Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/364



336 JOHN GILL

Mr. Minto whispered that he would like to speak with Judge McBride as he passed from the House, so I stood beside him at the side of the aisle as the dignitaries came slowly down from the platform. As Governor Withycombe approached he took Mr. Minto by the hand and greeted him most cordially as "Uncle John," and told him how much he felt honored by his presence there. Governor West put his arm affectionately around the old man's neck and said: "I would have missed you more than anybody, Uncle John!" Governor Geer, Gov- ernor Moody, the Judges everybody paused to say a cordial greeting, and it was almost like a formal reception in honor of John Minto.

Half of those forty days he was there, waiting for me to go to lunch with him, and as we walked slowly down through the park or on the street, young men and old, his neighbors, greeted him with a respect and affection beautiful to see.

One night we went to Mr. McGilchrist's to celebrate Burns' anniversary. I had gone to Salem several times before as Mr. Minto's guest for this event. It was a jolly, hearty gath- ering. Eaton, Thorns and I were there from the House. The guest of honor, of course, was John Minto, the father of the Salem Burns Society. He read to us (but mostly from mem- ory) the "Letter to a Young Friend," "A Man's a Man for A' That," sang "The Lasses O," and by his happy comments upon the poet and his songs, so dear to every Caledonian and the world, made that evening (which we little thought to be our last with him) memorable to us all.

Consider, ye who knew him best, what he had been to Ore- gon for nearly seventy years, and recall if you can a man among all our great forebears so retiring, modest, unpretend- ing as he!

One afternoon he sat at my desk while the House was dron- ing away in dull routine, and I was not sorry that he fell asleep. Occasionally I glanced at him, and began to be alarmed when I observed that his chin had fallen upon his breast and his breathing ceased. I shook him by the shoulder, spoke in his