East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-09-25

behalf of the spanish sovereign. Thi
: shadowy claim was later strengthene
: by the Spanish occupation OF Ccntrs
1 America, Mexico, Lower California
0 Upper California and by exploring OK
4 peditlons sent northward from Califor
J MIA as far as the fifty-eighth degree q
} north latitude. prior to the exploratio
, OF the north Pacific coast by the Brit
iSh. Then came Great Britain, who's
famous navigator. Captain Jane
Cook. In 177S. made careful explora
! tions OF many portions of tho north
west coast. and published the result
OF his discoveries. Cook was followed
by British trading explorers. who die
much to clear up the geography OF tn,
region north OF the Columbia river
and south OF Alaska. Lastly, Russia
l whose intrepid nayigators had already
passed from Kamchatka to Alaska
was inclined to claim the territory faI
TO the southwark.
Settling the Conflicting Claims
In the year 1919. the United States
and Spain entered into treaty known
| As the Florida treaty, by which Spain
ceded to the United States all her
claims TO the Pacific coast north of the
parallel OF forty-two degrees. BY this
time the United States was actively
claiming the Oregon region, and the
Spanish cession was thought TO
strengthen that claim. Russia. in 1924
abandoned all claim to the territory
south of fifty-four degrees and forty
minutes north latitude. This left
stretch of coast more than twelve and
one half degrees In extent. which was
now clear OF all claims except those
OF great Britain and the United States;
but the British claim was not so easy
to get rid OF as were those of Russia
and Spain.
Active discussion of these conflicting
claims of Great Britain and the United
states began as early as 1916, after the
ci.se OF the war of 1912 during which |
the post at Astoria. established by the
Astor company in 1911, was taken |
possession of by a British naval force.
Under the treaty Of peace of 1914. The
United States claimed the right TO
restoration of Astoria. IL was in this
manner that the so-called Oregon
question, destined to trouble the two
countries for an entire generation, had
Its rise. In 1918 a treaty was entered
into at London by which, first, the |.
porthern boundary of Louisiana was
declared to run from the Lake OF the
Woods westward to the crest Of the
Rocky mountains along the forty /
linth parallel OF latitude; and second.
he country west of the Rocky noun
aims to the Pacific was declared to be
'ree and open TO the trade and settle
rent Of both Americans and English ,
men. This was known as the Joint oc- |
:upation agreem and IL was to run |
or period OF ten years. 'At that
ime no one thought seriously OF oc- 1
,upying the Oregon country eycept {
or the fur trade. But this trade was !
% profitable that the great fur COM |
,mnies, both English and American, I
ried to get control of IL. Mr.. Astor {
vas first on the ground with a plan for 7
connecting the trade of the Columbia
alley with the Mississippi By means {
Il a chain OF posts. All furs secured {
vest of the Rockies we're to be car /
led TO Astoria, also the furs secured {
!, traders along the coast to the north ,
nd to the south OF the Columbia were c
o be assembled there. Thence his s
hips would carry them to China and q
he far east to be exchanged for silks {
nd tea and other valuable goods for \
he markets OF the Atlantic coast. c
.stor made Il good beginning. but his v
osses incident to the war were very o
reat and when In 1918 Astoria was (
restored to the United States, n
g did not see fitto revive his trade e
here. v
he Northwest and Hudson Bay Com Il
panics a
The Northwest Company OF Canada g
-as on the ground when Astor's party $
from the Columbia, and In n
act that company had bought the furs Il
nd other property OF the Astor Com n
any prior to the coming of the En- b
lish warships which formally took "
ossession of the post in the name OF b
ne British king. The trade which Il
stor had begun was therefore carried a
n and extended by the Northwest v
ompany. After a few years. this e
ompany was absorbed by or united /,
18th the older Hudson Bay Company. ii
nd In 1894, Doctor John McLoughlin, o
,e company's agent for the entire Ii
ans Rocky mountain country, buiit D
ort Vancouver on the Columbia near a
, opposite the mouth of the Wiilam- Il
tte river as the headquarters for the G.
'estern trade.
Vancouver was thus the metropolis c
( a vast woodland empire. From It's o
-farves went forth each spring the o
ompanies OF traders and trappers, Il
hose duty it was to ascend the great |,
Iver and its branches in search OF D
eaver skins and Indian trade. The o
eets OF batteaux returned to Van A
ouver in the fall laden deep with o
irs destined for the oriental market. v
Doctor Mclaughlin was type OF II
despot who ruled kindly Il
ut firmly over traders, trappers, e
Ivermcn, Indians. and settlers alike. 4
lis influence over the red men was t
complete. Rival traders e
ound themselves wholly unable to-
ispute his sway. In trade matters n
a was inflexible. But as a man. in $
is dealing with strangers Of every b
whether trader. mission n
nv. or coIonist, he was always Kind L
houghtful and generous. In fact, the
.merican settlers in the oregon coun-
nv long ago agreed to call him the c
Father of Oregon" Il
American Pioneers t
The fur company ruled over Oregon b
or about the space of one generation. h
heir business is at best temporary; t
or when a country is wanted for the a
e...,s opd hnmQS the In .