WEST SIIOIIK.
UiUSHCD IVIRY SATURDAY.
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1'uHTUXI), UmKUON, 8ATCHUAY, NoVMIHKB 23, ltW!.
Till'! death of William II. (!ray,of Astoria, removed
from viirtli one more of tho little hand who car
ried Christianity ami civilization into the wilds
of Oregon. Of the missionaries who tailored as
associates of the martyred Whitman there are now
living hut two, the venerable dishing Hells and Mrs.
Klkanah Walker, and Mr. (iray was the hint of those
who canie with Whitman hiuiHelf, the others men
tions! not arriving until two yearn later. Whatever
one may think of the conduct of the representatives
of opMiHing religioiiH sects in their iiUHnionury work
in tho northwest, he can not hut recognize the fact
that they laid the foundation of the present greatness
of this region, and that to them, of whatever sect or
erevd, the country owes a dcht of gratitude that the
inflected grave of Whitman and his nohle wife shows
has never Urn paid.
Tho accident to Her Majesty' steamship Amplilun,
In which that vessel, while conveying the governor
general and party from Victoria to Vancouver, ran on
a rock in Mam channel and came near sinking with
her precious cargo, serves to "Kint a moral and adorn
tale " for the pa-wr of Ikii the island and the
mainland. The Victoria pa-tcrn Miut to this instance
as illustrative of the folly of locating the naval sta
tion in Knglish Imv, which was attempted a few years
ago. " If the station were in Knglish hay," say they,
"foreign war ships would have uninterrupted plav on
the island cities if a fog hapoied to prevail in" th,.
channel." The mainland pajn rs say this shows the
vital necessity for establishing a naval station on the
mainland coast, Invause it is Dow entirely cxosed to
the ravage of forvign wr ships during fogs, which
would prevent interference fmm Ksiiinialt. A fair
inference- would W that a (ieorgian gulf fog is ton fr.
inidaMe an enemy for the royal navy to cok with.
A federal union is in process of formation in Cen
tral America embracing the states of Guatamala, San
Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The
agreement has been signed by representatives of those
powers and only awaits ratification by the various na
tional legislatures. This has the appearance of being
the foundation of a large and strong Central Ameri
can republic, one that will be able to resist the en
croachments of Mexico better than its individual mem
bers have done.
The " National Reform party " just organized in
Chicago lacks several of the component elements of
the " Crazy Quilt Tarty " recently formed in Salem.
In this matter Oregon leads the world, and can feel
compensated for her wormy apples and other failures
of the year. When something decidedly unique is
wanted Oregon crankologists respond promptly to the
fall of the nickel.
The heavy rains have so damaged the international
boundary line on Puget sound that Canadian fisher
men are unable to see it and are catching fish in
American waters. The line has never been renewed
since 1H-I0, and seems to be in so dilapidated a condi
tion that even steamboats get through it. It is to be
hojied that Uncle Sam will have a new one laid be
fore another fishy newspaper war breaks out.
Now that Vice President Morton has shocked the
worthy members of the W. C. T. U. and their long
haired male St. Johns by permitting the lessee of his
hotel to maintain the usual hotel bar, and the presi
dent himself has aroused the ire of the anti-Catholic
fanatics, we may expect the country to go to the dogs
ho fast that it will get there before the canines have
had time to sharpen their teeth.
If those enthusiasts who want to invest other peo
ple's money in a scheme to dig gold from the M of
Snake river at the base of Shoshone falls, will inter
view Dr. Pierce, of Huflalo, they will probably learn a
thing or two about mining river channels that will
save some one some money.
About as strong a chain of purely circumstantial
evidence as ever was forged has been fastened to the
men now on trial for tho murder of Dr. Cronin, hut it
will, no doubt, lw broken by some pretty strong swear
ing in the direction of an alibi or two for each man.
No matter how much the eople of Washington
may dislike the idea, they will have to take in thl'ir
" Wn." and put out their " Wash." The clothing de
partment of the Mst office insists upon it.