Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/470

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moneys, and enlisted new missionaries, clerical and lay, to go to Oregon, osten- sibly to convert the Indians, but in reality, as he said in his verbal report to the missionary board in July, 1844, — "When the board sent out its last reinforce- ment (in 1840) its object in my view, and I believe in theirs, was that Methodism should spread throughout Oregon; for what purpose else, I ask, did so large a number of laymen go out?" A ship, the Lausanne, was chartei-ed, loaded with goods, machinery and merchandise to establish mills and stores for mercantile purposes. The moneys raised for these purposes amounted to $42,000. This- ship carried as passengers thirty-six missionaries men and women, and sixteen children. It is usually called "The Great Reinforcement." The Lausanne ar- rived at Fort Vancouver, June 1, 1840. Dr. McLoughlin sent a skillful pilot, for the captain of the ship did not have any reliable chart of the river. He sent fresh vegetables, milk and a large tub of butter from Fort Vancouver. On their arrival there Dr. McLoughlin supplied rooms and provisions for the whole mis- sionary party. They were his guests for about two weeks. A few weeks after some of these missionaries Avere endeavoring to take for themselves Dr. McLough- lin 's land claim at Oregon City. The Methodist Mission, as such, did not offi- cially take part in these proceedings. Some of the missionaries took no part in these actions. The mission took up a land claim of 640 acres north of Dr. Mc- Loughlin 's claim. The first missionary work on this claim was done where Glad- stone pai-k is now situated. In July, 1840, Rev. A. F. "Waller, one of the new missionaries who had charge of this mission, was sent by Rev. Jason Lee to es- tablish a mission at Oregon City. Dr. McLoughlin gave to the mission a piece of his land claim and assisted in building the mission house thereon. July 21, 1840, Dr. McLoughlin having been informed that the mission intended to try to take his land claim, notified Rev. Jason Lee, the superintendent of the Ore- gon Methodist missions, that Dr. McLoughlin had taken up this claim and gave a general description of it. Lee returned a satisfactorj"- answer. In 1841 some of these missionaries attempted to occupy what is now known as Abernethy Isl- and, near the crest of the Falls, a part of Dr. McLoughlin 's claim. On Dr. Mc- Loughlin 's protest, this occupancy was stayed for a while. In the fall of 1842, after Dr. McLoughlin had made further improvements on his land, had it sur- veyed and laid off, part of it into lots and blocks, and named the place Oregon City, Waller employed John Ricord, a peripatetic lawyer, and asserted his owner- ship of the whole claim, except Abernethy Island. The result was that Dr. Mc- Loughlin bought oft' Waller, by giving him personally five hundi*ed dollars, a few acres of land in Oregon City, also six lots and a block to the Methodist Mission. About three months after this settlement. Rev. Geo. Gary, who came from the eastern states to close the mission and to dispose of all its property, compelled Dr. McLoughlin to pay twenty-two hundred dollar's to the mission for the land he had given the mission in the settlement with Waller. In 1841 several of the missionaries formed a company called the Oregon Milling Company, which succeeded in taking Abernethy Island from Dr. McLoughlin. The details are too many to be set forth in this article. In 1842 Dr. McLoughlin built a saw mill on the river bank, near Abernethj^ island, and a little later he established a flour mill. It was from the latter that the first shipment of flour was made from the Pacific coast to the Orient.

Waller and others who took part in trying to deprive Dr. ilcLoi^ghlin of his