38. EXPLORATION OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 
The English say we have no history. One English 
lady asked an American if there were any large trees in 
America, and half apologized for asking so absurd. a 
question by remarking, ‘‘ of course not, for it is only a 
new country.’ We can’t match them in historical 
dates; but we make more history in ten years than 
England ina century. Methusaleh, when five hundred 
years old, was asked by an angel why he did not build 
and live in a house instead of a tent. The old man 
asked the angel if he supposed five hundred years more 
of life would be given him. The angel could not say. 
Then, said Methusaleh, it won’t pay. Why, in a single 
decade. has more history been made than the whole time 
of Methusaleh? In ten years from ’60 to ’70, we liber- 
ated 5,000,000 slaves; Russia 30,000,000; and Brazil 
10,000,000 more. 
In 1833 St. Louis was the outer post of civilization. 
There a delegation of Nez Perces came to Gen. 
Clark asking that there be sent to their tribe ‘‘ that Book 
with men near to God, to teach the right way to live.” 
Gen. Clark, who was a Roman, entertained them with 
the sights and pleasures of the station; but they had 
nowhere been shown the book. At parting the old man 
of the delegation rebuked the general for his neglect, 
and declared the visit a failure. The words of the old 
man were taken down by a clerk of the agency, and were 
borne to the east and caught up by a missionary organ- 
ization. Hxtraordinary results followed. 
Marcus Whitman, a physician, with Parker, Hals and 
Spaulding, were sent to the Nez Perces, established mis- 
sionary stations in the upper valley of the Columbia at 
Walla Walla, Idaho and Spokane Falls, and commenced 
their labors. 
The political history of the region begins with no 
owner for the Oregon region and for a long time it was 
known as ‘‘No Man’s Land.’’ Spain was supposed to 
