The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-05
THE WHITMAN MASSACRE.
GRAPHIC STORY TOLD BY CHILD
WHO WAS PRESENT.
The Real Causes which LED 10 the
Anger ~ the Cayuses-A LAffie
Girl WIS Cpswled Beneath the
Floor ana Heard the shooting.

Floor ana Heard the shooting.
eEATTLE. Dec. l-The dedication Of
the whitman monument at Waila WassA-
with the attendant elaborate ceremonies.
makes IL fitting tina. the story OF the w MT
man massacre and the causes leadans Up
10 IL be refoId. Il was notable event IN
the early history OF Oregon terrNory-tne
most conspicuous. indeed, OF many thriii-
ing and tragic episodes. The story or the
tragedy near walla waIia has been told
and retoia, ard the central figure OF all
these narratives is Whitman, the mission
airy. whom admiring friends claim 20 De
a bright. particular star In the gaiaxy
OF American heroes who have done great
service for their country.
In 1885. six years before John G. Free
mont, .-Tne Pathfinder" crossed the
Rockies. a little missionary party, consist
ing OF DR.. Marcus Whitman and his young
wife Narcsssa Whitman. Rev spaaiaihg
and wife. and III. II. Gray. Journeyed
across the plains and crossed the
mountains by way Of the South pass ana
established a mission station at Haniat-
put A very interesting account OF this
Journey was kept by Mrs Whitman IN re
form of A journal which has lately been
made public by the Oregon Pioneer Associ-
stlon.
The site selected for the mission was
about twenty-five miles from Fort Waiia
&alla, called by the Indians Wai-i-lat-pu
ffne place of rye grass. For mics
around there was level reach OF fertile
soil. broken by the Waila waila river.
barely skfrted by timber. which ran near
the mission. In the distance the pic
turesaue Blue mountains. Here II was the
party went 20 work. preparing the lana
for spring crops, and teaching the Indians.
&.~fr s>fy
Iadiai dialect would permit.
The mission prosDered. The Indians
we're friendly and DESTROYS OF being taught.
One very sad incident of those early years
Of the mission occurred in lsSs. n.te
daughter had been born to the W1itInans.
She seems 10 have been a very bright cHiih'
and learned very rapidly the Indian Ian
gtiage and the songs OF the tayu ana
Neg peYces tribes much 10 the delight or
the Indians VINO called her the Little
White Cayuse." The child was drowned
I'm the Waifa waiIa river Months after
the poor. beFeaved mother writes 10 hsr
hume friends. And now the trial was up
on me which / had dreaded more than
ANYTHING else-to have my husband go
from home and leave me alone. 1t was
then that realized the full realty OF my
bereavement. Husband gone night after
night. The cheering presence OF my dear
little daughter taken from me. which had
always been my relief in such lonely
hours"
As the years went on, though the mis-
sion was outwardIy prospecting, various
causes cuntriyed 10 make X not haven RI
rest for the inmates 10 the causes lead
ing up to the Whitman massacre 50 many
clements enter that Il is difficult To find the
real cause. The early history of the Ore
gon territory is virtually the history OF the
Hudson Bay Company. This company,
realizing vast profits through its trading
posts, did not desire Eastern immigration,
i.or was It their policy TO induce the Indian
10 forsake his nomadic inclinations In
the wake of the Hudson Bay Company
came the Jesuit fathers. who worked In
harmony with the CO inpany. being content
10 tsantixe an Indian and let him continue
to hunt and trap and fish as his fathers
had done.
The protestant missionary, on the con-
trary. sought tn persuade the Indian to
adopt more civilized mode Of iife--to eul-
ttvate the soil, embrace Christianity, and
become In every sense civilized. Out of
these conflicting motives sprung the trag-
edy.
In ~ DIR whitman made his winter trip
TO Washington over which there has beea
much controversy. 1t Is claimed by his
friends that his representations before
congress. and the large body OF immi-
grants he induced to settle In Oregon on
his return trip, really saved Oregon 20 :he
United States. 1t IL probably true that
the account of the resources OF the terri
tory Of oregon which he gave congress was
partly Instrumental In awakening that
body TO the Importance of securing oregon
10 the United States, Ii is not difficult 10
reach the conclusion that American inter-
tsts in Oregon were endangered by the
apathy and Ignorance OF our statesmen.
Even Daniel Webster said in the United
States senate on the proposal 10 establish
a military route from Independence, on the
Missouri II the mouth of the Columbia;
What do We want with this vast worth
less area: this region OF savages ard Wild
beasts of shifting sands and whirIwindS
af dust, Of cactus and Prairie dogs? TO
what use could We ever hope to put these
great deserts or these endless mountain
t-suges. impencuable anu covered to ti.etr
base With eternal snows What can we ever
hope 10 do with the Western coast Of 3 90
miles. rock bound. ctcesless and uninyit-
lag ana net barber or it?''
The return ~ pr Whitman from 1.-The
states" with a large company Of settlers
did net tend 20 give him favor with the
Indians who tee0n TO perceive thar the
whit man wauld eventually take away All
their land from them
Ia the fall of ~ a bad form Of measles
brought by .he Immigrants. caused many
deaths among the Cayuges. Dr. Whiimaa.
eha was medical ETaduA,e. had bVen in
tbF habit Of treating the Indians OF his
mission when III. The Indians conceived
The idea that the doctor WAS poisoning
them inmates 81 the mission claim that
tho Idea was inSti,ied In the mind u IN s
Indians hy the Catholic priest and point
Is he fart that no Catholic or agent % me
tiadson Ray Company waa Injured as
rsuoT that they were IN manner morally
ryspoasieie Tar The massacre. that they
heIncSs - tncrv&se the dissatisfaction Of the
indtaHs rather than allay a.
ON shs morning of the 18th OF Eovern-
iseE 1t was noticed tha, an nnnsual nam
Res. - Indians hfd EatNsrcA about the
mission only that morUlv& pr. Whitman
al said To his Wife: III thias< don't
cfrar NJ hy sprla< Viii have Ia leave. -
N=sg leag sftrYwart an Indian came 80 ta,
B tcncU deer and aSSett ~ stc the doctor
esHe he wanted medicine scr "A lex
thlia. pr. Whitman wcus 10 his medicine
eise. s2t what Mas wanted ard returned
20 tAs door. wheu Solley ot shots were
uIel snA as fen Instantly ~ the same
'tn}s several men engaged At work In he
gard vi - shot
Nce Vhitasa. with assistance s,,,-
veefed ~ carrying tire BODY into ,he sir
tfnE poem. THe women then sought - fg;r,
Ufas' airs Halle later an Indian named
E0Ha-1.ht .sgie - the font ~ lhr stairs
N"a rSAy8 t,ic woFuca 10 come daRl and
t' a'Hts@~ to the Nicholas laone ee~.f,,.
'}ry WnUt uc; - hnrt bpt tae miss N
W. cu.ns 90 b. burned Mr. Wh5.,,,er
w bsa becn injured sa MA arin< 80,
ht5iesi bty hu~h8rt Was carried suf ~ 4as
9o7~e gn g Vettes. Aat sea7oafv hsa .h-,,
ps~7s8 'he tarvShc's When tAp s4rfrs asa,
.oHnen>rd, killing Mrs. Nht.taAn ans tha
rcF" aha we're carrying hey. Thirteen sr,.
mates - the Hosssloa were k.Hea la all