warrant and defend the island against all persons "(the Lord excepted)." Among the cargo of the Lausanne, which all belonged to the Methodist Mission, was machinery for flour-mills and for saw-mills. The Methodist Mission established both a saw-mill and a grist-mill, run by water-power, near Chemekete (now Salem). These were in operation in 1841. These mills were much nearer the Willamette settlements than Oregon City was. In the Fall of 1842 the Oregon Milling Company had erected a saw-mill on the island, intending to follow it with the erection of a flour-mill. It will be noted that there were then no courts in Oregon, for the Provisional Government was not organized until 1843. Dr. McLoughlin and the Hudson's Bay Company were not under the jurisdiction of the Provisional Government until 1845. In the fall of 1842 Dr. McLoughlin became satisfied that it was the intention of some of the Methodist missionaries to take his land and to deprive him of his water rights. To save his interests he forthwith built a saw-mill on the river bank near the island, and gave notice that he would erect a flour-mill in a short time. _The Shortess Petition._ The enemies of Dr. McLoughlin then determined to send a petition to Congress. It is said that this petition was drawn by George Abernethy, who then, as steward of the Mission, kept its store at Oregon City, and had charge of all its secular affairs, but that Abernethy was unwilling to have it known that he was connected with the petition, so it was copied by a clerk, named Albert E. Wilson. Abernethy wished to appear friendly to Dr. McLoughlin; to act otherwise might hurt the Mission and Abernethy in his business.[39] The first signature to this petition was that of Robert Shortess, who arrived in the Willamette Valley in April, 1840. He joined the Methodist Church about 1841. He was then intense in his dislike of the Hudson's Bay Company and its officers. From the fact that he was the first signer, this petition is known as the "Shortess petition." It was signed by sixty-five persons. Of these about one-third were immigrants of 1842, who had been in the country less than six months. This petition is addressed to Congress. It is dated March 25, 1843. It begins with a short statement that the petitioners have no laws to govern them. That "where the highest court of appeal is the rifle, safety in life and property cannot be depended on." Until these people attempted unfairly to take Dr. McLoughlin's land, the Golden Rule had prevailed and the appeal to the rifle was always "conspicuous by its absence." This petition then calls attention to the domination of the Hudson's Bay Company, and its successful opposition to Bonneville and Wyeth, and that that Company formerly would not sell cattle, and its opposition to the loan of cows and the return of the increase, which is true; and that in case of the death of a cow, the settler had to pay--which is false.