"Dr. I. L. Babcock refused, because, by signing he would lose his influence with the [Hudson's Bay] company. "Walter Pomeroy, ditto. "Dr. Bailey did not wish any protection from the Congress of the United States. "Rev. H. K. W. Perkins was _ashamed_ of the petition. 'What does Congress care about measuring wheat? or a contest between two milling companies?' "George Gay did not care anything about it. Congress might do as it pleased; he did not want its protection. "The people in Tualatin Plains did not have an opportunity to sign or refuse for want of time to circulate it in that section. The bearer of it, William C. Sutton, was on his way to the States across the Rocky Mountains." Thurston in his speech in Congress December 26, 1850, said, as to the author of the Shortess petition: "I know the gentleman who wrote the original, whom to know is to respect, to listen to to believe. He is a gentleman of the highest standing in Oregon, of some twelve or fourteen years residence and who would be universally believed on any subject on which he would presume to speak."[62] Thurston certainly did not refer to Shortess. The latter, while a man of ability and some education, was of an ascetic disposition, intense in his dislikes and given to sarcasm. He was not a popular man. That the Shortess petition was written by George Abernethy is shown in a foot-note on page 207 of volume 1, _History of Oregon_, Bancroft's Works, where it is said that "such is the statement of Shortess made to Elwood Evans by letter in 1867," quoting from a manuscript history of Oregon written by Evans for Bancroft. Subsequently Evans wrote an elaborate history of Oregon and Washington, entitled "History of the Pacific Northwest," which was published in 1889. On page 243 of volume 1 of this history Evans says that September 1, 1867, Shortess wrote an autograph letter to Evans that Shortess originally drew up notes or a summary of the subjects he intended to embrace in the petition. That Shortess requested Abernethy "to write it in proper form, which he did, but refused to sign it or allow it to be circulated in his handwriting, fearing it might injure the mission. I had it copied by A. E. Wilson. It was circulated and, through his assistance, sent to Washington." Shortess arrived in the Willamette Valley in April, 1840. He afterwards took up a land claim near Upper Astoria. He sold his claim and became a recluse. He died in 1877. Some time after he signed the Shortess petition he appears to have changed his opinions of the Hudson's Bay Company, and especially of the Methodist missionaries. He wrote a document about his trip to Oregon which he gave to Mr. William Chance. The latter gave this document to the Oregon Pioneer Association. It is published in full in the _Transactions_ of the Oregon Pioneer Association for 1896, pp. 92-107. It is a very interesting document. In it he refers to the Methodist missionaries in terms which, at least, are not complimentary.