242 WHERE ROLLS THE OREGON 



are Portland's poets, her painters and prophets ? 

 Asleep in the crater of Hood, I suppose, waiting 

 for the mountain to give them birth. 



Portland feels small need of poets now ; they 

 are not the stuff of pioneers ! How many poets 

 came over the Oregon trail? It seems incredible 

 that the founders of this great city should still 

 walk its streets, should gather in reunion to retell 

 the story of those " early " days of the plains and 

 the Indians, as I saw them gather. The very 

 stumps would still be standing in the streets of 

 Portland had they not been used for paving- 

 blocks. Poets are poor hands at pulling stumps 

 and paving streets. And what use has she for 

 painters while her temple walls are rising ? or for 

 prophets when the salmon run their courses up the 

 Columbia as the stars their courses in the skies? 



None yet, but the time shall come. The people 

 of Portland are proud of Hood ; they are more 

 concerned, however, with their corner lots. The 

 marvel of Portland, according to those who have 

 been there longest, is the rise in land values. 

 There is not a lot in the city but has climbed far 

 higher than the top of Hood. There is magic in 

 Oregon land. The harder you hold it the higher 



