Page:Marcus Whitman, MD - Proofs of his Work Saving Oregon to the United States.djvu/6

4 to Secretary Webster. But Webster said that it was too late, that he had signed the papers and given them to the president. He would not intro- duce him to the president. Dr. Whitman went back to the secretary of war, and through him obtained an introduction to the president, who heard his statements of the value of Oregon, and the possibility of taking an emigra- tion there. At last the president promised to wait before proceeding further in the business, until Dr. Whitman should sec whether he could get the emigration through. "That is all I want," said Dr. Whitman. He immedi- ately sent back word to Missouri to those who wished to go, and had it published in the papers and in a pamphlet.

He then went to Boston. When he first met Mr. Hill, treasurer of the Board, Mr. Hill received him quite roughly. Mr. Hill said, "What are you here for— leaving your post?" and at last said, in not a very pleasant way, as he offered him some money, 'Go and get some decent clothes." Dr. Whitman turned on his heel and left. The next day Mr. Hill was more cor- dial. If Dr. Whitman told me this once, he told it to me perhaps twenty times. He told it to me first on his return at Mr. Spaulding's station, as I was there temporarily on account of sickness in Mr. Spaulding's family. About the same time he told Mr. Spaulding the same. He afterwards told it to us both, and in riding together afterwards on the road he said the same, and these repeated statements, which were always precisely alike, impressed it on my mind, or I might perhaps have forgotten them. As far as I know, he told this only to Mr. Spaulding and myself, and said he had his reasons for not telling everybody.

After the immigration arrived in 1842, and he had learned what I have pre- viously stated from them about the danger of losing Oregon, he went to Fort Walla Walla (now Wallula) to learn if it was true, as the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's annual brigade or express had just arrived from Montreal. Dr. Whit- man there learned that the treaty had not been signed by which England was to obtain Oregon, but they said that they expected to get it. Dr. Whit- man, however, knew that if he should let it be known that he went on this business alone, the Hudson's Bay Company would never allow him to go through, hence he" called the mission together, and there was considerable said about missionary business and more laborers, so that the Hudson's Bay Company would not interfere with him.

(Signed) WILLIAM GEIGER, JR., M. D.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this oth day of June, A. D. 1883.

(Signed) S. HUGHES,

Notary Public for Oregon.

(2.) REV. H. H. SPAULDING.

Mr. Spaulding came to the country in 1836, in company with Dr. Whitman, and was in the mission of the A. B. C. F. M. till after Dr. Whitman's death. His station was at Lapwai, now in Idaho. He died in 1874, but has left this statement in Executive Document No. 37, 41st Congress, 3d Session, Senate, 1871, pp. 20-22:

The peculiar event that aroused Dr. Whitman, and sent him through the mountains of New Mexico during that terrible winter of 1813 to Washington, just in time to save this now so valuable country from being traded off by Webster to the shrewd Englishman for a "cod fishery" down East, was as follows: In October, 1812, our mission was called together on business at Waiilatpu, Dr. Whitman's station, and while in session Dr. W. was called to