The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-04-18
JOHN hiINTO'S ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE TEACHERS
INSTITUTE YESTERDAY.
"reminiscences of Early Pioneer
Days in Oregon and Trials
of Settlers.

The feature Of yesterdays session Of
the county teachers institute, a detail
ed account Of which appears elsewhere,
was an address delivered by the Hon.
John Mimic, OF Salem, an old Oregon
pioneer. The paper is reprinted by the
Astorian in full. and is full of interest
ing "reminiscences and facts connected
with the early history Of the state. The
speaker was introduced by Prof. Young,
Of the Agricultural college, and the ad-
dress was as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen. Members Of
the Teachers Institute: am glad to
have the opportunity TO speak to you
on a subject that became almost the
sole subject Of thought with teacher.
who made himself the earliest. and I
would not be far wrong In saying, the
ablest, champion OF the settlement Of
Oregon. Hall j. Kelley. a teacher in
Boston, Mass. began to write. advo-
eating the settlement of Oregon in 1917.
During the interim from 1881 to 1888
he had an association formed and was
publishing periodical in Boston. styled
the Oregonian, advocating such settle
mef.. and appealing to congress for a
grant of land as a means OF encour-
agement and aid TO his project as ma
tional interest.
I'm 1852 one of his disciples. Nathaniel
J. Wyeth. broke away from him with
twenty-one men. reached Oregon with
eight and these deserted him. This left
Wyeth perplexed but not in despair. He
returned to Boston and made fresh
and better start, reached the lower Co
lumbia and became involved in a life
and death contest with the Hudson Bay
Company. 1t was a fair stand up con-
test and Captain n. j. Wyeth retired
from the field with high esteem for the
personnel of the Hudson Bay Company
in Oregon and they for him.
AS he retired. Hall ]. Kelley arrived,
at enemity with Ewing Young. whom he
had induced to join him in California.
Here he was at the mercy Of the H. B.
Company. whose officers furnished him
a house, a servant to wait on him, cloth
Ing, money and passage to Hawaii.
With this assistance he left Oregon, a
physical and almost a mental wreck.
But this mans writings aided much in
planting the spirit of freedom and civ
ilization in Oregon. and today its In
dustrial life is working out almost to a
realization of his most elaborate con-
ceptions.
His failure seems to have lain in the
fact tina he could not induce free men
to work to his plans and he could work
in no others. The same was true In a
degree Of the attempt of Captain
Wyeth. though we shall see by careful
study Of the elements composing what
Is known as Oregon's story, both had
notent influence through others In the
formation of civil government in Ore
gon, through agencies that the COM
mercial power Of the Hudson Bay Com
pany could not control. and the intel
ligence of the missionaries had failed
to cope with.
In his address to the Oregon Pioneer
Association in 1873, the Hon. J. w. Nes-
NTH used the following language:
In the far-off future, when the
New Zealander will sit upon the ruin
ed pisr Of London bridge" and indulge
In antiquarian cogitations relative to
the past, it might be convenient for him
or some other deliver in historic mines,
to refer 10 the archives of the Oregon
Pioneer Society, to establish the fact
that the founders Of our state. unlike
Romulus and Remus. derived their sus-
tenance from something more respecta-
bic than she wolf. II is then evidently
second article Of your constitution has
ito collect from the living wit
nesses such facts relating to the pio-
neers and history Of the Territory Of
Oregon as the association may deem
worthy of preservation
II quote this as from the very fore
most of unmarried pioneers Of the home
builders. who arrived in time and help
ed to finish the work OF forming a
government by the people and Of the
Deople. begun by the pioneers, Of the
pioneers. who made the call for the
wolf meeting. which took place at Che
mawa (the Gervais residence) March
9th, 1s4S, and ended with the determin-
alton to form a provisional government
May End, at Champoeg.
"Dismissing as not worth the notice Of
American children Of today Except as
the probable origin Of our word ro-
mance) the story Of the NEUROLOGICAL
parentage OF the twin brothers. Romu-
lus and Remus and their unnatural
nursing by a she wolf, We may rea-