Page:The Pacific Monthly vol. 14.djvu/764



The most romantic figure in the history of the "Oregon country" is Colonel Joe Meek, Virginian, "squaw man" and first marshal of Oregon. He was a frontiersman of the highest type. He was the leader at Champoeg on the most critical day in the history of the North- west. At this meeting, which the British had suggested. Meek was keen enough to see that they were trying to force an issue and if possible secure a Canadian pro- visional government, and then he and his fellows would be under British rule.

This thought was appalling to him, and lie rode for two days, picking up his old mountain friends, and with them at once rode to Champoeg. As the British had rallied their friends in numbers, Meek said to his four companions: "Looks bad for Uncle Sam, eh? This thing must be settled right here, and settled right." After an hour in effecting organization, Meek addressed the audience of one hun- dred and one frontiersmen, dilating on the beauty of the republic, and he chiefly

Joe Meek, Oregon's first marshal.

addressed his remarks to the French trap- per element. The vote was going to be close. It was called for by tlie chairman, and again Meek rose to his feet, his six- feet two of magnificent manhood an in- spiration and exemplification of Ameri- can citizenship, saying:

"Fellows, I have trapped with many of you; I have fought Indians with you; 1 have no quarrel with those who M^ant this government under England's rule, but if you want to live in a republic with a flag in which every star shines a beacon for free government, and every stripe is a band that binds us together as a govern- ment for the people — vote for your Uncle Sam. Come now, who's for a divide !"

Meek stepped out of the crowd, drew a line in the earth with the toe of his great boot, and, stepping across that zone on which every eye was riveted, said: "This is American territory ! Here's your free government !"

His ringing voice stirred the blood of the irresolute and with a stampede fifty- one joined him, giving a majority of two for American provisional government.

Each heart beat furiously as the vote was being announced, and when in steady tones the words came, "For the English. 50; for the United States, 52!" a wild cheer burst from the lips of the fifty-two empire builders.

Joe Meek was trembling. His lips were dry, his massive throat struggled and swelled with emotion; great drops of sweat stood out on his forehead — when suddenly, in that soft, rippling southern accent, he said, in a subdued whisper, "Thank Gawd!"

WINNING VIRGINIA.

In a reminiscent hour Meek once told this story of his courtship of Virginia, a chieftain's daughter :

"You see, there was no white women west of the Mississip' in those days, and my forefathers were great on raising fam- ilies, so naturally I wanted a wife. My first wife, Umentukket, had died, and the second Avife, both being Nez Perces, had