, 1862-01-03
Portland Correspondence.
PORTLAND. Dec. 20. 1861.

EDS. OTATESMAN: MY promise, made be-
fore you left Portland, to write you an occasional
correspondence is in part fulfilled in submit
ting the following for your consideration: and
first, allow me to compliment the very good taste
exhibited by the press of this city and State by
endorsing their favorable notices of your paper.
A paper published by practical printers-men
thoroughly acquainted with the various branches
of the business-is always good one, and such
| feel well assured the STATESMAN will be- "Ev-
cry man to his own trade" is the correct MOTTO
and when men observe this rule they rarely fail
of success. The various yicisSitudes to which
men are subject in this new country, and in this
speculative age, get many of them off their prop
er moorings, and too many of them, am sorry
to know, while "micawbering' around, have taken
up with the idea that they possessed qualifications
for editing newspaper, and after demon
strating TO the entire satisfaction OF the public
that they were monomaniacs upon this subject,
they have steered off into the channel Of politics.
or something else which they knew as little about
and finally, Of course, gave some one more highly
favored an opportunity to write an obituary of
their papers" Died Of non-ptethord," &c.-
This, of course, has been ruinous to the business,
and printers have been made to suffer for the
mismanagements Of those who knew nothing
about the business, and who might have sue
ceeded as clerks, pedagogues, preachers or plow-
lTen. If space allowed, a reference here to
some OF the successful publishers might not be
iinaPprOPriate-the Harpers, Greely, Ballou,
Prentice, Porter, Bennett, or, to come nearer
home, the editor of the Oregon Statesman all
of whom are practical printers and commenced
on small beginnings.
Some one has sensitly remarked that 1" it is
one thing to write for paper, but another TO
edit il )" and as my business now is to write
Ixyill bt,dfr IS
enough, too. (But here allow me, by way of
parenthesis-lest l should be "persecuted for
opinions sake" or, rather, for opinions which
do not entertain-to define my position: First,
am single mani but in being such, it does
not necessarily follow that | am an Odd Fellow,
nor that am opposed to Odd Fellowship. On
the contrary, or vice versa, l am rather in favor
of regalias, and never decline complimentary
invitation" to accept one of Strauss or Wasser-
mans best, and my record shows that | never
failed to regal myself when the fair demoiselle
for whom had during whole month soled all
my immaculate vests" saw fit to admire some
ones lime-white sail more than she did my time
Drowned rig. That is what | call being inde-
pendent; but, again, in being independent, it
does not follow that am Seceder. In truth, do
not belong to any church; yet rather than be
regarded as an admirer of "that peculiar institu-
| would be classed among the subscribers to that
enthusiastic doctrine so eloquently defended by
P. B. c. and do subscribe to that ADVOCATED
SO warmly short time ago by T. H. P, (though
neither myselfnor my counsel aspire to any po-
sition Z" higher than that which we now hold, y
that I" marriage is divine institution" and that
the hymeuial knot is not knot to be united =" at
will, according to the whim or caprice of the
parties In short, MesSrs. Editors though a
s,ngle man, and in all human probability des-
tined to remain so, | am nevertheless Union
man. and in favor of
s'The union of hearts, the union of hands"
Aud the union for life forever.
Having thus plainly defined my position, l trust
that in what have here written, or in what may
hereafter write, your personal friends and we'll
wishers here will find no grounds for legal qltab-
bLeS If they should, send EN- to me! am "six
feet two" and run on my ponderosity.
! presume your regular CORRESPONDENTS here
have flooded you with items in relation to the
great misfortune which has befallen Ore
+ gon by reason of the late high waters. The
picture is a sad one Hundreds who have by
years ofindustry and patient toll secured to them
selves comfortable homes and comparative indie
pendence are now reduced to almost beggarly
poverty Homes have been made desolate by
the loss of friends. Houses have been swept
away and their once happy inmates have been
buried beneath the remorseless waters, and now
sleep the sleep of death in their cold embrace.
But enough of this dark side. The
waters have receded and the sun has once more
opened his light upon us. Business has resumed
with usual activity and the "old smile" is again
frightening up the countenahces of our citizens.
Trade is receiving new impetus from the pros
pective large immigration in the spring to your
country and the mines. The arrival of the boat
from the Dalles, with the latest news from Wal
| la Walla and the mines, is now looked for by
our citizens with as deep an interest as the peo-
pie of San Francisco used to manifest in the ear
ly days in the arrival of the mail steamer from
the States. The whiStling of the Julia, on Mon
day, Wednesday, and Friday evenings is the sig
nal for general rush to the wharf and the Ex-
press office and while anxious friends peer
among the crowd at the wharf, in hopes of find
ing some familiar face Just down from the supper
country" others equally anxious, await the deliv-
cry of the letters at the Express office, expect
ing to receive something from some friend who
is making his pile" in the mines.
Everybody here is talking of going to the
mines in the spring, and you may expect to see
more "live men, in Walla Walla valley next sum-
mer than ever before crossed the Cascade noun
tans. The result of course will be that you will
receive large aecessions to your population, and
the resources of your new country will be devel-
oped even more rapidly than were those of the
rich valles of California.
News that would be of interest to your read
ers is hard to obtain here now. In fact, the peo-
pie here look to the upper country for ''news !"
BESIDES l presume Portland" and Honest
John" have had an eye to supplying you with
news items. Yours, &c. PHENIX.
MASONIC INsTALLATIoN.-The officers
of Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, of Free aud
Accepted Masons, were installed on the
evening of the 9th, by R. w. D. G. M,
A. B. Roberts. The folio wing are the Of
fcers elect for the ensuing year:
B. Sheideman, w. NJ; j. NJ. Canada,
S. W.; NJ. B. Davis, ]. w; A. Seitell,
Treasurer c. Syder, Secretary; James
Gilbrath S. D.; John Morehead, ]. D.; P.
L. Hawley, Tyler.
After the installation ceremony, the
members retired from the Hall TO the
Union Hotel, in this city, and partook of a
fine supper prepared for the occasion.
~ We notice by the papers that ]. L..
Parrish & Co., book and stationery dealers