"Sic5 TTHTP w'ilft -
VOL. XVIII.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
8KETCIIES OF EARLY DAYS. MEN AN.
TIMES IN THE FORTIES.
BV 9. A CLARKE
Copyright Applied tar. All rlglili rrtrc.l.
' NUMBER XXII.
The Journey ot Jndge Thornton from Orejon
to Washington.
Thornton's roply to the incnncu con
taincd !n the sneor ot tlio 1'rcsidont'H
privato socrotnry was Hint lio intended
to prcflcrvo his own solf-rospcot until his
return to Oregon. Hut ho was not dono
with tlio matter yot by any nicaiiB, for a
fow days only passed when ho was. met
by Major Walkor again. Ho hnd a copy
of tlio Now York Ho raid in his hand,
which ho hold out in an excitod manner
and bogged to know why Thornton had
communicatod to a public nowspapcr of
such extensive circulation tlio particu
lars of his intorviow with Sanders. The
Orogouian Assured him ho had not dono
so, and further that ho had not oven
mentioned tlio subject to even his most
intimato friond. Walkor tried to look
fiorco, and said with vchomciico : "You
did, Rir, for horo it all is in tho Now
York Herald." Thornton's temper gavo
out at this and ho roplicd : "I did not sir,
and it you ropcat it I will knock you
down with my cane." His tono thon
changed and ho said quietly: "Well,
horo it is in tho Herald, tho wholo Btory
Hubstantially as Snndors told it to mo nt
tho Whito Houso whon hu camo from
you to my room. How could it bo
thoro?" Thornton's roply wns that ho
had not soon tho Herald, but if it got
tho story nt all it miiat have been
through Walker or Sanders himself.
"Well," said Walker. I never told it."
Recollecting suddenly, ho said: "Yes, I
did, too."
"Who was it to!" inked Thornton.
"Why, you know .loo Muck hns u free
nnd onsy occobs to tint Whito House.
Woll, ho camo there the tame afternoon
and I told him, under striet promise of
privacy, what occulted between you nnd
Snndors."
Thornton told him Jo Meek holding u
secrot was like a siovo holding water.
Jo, it seems, told tho btory before night
to half n dozen niomboix of ('ongrcs,
every lime under injunctions ot tho
strictest secrecy. To cap the climuv of
his folly. Into in thu afternoon ho took
into his most sacred confidence Dr.
Wallace, who was Washington coi re
spondent of tho Now York Herald. Wal
lace gcnorously idntrt'd his confidence
with tho world at large, who paid lilwr
ally for Washington items. Tho snuio
day that Walkor saw Thornton ho was
met by llcnton, Herald in hand, who
asked if tho story was truo as thoro told.
Several other Sonators mado tho samo
inquiry, including Sir. Douglas of Illi
nois nnd Halo of New Humpshiro. His
answer wns to all that whilo ho had not
told tho story, it was substantially cor
rect as told.
Tho conclusion of this nffnir was mat
ter ot current gossip on tho streets of
Washington. What occurs in excen
tivo session is supposed never to trnn
piro, but novorthclcss it often leaks out
and tho current belief nt tho capital was
that tho treaty in question was officially
nogotiatod, approved by the president
and majority of tho cabinet, and sent to
tho senate for their confirmation, and
was by that body rejected. The Now
York Herald's nrticlo killed it, nnd Jo
Meok's want of consideration rendered
tho national treasury a great service. It
is probable tho members of tho eonate
would have consulted Thornton before
taking action had not tho Herald's ex
posure served the purpose.
Congress had adjourned, tho Oregon
bill had surmounted an opposition and
was a law, Thornton was out of funds,
and in a situation to worry tho mind of
tho best man living. He had lost tho
favor of tho president, to whom ho had
to look for assistance, as Congress hed
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
just pluccd $10,000 nt his disposal for
tlio purpoBO of paying him and othor
Oregon mcssongorB. Mr. Polk wns mas
ter of tho situation, and though not in
tho least to blnmc for the unfortunate
publicity that hnd reflected unpleasantly
upon his administration, Thornton was
tho unwitting cause.
Itohcrt Smith, moiuber of Congress
from tho Alton, 111., district, went to
I'residont Polk on behalf of Thornton,
and received n premptory refusal to all
requests nnd suggestion!:'. Thornton
might stny thoro ponnilchs, nnd ho
should not have a penny of tho fund
Congress had pluccd in tho hands of tho
I'residont of tho t'nitcd States almost
exclusively for his uso nnd !cnc!lt.
Thornton went to llonton, but "Old
Uullion" was too proud, under any cir
cumstances, to ask a favor of Polk, so
sont him, (Thornton) to Douglas. Tho
laltor called on tho President and re
ceived u resolute and unqualified "no"
to every request for nld to bo given to
Thornton. Kvory possible plea wns
urged, nnd met with nn unreasoning
negative. Douglas called ngain nnd
took Itobort Smith with him, but "no"
was all tho response they could get
until Mr. Douglas, ns ho nroo to retire,
sntd : "It only remain, then, Mr. resi
dent, for mo to do what will bo very tin
ploasant for me, and you must judgo if
it will bo pleasant to you. I shall fur
nish Mr. Thornton with means to remain
hero until tho noxt session convenes,
and shall then move for n committee of
inquiry to investigate certain matters in
which he is concerned." This proved n
homo tluiist llmt brought tho oxecutivn
to tern i -. Hehuid. "Como ngain, this
afternoon. You come, Mr. Smith, and
wo may agree upon something thnt will
be satisfactory." Ho did not care to
dibcust- that question any further with
the "Little Cinnt," of Illinois.
That afternoon tho three friends
Douglas, Thornton nnd Smith walked
down Pennsylvania nvonuo together, to
Willard's hotel, where the two llrst re
mained, whilo Mr. Smith went on to tho
White House to keep his appointment
with Mr. Polk. And ns. they waited
there for his return, the conversation
went luck to old times and tho days of
their' first acquaintance. Douglas re
called a clronmstiiuco which, lie said,
hud always caused him to take a pecu
liar interest in Thornton. Many years
befoie, when Thornton wns Is'ginning
the praclico of law. nt Quiiicy. Illinoi
where he hnd just removed, n friend, an
attorney of distinction, invited him to
go to the court house and hear Judge
Douglas deliver a chargo to tho grand
jury. They went, nnd when returning
tho elder friend nsked : "Well, what do
you think of tho judgo beforo wo here
after will have to practice?" Tho roply
of Thornton was: "That was tho grand
est effort I ever heard mndo from tho
bench. If Judgo Douglas lives nnd is
ambitious, and has no faults of lifo to
mar his success, ho will becomo president
of tho United States." That samo even
ing, whon a group of distinguished law
yers wcro conversing in tho parlors of
tho Quincy hotel, his friend took Thorn
ton up and introduced him to Judgo
Douglas, reciting the auccdoto here
told, to tho confusion of each of them.
Thoy afterward bcamo better acquainted
as Thornton practiced in his court up to
loaving for Oregon.'
As thoy waited there that August day
at Willard's, alm'wt in sight of tho White
House, Douglas said: "Thornton,! have
always felt a special interest in you, be
cause you wore the first person who ever
montioned my name in connection with
tho presidency." After' a moments
pause, ho added, with prophetic force.
"I have left too many tracks bohind mo
over to nttain that high position" a re
mark that was tho unsealing of thu
deepest feelings of tho heart of a great
man and a statesman, who intellectually
has outranked most of our presidents,
but who, like Clay, Webster and a great
many more, was grieved becaaso ho
could not reach tho highest place.
When Hon. Itobcrt Smith returned to
Willard's nnd joinell his waiting com
panions, it was with n smiling visago
and satisfied expression. Tho president
was ablo to ecc things in n difforont
light. He could not sea any good to
como from n resolution of inquiry nnd
with lhornton kept over as n witness.
It i"h almost beyond a reasonable doubt
that tho Prcsulont of tho United States,
through tho mediumship of his privnto
secretary, was in sympathy with tho
prodigious steal, and it would bo reason
lilt) to supposo that he was so far com
promised without ho had some roliablo
inducement for bestowing his sympa
thy Jo Meek was utilized to givo tho
affair plausibility, but something moro
of chnrnctcr wns required to secure for
this bold-faced fraud tho ontiro support
of the rnbinct and tho confirming vote
of tho Senate. What wns Mindly re
coived by tho Hudson's Day Campany
wns only a small fraction of whnt was
demanded. Of tho $10,000 appropria
ted for this purposo, to bo used nt tho
president's discretion, Judgo Thornton,
who camo on an important mission nnd
secured important results by his coming,
received sf2,7C0, enough to innko him
easy on tho scoro of expenditure, but
not enough to eomponsato him for nil
expenses incurred nnd pay him any
thing like what such sorvico would bo
worth under ordinary circumstances.
Ho was about ninctocn "months and ton
days from Oregon nnd that was Hinnll
compensation.
Tho following incident occurred not
long boforo hu loft, Washington. Pius'
ing ouo day down Pennsylvania avenue,
ho saw n lady in a doorway who woro
a hesitating look, nnd said ns ho wns op
posite :
"Is this Judgo Thornton or Oregon!
"It is, madam," wns the reply,
'Will you bo kind enough to step into
tho pnrlor n moment," said she.
Thornton entered, nnd tho cuibar
rassod lady proceeded to stale her caso.
Sho had a bister who win thu object of
admiration of iigentloman from Oregon.
Sho liked him so well that sho was in
clined to accept hi proposals of nmr-
ring", but the eistor Mild- "Wait till I
can question Judge Thornton, who
pusses ocry day." Pleading the im
portance of the cure, she asked questions
andiiceiveil brief replies.
Do you Innw Mr ?"
"I do, madam."
"Is he Miber nod temperate?"
"Ho lias been intemperate, but has
sinco joined a tempcrnnco society."
"Hnvo you seen him drink sinco?"
"1 have."
"Do you know any good reasons why
ho should not marry my sister?"
"Ono madam."
"And will you plcuso stato it?"
"Ho has a lawful wifu and several half
grown children already."
Kxit Thornton. So nn Orcgouian did
not marry n Washington lady, as in
tended. This was ono of tho rathor un
pleasant Incidents that attended a
momentous journoy fraught with much
that wan important for Oregon.
lleforu closing wo must say that Jo
Meek wns tho favored recipient of tho
l'Csident's Iwnnty to a degrco thatJ
might be styled nopotism in view of tho
slight existing relationship. It was said
that ho lccoived tho rcmamdor of tho
?1(),000 put by Cqngress nt the disposal
of Mr. Polk. If by any means Thornton
could have been hhovod asido brobably
Meek would have had the round ten
tnous.ind.
Tlio menacing remark of Knox
Walker: '"There's, many a slip twixt
tho cup and tho lip," was partly verified,
as Thornton failed of tho promised
judgeship. Meek, who was merely a
messenger, got tlio lion's sbaro of the
money in sight but Thornton can justly,
in his old age, point to his services
rendered so long ago and claim a goodly
JUNE 18, 1886.
eharo of tho glorious common school
fund ot Oregon as bis lasting monument.
Tho socrotary of war furnished him trans
portation home, as far ns Snu Francisco,
in tho bark Sylvia do Grace, that was
under n government charter. Sonio
timo nftcr that sho mado n trip to Ore
gon and got aground off Tonguo Point,
near Astoria, whero hor baro ribs hnvo
rotted for over a third of n century. Ho
received tho best of accommodations
and tho kindest of treatment on the
voyngo nnd needed it. Tho months of
tension and norvous excitement, in
Washington, incapacitated him for
making tho tedious journoy overland.
On tho voyage, ho suffered much from
nervous prostration and was bleeding nt
tho lungs whou the vossol ho wns on
entered tho Columbia river. All tho
way from Valparaiso homo ho wns very
low, and nt timos his life wns despaired
of. Ono timo tho ship's doctor assured
kirn ho hnd not over a half hour to live.
From San Francisco ho camo up to
Oregon on tho bark Mary nnd Ellon, on
board of which wim Judgo O. C. Pratt,
who received tho 'nppoiutment Polk
promised to Thornton. Thoy formed a
pleasant acqunintanco then and Thorn
ton recognized nlwnys this nppoiutment
was "ll. to bo innde." Also, thoro woro
on board 1100 men from Oregon return
ing from tho mines with well-filled
purses, for OregoninnH woro provorbinlly
fortunate ns miners in thnt cArly day.
This sketch of the' organization of
Oregon territory is of especial interost
ns connecting Unit event with tho curcor
of many of tho most illustrious men
who ever woro in public lifo in our
nation. Henry Clay had rctirod from
tho busy arena of politics, but his
prcsonco thero would hnvo insured ono
raoru great name recorded in favor of
young and hopeful Orogon.
Wasco and It Future.
Salem, Or., May 21, 183(1.
Keillor Willamette Farmer t
Tho present dolightful weather hero
rominds me of tho bright spring days nf
Waf co, and with it comes tho remem
brance of my promise to writo up thnt
country. My acquaintance of tho coun
try of which I shall write, unmoly, that
poition of Wnsco county lying between
the Dosehutte and John Day rivers,
and south of tho Columbia, began about
si years ago, with the lht settlement
of the country by farmers. Provioiw to
that time the country was but cp.uvely
nettled by stockmen, and thu untamed
broncho ami "slick-ear" loomed timtiud
nt will over tho fertile bunch-gnus prai
rios, then supposod to bo desert, undis
turbed, save by tho dashing bucharo
with his over ready lasso and branding
iron. Sinco then many changes havo
takou place. Tho country has bcon Net
tled by a thrifty and intelligent clans of
farmers, and tho so-called "desort" has
bcon mado to "blossom as tho roso."
Home, school houses, churches and vil
logos have sprung up on this prairie, as
tho result of tho intelligence and enter
prise of its cllizons, and tho fertility of
its soil.
Tho country of which I writo is a roll
ing, upland prairie, dovoid of timber,
extending for fifty miles south of tho
Columbia. Tho soil is chocolnto color,
frco from stones, and exceptionally deep,
and just sandy enough to bo easily
farmed, as tho plow will scour there nt
any season. Tho soil has also tho pe
culiarity of retaining moist uro excep
tionally well. In tho dryest seasons,
wherever it is well cultivated the soil
will bo moist n few inches below tho sur
face. All kinds ot grain and garden
does well here without irrigation. Wheat
raising is the muiu occupation of tho far
mer, and tho yields will comparo favor
ably with tho bost jwrtiona of the Bute,
Good water can bo bad by digging in
most places at an average depth of not
to exceed twenty-fivo feot.
Since tho advent of tho farmer the
railroad has been built, and tho amount
NO. 19,
of grain shipped from tho four stations
between tho Doschuttcs nnd John Day's
rivers, of last year's crop, will approxi
mate 2r.0,000 bushels.
I will stato hero that Micro is atill
good government land to bo taken up
nt a distance of from H5 to 50 milos
south of tho Columbia river.
Tho people of this country are teni
Icratc, wide awake, and alive to thoirjln
tcrosts, nnd whnt they need just now to
add to their gonoral prosperity is tho
repeal of tho obnoxious fonco law.
.Yours truly, D. H. Jon v.
Heeding Beei-Foul Brood.
Sh.verto.s, Or., May IB, 1880.
IMitorWIIUmotta' Farmer!
I wish to sny that "winter boforo last"
I only fed fifty pounds of sugar, mado
into syrup, and thin to n fow colonios
that woro transferred juBt ns tho drouth
But in of that season, and thoso fivo or
six colonies were tho only ones I lost, I
always rcservo n good supply of honoy
for my bees to wintoron,say from thirty
to fifty pounds; last season I estimated
that thero was 1,000 pounds in tho apia
ry after I had taken out tho surplus of
7,200 pounds.
Just one hurrah, for tho "Ilig Sim
plicity." I have novor fed one pound of Cali
fornia honey to my hoes, the risk or for
not doing so, had it been nccossory to
feod, is obvious. I learned n fow years
ngo that tho discaso known as Foul
Urood (inontion of which is mado by K.
Y. Chase in tho Farmer of May 7), wns
very provaleut in portions of that State.
I alsq learned from rending works on
bco-culturo that this discaso may bo
scattered brond-enst, ns it wcro, by nllow
ing bees nccoss to honey from ono of
thoso affected colonios. I also loarncd
that unscrupulous persons wcro sonding
outquautitiosof this affected honoy, and
as tons of California honey Iiuh bcon
shipped to t'ds Stato it will not bo
strange if this disease makes its appear
unco in Oregon, either from importing
queons or honey from a Hoc ted localities.
lleo-keoporsl Look well to your bees ;
use every means to keep this tiling
from them, and be sum you am buying
healthy is-os whn von buy, or quconn
from thoso who nre known to In; reliable
men. in person or lopul'ilioii.
K. S. Hkookh.
Nun: This communication was mis
liinl or il would hnvo appeared sooner.
We wish others would give their oxpori;
euro in this or any othor departments of
agriculture. Uemoiiibcr, tho valuo of
an agricultural paper depends greatly
upon the oxjwriiinccH its readers relate
through its columns. An ngricultutal
newspaper should lie edited by and for
the community it roprosenU Ii.
Ity n privato letter wo nro informed
thnt W. If. Woodruff, Veterinary Dentist
of 221 Kilts street, San Frnncitco, Cal.,
will bo in Salem on Monday, Juno 21st.
He will bo nt tho Fnir Grounds, whore
ho him tho treatment of Mi. A. C. Ilroy's
stablo of trotting horses. Ho will only
remain until Tuesday, as ho bus import
ant engagements: to meet in Portland.
Hu says ho can successfully treat nil
disorders arising from defective teeth,
hucIi as bit-lugging, tossing head, foam
ing at the mouth, etc. Ho has success
fully operated on the best stock on thu
coast and guarantees satisfaction. Ho
will be pleased to meet horsomen and
stockmen generally. Leave orders with
Dan McCnrty, nt tho Fair Grounds, or
call In porson, Monday, or Tuesday fore
noon, Juno 21st.
llurnett fc Co.' Jmporiiil I.inio Paint
has after it trial of twenty years proven
itsulf to bo tho best paint yet known for
preserving roofs, and with it old moss-
covered roofs chii be mndo positively firo
mid water proof, n oouwaril Iiros. are
painting a numbor of roofs in tho eity
and can warrant all of their work to be
flrat-cluss in overy respect, nB their re
commendations from former places
plainly show, and the x.oplo of Salem
uro improving the opportunity of tlio
tine weatner aim me low cost, aim are
huving their roofs painted as fast aa
thoir turn comes.