Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-09-17

1886 white persons. Minnesota was
organized as territory in 1S49 with
6,O77, and New Mexico about the
same time with 6,547.
President Pierce, who, March a.
1858, succeeded Mr.. Fillmore, was in
hearty sympathy with the develop
ment of the Northwest, the acquisi-
ton of which had been the party
slogan of the Democratic party. On
President Pierce fell the responsible
ity OF selecting territorial governor.
He made wise choice in sending to
the senate the name of Isaac ingalls,
Stevens.
WashingtOn's First Governor.
Governor Stevens at this time was
"a years of age. He was born at
Andover, Mass. He graduated at
West Point in 1889, and served with
distinction in the Mexican war. In
1S49 he was given charge of the coast
survey office in Washington City,
which place he held at the time of his
appointment as governor. He was
engaged in the survey of a proposed
northern route for railroad cover
ing the territory from the headwaters
of the Mississippi to Puget Sound
This he had not completed when no.
titled of his appointment as governor
| Of WASH n ertop Torritnry CDro,po,
Stevens had an assistant in the work
of survey in George B. Mcclellan,
whose work was to survey the route
from Puget Sound east to the Rocky
Mountains. October IS, 1853, the
two parties met near FIT. Colvile. The
energetic Stevens made favorable
report, showing that the route pro-
posed was practical, but the Secretary
of the War, jefferson Davis, who nat
urally favored a southern route, did
all he could to discourage govern
ment aid to railroad so far north.
Time has INDICATED the judgment
of Stevens. The engineers of the
Northern Pacific, years after, prac-
tically followed the Stevens survey.
Governor Stevens having complet-
ed the survey, and having sent his
report to Washington, proceeded to
Olympia to take up his duties as gov
ernor of the new territory. On the
evening Of November &c, 1853, with
out military escort, he rode into the
little city. The citizens made him
welcome. The Columbian" says,
''The Governor was received almost
literally in the arms of warm heart
ed patriotic people, in the rough
garb Of American freemen."
A Prophetic Vision.
Governor Stevens, in response to
the address of welcome, said that the
work he had just completed had de-
monstrated that a transcontinental
railroad was practicable. Two pass
es had been explored through each
of the three ranges of mountains that
interviewed between the headwaters
of the Mississippi and Puget Sound
and road could be built and OPP
Grated through either of them. He
saw no reason why such a road might
not be built at an early day. The
great roadstead of Puget Sound lay
on the direct route of Asiatic COM
merce and it would soon be filled
with ships which were to carry on
the trade of this continent with the
old. Il have already seen much of
our territory" he said in conclusion,
"and am convinced that it is to play
no secondary part in the future prog
ress of the country" Governor Stew
ems always had an abiding faith in
this country. He saw with prophetic
vision the future development of this
state. I recall a conversation once
had with the late John Medcalf in
which the character of Governor
Stevens was the subject. Mr.. Med
calf said that the governor was the
guest of one of the pioneer gather
ings near Elma and that in the course
of his talk he said, you. my friends,
shall see the coming of the iron
horse in the Chehalis valley"
Organization of Territorial Govern
ment.
Two days after the arrival of the
governor he issued a proclamation
calling for an election of territorial
legislature consisting Of nine mem
bers of the territorial council and
seventeen members of the house of
representatives, also for an election
of delegate to congress.
The territory was divided into
three judicial districts of which
Clarke and Pacific counties formed
the first, Lewis and Thurston the Sec
md, Pierce, King. Island and Jeffer-
son the third.