Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-01
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 structure and never dreamed that it would bo reared as monument to his memory. Whitman was born in Rush vile. Ontario county, \. Y, Sept. 1, lS02. He studied in Berkshire Medical institute, PittSfiCld, Mass, and in 1854 was appointed n missionary physician to Oregon by tho American beard. Ore gon was then vast, uneXplorCd terri tory. comprising what are now tho states of Oregon, Washington and Ida ho. DI. Whitman, Rev. Henry \. Spaulding and their young wives start ed for Oregon ill 1886. When they reached Fort Laramie, tho agents of the Hudson Bay company, who were work ing hard to savo Oregon to Great Brit ain, warned tho missionaries that no wagon train could possibly cross the Rocky mountains. ThCso agents had succeeded in preventing settlers from proceeding beyond Fort Laramie in wag- ons, well knowing that if 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 disregardrd the warnings of the Hudson Bay people and refused to abandon their wagons, their wives were unGauntrd by tho per | ills of the proposed journey, and the | four missionaries. led by Whitman, | pushed on over the Rocky mountains, crossing through tho South pass, which 1 Fremont used six years later. and reach | ed Fort Walla Walla in safety. The 1 women wore the first members Uf their sex to make the Fcrilous trip, and Whit mans was the first wagon to cross the great divide.
 After several years residence i'll Orc gon Whitman saw that the British were discouraging American immigration ly harping on the inaCceSsibility of Oregon with a view to securing tho territory for themselves, and learning that the Webster AshhurtOn treaty concerning Oregon was then under consideration he determined to ride to Washington and lay before the president tho importance of clinging to Oregon. He set out on horseback through the vast mountain | wilderness Oct. 3, 1872, and three months later, after enduring many hard ships, reached St. Louis. where he learn ed that the Oregon question was still | unsettled. On March 3 he reached Wash ington, having completed his great ride across the continent in five months. and soon demonstrated tO President Tyler that Oregon was accessible and well worth saving, despite tho fact that John C. Calhoun had declared that Oregon was God forsakCn country" and not worth pinch of snuff.
 praSi1S1,t TylSr'S raCI,IEt Whit man volunteered to demonstrate the ac- feasibility of Oregon by guiding a wag- on train across tho great divide At In dependcncr Mo ho found 2G0 wagons and 1000 people en route for tho west, ana a month later tho army of pioneers, with Whitman at their head, arrived at Fort Walla Walla
 At Waulatpu, Or, Ntw. 29. lS47, Whitman. Mrs Whitman, their two adopted children and ten other pioneers were treaCherouSly slain by thv Cayuse Indians Their bones were gathered to. gether years later and buried in great grave, which is unmarked, save by q picket fence. Rev. Dr. Cushing Bells followed Whitman to Oregon and III 1859 decided to perpotuate Whitman s memory by founding Whitman college, The college was opened Oct. l3, 1866, and has suffered many viCissitudes. Truo to the memory of Whitman, Dr. Bells made many sacrifices to pay the institutions debts and keep it running. He succeeded in securing an endowment of $l1, 900 and died in 1893. D. K. Pearson of Chicago has since become in terested in the college. has offered $50, 900 toward a $2oO. 900 endowment, and Rev Dr. S. B. L. Penrose. the new president of the college. is now labor Ing hard to raise the remaining $50, poo.