Terms, Five Dollars a Year. > 

 Ten Cents a Copy. ) 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1875. 



I Volume 5, Number 11, 



) 17 Chatham St. (CityHall Sqr.) 



For Foivst and Stream. 



^HmblingB in 0rqgan. 



PART lit. 



FROM Albany I went to Salem, the capital of the State. 

 This is situated on the Willamette River, and has a 

 population of 5,000. It is one of the most picturesque 

 cities on the continent, as every dwelling house is sur- 

 rounded by a pretty flower garden, and often by shade 

 trees. The surrounding country is highly cultivated, and 

 this gives the place a very interesting appearance. Salem 

 contains several good public buildings, the most important 

 being the penitentiary, an octagonal structure with three 

 radiating wings. It cost about $160,000— no small sum 

 for the Oregonians to pay. It is a model institution in 

 every manner, and tlie unfortunate inmates who are domi- 

 ciled within its walls are as well cared for as the law will 

 permit. A Capitol building is now in process of construc- 

 tion, and when finished will be a plain, substantial, and 

 unpretending edifice of the Roman order of architecture. 

 The Legislature has heretofore held its sessions in a couple 

 of rooms in the second story of a shop, but now that the 

 State is increasing in wealth and importance the Solons do 

 not care to occupy their simple apartments any longer. 

 Perhaps none of the galaxy said to form the Union has had 

 her laws prepared at such little cost as Oregon. When 

 first organized into a Territory, after the vacation of the 

 Hudson Bay Company, the members of the Legislature were 

 allowed $1 25 per day. They had to board themselves, but, 

 being indifferent to the Grundies, they found this an easy 

 matter, as they provided themselves with food and prepared 

 a wigwam of boughs or tents, where they rested after the 

 severe toil of the debate. They were primitive people in 

 those days; a fact which is attested by their simple mode 

 of life and the instructions they gave the gentleman whom 

 they honored with the title of Judge of the Supreme 

 Court, for he was told to "do as he liked until he could 

 get the New York statutes." He proved to be a Rhada- 

 manthus, for though his justice was often incompatible 

 with the wordy tomes of his prototypes elsewhere, yet it 

 was founded on natural laws, and, as such, gave satisfac- 

 tion. When the Territory became a State the pay of the 

 legislators was increased to $3 per diem, and that of the 

 Governor from naught to $1,500 per annum. I witnessed 

 a night session of the Oregon House of Representatives, 

 and a more mirth-loving party it would be difficult to find, 

 judging from their actions. The speaker's chair was occu- 

 pied by a witty member of the "Third House," and be- 

 neath him sat grouped the Solons of the State, who, amid 

 much hilarity, debated hypothetical questions. Whenever 

 the decision of the Chair was needed, and it seemed to be 

 every minute, the worthy functionary who represented 

 that wooden authority referred to the patent office reports 

 or to an old almanac for instruction, and read from them 

 with much gravity something about a new bolt, or facts 

 about onions. The debate was becoming fast, furious, and 

 provokingly personal, when a "message from the Gov- 

 ernor," announced by a very small page, brought the 

 assemblage to order and caused a resumption of the regular 

 business, much to the regret of the audience that packed 

 every cranny of the room, and even disputed their seats 

 with members. Such scenes may not represent in a worthy 

 manner the dignity of statesmen, yet it was thoroughly 

 characteristic of pioneer life in its hilarious freedom. 

 Salem was settled by the missionaries of the Methodist 

 church, sent out to instruct the Indians in 1840-1. The 

 country was theu British territory— at least it was gov- 

 erned by a British monopoly, the Hudson Bay Company— 

 and from the time these pilgrims settled in the then un- 

 known Oregon they were the most determined foes of all 

 English intrusion, and did more than any class to have the 

 State annexed to the United States, principally through the 

 influence of Senator Benton. But for their labors, and 

 those of the hardy pioneers who followed them, the whole 

 of the Pacific coast west of the Rocky Mountains and 

 north of California would to-day acknowledge the English 

 standard a* its flag. The diplomatic correspondence which 



gave that immense region to the Union displayed the bril- 

 liancy of our statesmen to better advantage than any we 

 have had since, for it was characterized by subtlety, bold- 

 ness, and the most undoubted logic. The treaty then made 

 is known as the "Ashburton Treaty," and was one of the 

 acts which made Polk's administration so popular- The 

 early dedication of Salem to the cause of religion is felt 

 there yet, for it contains more churches than any city of its 

 size found between the Missouri River and the Pacific 

 Ocean. The residents seem to be largely composed of the 

 natives of the New England and Middle States, judging 

 from their quietude and love :>f learning. They have a 

 university for boys and girls under the control of the 

 Methodist denomination, and a splendid structure for 

 young ladies under charge of the Sisters of Mercy . The 

 former, though bearing a high sounding name, must not 

 be supposed to resemble any of the great seats of learning 

 known in the Atlantic States; yet it is fully capable of im- 

 parting a thorough literary or medical education. It has a 

 large corps of teachers in every department— although the 

 building is rather small, and as ungainly a mass of brick as 

 one would care to behold— who occupy recognized posi- 

 tions in the classical and scientific world. 



From Salem I went to Oregon City, thirty-eight miles 

 further south, a town which one would take for another 

 Sleepy Hollow.. The scenery in the vicinity has the ele- 

 ments of the picturesque, and this relieves the place of its 

 monotony for a brief period. High walls of augitic basalt 

 extend along the rear of the city and crowd it towards the 

 river. To reach the summit of these bluffs, wooden stairs 

 wind around them and terminate in a ledge of broken 

 scoria. The entire region in this neighborhoed is of igne- 

 ous origin, hence the forests are very heavy, and the soil 

 is unproductive, except where alluvial deposits exist along 

 the course of streams. This basaltic formation loses its 

 individuality to the south, and is supplanted by argillaceous 

 shales and schists. The Willamette Falls are in close 

 proximity to the city. These have a height of thirty-eight 

 feet, and present a respectable array of eddies and cascades 

 in the rainy season, as they extend the width of the river. 

 A ship canal now enables river boats to pass them, so that 

 communication on the river is uninterrupted to the head of 

 navigation, a distance of one hundred and forty miles. 

 Leaving this place I next visited Portland, fifteen miles to 

 the north. This is the metropolis of Oregon, and the pride 

 of its citizens. It has a population of about 13,000, and is 

 probably the richest city of its size in the world. It holds 

 commercial intercourse with the South American repub- 

 lics, the islands of the south Pacific, the Oriental nations, 

 and the British kingdom. The greater portion of its trade 

 is with the latter, as several London houses have branch 

 establishments there for the purpose of dealing in grain, 

 canned salmon, hides and other products. It exported 

 products valued at one million dollars to England last year, 

 and as much more to other countries, while its exports to 

 domestic ports must have been at least three times these 

 sums. This would make the total annual exports amount 

 to eight million dollars, and this is a close approximation. 

 Considering that the white population of the Stale does 

 not exceed one hundred thousand, this is a very good show- 

 ing, and one which reflects credit on the people, as it 

 proves them to be both enterprising and industrious. The 

 latter qualities are evident from the fine warehouses and 

 mercantile establishments which grace the city, while the 

 general thrift of the citizens is proved by the many elegant 

 private residences of the wealthy and the neat cottages of 

 the poorer classes. No signs of poverty display them- 

 selves, for the lowliest laborer receives liberal wages, and 

 is generally in regular employment. The latter is certainly 

 a much higher individual, socially and morally, than his 

 kindred in Eastern cities, as he has a better opportunity for 

 the display of his manhood, the rules of caste not being 

 so arbitrary as they are elsewhere. Even the Chinese pop- 

 ulation, which is comparatively large, seems more con- 

 tented than that of San Francisco. This is largely due to 

 the fact that the prejudice against race, which is so active 

 in the southern city, is unknown in Portland, or if it is 

 care is taken not to manifest it. The Celestials occupy a ; 



series of low, foul rookeries near the principal business 

 street, and these abodes of filth and disease are the only 

 blot on the fair face of the city. The residences of the 

 principal Chinese merchants also reek with vile odors, the 

 product of bad ventilation, tobacco smoke, opium, often 

 putrifying meat, and general uncleanliness, so that the pro- 

 verbial bad habits of the Chinese are verified. Even their 

 temple, or Joss house, partakes of the characteristics of 

 the dwellings, it being a rickety, unswept and unpainted 

 wooden structure, which is garnished in the interior with a 

 few scraps of tinsel that are arranged about the gods. The 

 latter are as unkempt as their abode, for not a vestige of 

 paint remains on one of them, except an individual that 

 typifies moral greatness by leading a mule, despite its ear- 

 nest protestations with legs and head, from one portion of 

 a city to another. This fellow is kept in a case, hence his 

 bright looks and the freshness of his tawdry apparel. The 

 respect that those children of the Flowery Land bear for 

 their temple and its sacred host of deities may be deduced 

 from the fact that they play cards and smoke opium there. 

 I saw four or five vagabonds enjoying themselves there by 

 sucking heavy brass pipes filled with this narcotic; and 

 judging from their vacant, glassy eyes, yellowish, wrinkled 

 skin and ghoulish appearance, they were long its votaries. 

 A more wretched picture of humanity cannot be seen any- 

 where than the slaves who are enchained by this drug. 

 The Chinese temple presents a sorry contrast to the Chris- 

 tian churches so numerous there, and while none of the 

 latter can be called handsome, yet all are solid and commo- 

 dious. The proudest structures in the city are the public 

 schools, which are large, well-furnished, and admirably 

 adapted to their purpose. Education receives a large share 

 of attention from all classes, a fact which is evident by 

 the number of academies, and their high order. The 

 Catholics, Episcopalians, and Methodists have schools for 

 the education of both sexes, all of excellent reputation. 



Society in Portland is cosmopolitan, but not so much so 

 as in cities of equal size in California; and, although these 

 petty, childish little distinctions of political and religious 

 creeds are, as a rule, obliterated, yet coteries rather than 

 broad social gatherings seem to be the most prevalent form 

 of uniting the people for an evening's pleasure. Democ- 

 racy is the ruling social penate, on the very natural prin- 

 ciple, or ground, that the most exalted in the city have 

 risen by their own efforts from obscurity, and, being known 

 to all the old inhabitants, any pluming with stilted pre- 

 tence would become a matter of ridicule. The people, as 

 a body, are much colder and more sedate than those of 

 California, and also lack the frankness and electrical buoy- 

 ancy of the latter. This frigidity must be the result of 

 climate, as both classes are composed of the same material 

 yet, while those of the more southern region are easily 

 aroused, and prompt to undertake any scheme that prom- 

 ises even the most shadowy results, their northern kindred 

 never yield to excitement, and indulge in no speculations 

 that do not give an emphatic indication of success; hence 

 they bear an excellent name in the marts of the East and 

 Europe. Their social pleasures, are, like other character- 

 istics, founded on moderation and quietude. Receptions 

 and parties at private residences are much rarer than in the 

 East, and large mixed assemblies are still rarer. 



Much attention is paid td beautifying the city, hence 

 the streets are kept in admirable order, and in Summer 

 they have a charming aspect, as they are shaded by the 

 broad, rich leaves of the white maple and perfumed by the 

 flowers of acacias. The scenery around it is wild, as the 

 country is covered with firs, above which loom, in the east, 

 the gigantic snowy peaks of Hood, St. Helens, Adams, and 

 the Three Sisters, while the Willamette River, which 

 courses on to join the Columbia, is seen in the foreground. 



John Mortimer Murphy, 

 — — _ ^ »» » . — 



— Schroeder's air ship, now under construction at Balti- 

 more, will be completed in two or three days. He expects 

 to fly to Washington, thirty-five miles, in eighteen minutes - 

 New York, 200 miles, in one hour and forty minutes; and 

 he thinks he can make Liverpool from New York 8 800 

 miles, in forty hours. A new phase of "great expectations,^ 



