The New York herald., 1872-10-23

| first British company on the Columbia River. 1t
was TO this company the agents OF Astor, who had
established trading post az the mouth OF the river
now known as Astoria, transferred all his valuable
property in 1918. The excuse was given mat al
though they sold u for less than one-siXth OF IT'S
value yet they acted lor his best interests ~ u was
understood English war vessel was on ~ way
for the purpose Of capturing the pest ana
property. As the agcrrs, however, we're
Canadians, and were immediately given lucrative
] positions in the company 1t was very properly
thought u was their own interests instead oi Mr.
Astor's they were the most anxious about IN is2i,
after some contentious and bloodshed between
/ their adherents, the Northwest Company WAS
| united ana merged in tile Hudson BAY COM
pany. They date tBer claims Oregon back 10
those of the Canadian Company. Fort Vancouver,
on the Columbia River, a short distance above the
mouth of the willamette, was established is the
head trading post. The Senior Chief Factor re-
sided at Fort Vancouver, and was the governor Of
all the country which the Hudson Bay Company
claimed west OF the Rocky Mountains
COMMENCEMENT OF AMERICAN EMIGRATION.
When the Americans began to enliprate 10
Oregon the agents OF the fur company at once per-
ceiyed that they must make strenuous cnolts Ia
retain possession OF the country, or ~ least that
portion which was to them tile most valuable. ihey
discovered that ii would be impossible 10 prevent
the settlement OF thc flch WIliaiIette NaicN buL
they might succeed in Keeping the settlers sonth
OF the Columbia. Every obstacle was thrown in The
way and even violence resorted to, 10 prevent
Americans taking up farms the north side. Their
profit lay in the fur trade, and saw mills and beaver
dams could not very well exist ohthe same streams
and opening up farms and settling up country
would be very certain to drive away or materially
decrease the fur-bearing animals. Right here COM
menced the struggle for the possession of Oregon.
II was civilization against barbarsm-the Ameri-
can settlers against the English company.
PUGET SOUND AND ITS COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE.
In 1912 the post at Victoria, Vancouver's Island,
was established 10y Chief Factor James Douglas,
and who. on the grant OF the island to the Hudson
Bay Company, became its first Governor. The COM
muncation between the post at Visqually and Vic
tora was very frequent and the great commercial
advantages OF that grand inland sea so impressed
Itself on the agents OF the Hudson Bay Company
that it was determined to make every EFFORT to
secure il. IL was Puget Sound and it's harbors
that was the cause OF the tenacty with which the
| British clung to the claim OF the line OF the Co.
! lumbia River. The only safe harbor north OF the
port OF San Francisco they thatn the future it
| would command the trade of China and the East
! Indies. BY fair means or foul. by assertion or
| force, 1t must be gained and how near they came
to succeeding is to this day but little known That
we own Oregon to-day, that the North Pacific
Railroad will be one OF the greatest successes Of
this century, is due to the courage, energy ana
perseverance of man-a plain, unpretending
missionary OF the Methodist Episcopal Church,
DIR. MARCUS WHITMAN
who, under the auspices of the Missionary Board,
went out to oregon in 1886, and ministered TO the
Indians In 1872, learning tnat an attempt was
about to be made to steal oregon from America by
series or Misrepresentation alleging the WORTH
essness OF the soil and by planting few bogus
English cOlOnists, with single companion he re-
turned over the wildernesses TO civilization, and
FASTENED TO Washington just as Mr.. Webster
about TO trade Oregon to the British for cod
fishery or the Banks OF Newfoundland on the
strength OF the Canadian Governor Simpsons mis-
representations He demonstrated the practical
blty OF colonizing Oregon by conducting thther q
train OF 200 wagons. He was afterwards murdered.
in ls47, with his family, by the Cayuse Indians at
the nstigation OF q Canadian.
OREGON CLAIMING ITS BOUNDARIES
With strange want OF craftsmanship, oregon
was Tor years neglected by the home government.
II was not until August is4s Congress organized 1t
a Territory. Its first Legislative Assembly was
convened In 1s49 In due course OF time the Terri
tory was divided into counties, the lines OF which
were defined in the various enactments. From the
very start Oregon claimed Jurisdiction all the
islands in Puget Sound northward to the bound
ary line OF Canal de HarO.
In 1858 the northern part OF Oregon was organ
lied as Washington Territory. At the first session
the county OF Whatcom was created. 1t is this
county which comprises within Its limits the dis
puted islands OF San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Blakeiy,
Decatur and Shaw, which group IL between the
Canal dc Haro and Rosario Straits.
THE BRITISH LAY CLAIM TO SAN JUAN.
The first permanent occupation Of the island by
the Hudson bay Company was effected on the 18th
OF December, 1853, by the landing Of mock Of
thirteen hundred sheep. under charge OF Mr..
Charles j. Grlffn then clerk now . chief trader,
in the company's service, and who remained for
several years on the island in charge OF their prop
erty and interests The place had been frequented
the three previous years fishing station, the
parties coming over from Victoria for that purpose,
being In charge OF clerks in the companys service.
They occupied the island simply the few weeks OF
/ the salmon season, abandoning 1t as soon as that
| No English settler or c0l0nst had
ever been on the island and no occupation
or claim was attempted to be get up
previous TO the year 1858. Frustrated Ia the
attempts to make the Columbia River the bound
ary the company determined to grasp at every
foot OF land south OF the forty-ninth parallel
about which there could he possible qnbble or
sovereignty. Searching the treaty for an excuse,
they found in
THE BuNgLNG MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS DRAWN
that the channel separating vancouver's Island
from the main land was not specially designated.
Flimsy as 1t was this Afforded the opportunity.
There were several channels but, Of course, they
insisted that nearest to the main land must be-
taken instead OF the one nearest to the island. In
the Summer OF 1853 the chief factors OF the Hudson
Bay Company at Victoria after consultation, deter
mined to establish sheep farm OIL San Juan and
then claim the whole archipelago as British soil. It
was a cool piece OF assurance, the audacity Of
which has almost made il successful.
on learning OF this invasion n Ebery, the Collec-
tor OF Customs for the Puget Sound district once
notified Governor Douglas that the sheep ami other