The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-11-30


Rice the pastor of the church. The
church choir gave several appropri-
ate numbers and Mrs. Walter Tipping
ton rendered a beautiful vocal solo.
The church was crowded with people
among whom were many of the old
pioneers of the Walla Walla valley.
The address was delivered by Edwin
Eells of Tacoma, the son of Rev.
Gushing Eells, and who is today the
only native born survivor of the mas
sacree. Mr.. Eells address was a mas
terly effort and his descriptions of the
trying times that were experienced by
| the early day missionaries was inter-
esting and pathetic.
Edwin EeIIs' Address,
Commencing his address, Mr.. Eells
said in part:
I'VE are sometimes associated with
| men whose sturdy characteristics do
not make them particularly attractive
| to us, but who prove. to be men of
great usefulness and renown. Such
| a man was he who fifty-six years ago
w
| the assassin, at an age when most
would have thought him ripe for his
| greatest usefulness. From this emf
| hence of the present we can look back
| over the past, and taking into view
| the wider scope of time and events,
see, that his martyred death was the
GROWING glory of his ilustrious life"
He then described the conditions
Of this northwest country, as it exist
| ed about sixty years ago. He stated
| that it was not only uncivlized but
very remote from civilization. That
| it took six months to get news from
the States" which had to come in
sailing vessels around Cape Horn by
way of the Sandwich Islands, or be
| brought on horseback or on foot across
the continent over trails much of the
way thickly beset by hostile savages.
| Describing the Indians in this sec
| ion, he said: The Cayuses in this
valley, were rich proud, naughty, over
| bearing. suspicious and unmanage
| lble. The Nez Perces, We're supe-
rior race, noble and intelligent, who
| commanded the respect of the whites
md other tribes of Indians. The Spo-
lans We're poor. inoffensive, tractable
md kindly disposed to good inf1u-
| ances."
| He gave an interesting account of
IN incident which showed with what
skill and decision they had to be
dealt with. In a quarrel near old Fort
Walla Walla, white man, in a mo-
| ment of anger killed an Indian. He
| led, followed by an angry mob. All
rushed into the fort before the gates
| could be closed, and Immediately FILL
| ed the office of the chief factor. They
| demanded the unfortunate mans life
| The chief factor faced them for one
| moment, then springing through an
open door into an adjoining room, he
| took up a key of powder, brought it
out, and set it down in their midst.
! Taking a Ratchet he dashed in the
.Op and threatening to touch it off,
eXclaiming, Now my braves, we will
| Ill die together" They frantically va
Gated the office. and the fort gates
were closed, and later, the present of
q few blankets and other trinkets APP
peased their wrath. He described the
whites, although but few in number.
as belonging to two natiOnalities. The
British subjects We're employees of the
Hudson Bay company. who had trad
ing posts at Vancouver. Old Fort
Of two classes. the master and ser
want who had no social Intercourse
with each other. The servile class
vas socially nearer on level with
he Indians with whom they .ntcrn:ar-
lied. The pioneers of the American
element were the protestant mission
aries. They had been followed by
emigrants from the western territOri-
ties. There We're three mission sta
tons, one at Whitman Station, one
at Lapwai, and one at Walkers prairie.
The emigrants settled in the VILLAIN
cite valley
The political situation had been in
tense and had just passed an import
ant crisis. The struggle for suprem-
acy between the British and American
governments. which had been going
on for years, had just been settled by
the treaty giving the American gov
eminent possession Of this northwest
country.
Detailing some of the incidentc Of
that controversy, he showed how the
members OF the Hudson Bay company
had realized that the American mis-
sionaries were attracting other Ameri- |
cans to the coast. They tried to dis
courage and drive them away, by as
sisting and encouraging missionaries
OF a different order, who would be |
loyal to their cause. That in this they |
were so far successful, that Dr.. Whit |
mans station was ordered by his home
board to be Abandoned. This reused
Dr. Whitman who determined to go !
east. His brother missionaries at |
tempting to dissuade him he replied, :
Il am not expatriated by being mis-
sionary.'
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