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ington Territory; but in July, 1858, he was removed for incompetency, and during the remainder of his administration Charles H. Mason, secretary of the territory, acted as governor. Mason was a man who had the confidence of the people of the territory, and his administration was entirely satisfactory. Mason died just before the close of his term of office, universally honored and regretted by the people, whose governor he had been during two brief periods.

74. Gold Discovered on Fraser's River. The chief event which occurred in McMullen's administration was the discovery of gold on Fraser River in British Columbia. The gold excitement was intense all over the Pacific coast. The result was that it materially affected the prosperity of Washington, as did the discovery of gold in California previously, by causing the people of the territory in large numbers to forsake the resources of their own commonwealth and rush to the mines. The frequent gold excitements in early days tended to retard the growth of the territory by diverting the attention of the people from the pursuits of those occupations necessary for the development of a new country.

75. Founding of Walla Walla. All the territory east of the Cascade Mountains was in the exclusive possession of the several Indian tribes occupying that part of the country until the autumn of 1858, when the Walla Walla country was thrown open to settlement. Prior to this time our narrative is concerned only with an account of the missions, fur company

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north of the middle of the main channel Columbia River, from its mouth to where the sixth degree of north latitude crosses said river Fort Walla Walla; thence with said forty-sixth d of latitude to the summit of the Rocky Mounta This included all the territory of the present state north part of Idaho, and the western part of Mon

65. Provisions of the Act. The act creating territory provided for a governor, to be ex-officio mander-in-chief of militia and superintendent of In affairs; a secretary, a supreme court of three juc an attorney, and a marshal, all to be appointed the president for a term of four years. It also vided for a delegate to Congress, whose first was to last only during the Congress to which he elected. A territorial legislature was created two branches-a council of nine members elected three years the first members to serve one, two, three years, decided by lot among them; and a h of eighteen members, elected for a term of one y Twenty thousand dollars were appropriated to de the expenses of a census, after the taking of wh the governor was to apportion the members of legislature and call an election to choose them the delegate to Congress. The first legislature to meet at any place the governor might select, was then to fix the seat of government. Five th sand dollars were appropriated for public buildin and the same amount for a library. County a local officers then serving were to hold their positio

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establishments and Indian wars, given elsewhere in this history. Within a year after the country was opened to settlement so many people had taken land claims in the beautiful and fertile Walla Walla valley that the legislature at the session of 1859 passed an act organizing the county of Walla Walla. At this time there was a small hamlet on Mill Creek, near the old Whitman mission, called "Steptoeville," which had been selected as the county seat. The county commissioners changed the name to Walla Walla, now the principal city in southeastern Washington.

76. Stevens Re-elected to Congress. In 1859 Governor Stevens was re-elected delegate to Congress over W. H. Wallace, the Republican candidate. During his second term he was successful in obtaining several appropriations of great value to the territory. He also obtained provision for the payment of the Indian war debt.

GOVERNOR GHOLSON'S ADMINISTRATION.

1859 TO 1861.

77. Richard D. Gholson Appointed Governor. In 1859 Richard D. Gholson, of Kentucky, was appointed governor of Washington Territory. He assumed the duties of the office, but in less than a year left the territory and returned to Kentucky. He seemed to have but little executive ability, and no sympathy for the people over whom he was appointed to preside. His abandonment of the office was a relief to the people of the territory. Upon the departure of Ghol

son, H. M. McGill, the secretary of the territory, became acting governor, who completed the administration with credit to himself and benefit to the territory.

78. Salmon River Gold Excitement. In 1860 the discovery of gold in the Salmon River Mountains, about 200 miles northeast of Walla Walla, caused general excitement throughout the Pacific coast. These mines were within the limits of the territory, and, unlike the other gold excitements, were rather beneficial than detrimental to the growth of Washington Territory, for, the gold seekers in going to "Oro Fino," as the mines were called, must pass through the fertile valley of Walla Walla, and the consequence was that after the mines were exhausted many of the miners settled in this valley, attracted by the luxuriant bunch grass and fertile soil, and became agriculturists and stock raisers.

GOVERNOR WALLACE'S ADMINISTRATION.

1861 TO 1862.

79. W. H. Wallace Appointed Governor. In 1861 President Lincoln appointed W. H. Wallace, who had been a resident of the territory several years, governor. A short time afterward he was elected by the Republicans as delegate to Congress, and L. J. S. Turney, secretary of the territory, became the acting governor. No important historical event occurred during this brief administration.

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