The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-09

we lay there upon the fraiI raft, cI1nging
on with a death grip, holding our breath
in suspense and waiting for our craft to be
smashed into kindling wood against some
unseen obstruction. The wind whlstled
past our ears and deeper and blacker grew
the darkness. There was no sound heard
now save the rush of the waters against
the bank on either hand, but the speed
with which we were moving was simply
appalling. The darkness was SO intense
thatit seemed as though the walls and
roof of the canyon must be within reach
OF my head. Believing that a recumbent
position was safer than an upright one,
threw myself backward, and with head
resting on our tent and eyes directed to-
ward the top of the cavern, waited for
death. Now and then little patch OF
light far above would shoot
by with such surprising swift
ness that my hair would fairly
stand on end and would clutch the raft
with firlner grip and wonder how much
longer this wild ride must continue, and
how long it would be before the end. The
slightest obstacle in our course would
have ended all anxiety and suspense In
an instant of time. But there was not
even brush nor anything else IN ouT
way. The channel was as smooth and
deep as it was in the valley we had left
how long ago? | did not know, for
could take no note of the fight OF time.
Was it an hour or a day? The interior OF
the earth must be a long way off,
thought, and that l was drawing nearer
to IT every minute seemed probable, for
those little patches Of light / had noticed
time back were no longer to be
seen. Above, around and beneath all
was darkness. | could not even see
the water by which we were being borne
along. / WASH certain that l had com
panion in my misery, for had not heard
anything from him since we entered the
canyon. On, on we rushed-I was about
to pronounce my comrades name, when a
blind glare of light shot down upon us, SO
suddenly that l was astounded. Was
awake or dreaming? l raised myself to a
sitting posture and looked around.
Behind was a black opening between
mountains, looking exactly like the one
on the other side of the range, and In
front and on each side was a broad and
fertile valley, through which we were fly
ing with undiminished speed. l rubbed
my eyes and looked again, and just then
my companion, who had also lain down
to avoid hitting his head against the rocks
which had been 200 feet above him,
Strengthened up, revealing a face so pale
and haggard that / was startled. The
I1NCI WH0IG IL SnlCICQ OuC valley llduC q
sudden turn to the right, and of course
the current set into the right of the bend
and, taking the raft with it, carried it
within 10 or 10 feet of the shore,
which was thickly lined with bushes.
NV first act was to grab the
painter and Jump overheard with it, and
although the current wh1rled me along as
If l had been feather, l succeeded In
grasping the bushes. The rest was COM
paratively easy. We had just strength
enough left to make the painter fast to q
on the grass, painting and exhausted. We
were so dazed and bewildered by our es-
cape from what had seemed certain death
that for time we could not speak
One night they found their camping
ground on one bank of the Arkansas
while the wood for the necessary fife was
on the other bank. DR.. Whitman crept
over on the thin, yielding ice, cut the
wood and crept back, pushing it before
him. It was the last work his axe did for
them, for that night wolf stole it from
under the edge OF the tent for the strip OF
rawhide that bound it. This would have
been a serious loss earlier in the journey
but they were now nearing the border OF
civilization.
At Bant's Fort Mr.. Loveioy, who was
exhausted by his hardships, waited to join
DIR. Whitman on his return. The doctor
went on to Washington by stage, reach
ing there March 3, just FIVE months from
the day he left Waulatpu. ct took the
Hawaiian commissioners a little over five
days to cross the continent. Note the
difference in time as evidence OF the great
growth of our country IN the last half
century.)
The Ashburton treaty had been drafted
Oregon was not included. Governor
Simpson OF the Hudson Bay company had
been in Washington putting forth hur-
culean efforts to gain a treaty in favor OF
Great Britain, when DIR. Whitman ar
sented the American side of the question
The scale was turned. The weather beaten
and fur-clad mountaineer, who believed
in the future of Oregon enough to make
that fearful trip in the heart of winter
to ensure it, was q more elegant argu-
ment in the department of state than al
that the Hudson Bay company coulC
bring to bear there. President Tyler
promised to defer action till it could be
proved whether it was possible to build g
wagon road through the mountains.
Where wagon had been wagon could go
and by June a caravan of canvas covered
prairie schooners-in answer to DIR. Whit
man. S call for immigrants, q call which he
had begun to sound all along the eastward
journey-was on its way over the plains.
In September the company reached the
Waulatpu mission. The question of the
settlement of Oregon was answered The
missionaries formed the nucleus of settle
ments; trappers, adventures and western
pioneers followed; cattle were secured
from California, and in 1912 steps were
taken for a government by choice Of
officers. A provisional government was
organized that year by the people. More
immigrants quickly followed. In 1916 g
treaty was concluded between Great
Britain and the United States fixing the
boundary line at forty-fve degrees north
latitude.
In 1913 Congress established a territorial
government and the governor, General
Joseph Lane, arrived in March, 1849.
United States courts were then estab-
lished. The territory was admitted into
the union as state in 1859, and has since
been divided into three states, Idaho,
Washington and Oregon.
On November Is, 1847, DR.. Whitman
and his wife, with twelve associates, were
massacred in an uprising of Flathead In
dians. So persisted brave man, for
whom history has found no space to
chronicle; and yet it was owing to his
efforts, and his alone, that the three rich
states above mentioned are in the union
today. B. Y. LoUGE.
a Crowded Spot.