Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/290

274 need for a government there was was well supplied by the one formed by the settlers. Of political differences there was little, for almost every man was a Democrat. With the coming, however, of Mr. Dryer and the establishment of The Oregonian, the Whig party began to create an opposition. According to the opinion of Mr. Hinman, it was the influence of political aspirants as much, if not more, than the real needs of the community that led to the clamor for territorial government. So far as the government itself was concerned, it was little more than the change from Governor Abernethy to Governor Lane.

In the year 1847, Mr. Hinman was at The Dalles, which was the last of the Methodist mission stations, and had been purchased by the American board to be used as a basis of supplies. Previous to this, it had been necessary to bring all supplies from the fort at Vancouver. Mr. Hinman had been chosen to act as secular agent for the mission at The Dalles, and with his family, and Perrine Whitman, a nephew of Dr. Marcus Whitman, was living here at the time of the famous massacre. His experiences during this period are as interesting and thrilling as a romance, and add a valuable chapter to the history of that event. It is the firm conviction of Mr. Hinman that the massacre at Waiilatpu was bat one part of a more general massacre which was to include the mission of Mr. Spaulding, the mill, and the agency at The Dalles. All of the white people (Bostons) in the region were to be killed. This belief is founded upon incidents to be related, and upon a letter which was read in his presence in the office of the chief factor of the fur company at Vancouver.

About four or five days after the massacre of Mr. Whitman and his associates, an Indian came to Mr. Hinman, as he was" engaged with his usual duties, and told him that there was a Canadian below who had been try-