Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-04-09

EDrros Posr-ISrELIIoKScER:

- AAoNuO Wilt NAN ASO WIZ
EDrros Posr-ISrELLloKScER:
Perhaps the following items in regard
to Or. Within n and wife, gathered
chiefly from letters recently received
from his relatives and early friends,
may be Of interest to SONS Ut your read
ers.
In work Published several years
since by Fowler d Wells tnere il a
sketch Of the Whitman family, by which
1t would seem the original Whitman
stock predominated over all those that
intermarrled with it, not only In in-
parting age but also in rendering all the
descendants conspicuous for high moral
and religious feeilngs, a. well as for
strong common sense. The good old
are to winch they attained Is esp G ally
remarks d. Jonn Whitman, called the
ancestor of the Whitn,sn family, lived
to be about ninety. None OF his sous
died under eIghtytwO. and several Of
them reached ninety years. A descend
ant, Deacon Whitman, recently died at
the advanced age of one hundred and
seven years.
All Of DIR. Whitman's brothers and
sisters are now dead except one. Mrs.
Alice Whitman Wiseweii, of Naples,
New York. 1t was my privilege 10 visit
a sister -n-law, Mrs. henry Il. Whitman,
Of Nashville, New York, in lst1D, SINCE
deceased. Miss Mary A. WisewelI, IN
der date of March 10. 1852, writes n
follows IN regard TO the early life of her
uncle. She says: The items / give YOU
are supplied by my mother, and think
may be relied ON. as her memory u still
good. DR.. Marcus Whitman was the
third son Of Bsza and Alice Whitman,
who moved to this part of the country
from Windsor. Massachusetts, III 1898,
living first II Hopewell. then settling In
Gornam, Ontario county, tnow Rush
yilie) where Marcus was born, Septem-
Der 4. 1910. and ne WAS sent the same
fall to Plaintieid. Massachusetts, to live
with his paternai grandfather, Deacon
Samuel whitman. A fact IL his inf ..ncy
which should have been inserted above
~ this. Ills parents lived III is log house,
the country Was new aud wild, AMI as
his father Was tanner and currier, his
mother being lonely, often used to 60
and SIT with her husband IN the little
shop opposite the house, binding shoes.
Having left him, a baby, III his cradle,
ono evening, slie was much startled u
find On her return that u log had fallen
from the fireplace, aud burned the
lower end of tue cradle. and that ne
was nearly sufOcs,ted by the smoke.
HIS life was wonderfully spared for "A
great work. When thirteen years old
he very unexpectedly returned home for
Z, visit Of three weeks. Coming In at
evening he went up to his mother and
ont his hanl cauino s.lsr.,
do you do, mOther!' aud she drew back.
herself no mother to him.
This 80 grleved him that he burst into
tears. My mother says that 1t was dur
ing this visit that she first saw him to
know hun, being Blk years younger. He
then returned to Plainfield tor five years,
and commenced course of Latin un
der Rev. Moses Hallock, then returned
to Nashville, and finished under Rev.
David Page. His heart was set on
studying for the ministry, but he was
opposed by his brothers, who thought
his limited means would compel him to
be charity scholar, and persuaded him
Against his will to take up the study of
medicine. My mother says that many a
time she has seen tho big tears on his
face as he thought Of his disappoint-
ment III his course of life. He took up
. three years course Of study with DIR.
Ira Bryant, Of Nashville, ana received
his diploma at Fairfield in 1874. His
health was not good. During his study
he was severely afflicted with pain IN
his side, to which he was subject all his
life, but was man Of remarkable ener-
ey and perseverance,, and seldom yielded
~ bodily pain or WEAKNESS. his first
practise III medicine was four years in
Canada. He then came home deter
mined to study for the ministry, and
but ne WAS again assailed
by the trouble ia ms side. and conquer
ed by it and went To Wheeler, and prac-
tised for four years. While he WAS
there Rev. Mr.. Parker, of Ithaca, came
there to preach, trying to arouse the
people on the subject OF Indian missions
"a delegation of Indians having come
to tue borders of civilization inquiring
for the white mans God. DIR. Whitman
had long thought of becoming mis-
and went with Rev. MIR. Parker
in the spring of 1895 to explore. He re-
turned about Christmas Of the same
year, bringing two Indian boys, Richard
Facitus and John tits, one the son of
a chief. The chief told the Doctor If the
boy was not returned his life would be
taken. Both boys were III school during
the winter, and improved rapidly, being
able by spring to read we'll and write
legibly.
In February, 1886, at Cuba, Allegheny
county. he Was married to Miss Narcissa
Prentiss, daughter of Judge Prentiss, n
lady Of intelligent culture and true
Christian womanhOOd. About the first
Of April, with Dir. ard Mrs. Spalding
and the Indian boys twho wore very
10th to go) they lett for their work IN
The Oregon mission"
In the Quincy (ill.l Wig il the fol-
lowing account Of Mrs. Whitman by her
sister, Mrs. H. Jackson, Of Ohio:
"Mlss Narci8sa Prentlss was born in
N. Y, March II, 1905. She
Was the subject Of religious impressions
while very young, and ut the age Of Ii
she expressed hope that she had pass
ed from death into life in Christ, and
united with the First Presbyterian
in Prattsburg>evel after mann
tanning firm Christian character.
From childhood she had taken great
delight IN family worship. and when Sue
WAS old enough to attend prayer meet
ings her seat WAS seldom vacant. She
never excused herself from taking An
active prat in thvse meetings, but was
always ready to testify to the loving
Kindness of her Savior in bringing her
out OF darkness into light. She WAS Sd
anxious that ner young friends should
come 10 the knowledge OF their Savior
that she would visit them to pray for
and try to urge them to come TO Christ.
After her conversion, her mind Was
drawn to the subject Of foreign missions,
and II became the ardent wish VI her
heart that she might be called To carry
the news Of salvation to heather lands.
IL was while laborinG ina protracts'd
meeting in Angelica, N. r., shat DIR.
Whitman sought her rs u companion TO
share with hmm the lahore and tolls Of a
life beyond the Rocky Noun
tains. He told her Of the long. toilsome
and psrilous j0urney they must under
90, before reaching their held of labor.
Nothing daunted. she replied: 1t Is
God's causc: will GO; and thus she
went % her field Of labor with her no
BILE. Christian husband, and together
they have finished the work given them,
sealed il with their blood, and have
gone to receive their rartyr's CROWN
A schoolmate Of Mrs. Whitman, Mrs.
George Hunter, gives the following in
cident Of their marriage Ia the same
saa mar. s,srha DtNstOr v;Aa on the eve OF