Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/225

Rh well as from the Willamette and Umpqua, brought their furs annually, by boat and canoe, A vessel or two came annually from England around Cape Horn and up the Columbia to receive the furs and deliver to the post the supplies required. The business had been continued many years at the time of Jason Lee's arrival. Winship, Astor, Bonneville, and Wyeth had sought to establish themselves in this country as rival traders, but all had lost their ventures. Wyeth was making his second attempt when he crossed the plains in '34 in the company which the missionaries joined. These enterprising American rivals were treated more courteously and hospitably by the Hudson's Bay traders at Walla Walla and Vancouver than they had any right to expect. Certainly if the circumstances had been reversed we could not expect established American fur traders to have shown greater kindness to Canadian or Russian competitors. So long as they remained at the forts they were always the welcome guests of the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, and when they embarked in their own business in the territory which had so long been in possession of the older concern, they could not have expected the Hudson's Bay Company to accord them exceptional facilities for acquiring- a foothold in the Oregon country. That Dr. McLoughlin went far beyond any claim of hospitality to strangers in his treatment of all comers is a matter of record. Jason Lee was not the first nor the last to make the statement.

The country was esteemed much as Kamchatka and the seal rookeries of the north Pacific by ourselves now. The handful of white men scattered between the Rocky mountains and the sea had no idea of "settling" the country. It was to them a great preserve of fur-bearing animals, and they intended to keep it so. No greater menace to their interests was possible than the occupation of the country by settlers, of whatever origin; and yet they put no obstacles in the way of the stream which had its beginning in Jason Lee's party, and increased in volume year by year thereafter. Put John Jacob Astor in McLoughlin's place, and let us ask whether, being an American fur trader, he would have lent seed for fields, plows to break the land, cattle and sheep to Canadian settlers who would shortly interfere with or ruin his business. Would he or Wyeth have entertained with princely hospitality and kindness a score or more Canadians or Scotchmen, who presented themselves at Fort William or Astoria with the evident purpose of settling up a competing trading establishment, or settling the country? Yet this is just what Dr. McLoughlin did for Wyeth, Lee and Whitman. Until long after Lee's arrival the Oregon country was a no-man's-land—a debatable ground, the intrinsic value of which was unknown alike to both America and England. Dr. McLoughlin was the governor of the country, acting for the only civilized people within its borders, who by existing treaties had at least an equal right in it with the only other contestant, and by possession and vested interests a better than any then existing.

At Vancouver the Hudson's Bay Company had built the extensive warehouses, fort and quarters for its people and business, and a dock for its commerce. The factor or governor. Dr. McLoughlin, had built a mill, planted a large farm, imported cattle and taken the other natural means to support the fort's employees and supply the Indians and trappers trading there. These buildings, the farm, mill, cattle, etc., were incontestably the property of the company.

The harshest critic of the Hudson's Bay Company relates his arrival with a party of missionaries at Vancouver in 1836. He says: "As the boats neared the shore two tall, neatly dressed, well-formed gentlemen waved a welcome, and in a moment all were on shore. Rev. Mr. Spalding and lady were introduced, followed by Dr. Whitman and lady, to the two gentlemen. One, whose hair was then nearly white, stepped forward and gave his arm to Mrs. Whitman. The other, a tall, black-haired, black-eyed man, gave his arm to Mrs. Spalding. By this time McLeod had appeared, and bade the party a hearty welcome, and accompanied them to the fort. We begam, to suspect the cause of so much display. We were led upstairs into a room on the right of the hall, where the ladies were