THE FOURTH OF JULY.

583

same paper they learned that the frigate Congress, Commander Dupont, with Commodore Stockton on board, had sailed for the Pacific coast, her cruising ground supposed to be the Oregon coast; and also that it was rumored that the whole British force in the Pacific was making sail for the Columbia Kiyer.

There was always something to protract anxiety ; vet the colonists continued the cultivation ot their fields building, and road-making, with unceasing taith that their claims to land and improvements would be protected. In this spirit preparations were made tor a Fourth-of-July celebration in Salem, recently so named, and in Oregon City. At the latter place was erected a liberty-pole presented to the committee ot arrangements by William Holmes ; a round of thirty- one guns was fired, and an oration delivered by Peter H Burnett, 18 which was followed by a dinner and toasts, with cheering and firing of guns, the festivities being concluded by a ball in the evening

At Salem the management of the celebration was placed in the hands of the newly organized military company, the Oregon Rangers. It was on this occa- sion that the company was presented with a flag made by Mrs Horace Holden and Miss Looney. I he

marshal of the day, at the City Hotel kept by H . M. • ^ " L home at the to the Methodist church, the flag o f the Unit eu State, be uig m

head The ceremonies ^^^^K^JcMollowed the oration

of H' d ?l >0 ^ e T t r 3 Thfai y emhly'then ml died haek to the hotel, where a of Judge Burnett, the ^ en ™? ?" , ; toast3 were rea d, with cheer -

puhlic dinner was served, after -wine 1 1 the usuaj .was ^^

Ing and firing of guns but withou ^ the use of wn««Bp rf ^

13 regular toasts, Ml of the spirit ot uto, ane t The toa8t ,

more or less colored by t he P e f^J*^„S f * ° y Maiming her protec- ' Oregon belonging to the United States ad p »fe"tmiiy c g 1

tion, ami ever ready to repel any ins nit off ««dm»* n ^« ? ^ receiv , ; ,, path by hired eim.ssancs, come *«*£* h ™^ ImcrL, an example with 10 cheers and 3 guns The United. ^w» lalm (lf

for the world, a bone of I-W^-Jjj ' tcei™ 13 cheer /and 5 guns.