The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972, November 25, 1906, SECTION THREE, Image 32

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    ' " By A. 1 M.T.
- r I f HB movement to prMrr th
tin liTou in or gon city must
, a.ppea.1 Try atronrly to erery
en who know anythlnr of th blstory
- of thst reinrkabl man. Ha aunda
uprema imonc tha men an4 women who
laJ4 th fouodatton of tola empire or
the Pacific. Ita (rand mountain ana
river and fertile valleys and danolna;
waterfalls form a fit setting- for the
herolo man who la Justly called "The
father of Orefon." w
A visitor to Portland marvels that
her. The testimony that th early set
tler owed their lives to Dim baa, been
,-lven again and again. B had absolute
control of the Indiana, who loved and
r feared Mo. He had tut to Jlft h.ls fln
frer to let loos th savage tribes about
him. and there ean he no question that
oma member of the Hudson Bay com
pany would have sanctioned a policy of
extermination of th Americana.
- He was v man af great . humanity,
and bo business interests could mak
, fclm callous to human sufferings. When
: the famishing ImmlgTanu cam over
th mountain' and down th Columbia.
' he cave them food and shelter. Few
are now living who were thus welcomed
by him, but their children have handed
down the story. When his stately form
appeared on the river bank their trou
bles were at an end. There waa no
limit to - his kindness. . Tired . women
nd children were . tenderly cared for,
evnd th way-worn traveler felt that
they had found a haven of rest.
' "We always called him th good Doc
tor," said one; "There sever waa any
n like him."
-And later In his horn In Oregon City
. his heart responded as ejulckly to every
call of distress. His courtesy to women
sever failed.
Th story of his life- oannot be too
often repeated in Oregon. Prom 1824
' to U44 Dr. McLoughlln was chief fac
tor of the Hudson Bay company, and
held absolute sway ever the Pacific
coast from Baa Francisco Chen Terba
- Huene) to Alaska. He was of mingled
Scotch and French blood, a native of
- (iuebeo, a devout Roman Cathollo. tall
and large, and of noble presence. His
hair, prematurely white, framed a coun
tenance of great dignity. Th Indians
railed him th . Great Whit Headed
: Sag le, . .
There Were Men in Those Daye.
When th Northwestern Fur company
'was absorbed by the Hudson Bay com-
"Tinny 4a "lgt'a inlwefmnit' eii need. I
.' ed to carry on the great buKtnesa on
- the-Columbia river. Dr. Mo Louchlln,
then la the prime of his young msn
hood. had demonstrated his great abil
ity In the service of the Northwest
company at Fort Wll.laro on Lake Bu
parlor. It la sold that on reason for
his appointment to the pot of the Cnl
vrabla was the Jenlouny of eom of the
Montreal partners who felt that they
would have more etianc for distinction
if he "were far away. However, this
may be. Dr. Mo Lough I m recognltad
the opportunity to establish a great em
. Dire, and. did not shrink from the ar-
' duoue tailk, r He Justified his appoint
ment by sending' yehrty to Ureat Brit
aia bale of the finest furs, and by fns
; terms" a trad with China whlrh broutht
rich returns. He removed the station
f the company from the mouth of the
' Columbia to Fort Vancouver, where
built a fort and a storehouse within a
aiorkad airing ample room for th
bouse of the chief factor and the slm
pier dwellings V his ubordlnates. His
alirv of 111.000 was large n those day.
and It enabled him t live, In a sort of
v.rK.T-Ut an lend or. which I had Ita de
signed effect on th motley throng of
vim airmlovee. On occasions when a
was atresd In the great banquet
Irg ball. Dr. Me Lotighlln In tull drees
presided ever the tsblea Isden with th
rlr. provision arroroeo uj nr
f.ireet and fertile plain, aupplemented
, a.llranlaa from the London markets
The rklna and wer
the choteasit. and every year orders
u gent to fcnslana or thalr rlo
THE
.' ' ; rCJ? OLD M CoUGHUJtN- v f cvmE yter f ;
foroement. Massive sliver candelabra
lighted th hospitable board and men of
force ani.cultura .were . gathered about
it. Th aervic of the Hudson Bay com
pany did not appeal to the weaklings.
but It had. a great fascination for strong
and daring man. Among It officer
were university man,- familiar. Ilk Dr.
Mo boughlln, with London and Paris,
and as keenly Interested In the world of
thought as -f notion. In those days
Napoleon had hut recently ahaken Eu
rope to Ita foundations, and hi career
waa frequent suhjeot of discussion.
He waa Dr. McLoughlln's Idol, and In
defending him from eensuro th doctor
raised his" voice till "his hearers "said It,
seemed aa if th roof would com off.
Th situation waa a remarkable one.
Th ' refinements of a high olvlllsstlon
war seen . against J th . background . of
English Woman Challenges AH America to Automobile Races ' '
r,By ArsM Wto.'. t
I
F ther la woman In th United
States who- thinks ahe can equal
or better the record of nearly 104
mile an hour in an automobile
ah will now have a chance to win th
title of world's champion woman auto
mobilise Miss Dorothy Levitt, ef Lon
don, claims x the . title, end baa many
prise won In various race both In cars
on land and In motor boat on sea. Only
th other day she eclipsed ell women's
record at Blackpool by twice doing th
flying kilometre . In exactly th earn
time 14 S-t seconds, which nearly ap
proaches loe mile an hour.
"I want to a rrs n 50 a match for th
world' championship with an Ameri
can woman autoraoblllst," ah Bald to
ma. "Please Issue , challenge to
America through your paper. I am
willing to race either here or at Qr
mond Beach, Itorlda, or elsewhere In
the United States. Th conditions need
be of the simplest, I must look to
Amerioa for a race. Ther Is no one
left in Europe with whom to com
pete. I have beaten them all and badly.
too. Madame du Oast, th French mo
torist, doe not drive a high-power ma
chine. There are only two real racing
eare ever here the 100 horse-power
Darraeq. now Ae property Of the D,
Qulnnesa. and my 10 horse-power Na
pier, which hs Just been sold to a
Smith American millionaire. It BOea
to Hraiti in a few day. But If my
Pheyenil iSJtcc.eptel J.OJlBiencitltSUl
go to work and build a new racer. It
will be a 0 horae-pawer. for I think
I can handle that beat"
A Very Womanly Women. '
to read Dorothy Levitt ewn words
or to look at her record on would at
once picture en A mason. But she Is far
from that. She la very womanly wo
manfairly tall with a willowy figure;
large and yelvety brown eyea; bronse
colored half: wett-ahaped feature with
a large but laughter-lit mouth.. Her
muscles are like steel. She la the pic
ture f health and a perfect example
of . the - well-groomed fashionable . En
glishwoman. Mls Levitt's la a romantlo history
In five jeat ahe ha reached the top
of the tree In her unique profession.
snd makes an laoom of 110,00 a year.
While this fflrl of 2 la th most dar
ing and nerviest of automobile drivers
In th world,, outside of her car aha
would scream at a mouse, and is ner
vous acid afraid when trundling around
town In a hansom cab.
The Levitt are aa old family of
London, where Dorothy wa born. Her
father,, who wa In th government
aervlre, bss retired on a pension to his
country "mouse. When Dorothy was ilO
matrlage was arranged for her with
a man nearly three time her age, but
unlike the novelist' usual - story, he
waa neither titled nor wealthy. Dorothy
quarreUd wUh her parenta and on the
eve off th distasteful marriage ran
a nay. en went to a marriea reiauvei
OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND. SUNDAY
7"
savage life. Men who had smoked th
pip of peace with Indian warrior dla
cus8oatha floetlnlea ol ifurope aa .tne
(athered about th . feetlv beard.
Nothing of th license which die
graced many trading posta was ever
allowed at Fort Vancouver. Th young
men In t th employ of th company
married Indian or half-breed wives,
for ther war no whit women In th
Ocegon territory. Dr. McLoughlln read
th marring service at tha union of
his employe with their duaky bride,
and nothing; could ced It solemnity.
HkfrrdcLMrrig a StcrameBt. I
He regarded marriage a a sacrament
and ' woe betid any man who should
hold It HChtly. Dr. McLoughlln's own
wife was the daughter of an Indian
In another part of London, wh
-ft
her secret well.
It wis thl friend who introduced
her t S. F, Kilge, th motor-boat racer
and automoblllst. who arranged ' her
apprenticeship- to ft firm of French
automobile makers on th outskirts of
Paris, and ther Dorothy Levitt went
for month. . .
Legrninf Automobile Buiineea,
Whll her parent searched every,
where for her, although they knew aha
was well and happy. Dorothy was
learning the automobile business. ' Bhe
began at th bottom a wjper or
cleaner and finished aa a machinist
and chauffeur. Bhe took an Interest In
her work, and daily wore her blue over
all and worked alongside th other at
th factory, ' .
Then h returned to London and Im
mediately began learning th In and
out ef London, trafflo. Mr. Edge was
aetonlahed it her gulokly-gathred pro
flolency and at her nerve. Bhe was soon
esrnlng a good salary teaching women
how to handle a car. Bhe taught ;a
boat of people from th queens and
royal princesses down through duch
esses and eeunteaae to plain, everyday
American vlaltora. . '
There happened about thl time to be
reliability run from Edinburgh . t e
London, In which Miss Levitt was one
of the ItO. competitor. Bh reached
London thirteenth, and Won her first
prise and model thereby. Bh did all
her wn repair An the road.
Once la th feublle ex Mis LvUt
jgpawaassssaaa
III v-- JtO C i- . n
motherland th blood of her Bootch
father could not mak her other than
a child ' of th wllderneaa. Bh wa
widow of Alexander McKay, friend and
aaaoclat of Dr. McLoughlln at Fort
William, and whs hd ha an a Tnral and
loving wife to him. . Dr. McLoughlln
mad no mistake in taking her to hi
brat No .whit woman would have
been equal to th vicissitudes of llf
In th heart of th Indian country, but
XOJZOTTfY i.cvn r
; WINNING TtfLCTEUtPlQN
- SmPOPTHlJZEA .. '.u t.
wtnt uji with uuikwlse.wa a, comm.
peillor in the motpr-boat race at Cowes.
Isle of Wiyht, the first big contest of
the kind held anywhere. Mis Levitt
won thl big and exciting rare, and
waa taken on board the royal yacht" snd
presented to King Edward, who con
gratulated her on her pluck and skill.
A few days later she raced again at
Trouvllle against all th world crack
and won th five-mil world' cham
pionship of the sea and th 11.150 oup.
Bh tried racing en land after) that
and In car of Increasing power won
trophy attar trophy. Her biggest race
was lest July fn"th Brighton handi
cap. Bhe drove n ie-horse-power Na
pier, Madam - du - Oast'- ear waa IS
horse-power, and th French champion
Had a, very big allowance, but Miss
Levitt wor down all her opponents,
the 'cranks of Europe, and won, -
A baby l-horeepower car, which ahe
built herself,- Is one of the daintiest In
London, with graceful curves and llnss,
such aa are seldom seen on automobiles.
The coloring 1 white picked out with
green.
Mis Levitt baa had plenty of narrow
escape. At Blackpool, for Instance, In
the speed trials, two dogs, three children
and finally three more dog came out
on the track and. tried to cross. Miss
Levitt spoiled bar trial, but managed
with splendid work to save the children.
History does not tell what happened to
the doga. - -
. Again at Worcester, hlll-cllmbing, her
ear wa the only on without non-skid
wheel, doing around one aharp bend
her ear began akieoinc. MU Levitt,
MORNING. NOVEMBER 23.
ah accompanied him to th distant
post on th Columbia with unswerving
loyalty. Nor waa ther ever any fall
ur in hi devotion to her. Sh waa
alwaye called, madam and h exacted
her the ulinusl ICsD'HUlrOBoTirsT
ah wa carrying a basket aorois th
open spac of th fort He hastened
to relieve her, and turning to a yonng
man who stood Idly by, he eald: "Sir.
are you accustomed to allow a lady to
though th orewd frantically hrlehed
to her to Jump, held tight to her ateer
Ing wheel end fUyed In her seat Tet
her outside wheel want on half en
Inch from the-edge of the road, and
after th edge of that road there wa
nothing but e aheer preclplo 400 feet
deep. At th last Blackpool speed trials,
whll .going at fully II mile an hour
It was a standing atart on of th
straps on ' the .bonnet hrok end th
wind get under, the big steel envelope
and blew It back. Mia Levitt put th
brake 6n slowly at first and then
jammed them down herd.
The oar was stopped Just ee the last
crew gave way and th bonnet flew
hack. If It bed cone kaok while at the
O'i'.i't ..' ---.(.' .. vnrss,
I
y,
Va- '
MM.
earry
herr
a banket' when, yon are near
A second rcbuk waa not neoes-
gary. , . . -
.Dr. McLoughlln was keenly sensitive
CI
tho.ih.Ij h. Jt
those who wed hlra tha deepest grret-
Itud. On such occasions madam had
power to sootb him a no on ls
could, and hr Influence waa always a
calming one. ; . . 1 - -
to
furious pac f II miles an hour th
heavy steul covering would hav crushed
her to death. ,
Miss Levitt makes up for the fearful
excitement of automobile racing . by
quietly going; fishing. Bh I a splendid
rod. As It takes wonderful -nerve to
play poker, her favorite - game, well,
Mlsa Levitt proved a atar at th Ameri
ettt national card gamble. Bh I alao sm
xpert at roulette, and ha a most won
derful secret system with avhlch ahe I
going this winter to attempt) to break
the bank at Monte Carlo. Bhe will take
with her Dodo, a tiny black Pomeranian
dog. Dodo waa the property of Mdlln,
Marie 'Cornell! and waa given to Mis
LevitC In Pari three or four year egi.
There Is a very strict law against ad
mitting dog Into England. Bo Dodo
wa amuggled. He wa flret drugged
and then packed in some wast In the
repair box of an automobile which came
through . without much examination.
Dodo went to aleep in Paris and cam
safely out of hi trance liy London. He
goe everywhere with hi mistress, and
Miss Levitt declare he baa traveled
9 eV m '' . m-t r -wf-r r m art rtr ' M9
mor mile In an automobile than any
other dog In the world. -
Mlaa Levitt ha traveled, much In th
last few yeare 1rt France, Germany,
Bpalnr Italy and i Morocco. Now she
wanta to visit the United B tales. Won't
somebody accept her challenge for a
raeet . -
m
i
" J uvinHuvoniniijp
make much of asoortlng th fur brig
ades on the first stsge of their Journey
and giving them a parting blessing ae ,
they plunged Into the wilderness. And
madam loved to go with him on 'her
favorite horse of dappled gray, arrsyed
In . gay attire with tinkling hells end.
fluttering ribbone and bead work of
wonderful beauty. Dr. McLoughlln rods
by -her aid wearing hie blue military
cloak with, bright buttons, his face
framed by hi long white hair. On they
went, through' forest and glade, two
hundred horsemen their escort, cheer
ing th way by snatches of song end
laughter. They dismounted for their
mid-day meal and then aa the shadow
lengthened adieus were spoken and Dr.
McLoughlln and his wife and their
retinue returned to th fort, When
these hunters and voyageur cam back
laden with the spoil of th chase their
return was, marked ' with signs of
triumph. Ther were game and dances
at the fort and feastlngs and revelry
for high and low. , .
. ' - ' ' . . ' . ' "
Great, an0 Had Strong Enemies,
- A man of Dr. McLoughlln's strong
personality had enemies, aa s matter
of course. Men caat in a Smaller mold
could neither understand nor appreciate
him. Such men represented - to th
London office that Dr. McLoughlln was
favoring the Amertoane to the Injury
of th Interest of . tha. company. H
went to Lonnon to repel this acouaa.
tlon and showed from th book of th
company that he had poured wealth
Into Us coffers. When taxed with dis
loyalty In aiding the American by al
lowing them to purchae food from th
stores of the company he replied with
a. fin burst of Indignation: p
' "When men, women " and . children .
were starving I did not ask If they wer
friends or enemies, but as a Christian
man I gave them food."
rinding, however, that the majority
disapproved his human policy, he re
signed hi office In 1144. Returning to
Oregon, he went to llv on land st Ore-
I gon City which he had takenupln
1 1 8ZrIef a mr mnr arid nThous
v, ik m.ii. k.
looked forward to years of comfort In
th nydst of friends enriched by th
honor he o well deserved. When th
provisional government was established
he became an American cltlsen. The
better element of the colony recognised
Its obligations to Dr. McLoughlln, but
meaner spirits lost no opportunity to
represent . to new oomers that ha waa
an alien. '
The sorrows which fell upon his llf
and broke hi heart awlftly followed. '
In 1181 Samuel 11. Thurston, th first
representative from th newly constitu
ted territory of Oregon, wa aent to
ongrea. - '
Opinions differ to th reasons of
his attitude towards Dr. McLoughlln.'
Borne, ascribe It to. a personal
grudge: others say that he waa mis
Informed. However this may be, he
stated In eongres that Dr. Mclaugh
lin had been the nmy Of Americana,
and had .thrown every obstacle in th
way of their settlement. No one In
Oregon knew the truth. .It took eight
months st least to reach Oregon from
Washington. Bo th Oregon land bill
passed without' opposition. This bill
confirmed th title to their land of
all settlers In Oregon except Dr. Mc
Loughlln 'His prosperity revertea- to
the government. What wonder that th
old man's heart wa broken, and that,
he felt himself man without a coun
try A .paper made publlo after hie -death
eloaed with! these worded "To
be brief, I planted this settlement and
prevented war between Oreat - Britain
and the United State. For doing this,
peaceably and 'quietly I wa treated in
such a manner by the British that from
elf-respect I resigned my situation In '
th Hudson's Bay company's service, by '
which I sacrificed llt.OO per annum,
and th- Oregon land bill shows tho
treatment I received from the Ameri
cans," , ,
Honors .Restored. After-Death, ...,..
- He died In HIT at the as, of 13. Five
years later the action of the Oregon
legislature restored to the heirs Of Dr.
McLoughlln th land of which It had
been so unjustly deprived. . Thl tardy
act of Justice should be followed et the
prceent day by some publlo and perpet
ual recognition of hla great services to
Oregon. His portrait hangs In fri
stat house at Salem, but ther I no
memorial .to., hi it In Portland. There ,
should be a nobl statu worthy alike .,
of th great whit headed eagle and of
th boautlful city which haa for mor
than half a century reaped th benefit
of hie wise foresight and liberal policy..
The men who knew him hav nearly ail
passed nway. It belongs to th man of
th present, day to- conserve hie mem
ory, and to link hie great name with
their own, . . . ,
Some Interesting relics of Dr. Mc
Loughlln are In possession of a grand
daughter who la s-ell known In Port
land. The tabl at which h wrote,
some of his ohlns, a few place of hi
Silver tea service, a melodeon which he
gsv her all are treasured In her
horn. Hla massive bedstead la at th
Hill military academy. Hl safe, th
first on brought to Oregon IS in ene
of th rooms of the Oregon Historical '
aoeiety.
If the project of the preservation t
hla home In Oregon City 1 carried out,
eno cannot hut hop that other relic
may be. secured and placed therein
nn exponent of trie atately life which .
Is without a parallel la th history et
Oregon, - .. ,