, 1867-07-19
Dalles Correspondence.

DALLEs, July IA, 1861.
EDrroR STATESMAN ;-on Monday last, in COM
pany with several friends, paid Portland
brief visit. The day was an unusually fue one,
the steamboatine excellent, and our compapy
superb. About O'Clock, in the afternoon, We
arrived at the 'Emporiem."
PORTLAND.
After an absence of several months, 1 found
Portland in a more hOurishipg condition than
anticipated. Houses and stores then tenantless
are now occupied, but this fact, presume, is to
be attributed to a reduction of rents. With
that selfshness and short sightedness which al
ways characterized the leading property holders
of Portland, they demanded exhorbitant rents,
and the consequence was that at one time
great many stores and dwelling houses were va
cant. Several beautiful stores and dwelling
houses are. now In course of erection. A FIRE
lately destroyed the large building known as the
"0regon Iron Works" The directors are max
ing arrangements to rebuild it on larger scale.
l notice that the Portlanders exhibit great taste
in arranging flower gardens. The orchards in
the city are doing better than the year previous,
and the trees are literally borne down with fruit.
The streets and sidewalks are now in frst rate
condition, the Nicholson pavement being laid
down in all the principal streets. So far the
season has been very backward, and the weather
is less warm than at the Dalles. But very few
strangers are sojourning at Portland, but never
theless the hotels seem to be doing lucrative
business.
TRADE Views.
In conversation with leading merchants of
Portland, learn that trade is brisk with the
Willamette valley. Considerable attention is
being devoted to the interests of that long neg
lected country, and project is set on foot to
means of a railroad. This measure partially ac-
counts for the neglect Idaho is experiencing the
present year at the hands of Portland capitalists.
In this the Portlanders act wisely. The trade
with Idaho is huctuating and uncertain, and
payments very slow. Add to this the unavoid-
able opposition of the CalifOrnans to the COL
umba river route, and you will arrive at the
conclusion that the merchants and capitalists Of
Portland will fud it greatly to their benefit to
improve their own natural advantages. So far
but little business has been transacted with
Eastern Oregon and Idaho, and leading business
houses assure me that the trade has fell off over
fifty per cent. As general rule the merchants
keep but small stocks of goods on hand, prefer
ing to do light business, as they antcipa-
ting decline in staple goods. No doubt if the
business men of Portland desired they could do
more. find they are exercising greater caution
in selling merchandise on time than heretofore.
In former days, almost any one could go to Port.
land or the Dalles, purchase stock of goods,
hang out "shingle" iu some town or camp,
ard make payments at pleasure, or run off to
Salt Lake, never to be heard from again. An
experience of ive years has necessarily cured
the commercial community Of the emporium of
this weakness, and at this time up country mer,
chants, once considered reliable, are refused
"rndt 60 veil have the Portland merchants
succeeded in deriving informatioa to the fnan.
cial standing of business houses, that they cap
tell as far as Sal. Lake which firm good
bad, and shape their dealings accordingly. This
partly accounts for the falling off in trade, but,
as have above shown, the Portland merchants
are gamers.