The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-12-23
WHITMAN S WILDR|DE
1t Was Worth Three Stars to the
American Flag.
SAVED US VAST TERRITORY.

'he PerilouS Journey of Four Thou
sand Miles From Oregon to Washing
ton Made by a Bravo Man and tho
Results Which Followed In Its Wake.
Tho ride of Marcus Whitman was
over snow capped mountains and along
dark ravines, travelled only by savage
men. 1t was a plunge through icy rlv-
CrS and across trackless prairles,
ride Of 1000 miles across continent
in the dead Of winter to save n mighty
territory to the Union.
Compared with this what was the
feat OF RAUL Revere, who rode eight
cen miles on q calm night In April to
arouse a handful Of sleeping patriots
and thereby save tho powder at Con.
cord?
Whitman's ride saved three stars to
the American flag. 1t was made in
1870.
In 1892, during the first administra-
uoh OF Washington, Captain Robert
Gray, who had already carried the
American flag around the globe. dis
covered the mouth of the Columbia
river. He sailed several miles up the
great stream and landed and took pos
session in the name OF the United
States.
In lSOJ, under Jef1'erson's administra-
ton, this vast territory was explored
by Captains Lewis ard Clark, whose
reports were popular reading for our
ErandfatherS, but the extent and value
of this distant possession were very
slightly understood, and no attempt at
colonization was made save the cstab.
lishmcnt Of the fur trading station of
Astoria in 1911.
Strangely enough, England, too,
claimed this same territory by virtue
of rights ceded to it by Russia and
also 10y the Vancouver surveys of 1902.
The IludSon's Bay company establish
cd II number Of trading posts and oiled
the country with adventurous fur trad
crs. SO here was n vast territory, az
large rs New England and the state Of
Indiana combined, which seemed 10 be
without any positive ownership. But
for Marcus Whitman it would have
been lost TO the Union.
1t was in 1886 that Dr. Whitman and
man of the name of Spaulding. with
their young wives. the first white wo-
men that ever crossed the Rocky
mountains, entered the valley OF the
Columbia and founded mission OF
the American board They had been
sent out to Christia nizc the Indians,
but Whitman was also to build state.
lie was at this time thirty-five years
Old. In his journeys to and fro for
the mission lie soon saw tho vast DOS
SlDilitics of the country, and he saw,
too, that the English were already ap-
priScd of this and were rapidly pour
ln% into the territory. Under the terms
OF the treaties Of 1918 and 1928 it was
the tacit belief that whichever nation
allty settled and organized the sDlen-
did territory would hold It. If Eng
land and the English fur traders had
been successful in their plans, the
three great states Of Washington. Ore
@on and Idaho would now constitute q
part OF British Columbia. But it was
not destined to be.
In the fall Of 1912 it looked as if
there would be a great inpouring Of
English into the territory, and Dr..
Whitman took the alarm. There was
no time to lose. The authorities at
Washington must be warned. Hastily
bidding his wife adieu, DR.. Whitman
started on his hazardous journey. The
perilS hardShips ana delays he en-
countcred on the way W. can but
iaintly conceive. His feet were frozen.
he nearly starved, and once he came
very near to losing his life. He kept
pushing right on, and mt the end OF
i've terrible months he reached Wash.
ington.
He arrived there worn, bearded,
strangely picturesque figure, clad en-
tircIy in buckskin and fur, 4 typical
man OF the prairies. He asked audi
cncc Of President Tyler and Secretary
of State Webster, and it was accorded
him. All clad as he was, with his
frozen limbs, just In from his 1000
mile ride, Whitman appeared before
the two great men to plead for Ore
gon.
His statement was revelation to
the administration. Previous to Whit
mans visit 1t was the general idea in
congress that Oregon was q barren,
worthless country, fit only for Wild
beasts and wild men. He opened the
eyes of the government to the limit
less wealth and splendid resources Of
that western territory. He told them
OF its great .Ivers and fertile valleys,
It's mountains covered with forests
and its mines filed with precious
treasures. He showed them that 1t
was a country worth keeping and
that it must not fall into the hands OF
tho English lie spoke as Il man in