The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903Oregon Historical Society
History
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon -- History -- Periodicals
We also had one who was the observed of all, Doctor Whitman,
the missionary from Oregon. He is in the service of the
American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions. Rarely
have I seen such a spectacle as he presented. His dress
should be preserved as a curiosity; it was quite in the
style of the old pictures of Philip Quarles and Robinson
Crusoe. When he came on board and threw down his traps, one
said "what a loafer!" I made up my mind at a glance that he
was either a gentleman traveler, or a missionary; that he
was every inch a man and no common one was clear. The Doctor
has been eight years at the territory, has left his wife
there, and started from home on the 1st of October. He has
not been in bed since, having made his lodging on buffalo
robe and blanket, even on board the boat. He is about
thirty-six or seven years of age, I should judge, and has
stamped on his brow a great deal of what David Crockett
would call "God Almighty's common sense." Of course when he
reached Boston he would cast his shell and again stand out a
specimen of the "humans."
I greatly question whether such a figure ever passed through
the Sound since the days of steam navigation. He is richly
fraught with information relative to that most interesting
piece of country, and I hope will shortly lay it before the
good people of Boston and New York. Could he appear in New
York Tabernacle--in his traveling costume--and lecture on
the Northwest coast, I think there would be very few
standing places. Much of his route was on foot and
occasionally on horse or mule back, with a half-breed guide.
To avoid the hostile Indians he had to go off to the Spanish
country, and thence to Santa Fé. A rascally hackman took him
in at New York, and carried him from place to place at his
whim and finally put him down near the Battery, close to his
starting point, charging him two dollars, and it being
midnight he succeeded in the vile extortion.
CIVIS.
In connection with our friend's communication we subjoin an
interesting account of Doctor Whitman's mission, as given by
Mr. Farnham in his travels in 1839 over the Rocky Mountains.
[Fills over one and a half columns.]
* * * * *
DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE OREGON EMIGRATION MOVEMENT,
1842-43.
OREGON--PITTSBURGH MEETING AND DOCTOR WHITE'S REPORT.
The following paragraphs we find in several of the eastern
papers this morning:
"_The Settlement of Oregon._--The meeting at Pittsburgh last
week, reported that it was not expedient for American
citizens to emigrate to Oregon until the United States
Government had taken measures to secure and protect the
emigrants in their rights.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account