The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-05-09
BAND OF MISSIONARIES
DARING AND SACRIFICE OF WHIT
MAN AND sPALDING.
Nrs. spnIding's Courage and JudE-
ment-Extracts From MIR.
SpaIding's journal.


in the country, except those Of the Hud-
sons bay company. They also succeeded
by an infinite amount of Remembering
and packing of parts-in bringing wagon
as far as Boise; the first successful exper-
iment of this kind.
DR.. Whitman's location, as is well
known, was the present Whitman sta
ton. some six miles from Walla Walla,
then called Wai-i-lat-pu, pronounced wy
eei-at-pu, and signifying "the place of rye
grass"
Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spalding passed
the first winter at Vancouver. where they
found some pleasant society. sumptu-
Gus table. and religious teachers of the
protestant Episcopal, Roman Catholic
and old school Presbyterian faiths.
From a mass of deeply interesting rec
ords of the Whitman mission, much of
which is familiar to newspaper readers.
from recent discussion. we will make.
at present, only the the following cita-
tions:
"On the fourth of March. 1897. Alice
Clarissa Whitman was born, beueved to
have been the first white child born on
the northwest coast; but she lived to be
only about two years old"
Mrs. Prngle, however, asserts that the
birth of Eliza Spalding preceded that of
this first and only child of DR.. Whitman,
by a considerable period.
Mr.. Spalding chronicles his last expedi-
ton with DR.. Whitman thus: '"rhe night
was dark, and the rain beat furiously
upon us, but our interview was sweet
We little thought it was to be our last.
NI1h feelings Of the deepest emotion we
called to mind the fact that IL years
no frai hpfn
ing at Walla Walla, the end of our
seven months journey from New York
We called to mind the high hopes and
thrilling interest which had been awak-
ened during the year that followed-of
our successful labor and the constant
devotedness of the Indians to improve
ment. True, we remembered the months
OF deep solcitude we had, occasioned by
the increasing menacing demands of the
Indians for pay for their wood, their wa
ter. their air, their land. But much of this
had passed away and the Cayuses were
In a far more encouraging condition
than ever before"
The story of the Whitman massacre, in
all its details, is familiar to most readers
of our time, and the political and re-
nsious questions involved i'm DIR. Whit
mans life and death are still the subjects
of hot discussion and are not within
the province OF these articles. Suffice II
70 say that a thousand people had crossed
the plains under the leadership of Marcus
Whitman, and became citizens of oregon
and Washington; a prosperous and peace
ful American colony of over 80 persons
surrounded the mission, the first sawmill
in Washington was there built and in
operation. and the Indians were learning
,a Al arfc oil
with mental and spiritual enlightenment
Thus missionary affairs We're moving
on. when one of the saddest events oc-
CURED which has been known in the
history of the northwest coast-the Whit
man massacre-by which the doctor and
13 others were killed. his family blotted
out of existence, and the Oregon mission
destroyed"
The present widespread revival of in
terest in the historic name of Whitman
and in every feature of the life-worb
which was closed so tragically, is but
another instance that "the blood of the
martyrs is the seed" not only "of the
church." but of every worthy cause foi
which human life has been worthily
given. The splendor of martydom has
always raised up devotees, and no mis-
sion which ended in high success is &C
well known in story as the one seeming
ly wiped out in blood at Waiilaptu, in
November, 1917.
No likeness of Or. Whitman or his wife
are known to exist but Mrs. Pringle
remembers her adopted mother as a pro
nOunced blonde. tall and commanding
and the doctor as a wiry typical American
in face and figure. who might pass FOR
the original of portrait of Abraham Lin
coin.
The tomahawk which slew him is pre-
served among the archives of the state Of
Oregon.
Among the mass of missionary record:
referred to is an old photograph of tn,
Rev. II. H. Spalding who was DIR. Whit
mans companion in the first mission work
of this country. On the back of the pic
ture is inscribed in faded. and partly
iuegible characters the date of his birth
1903, and many incidents OF his remark
able life. such as established emigran
route which saved this government ives
20 the states" Printed first printing OF
first press on this coast. in 1899" etc
His work was among the Nez Perc,
tribe, at the Lapwai mission, near ..i'
point where the Lewis and Clarke part!
wintered. We are told In further brie
memoranda of his work, that in IL year,
he built up a church Of over 100 converts
school numbering pa pupils. and agri
cultural work to the annual production o
1900 bushels of grain.
A large scrap-book has been compile,
of his writings, which. if complete, woul,
constitute a volume of thrilling histor
ical political and religious interest. Tn
transcontinental journey of the two younl
missionaries and their brides is therein
portrayed with humor, pathos and energy
and the story of their years of mission