The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-01-09
WHITMAN'S
GREAT RIDE.
Yale Professor Says 1t Is a
Myth-Denied.

~ ISNCht uSStnS w fNHIStNul
Historical association, at Ann Arbor, a
Yale professor declared the story Of Whit.
mans ride a falsehood. President S. b.
Penrose, Of Whitman college, who was
in the city yesterday, refutes the staement
and gives evidence as to the truth Of the
journey.
The Chicago Times. Herald recently
printed the following special from Ann
Arbor, Michigan:
It looks as though many Of the pages
that have been printed IN American his.
tory concerning the exploits OF Marcus
Whitman, who Is idolized by the people
Of Oregon, will have to be torn out. The
American Historical association practical.
ly agreed to this today.
The beautiful story of how Marcus
Whitman made dangerous ride across
the continent in I8I2 and enlisted the in.
fluence Of Daniel Webster in saving the
big tract Of land from passing into the
possession Of the British, was character.
lied by Professor Edward G. Bourne, Of
Yale, as a falsehood. Professor Bourne
asserted that Whitman's ride was simply
to save the missions after he had been
called back by the American board, and
that the "story" sprang up twenty.three
years afterwards.
W. N. Marshall, Of Chicago, stamped
the tale as myth and delusion. and cited
dates and letters In support Of his views.
Ripley Hitchcock, Of New York, ac.
knowledged that he had been misled and
that what he had written on the subject
was wrong, saying that he had been the
victim Of misstatements.
The discussion Of this matter was one Of
the most interesting incidents Of the joint
convention Of the American Economical
association and the. American Historical
association, which began here today.
Professor Penrose said: 81 knew be.
fore Professor Bourne's paper was read
wha, It would contain. received letter
from him week ago In which he ended a
series Of letters concerning Whitman and
his work. ! learned that the ground OF
his contention on the missions would be
that the histories Of Oregon, written by
Gray, Barrows and Spaulding, contain
many misstatements and inaccuracies,
and therefore Professor Bourne infers they
are to be distrusted on all matters.
"ln regard to the whitman Legend as
Professor Bourne calls 1t, the professor
seems to imagine It had never been heard
Of until % years after the Whitman mas.
sacre In I847, and that there was no polit.
ieal significance to Whitman's ride across
country during the winter Of AZ and '43.
"All old Oregon pioneers will be amused
at the assumption that the story of this
political significance Is fabrication of re.
cent years. have mass Of testimony
taken from survivors Of the massacre and
from DR.. Whitman's nearest relatives,
which completely proves the ialsity of the
stand taken by Professor Bourne.
81 have also talked with not less than
eight persons who met DR.. Whitman on
his ride ACROSS the country. All agreed
that he was bound for Washington, and
not for Boston, the headquarters Of the
missionary society.
"After going to Washington he went to
Boston. have read the original minutes
Of his meeting with the prudential com.
mittee Of the missionary association.
talked with DR.. Whitman's nephew, the
late Perrin B, Whitman. of Lewiston.
Idaho, known to the Indians as the "man
who never told lie." Or. Whitman told
thu nanhsu, that ha ,uas coldl,, xacAiusd