, 1865-02-17
Letter from Portland.
[From an Occasional CorrespOncent.]


PORTLAND, Oa'N, Feb. 8th, 1865.
EDS STATEsMAN:-In my last letter left the
'quartz-sharps" in fair way to make a good
thing on selling eject" Little did l think at
that time that before another week elapsed
would be called upon to chronicle a heavy
financial loss among the elite Of our quartz spec
ulators. The manner in which this disaster oc-
CURED was strictly private, and, by some, may
not be thought legitimate newspaper topic;
but it is fact illustrative of our present con-
diton it appears to me to furnish at once an cx-
ample and warning-yes, warning to all
business men to confne themselves strictly to
legitimate operations. But 20 my story:
Some weeks since an English gentleman made
his appearance in this city, and we at once pro
ceeded to institute inquiries into his financial
circumstances. Our examination proved that
the stranger was possessed of considerable
amount of cash-money, and we straight way
tried to sell him shares of the '!Stran & Dig"
mine. To put up prices at the Board of Brokers
was but the work of an hour. Opening at $35,
''Strain & Dig" rapidly ran to $50, and none Of
fering. But the Englishman had previously
seen the Elephant and declined to pay second
initiation fee. We at once proceeded to try a
new dodge, and having fixed up things asked the
stranger into game of "Bluf, l will not
dwell on the scene at the card-table but il is
sufficient to say we caught Tarter and paid
very dearly for him. j is said that the blasfed
Englishman roes from the table winner ofne
sum of $4,000. This money is a total loss to
the original owners and to the community, eve
ry member of which had reVersonary interest
N it. The principle loser signed a check for his
losings with the amiabe expression supposed to
be worn by galvanized corpse. Since that
time we have
TRIED DESPERATELY TO SELL "sTRAIE DIG.
So far, our efforts have been unavailihg; but
we hope for better times, when returning reason
will teach loyal men that they are performing
patriotic service in helping to deveope the
Owyhee mines, particularly the ''Strain Dig.
MUD AND RAIN.
''Let there be mud, J" said the genius of Ore
gon Mist, and behold there is an ocean of it
Front Street above Salmon is nayigable for small
canoes, and various other portions of the city
are in like condition. But the nnud-nuisance
will shortly be abated by the energy of our citi-
zens-after the sun has dried it mp. The same
thing cannot occur agaln-until another rainy
season
Morals, SOCIETY AND po1trics.
Our city cqs once the abode of all the refine
ments of civilization, and all the human land
some of the heavenly virtues were eytomized
inside Of its limits, Times have altered sadly OF
late, however. AS the Romans once said, "Times
change and men huctuate muchly" They might
have added "and so do women To illustrate
this new feature of our moral condition I might
give you the particulars in which an ninjured hus-
band swore out a warrant for the arrest of his
wife and her genleman-friend. We punish
such carryings-ou with several years imprison-
ment in the penitentiary, and so thought to be.
But to continue she story: "On account Of the
high respecta57ty () Of the parties we are com
pelled how much p to Withhold names and de-
tails. Thatis all. Two principal causes are
assigned for our fall from grace The first, is
the influx of Idaho Copperheads, 1--WE lay every
thing on the Copperheads nOw-a-days which
cannot be otherwise explained) and the second,
the prolonged absence Of the Rev. Would-be
Hon. Brig. Gen. Thomas II. Pearne. You have
both causes now judge for yourselves.
Socially, we see all right The allurements
offered to entice young men from low vicious
pleasures to intellectual and useful associations
are numerous, and will say that, ifit were not
for the Copperheadsf give them fts-they have
no friends) we might hope to be happy people.
Not much is doing politically, but the new
distribution Of the loaves and fishes is causing
some contention. An attempt to GUST Parson
Billy Adams from the Astoria CoIlectorship is
likely to prove euccessful. An Astorian named
Parker probably Parson Billy Deputy is spO-
ken Of as successor This Parker had his nose
pulled and ears boxed by Captain Flavel, year
or two -provocation, low libel on FIayel
By Parker. Flstel is a Democrat and bis con-
duct in this case is generally voted q Copper
head Outrage" The arena is after the States
man something IN the Bush Dryer style of old
times. The Arena and Oreg0nida are on the
same old quarrel 1t IS Thought that Clark of
the Oregonian will get a Marion county jury to
fix a valuation on his character, which he propo-
ses to collect outofthe Arena proprietors. The
latter paper appears defiant and reiterates for
the thousandth time that Sam Clark embezzled
81 900 of the School Fund. What if he did =?
Let us punish big thieves first and then hunt
out the 81 900 and 81 600 robbers.
expect to get through writing up this town
in few weeks, and am then coming up your
way. MERCUTIo