The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-04-29
WHERE ROLLS THE OREGON

Oregon country" to when tue
Lewis and Clark Centennial Expo
sition at Portland is drawing the
attention of the world, presents
some of the most astounding as
poets. Perhaps the fact that
arouses the greatest degree OF
establishment in the up-to-date,
hustling citizen of today is that
such a long period of time was re-
ouired for taking possession of this
vast territory after its discovery
and exploration.
The coast line of Oregon and
Washington was known to mari
ners generations before the interior
was explored, and maps more or
less accurate were made from time
to time. Spanish, Dutch, British
and Russian navigators We'd with
each other in exploring the coast,
but practically no attempt was
made to explore the interior OF the
country until President Jefferson,
a hundred years ago, sent Meri-
wether Lewis and William Clark
from st. Louis up the Missouri
river to it's headwaters, across the
mountains and plains and down
the Columbia river to its mouth.
But even after Uncle Sam, with
that rare yankee shrewdness which
he is supposed to possess, had pen
etrated this great unknown terri
tory, bisecting it from side to side,
it was more than forty years be-
fore anything like a definite inten-
ton of settlement and occupation
took form. Though from the jour-
nails of Lewis and Clark and the
diaries of some of their men it was
distinctly evident that 'the Oregon
country" was land magnifcently
opulent in promise, land crying
for settlers and developers, full
two-score years before the nation
finally took possession of the re-
gion, colonized it and began to
make it a part of the civilized
world.
True, there was dispute as to
its owership, Great Britain and the
United States both claiming "the
Oregon country" and each APP
peared to have some color Of title.
Yet it required forty years to settle
this matter, and during all that
time Oregon, Washington and
Idaho-as now named and known
remained wildernesses, with but
a struggling settlement here and
there, and those settlements har-
assed by hostile Indians and ex-
posed to the natural perils of re-
mote outposts.
The history of the actual devel-
opment of Oregon and her sister
states in the territory acquired by
treaty with Great Britain in 1916
is the history of less than sixty
years of heroic effort and high
achievement. America was dis
covered Alb years ago. jamestown,
Virginia, was colonized by the
English 29s years ago. Plymouth
Rock was touched by the tread of
the Mayfower pilgrims $50 years
ago. American independence was
declared 12e years ago. Lewis and
Clark crossed the continent to the
Pacific northwest 100 years ago.
The United States finally acquired
''the Oregon country" by right of
discovery and exploration and after
forty years of haggling and Jug
Cling, fifty-nine years ago. "West-
ward the course of Empire takes
its way" but until three-score
years ago it took its way most de-
liberately and with dignifed slow
ness.
But after getting our clutches
firmly fixed upon this Oregon
country, we have pushed forward
the work of development with
gratifying rapidity. With the ex-
tension of the railroad and the in
vention of the telegraph, distance
has been annihilated-a it was