New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-18

very imposing as 10 DPo' az" W = anoro
to advertisements And anOther' se'o,"i -
indeed are curious Indian relics ana tho w 90
of valuable cabinets of metals ana mihei1i'' "'
natural history and botany
This Library ia wonderfully interesting, because
IL has grown out of the need and the WISDOM
of tho citizens Not ono dollar has been spent
because il was thought that Portland had pe-
come old enough aud large enough to nave
library. os boy il old enough to have watch hoi
because San Francisco had one before, as the piluc
of Bill Jones might have waXed on previously soV
ten timepiece. Portland felt only that she hau
worked hard. and did not know much as
sle onpbt ana that her library would teach more
people at less expense than any other scheme OF eu
ucotIon could do. / fancy that there are not many
very Door people in Portland but neither are theio
many very rich. and think the public Library must
well have supplied in part the lack oil hhe prN"o
libraries For we went to two formal aud large heccP'
TONS and met in more familiar way many men anu
women, and / do not know anywhere qnleter more
intelligent, moro simple, more candid, moro kindly
circlo-a circle more hosptabe to new ana noble
thoughts, than these faraway Cousins OF ours
IN TnH WAKE or FASHION
Portland takes its pleasure not in sad but in O
quiet fashion. 1t is sort of fortunate BABE ID 'io
Woods nnocenty lostin the wllds, butwlth the best
robins of good offices in the way of helpful clrcum-
stouees But il never gets ont Of the woods for all tat
Back of il TO the west stretch illimtabe forests
North of il to the Columbia, miles Oh miles OF wllder-
mesa East across the river, little Waterfront OIL
cheerful habitation, and still the mighty WOODS
South along the Wallamet, the one drye-the only
driye-dcarer to it than its rstbOrn (fOr this BABE
i'm the Woods has many babes of its Ownl, winding
and reckoning for six miles, the rver on tile leit the
forest OH the right the foremost trees uooplng down
TO the very roadside to see who comes thus Mostly
INTO their ancient solitudes, and ankS on ranks OF
them narshaled up the hillsdes and crowded III the
gorges and absorbing tho very sunlight in their dark
and stately masses
OF course, we took that drive toWhite House. and
we understood how all other drives seemed common
We went forth at two through the heats ana Ian
puor of InGia. We came back at six. through the
tang and brightness If our New-England in October.
In Summer the Willamette dwindles and pines, MS all
these Western rivers fed 10y Winter rains do. But 1t
is placid stream sliding through shores of rich and
broken tints and of both bold and quiet
outline There is little pretense of busy
ness at East Portland, and at milwaukee,, a
tiny hamlet which once looked proudly on itself as
the prrdesined Capital But struggle or conflict, If
only with the inert forces of the EARTH loOkedso IN
cOngruous there, in the presence OF the noiseless
river and tho silent hills, that Milwaukee mt least
soon gave the appearance, and looks as mar
monousy idle, not to say cOmatose, as ono could
wish TO have IT.
There never wcro moro perfect Glimpses OF
color and light and woodland beauty than
SLOWED themselves to MS that September
day. Tho gigantic blacl,.gree pines forgot
their gloom and let themselves he gladdencd
Jy red vines and even stood aside little that the
splendid cottonwoods, and scarlet naples, and a
burning bush Of unfamiliar leaves aiame might be
seen in their royalty. There were gray rocks with
blood-red lichcns on them, and n0dding pink pumes
of a woody bush, aud swinging garlands OF green
and gold and maroon. All the Dryads were dancing,
too We heard the patter Of their swift White
feet and tho very squirrels flashing mp
the trees stopped. delighted to watch them. Some
times the trees stood 50 thick aud near rising right
above our heads. that we could SEQ only Their
straight. unbroken lines. Sometimes they opened 80
that we looked far in and saw one hight rise above
another wood-crowncd and majestic. wondrous
lights nickerug in and ont, Toudrons shadows
softening the lights. Always tho quiet river for
rest, always the wilderness for beauty.
The end of This perfect road is White House, and
White House is house OF entertainment for man
and beast. Many bottles crowded tim shelves. Many
glasses Of lucent srups tinct with stronger than
cinnamon clinkcd on the counter. But when we
asked modcstly for lemonade and could not have IT,,
and then for such other mild reflections Werc fit
for Babes i'm the Wood. and they were not, re-
membercd that older inn of Trolhate. with its nyit-
ing signb board lyon viii find at Trolhate excellent
meat. bread. and wine-proyidcd you bring them with
YOU" and drank water with the nbStemious feast OF
n contented mind. There is Trottng-park at White
House, so we walked thither, and saw an animated
amateur race between two gay young boods, one Of
whom drove quito round the inclosure while the
other was persuadng his animal TO start. So the
scene was less exciting than it wond have BEEN per-
haps but for this untmely cOntumacy. Time of
Number !, half mile in eight minutes Number 2
looked as if he could havo beaten it if he had had
any sufficient incentive TO try.
Beyond the Trottingpark, is the forest again, and
so as the shadows heightened drove back 10
town once more, and around the town. Stopped not
seldom by street laid open for sewers gaspipes,
or by sudden precipce where the level was being
graded up or down. we found that Portland was
steadily growing but in comfortable easy fashion,
making herself always n little faircr and little
moro leisurcly with each accession Of wealth Then
we went home to have half-hour with Mount
Hood, lying sixty miles away, but near and
clear and beautiful in that soft twilight. Rising
in long low curves above the tops Of the approach
ing mountains, the gltteTing snow of its summit
flushed with rose and purple and pink from tho
splendid sky, darkenng into o great and somber
majesty commanding all the land and all the people
Of the land TO silent worship and by-and-by, when
We could bear no more beauty and grandeur shut
ting us away with darkness, it was almost as noble
and beautiful a mountain as Saint Ilclen's. Never
quite 90 poetic. Never quite so holy. For Saint
Helcn's is the crown Of the world.
Well, then we dressed and went to Reception.
Humanity docs such things. Out Of glorious moon
light, for instance, people go indoors and play
euchre And ont Of the beat and sadness and cxnlta
M iln nnnnlr inlnnIa nnl lnncn Ihn Gnr-