Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-30

his capacity as justice of the peace,
and yet later a church service was
spoken by Archbishop Blanchet,
OF DR.. McLoughlin's marital fela-
tions Mrs. Wilson has this to say in
Oregon Sketches: Though his wife
was a halfbreed of the Ojibway ma
ton, coarse, bent, flat and flabby,
he treated her like a princess. In
public and in private he was as loyal
to her as if she had been a daughter
of Queen Victoria. He would suffer
no indignity or slight to her. His fine
handsome form beside the uncorseted
figure of the old Indian woman pre-
scented a strange contrast as she wad-
died beside him like being of another
species. His gallantry to her knew
no bounds. On state occasions, straight
as an arrow and magniicently ap-
pareled, he would stand like a splen-
did statue, while this female aborig-
inee rolled out before him in plain
clothes and no figure whatever"
"Peter Skene Ogden, who succeeded
DR.. Mclaughlin as chief factor in the
department of the Columbia, took for
a wife a remarkable woman of the
Spokane tribe. She bore him several
children and carried into a serene old
| age a reputation as faithful and du-
l nd vi
| mother. She followed the fortunes OF
her white master to the lower Column
ola and dwelt for many years at Fort
Vancouver and Oregon City. She died
at the age of Sc at Lac La Hache
! British Columbia.
Ogden failed to ratify the alliance
with formal marriage, even when
pressed as he lay upon his couch of
| death. To the urgent solicitation of
good old DR.. Mclaughlin he made an
iwer that if many years of public rec
| ignition of the relation of his children
lid not constitute sufficient proof no
formal words of priest or magistrate
:ould help the matter.
Ogden left a valuable estate, and
his irregularity invited vigorous
contest of his will by relatives in
england, but the dispute was amicably
compromised through the efforts of
Sir George Simpson, executor of the
will.
Joe Meek, first delegate to congress
from the provisional government of
I'D Oregon, married Nez Perez wom-
IN and they reared a very respecta-
bic family. ellis daughter, Olive
says CASTOR, "is woman Of educa-
ton, talent and refinement, and his
son, Stephen, was member of the
Oregon legislature. Meek had splen
lid physique, magnetic presence, wit
courtesy, and was generous to fault
He was a picturesque figure in
Washington, and was somewhat of a
social lion there. ooh, Mr.. Meek
said the wife Of a cabinet member al
reception, 81 should think that Mrs.
Meek would be in terror while you
are away, out there among the Indians
and the rough people of the frontier
Lord bless you, madam" answered
Meek, laughing, "she's not of the tim
ID kind" ie.a
Archibald Mcdonald, factor in
,harge of the Hudson's bay post at
Fort Colville when Eells and Wake.
founded their mission in 1888 at Tshi-
makain, near Spokane, had an Indian
wife of superior character and at
tainments. She joined the Columbia
Maternal Association, maintained
pleasant social relations with the mis-
sion wives and made an interesting
| collection of ores and minerals long
before the country knew anything o.
mining development. Father Fels tes-
titles that she was "a jewel of rare
excellence, intelligent, and her numer-
Gus children were living testimony
20 her maternal efficiency"
Lady Strathcona was held in high
esteem in Canada and England. She
was moved by great spirit of char
ity and in 1906 she gave 100000
guineas, more than 100000, to Queen
Alexandra's fund for the unemployed
Messages of sympathy have been sent
to Lord Strathcona by the king and
queen, by Queen Alexandra and other
members of the royal family, and the
Canadian government cabled this fine
tribute to the bereaved husband:
"The members of the Canadian gov
eminent desire to assure your lordship
of their profound sympathy on the oc-
casion of the death of Lady Strath-
coma. They feel that in her all classes
in this country have lost warm friend
who during long lifetime labored
not less effectively because quietly