The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-09-13
RENINiSCENCRs OF OREGON SET.
TLEMENT.
rae oEEaos METHODIST MISSION.

fak okEios METHODIST MISSION.
In the fall Of ls32, four FIathead Indian.
accompanied returning party of Rse XIV
Mountain trappers 10 St. Louis Two Of the
nnmoer had died in that city and the tive sur.
Slvoss started upon their return, but never
reached their people. Those ilI-fst.S Itsians
had communicated to Gen. William Ct. ke
(known to the old men of the Fathsad nati1n
as one OF the leaders OF the Expedition in lsOI-
through their conntIy.) then residing al II
Louis, that they had been sent east by the
chief men f,f their tribe 10 solicit that the
" vOrd OF God" m.ght be Taught 20 their people
The publication that such appeal had been
made. the wesrss0me journey 10 carry tine
petition the tragic tate Of the messengers from
the knowiedge-craving tribe invoked the
zeaIoas interest Of religious denominations IL
created al once Q sensation in missionary
circles. wilbur Fisk. D. d.. President OF the
Wesleyan University. eloqueatly urged imme-
diate response The Boasd Of hissiops afshe
Methodist Episcopal chareh invised iabosers.
Rev. ason Lee and his nephew, Daniel Les, Of
stsnstead Bewer csuada menbersef the Ne "
England Conference. volunteered. and the for
mer was appointed superintendent Of the Or :
is3a The Board. 0stober leth. appropria-
ted three thousand dollars for outfit. aud
authorized the employment Of Two lay y-members.
The Messrs lee repaired TO Bestoa 20 consult
Iapt. W lctn, NEO bau Dut latety f<tuf De0
from Oregon. That gentleman was about dis
patching the brig May Dacre % the Columbia
river the next season he purposed 10 lead
party across the continent. Thus was afforded
the oppasuBtty % ship their ouiit aaudr %
travel overland wifh . s6fe es<ert. = Gurus
shepherd. ofLyna, Hass. and P.L. Edwssds,
Of Richmond, Nc, were selected AZ the lay
members.
1884 On the 2sth Of April the missionaries
tn. la "A uytfh ant
wyeth's second Oregon expedition. and on the
18Th OF September reached Fort Vancouver.
There they awaited the arrival OF the MAY
Daere. Having received their snppiies leav
ing Mr. shepberd et Fort Vancouver on account
OF sickness She Lees and Mr.. Edwards ascended
the wallamet river sixty miles. On the 9th Of
October. upon the east side OF the river, they
established the first mission In Oregon. Their
building, thirty-two by eighteen feet, was
ready November 3d) for occupancy. A
manual labor school Was Immediately opened
isas. A similar school vas established by
Mr.. Shepherd at Fort Vancouver. but his con
tnued iIl-health compelled its suspension. In
October. Rev Daniel Lee impaired in health
visited the Sandwich islands. and Mr.. Edwards
toak charge during the winter os the Mission
School at Champoeg.
1895. The increased number Of scholars re.
quired additional buildings. At this time
missionary efforts were largely devoted to pre-
venting the Introduction Of ardent spirits into
wallamet Valley and among the Indians. The
urgent dissuasion BY the missionaries OF firm
Who had commenced the erection OF disti.
lery caused the abaadonrnent OF the project;
fe37. The Mission was visited bv William
slacum. u. 8. Navy. Special Agent, ap.
pointed by President Jackson to visit Oregon.
The American settlers had been invitea by
Superintendent Lee 70 cooperate with the
Mission In the formation OF the California Cattle
Company. joint stock company. whose chief
purpose was the importation from California 0f
horses and cattle. The shares were proper
tionate to the amount contributed. Ewing
Yorng. from the independent settlers. and +.
L. Edwards, lay member Of the Mission, were
selected purchasing agents. Their eompensa-
ton was made payable Ia cattle-tbe amount
To he ADDED 10 their contribution aud CORES
pondinriy increase their respective shares.
SpecIal Agent slacum heartily co-operated in
this cattle supplying scheme. To the pnr-
chasing partners he gave free passage 10 San
Francisco They sailed carly In February, and
safely arrived In the Bay Of San Francisco. On
their return with q large band OF cattle and
horses. shasta indians attacked the party In
the mountains of Northern California, who
succeeded in stealing number OF cattle. With
the remainder Of the stock, about two hundred
and Any head. the patty reached Wallsmet
valley IN safety. Aut1 thttfptisC wv ohiy
secured 20 the American settlers their seed
cattle. but Il was the first movement within
the Territory Independent OF the Hudson Bay
Company-it impaired the lesson that they
could help themfslves. ~
The Oregon missionary undertook to teach
the gospel 70 Q savage race, who had neither
knowledge nor conception OF Christianity or
civilization. The Oregon Indian hac sccus-
toned himself 70 the presence Of ths srsder,
the .rapper and sailor |; but such intereoursc
was sransient.-nor was its purpose moral or
mental en- Improvement OF the Indian. The mis-
sionary was the iirse who had aimed ct his
amelioraiion-to tsssh. toChristianze. 70 civil
mo. His was the h1rcnleau toak os- transform
ing Indian character. OF noliifying savage
natare. Of prepering the Indian mind for the
presence OF saperior race with entirely
variant purposes II life. 10 % nnappreciative
people the missionaries urged the adoption Of
an r.s aggressive cisilixatioa, content only with
totally supp lanting every custom. tradition
and Characteristic OF thst people. To accpm-
plish any result ID such . Held, the missipnsr y
| must tsngibly Aenonstrate 10 the savage the
advantages which attend Christian conduct.
which constitnss cisillsed hfe. The Indian
must be convinced that the daily ife O the
white man under Christian in1nences exhibited
be enjoyed. Missionary duty also fcuad
| fruitioa 70 adapting the country fcf the homes
OF eiyilisa&.on. To secceed In such grand un
dertakings, % sucosnfnIly accomplish such
wsuIss In such Geld With such surroundings,
how uasnral, how plausible the theory that the
Mtssion required 10 be self-suztaining -iude
pendent. Within Itself should exist the ability
| 10 sabsist its members the people 10 whom 4
| mlnistered should be dependent upon Il; shoald
| look up 70 it-shouid co-operste with Is. The
| Methodist Board reeogaIsng this policy n
promptly reiaforcsi its Oregon Mission as the
means Of communication a. tia, period af-
| foFded.
/ In MAY. Or. Elijah White and wife, William
! N. Wilson. Alanson Beers sad wife, Misses
Pitman, Downing and johnson, arrived a. the
Mission. They had sailed ffom Boston ia
June, 1886, In . whaling vessel, and reaches
the Sandwich IslAads. wbete they were delayed
| the Hudson Bay compaEys vessels % she Col
| umbia river On the 10th JULY, Rev. jason
Lee married Miss Aan Maria PismAn and Cyru,
| Shepherd married Miss Susan Downing Th.
ceremony was performed BY Rev. Daniel Les
In . grove In srsnt Of the Mission House. II
September. the hission was further Strengthened
by the arrival Of Rev. David Leslie and family
Rev. n, X. w. rsrkias and Miss n. J. Smith
On Christmas q general meeting was convene,
and the Oregon Missionary Society was formed
new station as the DAIlcs, among thA Vase,
Indians. 70 be called wascopsm. Was ordered
10 which was assiguea Ress. Dsvsd L<slie an.
Ink. W. Perkins Superintendent Lee "a
selectsGss 70 Esss 70 solicit aid and additions
Missionary force.
lsss. On the s6ih March. having TN
Nssnaoa In charge cf Rev. David Leslie, Rev
Jason Lee sissssd Esst accompanied By p.
Edwards. Mr.. Ewing. Of No and two Chi
nook Indians. On the 26th June. Ars Jsso
Lee nave birth TO Q scn--Oreson's nrxt-hor
AmeEiean white male. o. the zsd. mothe
nd ehSla hscsme esgesis q 90 tou'l