Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-08-09
A HISTORICAL RIDE.
1T WAS WORTH THREE STARS TO
THE AMERICAN FLAG.

Marcus WhtfmRn's WIG ana Peril
GUS Journey of 1000 Miles From
Oregon to Washington and the X @
suits Which Followed In It's Wake
The ride of Marcus Whitman wa
over snow capped mountains and alonl
dark ravIncs. Travelled only by savag'
men. 1t was a plunge through Icy rlv
ers and across trackless prairies, {
ride of 1000 miles across continen
in the dead of winter to save might.
territory to the Union.
Compared with this, what was thu
feat Of Paul Revere, who rode Is miles
ON a calm night in April to arouse {
handful Of sleeping patriots and there
by save the powder at Concord?
Whitmans ride saved three stars tt
the American flag. 1t was made il
1912.
In 1892, during the first administra
ton of Washington, Captain Robert
Gray, who had already carried the
American flag around the globe, dis
covered the mouth of the Columbia
river He sailed several miles up til,
great stream and landed and took pos
session in the name of the United
States.
In 1905, under Iefferson's administra
ton, this vast territory was explored
by Captains Lewis and Clark, whose
reports were popular reading for oul
grandfathers, but the extent and value
Of this distant possession were very
slightly understood, and no attempt at
colonization was made, save the estab"
lishment Of the fur trading station of
Astoria in 1911.
Strangely enough, England, too,
claimed this same territory by virtue
Of rights coded to it by Russia ard
also by the Vancouver surveys of 1892.
The Hudson's Bay company establish
ed a number Of trading posts and filled
the country with adventurous fur trad
ers. SO here was vast territory, as
large as New England and the state Of
Indiana combined, which seemed to he
without any positive ownership But
been lost to the Union.
1t was in 1886 that DR.. Whitman ard
a man by the name of Spaulding. with
their young wives, the first white wo-
men that ever crossed the Rocky
mountains, entered the valley Of the
Columbia and founded n mission of the
American board. They had been sent
out to Christiunizc the Indians. but
Whitman was also to build Il state.
lie was at this time 81 years old In
his Journeys to and fro for the mission
he soon saw the vast possibilities Of
the country, and he saw, too. that the
English were already apprised of this
and wore rapidly pouring into the ter
ritory. Under the terms of the treaties
of 1918 and 1928 it was the tacit be-
lief that whichever nationality settled
and organized the territory. that nation
would hold 1t. If England and tie
English fur traders had been success
full In their plans, the three great states
Of Washington. Oregon and Idaho
would now constitute part of Brit-
ish Columbia. But It was not destined
to be-
In the fall Of 1912 it looked as if
there would be a great inpouring of
English into the territory. and Er
Whitman took the alarm There Was
no time to lose. The authorities ut
Washington must be warned Hastily
bidding his wife adicu, DR.. Whitman
started on his hazardous Journey. The
perils. hardships and delays he en-
countered on the way we can but faint
ly conceive. His feet We're frozen, he
nearly starved, and once he came very
near to losing his life. He kept
pushing right on. and at the end of five
terrible months he reached Washing
ton.
He arrived there worn. bearded
strangely picturesque figure, clad en-
tirely in huckskin and fur, a typical
man Of the prairies. He asked audience
Of President Tyler and Secretary of
State Webster, and 1t was accorded
him. All clad as he was, With his
frozen limbs. just In from his 1000
mile ride, Whitman appeared before
the two great men to pleau for Oregon
the administration. Previous to Wit
mans visit it was the general idea III
congress that Oregon was a bar; IN.
worthless country. fit only for wild
beasts and wild men. He opened thu
eyes Of the government to the limit
less wealth and splendid resources of
that western territory. He told them
of its great rivers and fertile valleys
it's mounta rs covered with forests arl
it's mines filed with precioNs treas
urcs. He showed them that it was &
country worth keeping and that II
must not fall into tae hands of tlte
English. He spoke as Il man inspired,
and his words We're Needed.
What followed-the organization cf
companies of emigrants, the rapid set
Element Of the territory and the treaty
made with Great Britain in l34;i bv
which the forty-ninth parallel was
made the boundary line west of the
Rocky mountains are matters Of bis
tory.
The foresight and the heroism CT one
man and his gallant ride had saved
three great states to the Union.--Ona-
ha World 'Ucipll,