ~ osner W"s's so'.e' e
.;S.h,. uI ..aue s.1.S n ,e" svu';1 =. y @
ance for the Hudson's Bay Company, was
doubtless the great actuating motive Of
Britain's persistcncy Of pretension. On
.ne aavent oI A"erican poPuia.,on an1
.laaeas s.rags,s M oesMeen 'ns s hs'es ..; ana
she any 'Os .ns U0n.r0, 81 e the ao na.ss ns
o'S%en.' Do'n ior Pu.Poses =. 'Iauo auu
M En-Pio'ec',on. was ~ once lnsusu,a.su. saI.s,
Inc ,'onpany uaa al,saay .comple'ey
nv rUu'usa w .uu.au - .uS = as pmp9sss
lug nme.iIaa va :ss, sas.siois = '1 psnou =
Ienuet 'ne isa'au .Iasna,y 70 nls PI:selce
.uu measu.aply s', = Meau n'I llo. ny oe-
soMon 20 sne ll.at power; r,. .on''''1sS1 :. O.
II sne i9dMa m'nu' NJ" uen0a'0 auu 'pu u'm'
ou,t suoa : s:sk.
II need n0t Dc cainea snss .ne nun,
ence o' t"c nuason : ny Iompsay 'nc'.eu .s
open Or aiocs; lno'ani nos.ln'y g tne
Amer,cans a Dnt Y cannot 1pe successIu,Iy