Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-09

was physician and minister as we'll,
came out as missionary of the |
American board of missions. The
Hudson Bay Company then had alb
solute sway and combined with the
Spanish Jesuit priests to keep out
Protestant Americans from getting
foot hold on this coast Whitman
travelled from Oregon 10 Washington
overland TO lay the matter before |
| Congress. He raised q company of |
emigants To cross the Rocky Noun |
tains with wagOn.-a feat never be- |
/ fore attempted and then declared to |.
be impossible. Whitman, however, |
conducted his wager train over the |
unexslored region till met BY dep |
uatation Of the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny, who did their best TO pesaade
them that the way was imprac,icable.
The company who had already endur
ed many hardships. were prepared to
believe the worst. Whitman went
from man 10 man and with tears beg
ged them to go forward, and with
vehement efforts, even pledging his
own life on their success. he pur-
suaded them to proceed They did
find their way, and Whitman was
shortly after murdered bv the Indi-
ans, set on, it is believed, by the com
pany.
This was the first wagon train
across che Rocky Mountains TO this
coast
, Whiimsn's influence was very
great with Daniel Webster and other
men III Congress in awakening them
, to sense OF the Importance Of this
. region, an interest which finally cul-
. minated in the Mexican war and the
acquisition Of this grand domain.
: When in the latter par, of 1S4s, DR..
, Wiley was sailing around Cape Horn
to Monterey, he heard discussions
5 among the civil engineers of the Unit
: Ell Stated as to the practicabi.ity of
e building railroad across the CONT
: nent. The conclusion was over
} whelming agains: so absurd a propo-
, sition. And. indeed, it is not to be
I wondered at that there should be
e such skepticism when one travels
, through a thousand miles of desert
5 in which there is neither tree nor
water EOr human being.
Certainly the building of this great
highway is one of the marvels OF
American daring and perseverance
d more than rivaliug the huge achieve
ments of antiquity in overcoming
It physical imposslbilities. That a com
l.. pany Of people can now cross the
d American continent over might,
C mountain with luxurious case ant
It safety, eating and sleeping and sight
r. seeing without a change of cars anC
r enjoying continuous festival Of
o wonders, scarcely knowing fatigue
c Is fact that has bloomed before u
d like the century plant, so suddenly
q and strangely that we do not yet rea
e liz. its greatness and significance.
= is only equalled by other startling re
le suits, such as the building up of I
e city of 100000 enterprising ant
'e wealth making people. such as San
b francisco, with score of other en-
e. terprising cities and towns of from
" 1000 to 40, 900 in population, scatter
t. through this and adjacent States OF
d the Pacific slope. while millions O
rs acres OF what was once though
n worthless soil have been transfiguret
V, into the grandest farms and orchard
" and vineyards that the eye of ma
it looks upon, while other millions o
N acres are the roaming ground of al
le mics of cattle, and the mountain
ID once resounding only to the cry O
IS the savage or the wild beast, are h
he coming hives Of delving industry
I'd where brawny hosts of treasure seeE
I'd ers find all vicisstudes Of success an
ID failure, riches and ruin-and all thi
lie transformation in the life of singl
" generation!