Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/119

Rh penalty of at least one thousand dollars, binding himself to remove said negro or mulatto out of the country within six months after such service shall expire; which bond shall be filed in the clerk's office in the proper county; and upon failure to perform the conditions of said bond, the attorney prosecuting for Oregon shall commence a suit upon a certified copy of such bond in the circuit court against such a delinquent and his sureties."

John Minto, an Oregon pioneer of 1844, gives an interesting sidelight on the question of slavery under Oregon's provisional government. At the rendezvous of the emigrants on the Missouri River he with W. H. Rees fell in with George Washington Bush, a mulatto, who was waiting the gathering of the emigrants to go with them to Oregon. Mr. Minto and Mr. Rees accepted the hospitality of Mr. Bush and his wife and ate dinner with them. They were in the same emigrant train, though Mr. Bush forged ahead of Mr. Morrison, for whom John Minto was working. On September 5th Mr. Minto, who had gone on foot a few miles ahead of the train, again fell in with Mr. Bush. Bush was riding a mule and Minto was afoot. They went back together to the wagon train, and as they journeyed leisurely to rejoin the others they discussed the question of slavery. Mr. Bush told Mr. Minto that if men of his color were discriminated against in Oregon he was going on into California to secure the protection of the Mexican government.

Food getting short John Minto and two other young men, Crockett and Clark by name, struck out ahead for the 600-mile journey, depending on their guns for food. At Fort- Hall they found James W. Marshall, who was later to turn all eyes toward California by his discovery of gold in Sutter's millrace. He told them that Peter H. Burnett, who had come the year before, had sent a letter back to the emigrants. Alexander Grant, the Hudson Bay trader in charge of Fort Hall, had the letter. Mr. Burnett, who within a few years was to become the first American Governor of the State of California, said in his letter to send word on ahead if the emigrants were