Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-24

school education and wanted to study for
the ministry. but on account OF some illness
stuuy medicine. He practiced medicine
for four years in Canada, but on his re-
turn home, contrary to his expectations he
Joined his brother In partnership in a
saw MILL All through his early life we can
trace Gods plan Of preparation for the life
he was to lead.
When he was twenty-five he made pub
lie confession OF his faith In Christ, al
though he had been converted several years
before during revival.
At that time Oregon included what Is
now Oregon Washington, Idaho, as well as
the western part of Montana and the south
western part of Wyoming. This country
belonged to nobody. and was inhabited
mainly by Indians, but both America and
Great Britain had claims upon 1t. Inc
Hudson Bay Fur Trading Company of
England had large interests there, and
their policy was to keep the Indians igno-
rant, and to hold the country for England.
Some people from OUT government had
been sent there, however, to explore the
country, and had left q deep impression
upon the Indians especially upon the Neg
Perez and Flathead tribes; and the most
interesting thing of all to them was the
wonderful Book of Heaven that the white
men told about, which taught how to live
SO that one would be sure of reaching the
happy hunting grounds hereafter.
They held a fire council in 1892 and sent
delegation east to procure the book, but
with Roman Catholic officials who. though
they treated them beautifully, did not give
them the Bible. and the cry of the seeking
red man came on further east to stir up
hearts. These are the words of one OF the
delegation:
MY people sent me to get the white
mans Book of Heaven. You took me
where you allow your women to dance as
we do not ours, and the Book was not there.
You took me where they worship the
Great Spirit with candles and the Book
was not there. You showed me images of
the good spirits and pictures of the good
them to tell us the way. 1 am going back
the long, sad trail to my people of the
dark land. You make my feet heavy with
gifts and my moccasins will grow old i'll
carrying them, yet the Book was not
among them. When 1 tell my poor blind
people after one more snow in the big
council that l did not bring the Book no
word will be spoken by our old men or by
our young braves One by one they will
rise up and go out in silence. My people
will die in darkness, and they will go on
the long path to other hunting grounds.
No white man will go with them and no
white mans Book to make the way plain.
1 have no more words"
This appeal did stir up some mission
aries to go to the far west, but when
they reached there they decided not to
heads, and once more they had to wait.
Rev. Samuel Parker, an earnest preach
er, heard about these disappointed In
dams and persuaded Marcus Whitman to
start out with him. He offered his serv-
ices to the board of home missions, and
after long, hard journey they at last
reached the two tribes of Indians, who
were overjoyed at their coming and
called them men near to God"
After deciding to locate mission there
Whitman started back east to get moro
helpers, and Parker went farther west
exploring. Marcus Whitman was mar
ried to Miss Prentiss while in the east.
In 1885 he and his wife, with another
young married couple (Mr. and Mrs. Spald-
ing). took the long journey across the
Rocky mountains, carrying with them
supplies for two years, of clothing and
food, and also materials for blowing, SOW
ing and for blacksmith's shop.
They began their work at once, teaching
the Indians the word of God, and also
showing them how to keep their homes
clean and healthful and how to plant and
reap their own crops Mrs. Whitman taught
the children, and her husband attended the
sick, and with his own hands built several
houses and a sawmill and put two hundred
acres of land under cultivation. Meantime
the Hudson Bay Company, aroused to the
fact that the missionaries were teaching
the Indians things they did not wish them
to know, and that they might lose this val
liable new country, sent Jesuit priests, who
told the people that the missionaries were
telling them lies. At last Marcus Whitman
heard that they were openly boasting that
lHey udQ the country anu hLueTICc was 100
late. and he determined to do something SO.
although the winter was setting in and
travelling across the Rocky mountains was
long and perlious undertaking, he set out
to go to Washington 5000 miles, taking only
guide and one companion 1t was jour-
ney OF four or five months. Ten days after
his start he discovered that a war between
the Pawnees and Sioux would prevent his
taking tho usual route. and he must take a
detour south which would add 600 miles to
his journey, but he went on undaunted
When he came to river. frozen a third Of
the way across on either side with q rapid
current Of $50 or 200 yards wide in the mid
die he unhesitatingly plunged into the ICY
water and swan across. followed by the
other two. At last in March, 1913, he reach
ed Washington, having hands and feet
frozen and having passed through perils
by storms. been lost in snow whirls, perils
by wild beasts and by hostile tribes. He at
once sought Daniei Webster. Secretary Of
State, and put the case before him. But
this great man thought Oregon too far away
to claim as a part Of the United States; SO
also did President Tyler. Whitman. how
ever, argued before senators and represen-
tatives, telling them he had crossed the
Rocky mountains four times and had taken
a wagon across seven years before. when
he took his wife out. At last they promised
him help and protection If he would estab-
lish q wagon road across the Rockies.
Trusting in God for help. he kept steadily
at 1t, gathering up settlers, and in May he
started west OUC6 ulOTo Win 1,UUO pcTSOuS
12O wagons. TOO oxen and nearly 800 loose
cattle.
In the meantime the people had set up a
provisional government There had been
fifty of the English and Hudson Bay Com
pany and flfty-two of the Americans. but
when Whitman arrived with his 1000 set
tiers there was no longer any question. The
country was saved for America.
However the enemy had been at work,
and rumors had been spread among the In
dams that DIR. Whitman was coming with
a great company of white people to take
away their lands, and that he was slowly
poisoning them-in explanation Of an cpl
demic of measles among them. Neverthe-
less he labored on, showing them loving
kindness, healing their sick and telling
them of Jesus, until conspiracy was
formed that broke out into horrible mas
sacre in November and December, 1847.
Fourteen were killed, first among them be-
ing Dr. Whitman and his wife, and many
others were taken prisoners and subjected
to most horrible tortures and outrages.
Dr. Whitman showed his entire conse-
Grafton to Gods service and his wonderful
submission to God in the words which he
spoke to Mr.. Spalding the night before the
massacre, when he said: my death may
do as much good to Oregon as my life can"
How to Help the Leader.
Speak of the incident told by John Willis