The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-22

mclaughlin and Old Oregon" by Eva
Emery Dye. From A c. McCiurg &
Co, Chicago.
Sixty years is long time when meas
ured by human experience. Compare
lively few are living today who recall the
rush for the gold fields of California in
40; who remember almost the whole
country west of the Missouri as an unex-
plored land; or who recollect the early
mmigra ton to what now constitutes the
states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Montana. 1t was old Oregon then-ft was
old to the Indian who knew it as the
home of his birth-it was old to the Hud-
sons Bay company which is so old in IT.
self that 1t seems to have never had be-
ginning. Was 1t thoughts Of these that
prompted Bryant in 1876 to write those
immortal lines of Thanatopsis:
Or lose thyself in the continuous
woods,
Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no
Save his own dashings-yet the dead are
there;
And millions In those solitudes. since
first
The flight of years began. have LAID
them down
In their last sleep
Though Oregon was American soil, few
Americans had seen it up to 1880. True,
Lewis and Clarke and Fremont had been
there, and their reports lie buried among
ancient archives at Washington. But it
has remained for this gifted author to
chronicle step by step the toddling eff
forts Of young colony-its infancy and
its childhood to its first firm step in the
corridors of state to take its place with
its sisters in united and great republic.
The early history of Oregon is identical
with that of Fort Vancouver in British
Columbia, for years the chief trading
post Of the Hudson's Bay company. Far
separated from Eastern civilization the
chief factors at this important post ruled
as imperially as any potentate of ancient
Europe. Indeed 1t was like the baronial
rule Of medieval Europe. It was neces-
sary for the chief factor to show an al
most royal splendor in dealing with the
Indians, for superb demonstrations were
the only insignia of power the red man
would recognize An iron will and force
full and quick action were necessary at
all times to keep the Indians in subiuga-
ton. Never did southern slave more
Zealously obey the dictates of his master
than the Indians along the Columbia and
Willamette obey the commands of Chief
Factor Mclaughlin. The personality of
this great man was such as to command
obedience. Seldom are embodied in hui
man anatomy such a blending of all that
Is good, With an almost entire absence of
that which is bad. Judging this great
character today, not only in his official
capacity, but as man, we reco gnize that
he was just but firm and faithful In all
business transactions; generous and kind
IN social intercourse; and in love for his
family and fidelity to his friends a man
without superior In the annals of any
race.
Following the author as she conducts
the reader so unobtrusively into the post
LIE at Fort Vancouver in 1882, a salute
was fired on an autumn evening the
massive gates were unlocked, and eleven
Americans were ushered into the pres
ence Of DR.. Mclaughlin, the first Ameri-
can traders since Astors defeat in 1872
With all kindly courtesy were tie stranc-
ers received, and while the most cordial
relations existed during many subse-
quent months it was a combination of
friendship and strategy, for with the in
terest of his company ever uppermost.
DIR. Mclaughlin must crush commercial
competition, and crush it he did in a
purely business manner and this little
band of traders departed 1t was not
commerce, but religion that established
the first permanent American colony in
oregon; and honored in the annals Of
Professionalism is the name Of Jason Lee.
the first missionary. Co-laboring in the
same held came Dr. Whitman and thus
in 1856 the first mission was established.
Inc Sldlely Mc1OuSnl1n stood on the
shore to welcome these guests, whose
coming unfolded a world of change
In the intervening years to 1871 the his
tory of these few people is that Of all
mission fields that have been opened
the endurance of many privations, but 1t
can be truthfully said that they accom-
plished work that has never been sur
passed III any age among a savage people,
The New Year of 1871 opened a new act
in the drama on the Columbia THE
little band of Americans were gathered
at funeral, and all deeply felt the situa-
ton No law, no court, no government,
nothing from the Spanish land to Sitka,
but the arbitrary will Of DR.. John Nc
I4oughlin." They mnst perfect an or
gaEization, and even while the committee
sat with pens in hand an American ex-
ploring squadron came sailing into the
Oregon waters flying the flag OF the
United States. Thus was the first at
tempt to govern in Oregon made by
Americans.
Reports got to the Eastern states. Sep
TENDER, 1912. witnessed the arrival Of the
first party of immigrants, a small band
of sfxty-two, exclusive of children. The
year following came a thousand more; in
1874, still other thousands The power of
the Hudson's Bay company WIS broken.