Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-22

'NhOoi hiStoiN SIdSS ny -. W. NC
Master:
soon after the capture of Quebec
by the English and the conquest and
occupation of all that wild northern
land extending from the Atlantic to
the eastern boundary of Alaska to
English established trading posts all
| over that vast country.
These posts were for the purpose
of trade with the many Indian tribes
that roamed this wild north country.
1T abounded in many valuable fur
bearing animals, beaver, otter, err
mine, martin and many other fur
bearing animals and that unique
shaggy animal the musk OK.
AT these trading posts many of
the hardy French voyagers were en-
ployed. y company of wealthy Eng
lish was organized called the Hudson
Bay company.
Every year vessel was sent out
from England with needed supplies
for these posts. The Indians were
supplied with what they wanted in
exchange for the valuable furs that
they brought in. The trade was a
very lucrative one-the profits were
large.
New posts were opened and the
company became very powerful
| employing an army of hardy men.
At these agencies were employed as
factors many canny Scotchmen. TEey
always represented the country as n
barren waste unfit for cultivation,
discouraged and sought to prevent
migration. This was the situation
until 1856, when a little party of five
missionaries, DIR. Whitman and his
wife, Mr.. Spalding and wife and Will
| liam III. Gray, made their way across
the continent to Oregon. They had
Il canvassed covered wagon drawn by
q team of horses
when they reached the summit of
the Rocky mountains they took out
from their battered covered wagon
Il United States flag and urfurled it
to the breeze. They plunged down
through the passes and guIches of
the mountains. DR.. Whitman sue
ceeding in hauling along with him
their wagon. The horses had perish
ed and the front wheels were used.
They began TO meet some of the
/ Hudson Bays men. They knew that
/
mountains the land would be lost to
/ Great Britain. Crossing over the
t plains of Utah and through Southern
Idaho, through Eastern Oregon.
they came into the valley of the Col
umbia river and there near the pres
ent city of Walla Walla DR.. Whit
man established their home with the
Cayuse Indians. The doctor was a
skillful surgeon and in Il short time
his services We're required far and
near. He put up number of build
| ings with his own hands, helped lit
tie by the Indians; Il saw mill. a
school house. where his wife taught
the Indian boys and girls.
AS physician and surgeon he was
often called n great distance. In one
of these visits to Il post of the Hud-
son Bay company he learned that the
company intended soon to take pos
session of Oregon. In those DAYS
| Oregon was an almost unknown land.
Our statesmen did not know its value.
DIR. Whitman did. He called for his
horse and rode home, telling his wife
and others that he would start ut
once for Washington.
The northern boundary between
the United States and Great Britain
had never been settled. He took
with him Mr.. Loveioy, an Indian, as
guide. In ~ hours after he had
learned of the plot TO take posses
sion of Oregon he was on his way
east. In ten days they came TO Fort
Hall in western Idaho. under COM
mand of Capt. Grant an Englishman.
He told them they must turn back,
that Indians were hostile, that the
snow ould soon be too deep to travel:
You stay here or turn back. You
can't take the trail If we can't
take the regular trail we will go
south and take the Santa Fe route,
taking MS 1000 miles out of our way
He took this route and after suffer-
ing inconceivable hardShips on the
Sd of January, 1913. they reached
Fort Bent on the Arkansas river. 1t
was on the Sd day of March, 1S43,
when he reached Washington, five
months since he left home.
HE laid the object of his long
perilous trip before President Tyler
and after some objections on the
part of the members of the cabinet
he was given permission to organize
colony and take them with him to
Oregon.
I'm short time ihe gathered to-
gether the first wagon train that
ever crossed the continent-200 wag
ons. 1000 men, women and children.
nearly 5000 horses and, oXen-led
them over the great plains through
the defilers of the mountains, past
the posts of the protesting Hudson
Bay company, out into the Walla
WaIla valley. arriving home and meet
ing his wife in September, 1s43.
Marcus Whitman in this way
saved Oregon territory to the United
States BY treaty with Great Britain
Feb. =, 1916. the boundary line was
fixed at the 49th parallel. There was
this vast tract saved to the Union