Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/129

Doctor" Robert Newell: Pioneer. Ill present day. Every reference to him in the writings of those co-temporary with him and from the memory of those who still live to tell the tale of those early years, is to the effect that he was easily the leader of a very influential class of the people then. And in 1849 he was one of three residents of Oregon who received appointments direct from President Polk to serve as agents over the Indians of Oregon; and he was as- signed by Governor Lane to have charge of all those then living south of the Columbia River. To relieve any tedium of this recital of biographical facts we will now mention a reminiscence of Senator J. W. Nesmith, given in one of his addresses before the Pioneer Association. Though slightly historically inaccurate, it is of interest. Senator Nesmith said : As an illustration of the honest and simple directness which pervaded our legislative proceedings of that day I will mention that in 1847 I had the honor of a seat in the legisla- ture of the Provisional Government ; it was my first step upon the slippery rungs of the political ladder. The legislature then consisted of but one house and we sat in the old Methodist church at the Falls. Close by the church Barton Lee had con- structed a 'ten-pin alley,' where some of my fellow members were in the habit of resorting to seek relaxation and refresh- ment from their legislative toils. I had aspired to the speak- ership and supposed myself sure of the position, but the same uncertainty in political matters existed then that I have seen so much of since. Some of my friends threw off on me and elected a better man in the person of Doctor Robert Newell; God bless his old soul ! In the small collection of books at the Falls known as the Multnomah Library I found what I had never heard of before, a copy of 'Jefferson's Manual,' and after giving it an evening's perusal by the light of an armful of pitch knots I found that there was such a thing in parli- amentary usage as 'the previous question.' I had a bill then pending to cut off the southern end of Yamhill, and to es- tablish the County of Polk, which measure had violent opposi- tion in the body. One morning while most of the opponents of my bill were amusing themselves at 'horse billiards' in Lee's ten-pin alley, I called up my bill, and after making the best argument I could in its favor, I concluded with this: 'And now, Mr. Speaker, upon this bill I move the previous ques-