The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-03-22
Accept the Challenge.

Accept the Challenge.
The English, accepting the chal.
lenge, had planted themselves at Os.
wego. upon the very lake route itself.
and had made port there to take
the furs that came out of the west,
and, though very sluggish In the bust.
ness, showed purpose of aggressive
movement everywhere that advantage
offered. English settlers by the hun
dred were pressing towards the west.
ern mountains in Pennsylvania, and
down into that "Virginian Already"
the sweet valley of the Shenandoah;
thrifty Germans, a few; hardy Scots.
Irish, great many-the blood most
to be feared and checked. It was
said that quite three hundred Eng
lish traders passed the mountains ev-
cry year into the region of the Ohio.
Enterprising gentlemen in Virginia
Lawrence and Augustine Washing
ton among the rest-has joined influ-
entail partners in London in the for
nation Of an Ohio company for the
settlement of the western country and
the absorption Of the western trade:
mad sent out men who knew the re-
glon to make interest with the In
dams and fix upon points Of vantage
1Or tradlng-pOsts and settlements: had
already set out upon the business by
erecting storehouses at Wills Creek,
In the heart of the Alleghanies, and,
farther westward still, upon Bedstone
Creek, a branch Of the Monongahela
iteslf.
The French Build Fort.
1t was high time to act; and Du-
quesne, having no colonial assembly,
to hamper him, acted very promptly.
When spring came, 1853, he sent if
teen hundred men into Lake Erie. to
Pressure Isle, where fort of squared
logs was built, and a road cut through
the forests to little river whose wa.
tiers, when at the food, would carry
boats direct to the Allegheny and the
great waterway of the Ohio itself.
An English lieutenant at Oswego
had described the multitudious fleet
of canoes upon Ontario carrying this
levy to it's place of landing in the
lake beyond, and a vagrant French
man had told him plainly what it was.
1t was an army of six hundred men,
he boosted, going to the Ohio, ito
cause all the English to quit those
parts" It was plain to every Eng
lish governor in the colonies who had
his eyes open that the French would
not stop with planting fort upon an
obscure branch Of the Allegheny, but
that they would indeed press forward
to take possession of the Ohio, drive
every English trader forth, draw all
the native tribes to their interest by
force or favor, and close alike the
western lands and the western trade
In very earnest against all the kings
subjects.
Governors See the Danger.
Governor Dinwiddie was among the
first to see the danger and the need
for action, as, in truth, was very nat.
ural. In Office and out, his study had
been the colonial trade, and he had
been merchant and official now long
time. He was one of the twenty
stockholders of the Ohio company,
and had come to his governorship in
Virginia with his eye upon the west
ern country. He had but to look
about him to perceive that Virginia
would very likely be obliged to meet
the crisis unaided, if, indeed, he could
Induce even her to meet it.
Governor Hamilton, OF Pennsylva-
mia, also saw how critically affairs
stood, it is true, and what ought to be
done. His agents had met and acted
With the agents of the Ohio company
already in seeking Indian alliances
and fixing upon points of vantage be.
yond the Alleghanies. But the Penn.
sylvania assembly could by no argu.
ment or device be induced to vote
money or measures in the business.
The placid Quaker traders were as
stubborn as the stolid German farm.
ers. They opposed it because they
could not for the life of them see the
necessity of parting with their money
to send troops upon so remote an
errand.
Dinwddie Does Not Hesitate.
Dinwiddle did not wait or parley.
He acted first and consulted his lesis.
lature afterwards. It was in his
Scots blood to take the business very
Btrenuously, and in his traders blood
to take it very anxiously. He had
kept himself advised from the first
Of the movements of the French.
Their vanguard had scarcely reached
Pressure Isle ere he dispatched let
ters to England apprising the govern
ment of the danger Answer had
come very promptly, too, authorizing
him to build forts upon the Ohio, if
he could get the money from the Bur
gesses; and meantime, should the
French trespass further, Ito require
Of them peaceably to depart" III
they would not desist for warning"
said his majesty, I'VE do hereby strict
ly charge and command you to drive
them of by force Of arms
Even to send a warning to the
French was no easy matter when