, 1867-02-15
AGENTS FOR THE srATEsMAN.
The Editnr Abroad.


weight Of this fact when he sits down to "ssy
something" about his trip, we, from sheer
compassion, and much sgainst our natural
inclination, too, propose to ignore the "Del- |
egate question" aud to fail, in this sue, I"
give Congress and the negro, Chinese, Ind
ian 'qualitylsts In general tlre -ntS' tnry de-
serve, aud to .'help him out" by writing about
what We have seen and what he will see.
One who makes the trip but once in five
years between the points mentioned cannot
fail to wonder at the broad marks time leaves
even the barren grounds that skirt the route:
Eleven years ago, in the summer OF lo3"
we first assembled the Columbia. or rather
first travelled towards its source, upon the
back Of a Webfnot Cay use for then no
steamboat had Iufl d its waters higher up
than the DdIcs. That point at that time
was a small village, with a few houses scat
tered here and there, aud was almost excu
Sively inhabited by few adventurous fron>
tiersmen who had gene thither to push their
fortunes by selling whisky to the Indians
aud stealing Cayuse horses from those "un>
taxed citizens" TO send off to the WebtOOt
aud California markets The "village" above
the Dallcs, near the falls, was at that time
much the most numerously inhabited, and
marked feature about it was the great dissm-
ilarity in the ''IPa ures' of the younger and
older portion of its inhabitants-the pa
pooses being so much lairer than their dusky
progenitors, suggesting even at that renl"ie
period that the idea of social equality was
not atog, ther a new one. Of course We
would not lie understood as intimating that
such state uf society actually existed-nnly
that the facts were suggestive Of the idea
for there are too many gray boards yet alive
to testify that practical malgamation had
not then been brought to perfection north of
Mason & Dixon's line OF course it hadn't
And we may further add, spOlOgetically and
by way "i explanation, that the absent editor
was subsequently a resident of the DalIes,
but at that time he had not travelled north of
California The rise Of the Dalles since that
day to a "city Of magnificent proportions"
and its fall again to more than its original
dullness the editor himself has witnessed,
and as we passed through its streets last
week we could not resist feeling of lonei-
ness, such as one experiences when prramN
Os,l. IL Il.
old, dapdated towns Of South America
Not yet u mass Of ruins, but rather Il new
town, still its deserted tenements remined
one Of such places. With a vastly more
improved appearance than it bore in 1855,
it even showed almost as little signs of busi>
ness hustle and activity as in the days when
the Indian agents and horse Traders" by
similar species Of lrgerderuain there laid the
foundations Of "independrnt fortunes" But
still VIC would not write the Dales d. wn as
dead 1t has yet future in siore
A new feature, even since our second trip
over the roufe-fuur years seo-iS the Celiu
railroad, and the remembrance of whizzing
over it-our first car-ride for over thirteen
years-is still 80 fresh in memory that We
have no longing desire to keep alive the fan
cieS that its apparently dangerous track suy.
gestrd All praise is due to the energy Of
the Company who built road over 81 dey.
ous a course; who have never met with
serious accident either upon it or upon their
STEAMBOATS,, and who present to the world the |
most successful record in this regard Of any |
company ever organized on the continent, |
although it is universally onceded that The
"upper river" presents, ,done serious obsta.
eles to navigation than any river knuwn
where so extensive trade is carried on.
Five years Of almost daily travel and thou.
sands OF persons passing to and fro on their
boats and railroads annually, and yet not a
single life lust by explosions or u,ismrn.e>
ment Of tn ir boats or cas- ANY one int.
:ested in the prosperity of the country who
takes these facts Into consideration who looks
upon their extensive works, built upon sud
through region which only few years
ago was barren vi d, and thinks of the huns
dreds Of thousands Of dollars they have ex
pended cannot but checrlully congratulate
Them upon the success that has rewarded
their Efforts and " sh them full continua-
hon OF the same in the future. With this
81 least as our wish, we will travel a Hihe
higher up and take a view of UmatiH, eity.
another infant born within the past Eve years.
We ere not ns'sraily jealous -hearted bn,
We must aeknowledge that an ca, nest aes;r.
Tor the prosperity Of our spouse, W.ra WI
"a, has eaused Us at times to cas-, n "crsso
eye upon the growing skirts of her wanna