The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-02
'THE WHITMAN COLLEGE
Story of its Early Founder and
f. Strange History.
AN uNwRlTreN HISTORY,
Full of Romance and Thrilling
Events A Government Saved
an Empire.


Events A Government Saved
an Empire.
The Chicago Times-Herald's account OF
the early history of the territory Of Ore
gon, when its eastern boundary Wei the
Rocky mountains, Is a most Interesting
record Of the bravery Of few men who
had foresight and judgement enough,
In the face of an uninformed and careless
government to make successful effort
to save this vast country from the grasp
OF the Hudson Bay company who were
endeavoring to secure 1t for the English.
Below is the full text Of the article:
President Penrose Of Whitman college,
Walla Walla, WASH, is stalwart young
man with broad shoulders and deep chest
who would pass readily for trained ath-
lete. In his actions he Is vigorous, quick
and suggestive of great reserve force.
He's a Yale man and no one would rash
ly express q doubt as to his ability to
row boat or lead football team. DR..
ID. X. Pearsons, the Chicago philanthro-
pist who has agreed to give $4,000 of
fund Of 100000 to set Whitman college on
Its feet, cast his eye admiringly on the
young president ana Salu:
"It is pure ozone in the atmosphere Of
that marvellous Washington climate that
made him the athlete man you see be-
fore you. That springy step, alertness OF
action, energy and those well-developed
lungs are all the result Of his having
lived out there six years. It's great
country to make men and women. l
have Travelled in that country and 1t
astonished me to see the fine specimens
OF boyhood and girlhood to be met with
in the schools >and everywhere l went.
In physical endowment they seemed to
possess all the native strength and
beauty that you see in the wildcat. Now
this is one reason why l say they should
have a college out there that will rank
with Beloit, Amherst or Williams. And
they are going to have just such an in
stitution in Whitman college. The Amer
lean people are going to come nobly IN Its
aid when they become more familiar with
the story of prophetic patriotism involved
in Marcus Whitman's life of self-sacri-
fee. 1t Is the only college that has pa
trlotlsm for an inspiration, and you win
see that we will raise not 100000 alone,
but SSOO.OOO or more by the LIST Of next De-
cember, as proposed"
President Penrose has been in Chicago
for several days, making his headquar-
ters at the University club, while engag
in what he calls patriotic educational
campaign" to lift Whitman college into
most enthusiastic over the prospects,
and entertains no doubt whatever of
ultimate success. He Is confident the
American people will respond literally
to the sentiment which proposes this in
stitution as a suitable memorial to Dr.
Marcus Whitman, the brave missionary
who saved the Territory Of Oregon to
the union, thus adding three stars to
the flag-symbols of the states now
known as Oregon, Washington and
Idaho. Patriotism must now rescue his
name from oblivion by establishing this
college, intended for the higher education
Of both sexes, on a firm and enduring
foundation The field covered by this COL
lege Is as large In territorial extent as
the whole of New England, with tha
state of Pennsylvania added
1t was In the spring of 1894 that DR..
Pearsons, who has generously given large
sums to save a dozen or more educa-
tional institutions from going to financial
wreck, made characteristic offer to
Whitman college. 1t was to give $780,
900 Of an endowment OF. 100000, provld-
ing the additional $l50,0O0 be secured be-
fore Dec. l, 1896. Both he and President
Penrose said yesterday that there was
hardly any doubt 100000 instead of $780,
900 would be raised within the required
time The public-spirited citizens of Walla
Walla, the, seat Of the college, town of
1000 population, have contributed over
$4,000 and President Penrose says he
knows Of over 100000 more coming from
other sources.
Prosecuting his patriotic educational
campaign" President Penrose preach
sunday May u at Beloit college. Yes
terday he preached at Knox college,
Galesburg. He will attend the meeting
of the state association of Congregation
al churches at Jacksonville within the
next few days. Then he will return to
Walla Walla In time for the college COM
mo art m ha oil T,,n
event he intends to return east and re-
sumo his vigorous campaign for the COM
pletion of the big endowment fund.
1t is one of the interesting features of
this campaign that It is proposed to help
things out by raising a Whitman family
fund of $5O,OOO The Whitman family tree
is one Of gigantic dimensions, with many
widespreadlng branches. OF this original |
New England family there are now scat
tered over the world over 1000 adult men, |
bers Ex-Governor Russell Of Massachus- |
setts is counted among tne scions Of this |
family. The Farnams, one OF the wealth |
lest families of New Haven /, belong to !
another branch and they have already |
slgnihed their intention Of starting the |
fund with handsome subscription.
Whitman college as church orators,
journalists and historians nave frequ mt !
ly set forth In their various ways Of |
the public, was originally es-
.ablished as q memorial Of DR.. Marcus
Whitman, the brave missionary and
pathfinder of the great northwest, who
antedated John c. Fremont. and to
whose heroic life of devotion self-sacri-
flee and patriotism the country owes a
debt of gratitude which has long re-
mained unpaid. 1t has, In fact, taken the
laion nearly half century to realiz
the value and magnitude Of Whitman's
services, but at length in many sections
the people are beginning to awaken to
IN appreciation of his wotais and work.
To him more than any man is gratitude
due that the boundary of this republic on
che west Is the Pacific ocean and not the
Rocky mountlins.
In Whitman's life and death, self-sacri-
flee and martyrdom, are ali the materials
for an epic; they await only the coming
OF another Homer. Whitman college Is |
lis only monument, but T. viii yet grow
into q monument more enduring than
brass. At present 1t consists Of three
small frame buildings, situate only four
miles distant from the original Whitman
mission. 1t has been struggling along for
some years with an endowment OF only
S11 900, and at different times the struggle
has seemed hopeless.
The football team Of the college late
iy gathered az the spot where the ashes
Of Whitman and twelve OF his cowork-
ers in the missionary field rest in a COM
mon grave, surrounded by rude wooden
fence Since 1871, when the brave
band OF frontier heroes were mastered
by the Nez Perces, the grave had lain
In neglect, and the mound was deeply
covered with sage brush. They cleared
away the sage brush and In It's place
sowed grass and planted wild flowers
At length the time has come when this
great grave" may be kept green.
X was Rev. Gushing Eells who deslg-
mated this hallowed spot as a great
grave" He followed Whitman TO Ore
gon in 1893. to preach TO the Spokane In
dlans, near where the city Of Spokane
now stands. On account OF hostllities
he and his wife were escorted south 10
the Columbia river into the territory or
ganlzed as Oregon year later, while the
region now known as the states OF
and Idaho was closed 10
settlers nearly a dozen years. In 1859
they returned TO re-establlsh the mission
which had been broken up, and, standing
at the great grave" OF his predecessors
who like the Master they served, were
murdered by those they sought to save
Eelis vowed that he would
devote the rest OF his life TO the raising
Of fitting monument to Whitman. 80
Whitman college was conceived.
There ig no aDace here to dwell uDOn