Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/71



Hall Jackson Kelley 49

leisure in devising schemes to better the condition of his fellow countrymen. His studies have not been in vain; if his plans should prove practicable, nations yet to be will bless him as their father and benefactor. . ..

"We can see no advantage in Oregon which the emigrant may not secure in the state of Maine. The sea washes the shore of both. The soil is good in both. There are fisheries pertaining to both. H the climate of Oregon is milder, it is not proved that it is better. There is waste land in both. There is plenty of timber in both. Maine has these advantages. Her inhabitants are under the protection of the laws. They are numerous enough to protect each other. They have free com- munication with every part of the world. There is no art or science of which she does not possess at least the rudiments. All that can be done in Oregon, within a htmdred years, is already done in Maine. . . }^ We do not know that the prime mover of this folly is actuated by any evil motive ; wc do not believe it. We look upon him as an unfortunate man, who, deluded himself, is deluding others, and conceive it our duty to warn those who are about to follow him on the road to ruin." *

Nor was log^c the only means adopted to convince the pros- pective emigrant of his folly. There was the appeal to au- thority, so convincing to those who are already convinced. "The project of a settlement on the Columbia river has been repeatedly before Congress, and has been pronounced visionary by the wisdom of the nation. At this present sessibn, such an opinion has been expressed by one of the best and greatest men in the country."**

In the second article the critic devoted his attention to the Geographical Sketch and the General Circular, which it would

i8 — ^Twelve years iftcr this was written, two New Englanders. one from Boston and the other from Portland, Maine, established themselves on the west bank of the Willamette. Each wanted to name the new town after his old home, and the dispute was settled by flipping a coin. One can only wonder if "W. J. S." lived long enough to learn of this fact

19 W. J. S., Oregon Territory, Ntw England MagoMme, 123-39 ; StttUmtM of Oregon, 103-6.