Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-12-08
PIONEER "REMINISCENCES
IHE SETTLEMENT OF OREGON.
1913.
The Oregon City Claim.

ploItiN Sub>tuutn ut, Dr. Me
Lnn@hlIn meeting Rev Mr.. Waller.
the latter agreed not 10 make carm
tNcelt III the event IF the with
dtlWnl of DIR. Mclaughlin. L. Wa,
then agreed that MIR. Waller might
retain the land tl-at he had cleared
DIR. McLoughlin to receive. III cx-
change, the same qu,n'ii> from
Walters claim adjoining fans ar
ranGtracnt, however. Was not car
rird INTO fleet. and DIR. McLough-
lin WAS to c'mpensae Mr. Waller
for the clearing WITHIN Dr. Nc
l.lughlin's boundaries.
Such WIS the s'a'us of the One
goD Cry claim and Abernethy Is
land, Tie d"te %. the petition.
Tte anlmus of DIR. Mclaughlin 3
lcrusci> Is expressed in the brief
aenten"c: " All who had lots were
required To pay for deed of land
which they knew very we'll the
5rantor did not own, and which tr,
h"j"' h. n"r',- WW 0Wu but That Con-
Jrr<S riH piss a $j',rim act p'antiny
e"cI' mn" his i"t om improvements.
Such was the keynote of that en-
Uttered controversy which lasted for
years. The occupants of Aber-
nethy Island " took the paper he
Oh. McLoughlin) wrote them, con-
tanning his conditions, but did not
obligate themselves to comply with
the conditions, rs H"y dit not Hiuk'
his ciaim just ~ rea$onoblc."
Such was the IRISH of the " Petit
ion.' That DIR. Mclaughlin was
British subject, in charge of the af-
fairs of the Hudson's Bay Com
pany, he had no right that Congress
should respect; his claims should
be ignored, his equities trampled
under foot. They memorialized Con-
gress that clam. jumping" should
be deemed respectable; that it
should receive, as it actually did,
but few years later. the sanction of
law.
In the summer of 1913, there APP
peared in Oregon one John Ricord
who subscribed himself Counsel of
the Supreme Court of the United
States; as he passed Fort Vancou-
yer he represented himself, as seek
ing II passage Oh one of the H. Il.
Cos vessels TO Sandwich Islands.
While there, he dropped an express
sion that DIR. Mclaughlin, being a
British subject, could not h Id the
Wallamet Falls claim. This, as
doubtless intended, alarmed DR.. Nc
houghlin. In his anxiety of mind
he proposed to this Ricord, to assist
him, and inquiring as to the qrired
fee, the following was tie rel ly
received:
To JoHN McLorGHLIN, ESQ,
Z. +. IL. b. COMA; ".
SIR: In reply to your proposal for
retaining me professionally to es-
tablish your claim on the Wal
lamette, known as Oregon City,
have the honor to inform you that
my original design was to have
merely passed through the territory
to the Sandwich Islands, with as lit
tie delay as possible, but since the
opportunity is thus presented for
benefittins myself and others in n
matter of considerable importance,
| shall be most happy to serve you
on the following conditions:
| That vnur ,,r., Ia l. -.
run as to exclude the island upol.
which a private company of cili.
zens have erected Il grist mi |, con-
cedlnS to them as much water as
may be necessary for the use of
said mill.
I That the Rev. A. f. Waller be Sc
cured in the ultimate title to the two
city lots now in his posses. ion
and other lots not exceeding five
acres, to be chosen 10y him from
among unsold lots of your present
survey.
That the Rev. Jason Lee, on be-
half of the Nj. f. Mission, he also
IN like manner secured in regard to
certain lots i'll Oregon City.
For my services in attempting to
establish your presumption to the
land III question the sum of e300
sterling money.
The three first mentioned condi-
tons are induced by q wish to escape
the censure of several personal
friends i'll this country, to diminish
at the same time, as much us pos
slble, the opposition which | am
convinced will be made to your
claim; and to secure on your be-
half the valued testimony of
some important witnesses. AS to
the last, my own services will, l
trust, imply such an amount of la
Dor, as to render it satisfactory to
you. l would desire not to make
public the fact of my retainer, lest
any person unfliendly to your claim
should in the meantime endeavor to
counteract my efforts. Cancellation
ought to be observed toward. tn ose
who heretofore pretended to hold
adverse possession of the same
tract, and such course as to entice
the good wishes and feelings of the
Willamette citizens generally; to
this end | would recommend the ap-
polntment as your agent of some
one not directly connected with the
II. B. Company.
In case of my retainer, my labor
will be confined to the reduction of
all such testimony as can be had on
the support of your claims, to Oh aft
ing a cayeat, with written argu-
ment III its support, founded upon
the treaties OF amity, commercial
aud joint occupation, and upon the
general laws for the naturalization
of foreigners, and a letter of ad-
vice to you upon the views to be
taken of your claim, and the course
most desirable to be followed by you
in repar1 IN oil