, 1890-08-14
Il DOUBLE CENTENNIAL.

Tho celebration in 1892 Of the foul
hundredth anniversary of the dis
covery of America by Columbus will
carry with 1t double Significance
and interest for the people of the
Pacific Northwest--the year 1892
will also be the centennial anniver.
sary of an event that gave this
broad, fair land to the stars and
stripes. In 1892 Captain Gray, oi
Boston, sailed into the mysterious
Oregon river with his vessel the
Columbia. His was the first ship to
float upon the deep waters of that
broad stream, although a Spanish
ship Is said to have been wrecked at
the mouth of the river, and the sur
vivors to have lived a number OF
years among the Indians.
When Captain Gray returned to
zen he met the celebrated explorer
Vancouver, and told him of his dis
covery. Vancouver entered the
river and assembled 1t to a point near
the site of the present town of Van
couver In this state.
But the American claim of discov-
cry rested not alone upon the
achievement of Captain Gray.
Twelve years later, Lewis and
Clarke, two United States army off,
GERS. wintered upon the Oregon
shore, about midway between the
present site of Astoria and the ocean
beach. These intrepid men, the
truo pathfinders, had crossed the
continent and explored the wild
region lying between the Missouri
valley and the Pacific ocean. This
was nearly forty years before Brag-
gart Fremont came lettering into
this country as a pathfinder. Per-
haps the title is not much out of the
way after all; he found the paths
made by Others. Lewis and Clarke
were pathmakers.
The publication by Putnam &
Sons, in a cheap form, of Washing
ton irving's Astoria will reopen an
almost forgotten avenue of informa-
tion for the general public regarding
the discovery and earliest occu-
pancy by white men of the Pacific
Northwest. Irving, it will be re.
membered, gathered the informa-
tion embraced within his delightful
work direct from records and Jour
mails supplied by John Jacob Astor,
mt whose request the author under
took the task of writing his history.
No more entertaining or accurate
record of the earliest development
of the Pacific Northwest will ever
he compiled, written as it was by
Americas most famous author, and
from information whose accuracy
must stand unquestioned.
The present city of Astoria, on
the shores of Bakers bay and some
twelve miles above the mouth ofthe
Columbiao river, was founded by
Mr.. Astor as a fur trading post
early in the spring of 1911, the ship
Tonquin bringing out cargo of
supplies and efiecting an entrance
only after the loss of two boats and
eight men. This was the first move
ment i'm the direction of coloniza-
tion, though Americans had pre-
viously entered the country both by
sea and by land.
II will he seen that Great Britain
never had shadow of title to the
region drained by the Columbia
river. 1t belonged to the United
States by right of discovery, and by
the additional right of colonization.
1t is hardly probable that she even
seriously contemplated claim SO
untenable, probably advancing it
for the purpose of driving the best
possible bargain with the United
States, and establishing the inter-
national boundary as far south ward
as possible.
The destiny of an empire not in
frequently is controlled by the airy
dictates of chance. A New England
ship-owner was led by curiosity and
love of adventure to cross the
Columbia river bar few days in
advance of a British explorer, who
was even then in the vicinity, search
ing for the entrance of the Oregon
river. Atrifie of itself, but sufficient,
when strengthened by occupancy
and settlement by "a few American
citizens. to give the Pacific North
west to the stars and stripes. The
memory of Captain Gray should be
Iittingly celebrated in 1892, the CEN
tennial of his discovery of the great
river now and forevermore bearing
the name of his gallant vessel.