Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-04-17

oi1a vas about ten miles "out vest--
IRON the Boston meeting house.
However, the western fever, N IN.
creased that An extension Of the pubiic
foeo more than ten miles from 6oaton
vas demanded. for In the records Of IL
Great and General Court Of Masaaeht.-
sests Tor 1888, we fnd this entry.
whereas the way 20 Keuecticut, noy
used being very hazardous TO travellers
% reason OF cur deepe river that d
passed fover or fos times ouer. which
may be avayed a. h conceived, by a bst-
tef ana nearer way, it h referred 20 Ma
lor Pynchon In order ye said roads NAV
% iayd out and we'll marked. We hay-
ing hired two Indians TO guide
nim IN hrs way, aud contr acted with
tnem Tor nysty stiilinQs, is Ia ordered
that tne treasurer OF the county pay the
; same IN county pay towards the effect
One century and one year after the
Newton survey, R0fas Putnam started
with his OF cart ON q thres months'
journey farther west Nov We hear the
old wagon Of Marcus Whitman rafting
among the head stresms Of the Coiuus-
bia. This remarkable and nov historic
vehicle that had been the center Of 90
many doubts and hard sayings and anx-
leties - moving treas1rs coveted by
tho Indians, and the subject of % MANY
upsets and uhneeded baths, and that
had becn developed iuyeEssly and de-
aradinRiy intO cart, finally aAd later
comes out all right ON the lower Colum-
bia, Of Fort wallA Walla. When She
company arrive thefs, In advance Of the
old wagon, they havs been out over four
months from :hs Missouri, having trav-
eled about 21jO milsa. They had made
an average Of more than - miles a day.
which vas Q good rate for caravan,
since the average OF Roman army was
~ miles. Bruised, broken end badly
Knocked TO picoca Ia its wrenchinQ and
shattering "kAi KAsh." the abused and
degraded vehicle came oct in a vefy re-
spectacle condition. Its fierce struggles
and good condition after victory remind
one much Of the battles of the Gods OF
our Northmeu ancestors. For a nights
frolic they could be hacked and cat up
on celestial battlefield, and then ap-
pear as happy and a. good as new the
next morning.
When the writer resided in st. Louis.
the old family carriage Of Gen. Clark.
the first that ever crossed the Mississip-
pi, Vas turned OF at auction for g.
Probably today ita remains rest in sOme
spot, AZ obscure and a. thoroughly ooy-
cred by drift in the stream Of Time a.
the grave Of Do Sote, s0me Shere in the
lower Mississippi. Il would be a rare
antiquity and treasure 70 head process
sion, celebrating tho frat or aeoond CEN
tennial OF its ''L'Anull du Coup" But
the old wagon OF DIR. whitman would
be a rarer treasure and relic. II carried
more national destiny than the stately
coach Of the general. Very pleasant
historical condolences associate these
two men and the two carriages. In 1904
the general, then lieutenant, won't over
to view the newly purchased Oregon.
and took the frst look Of the Pacific
that an American citizen ever had Of il
from American soil. Thirty-two years
afterward the doctor followed with his
wagon on the trail Of the general. Ii
would be diiliculs to find two single acts
in the lives of two men that have 90
marked American history.
The work was done substantially.
The wagon and the two brides, Aro.
Whitman ard Mrs. Spaulding, had won
Oregon. The first wheels had marked
the prairie, and brushed the sage, and
grazed the rocks, aud marked the river
banks all the way from the Missouri to
the Columbis. How many thousands
have since been on that trail, with their
long miles Of canvas topped teams!
The first white women had crossed the
continent, and nos only witnessed, but
achieved the victory. For. in going
through, Whitman's old wagon had de-
monstrated that women and children
and household goods tho cfamily-could
be carried over to Oregon. II 20, the
United States wanted Oregon, and af-
tsrward 200 emigrant wagons went over
and took Il, under the LEAD OF the same
| indomitabie Doctor.