Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-11-01
How the British Missed Oregon,

lrotism of one man the valuable
lands embraced in Oregon and Wash
ingtun Territory would now be the
property of Great Il ilain instead Of
the United States. The Hudson Bay
Company, forty five years ago, were
very anxious To obtain possession OF
these lands, and industriouslv circu-
lated the report that they could never
bo settled, as it was impossible for
immigrants TO cross the mountnins III
Wagons. AT II public dinner given IN
1912, at which several officers of the
Hudson Bay Company were present,
news was received that II band OF
British immigrants had crossed the
mountains. Guasts were drunk III
honor OF the event, aud one cuthu-ias.
tic Englishman exclaimed Vow
the Americans may whistle the coun.
try is ours" There happened to be
present at the dinner an American
missionary, DR.. Marcus Whitman.
who, when he heard the hoa-t of the
Euglishmau, resolved that it it were
IN his power to prevent IT the country
should not become the properly of the
English. The next day he started for
Washington on horseback, aud max
ing the journey in winter with iruzeu
limbs presented himself, immediately
upon his arrival nj the Capitol, to
Daniel Webster, then Secrcta Y OF
State. After he had stated his case
Webster bIutiiy told him the country
was worthless, aud that wagons could
not rJss the mountains. sir George
Simpson. who Is here, atiirm- thai,
said he, "and | am about trading that
worthless region for some valuable
concessions in relation to the New.
inuudland fisheries DIR. Whitman
WAS in distress, for he found that the
treaty had already been approved by
the senate, aud vas awaiting formal
ratification aud the signature OF Prr-l
drnt Tyler He decided a. last
hope to call upon the President him.
self. Alter hearing him through,
President Tyler said DR.. Whit.
man, your truz"n limbs aud leather
breechc- attest your sincerity. Can
you take emlgrants across the noun.
taius IN wagons p GIVE me xix
months aud | will take a thousand
emigrants acru.s.' was the reply.
"WcIl," sail the President, III YOU
take them across the treaty shall not
b. ratified. - With much ctf,rt tie
hand o! cmigrauts was raised, and,
though they were met by drputaiinu
from the Hudson Bay Company who
declared that it was impossible To- cru-r
the mountains and were almost per-
-uaded t. abandon their VI gpus. he.
fore the time expired succeeded IN
their undertaking. The patriotic
missionary was vludicaicd, the treaty
vas not ratified, aud what viz doubt
less prove tp he two OF the hest uf oar
starc- were saved To the Union. Al
honor Ia the noble mau who had the
knowledge aud courage to apprccial"
the necessity uf making an ehIrt -
ave the Territory. In the norlh.
western celebrations it l. to to- hopci
he has not been forgotten. -Trmr"N,ar.
THE power dclrlopr,i hy the cX.
plo-lun of ton of dynamite, say
.S-tcncc, i. equal tp i5.G1j tons rai,ri
one loot, Or $3.50 foot tons. Que
ton Of nitro.glycrruc similarly ex-
ploj would exert power ot Co.
ij3 fonttous. AMI one ton Of blast
lug gelatiuc similarly exploded a..
$50 foDt.tpus. Seventy one thousand
tons of ordinary building stone, IT
arranged in the frm of a cube,
would measure ouly ninety six feet on
the side, aud If it were possible To
concentrate the whole forcc of ton
of blasting geletine at the moment of
explosion ou such mass, the only
effect would be to lift it to the
height of foot.
IL Alaska everything freezes solid
by the middle of October The mercu.
~ in winter falls t. $50 below zero,
aud often lower. There are only
about three months that gold can be
washed, from May to August There
Is not so much timber a. generally
supposed, aud i, is of poor quality
a re, ent prn-pector rePorts.
A CHICAGO hackmau, who has n
pleasant face aud winning ways, has,
according to the Chicago Herald,
gained 100000 from his business in
the past ten years. His eye tails on
a cCuntryman getting out of the train
to make his first visit to the city. Tue
hackmau engages To show the man
around town for a dollar. Ere tn V
reach clothing store he has per.
suaded his customer to buy a new suit
Of clothes, aud then the two necessarily
go to shoemaker's ts get bonts to
match. Aud 50 the hackman truts
his man around until the city has
been seen, aud the rural visitor feels
grateful to the man who has taken