The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1899-08-26


ing here to read an extract from the
pen OF Mr.. J. G. Gibbs, treasurer Of
the Editorial Association, editor of the
Norwalk, Ohio, Reflector, and a genial
gentleman. 1t concerns the early set
tlenent of the country we have de-
soribed in these columns, and is as fol-
lows:
did you ever hear the story Of
Marcus Whitman? If you did. you
never tire of its repetition and if not.
you have missed one Of the most inter-
esting and thrilling tales in all Ameri-
can history.
"Just sixty-three years ago from the
day that I ana describing, another
party OF travellers. five in number, led
by DR.. Marcus Whitman. missionary
physician from New York state, climb
ed wearily TO the summit, and from
the snow crowned heights of the
Rocky mountains looked off to the
westward across the enchanting valleys
Of the Pacific slope. They were the
first American immigrants in all this
vast region, then dominated and
sedulously maintained in all its primi-
tive savagery by the Hudson's Bay
company, who expected 20 maintain
the sway of England over all that land.
1.-The little band Of missionaries, Dr..
Whitman and wife, Henry H. Spaul-
ding and wife and William II. Gray,
had been sent out by the American
Board and they had been many months
on the ,oilsome road. But led by the
indomitable Whitman they had pressed
on, until now, like Moses of old, from
the mountain top they beheld the prom
ised land, and swere eager to 60 in and
possess it. There, on that 4th of July
1886, taking out from his battered and
worn old emigrant wagon the flag Of
his country, which he had carefully
preserved through all the dangers and
trials OF his wonderful journey, Dr..
and in the name Ct Goa and of the
United States he took possession of the
whole Pacific coast, the region now in-
cluded in the three states Of Oregon,
Washington and idaho.
This was seven years before Free
mont, the ''pathfinder," marched over
the mountains; and meanwhile Whit
man and his companions, undaunted by
the opposition and enn.ity of thu Hud-
sons Bay company, settled at Waii
latpu, near Walla Walla, maintained
themselves and prosecuted their labors
among the Indians, teaching them,
leading them and healing their bodily
ailments.
In the fall OF 1912 DR.. Whitman
learned that the English were about to
colonize and seize this great region,
and though it was then almost winter
he determined to re-cross the noun
tains and 60 to Washington to save the
Pacific slope to the United States, in
spite of the 'anti-expansionists of
that day who were then in control Of
Congress and were about to sanction
the terrible blunder of surrendering
the slope to the British. 1t was a
wonderful achievement, that march
across a continent in midwinter. an
achievement worthy of the magnitude
Of its object.
when Whitman at last reached
the capital of the nation, on the 3rd of
March, 1S43, after a Journey OF five
months, he found that Daniel Webster,
secretary OF state, was about to trade
the whole of Oregon territory. as it
was then called, for an insignificant
cod-fshcry on the Atlantic coast, and
would not listen to his story. 1t was
Daniel Webster who said in the SEN
in 1926, that he would never vote an
appropriation OF single ceptto bring
1 k1 pn
ton than it then was!
but President Tyler. to his credit
be it written. heard Whitman's story
with more interest, and said: Or.
Whitman: your story is all right, but,
after all, Oregon cannot be saved to
the United States because it cannot be
settled from the East. You canno,
take wagons over the Rocky noun
tains.'
"'Can't take wagons over the Rocky
noun tains.' exclaimed Whitman
why, Mr.. President, seven years ago
I took over the first wagon that eve,
crossed the Rocky mountains; 1t is q
Waiilatpu now
"Well,' said the President. If yol
, can show the accessibility OF Oregon
and that the mountains can be crossed
by wagons, will see that the land i
not given to Great Britaiu.'
, "With this promise from Presidcn
Tyler, Whitman had achieved the OBJ
ject Of his trip, and 50 interested ha,
many people become, through his ex
. ertions, In that far western region b.
this time, that be had 70 trouble il
l organizing an immense wagon trai
:, without delay and starting westwar
with IL. There were two hundre
: wagons and thousand people in tn
Q train, and it was the first caravan {