, 1882-04-22
Dr. Marcus Whitman

ear'y settlement OF this country, thal nsn IL
no. been for the noble services OF Dr- "ME
rasn the territory of Washington would not
TODAY be q part OF the United States. Upon
the frst positive intimatica that tins Por'
tion Of the great northwest was 20 be di'-
posed Of. the doctor, well knowing the great
resources and advantages of the new coan-
Try. started at once ior Washington. making
the trip On horseback IN mid~inter, and
begged the authorities Of the government
no. to part with ~ha. was in the future 10
be one Of It's greatest provinces The follow
ing extracts from letter written To Seat
tie paper Will prove interesting; "A nephew
of DR.. Whitman, now residing at Lapwai'
Idaho. who came 10 this country Win Dr-
Whitman on his return from bis trIp oi ioi2
:. writes: i came across to Oregon with
nv uncle, Dr. Marcus Whitman, IN isi5'
~. w,s caIIed down TO old Fort Walls Walla
i,aw Uallalal. then Hudson Bay COM
pany's t.aiin: post, On a SICK call, aoolt the
las, days of Syp:ember, 1872. While there
and dining with the trader in charge OF the
post. Archibald Mckinley, Esq, the Hud-
son Bay company's express from the north
came in. and reported that sixty families from
British possessions would be at Wa!la "aila
As early the next summer as they could po'-
sib!, arrive, to settle probably IN the akI-
ma valley. There was general Outburst OF
rejoicing over the news by thoJrsaIt priests
ob!a.es. fort employees etc, who was at
that time there, all shouting the country Is
ours. the Ashburton treaty has Of course
Jesn si.ned.' The doctor, pushing his chair
back from the taiie, and excasing himself,
saii he would 20 home ito Waiilatpul that
fterpoon-twenty-i miles and start I'M
lnrdiately to the states overland lie re-
Turned home that afternoon as he saI he
ao1lI and with but little preparation, eI-
r,;,t - have good hor-es, started On the per-
i'm. i.ur,Iay IN tie 81 Of October, lS42,
w,,h Hon. \. l. Lovejoy as trav llIug com-
paaion. Th,y reached For. Hall, another
Had-on Bay company's trading post, III Just
el-vep days and half from Waiilatpu. They
wrre advised there not to 90 through by the
rort rEc!e wished 20 90, hu. 10 90 down
through New Mexico His route was south
east from Fo!t Hall down the Uintah river,
VIA Taos and Santa Re, in New Mexico, and
TO Beats fort. On the Arkansas river, thence
up to Iudrpcni, nee, Missouri, where he LEFT
ms ANIMALS tail we came out IN the cpring. l
thiuk he reached Washington Feb. Il, 1913.
Secretary Webster received him very cool
Is. said he almost 'suubbei' him, but the
President, Mr.. Tyler, treated him and the
possibility OF 4 wagon rad across the plains
tc the Colurnhi, rlrer with Just considera-
ton lis visit to the American
T. ard ii COMMISSIONERS for Foreign Mis-
sin!s. I Bust,ui | think vas after he had
b,en T. Wa-hin-:oa At any rate, he told
nv a .,'su his aSsi mother ard other rela-
tlves IN the State "f New York, that the
Bond ceusa.yd H:m III very strong terms
IoG leaving ais post .! duty' on PROJECT so
foreign to that which they had sent him out
10 perform: also Informed him that they had
no money t. spend IN the opening up Of the
western coantry TO settlement. | am quite
sIre Il, nyre lis own expenses. He always
alluded 10 ms visit 10 has mother and the
Board Of Missions as 4 secondary eonsIdera-
non fUr making the winter tnp.
lie onIy visited his mother and relatives
three days, and ne and myself bade them
good bye AMI started for Oregon on the 20th
Of April, 1913 When uncle
reached The frontier Of Missouri, he Ill many
ways informed the public o: his intention TO
pilot any AMI all immigrants who might
wish to go to Oregon. IL was arranged for
them TO rendezvous At or in the vicinity OF
We9:port and independence, Missouri" ]"
The first writer CONTINUES: ''In an inter
yieN which had last summer with DR.. W.
GeI.er Of Forest Grove, Oregon, who was IN
charge oi DR.. Whi,man's station while he
vas absent IN 1928. he made very similar
statements as 10 DR. Whitmsn's reception at
Washington and Bust n. He said that
when Or. Whitman reached Missouri he
heard 50 much of the possibility Of Oregon
beng lost t. the United States that he hur-
ri,d on without taking time to get clean
shirt or par Of pants Either himself or
brother were a classmate of the Secretary Of
War, and through him obtained an intro
duc!ipu ~ Secretary Webster, but that Mr.
Webster Meth r received him iavorabiy nor
would introduce HIM 10 the President he
hence went bauk u the Secretary of War,
wnn gave hrm the desired introduction. Al
,cr hearing Dr. Whitman, President TYLER
promised To wat, IL regard 10 further nego-
tlatIuuS. until Dr. Whitman could show
whether or not wagons cOuid be taken across
the plans. Then pr, Whitman SAID: That
Is al | want, and ImmeIateiy sent word
back to Missouri, and IN some way had it
published, that Ii would aid such as wish
eli to come. It is PLAIN. however, that
While some of that years enisrarts IS heard
oi this, all did not. As it has been publicly
stated that there is no proof that DR.. Whit
mrn was ever IN Washington. | will say
that Secretary Ramsey, when he vas on this
coast with President Hayes, said ne saw DR..
Whitman there IN 1913.
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