The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-02-05

LADIES HALL. WHITMAN COLLEGE.

LADIES HALL, WHITMAN COLLEGE.-
structure and never dreamed that it
would be reared as a monument TO his
memory. Whitman was born i'm Rush
Vile, Ontario county, N. Y, Sept. 4,
1902. He studied in Berkshire Medical
institute, Pittsfield, Mass, and in 1884
was appointed q missionary physician
to Oregon by the American board. Ore
gon was then a vast. unexplored terri
tory, comprising what are now the
states of Oregon, Washington and Ida
no. DR.. Whitman, Rev. Henry N.
S~paulding and their young wives start
ed for Oregon in 1886. When they
reached Fort Laramie, the agents of the
Hudson Bay company, who were work
ing hard to ave Oregon TO Great Brit
ain, warned the missionaries that no
wagon train could possibly cross the
Rocky mountains. These agents had
succeeded in preventing settlers from
proceeding beyond Fort Laramie in wag-
ons, well knowing that IL wagon trains
from the United States crossed the
great divide the United States govern
ment would exert itself to claim Ore
gon.
Whitman and Spaulding disregarded
the warnings of the Hudson Bay people
and refused TO abandon their wagons,
their wives were undaunted by the per.
lis Of the proposed journey, and the
four missionaries, led by Whitman.
pushed on over the Rocky mountains.
crossing through the South pass, which
Fremont used six years later, and reach
ed Fort Waila Walla In safety. The
women were the first members Of their
sex to makethe p6rilous trip, and Whit
mans yvasdthee first wagon to cross the
great divide at af.fYaF ssl4h1k ~
After several years r~esidencesid Orc
gon Whitman saw that the British were
Encouraging American imlnigratioh by
harping ON the inaccessibility of Oregon
with a view to securing the territory
for themselves, and learning that the
Webster Ashburton treaty concerning
Oregon was then under consideration he
determined TO ride to Washington and
lay before the president the Importance
of clinging to Oregon. He set ont on
horseback through the vast mountain
"lldGLutGS wv 0s Ao1%g 4lu elkUC
months later, after enduring many hard
ships, reached St. Louis, where he learn
ed that the Oregon question was still
unsettled. On March 8 he reached Wash
ington, having completed his great ride
across the continent i'm five months, and
soon demonstrated TO President Tyler
that Oregon was accessible and we'll
worth saving. despite the fact that John
G. Calhoun had declared that Oregon
was a God forsaken country" and not
worth a pinch of snuff.
At President Tyler's request Whit
man volunteered to demonstrate the &C.
feasibility of Oregon by guiding a wag-
on train across the great divide. At In
dependence, Mo-, he found 900 wagons
and 1000 people en- route for the west,
ana q month later the army of pioneers,
with Whitman at their head, arrived at
Fort WaIla Walla.
At Waulatpu, Or, Nov. 30, 1647,
Whitman. Mrs. Whitman. their two
adopted children and ten other pioneers
were treacherously slain by the Gayuse
indians. Their bones were gathered 60.
gether years later and buried In d great
grave, which is unmarked, save " q
picket fence. Rev. DIR. Cushing Eelis
followed Whitman TO Oregon ind IN
1850 decided TO pefpetuate Whit1nan's
memory by founding Whitman college,
The college was opened Oct. l3, 1865.
and has suffered many vi~cissitudes.
True TO the memory OF Whitman, Dr.
Eells made many sacrifices TO pay the
institutions debts and keep it trimming.
Hasucceeded In securing an endowment
OF I'll, 900 and died i'm IS93.a3 u. TX.
Pearson Of Chicago has since become in-
terestedpin the college, llas offered $50. !
900 toward \ $500, 900 endowment, and
Rev. DR.. g. B. L. Penrose, the new
president of the college. il now labor
ing hard to raise the remaining $780,
! 900.