The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-01

he never decided upon. The man with
the green neck-tie, impediment and
freckles, was the one who got up the
party or, in other words, the one in
whose futile brain the brilliant idea first
originated and the plan was worthy of
the founder. There never was a camp
ing party gotten up but what had its
disappointments; our first was the fail
ure Of our hack, with its accompani-
ments, to come to time. Oh, then and
there "was hurrying to and fro" and
the man with the impediment and
freckles seized a dilapidated umbrella in
lieu Of a walking cane and rushed fran
tieally off down street after another con-
veyance; but why prolong his misery
and your own? At four o'clock Tues
day afternoon, a vehicle, that looked
ancient enough to have drawn the lum
Der to build Noah's Ark, with many a
creak and groan, and rattling Of boards,
stood before the gate; and the long man
with a tendency to whistle first greeted
our astonished eyes. After great deal
of jamming and stuffing and twisting,
our worldly goods and chattels were
carefully packed away, and so were we.
There was a "gid-dup' from the long
man, of musical turn of mind, and
with a rattle and thump, pound and
bump, we were fairly started.
OF course starting so late in the after
noon soon caused us to strike our tent
for the night; which, we discovered, was
a minus quantity. The brilliant young
man who gave out the invitations
thought "a tu-tu-tent with a COCO
covered hack was all n-n-nonsense; as
the girls could sleep in the v-v-yehicle,
and the bub-bub-boys c-e-could roo-roo-
roost in hul-lullow log" And, having
exchanged the hack for a lumber wagon,
such an unimportant article as tenn
porary habitation hadn't occurred to
him.
'I'll tell YOU" said the long man,
speaking with a great many surplus
syllables, ''Pll tell you, I've got blue
blankit and a waggin kiver, and we can
manifacter tent thatll dO.n
That was interesting, Of course. Blue
blankets and wagon covers for tent
We're elegant, very. After the subject of
the tent had been decided upon, the
next thing was supper Well, we un-
packed nine boxes and seven baskets to
get what we wanted. In the first box
there was blackberry cObbler, loaf of
bread, a skillet, two tin pans, paper Of
saleratus, lead pencil, and n dish-cloth.
The others were packed up accordingly
We journeyed all the next day in the
dust and heat with nothing to protect
us from the sun but an umbrella-minus
everything but one rib and a handle.
That night it rained; and we felt the
soft patter on our faces through the
ventilators in that "waggin kiver."
The driver made us walk up all the
hills, because it was hard for the horses;
and then down because it was dangerous
for us. Didn't we cross Salmon river
seven times each way? Didn't our
shoes wear out? Didn't the horse go
lame? Wasn't our bread nine-tenths
charcoal and four-fifths ashes? Didn't
we have a general quarrel all round
Didn't we live on fat bacon and sallal
berry sauce? Didn't we get out of sorts
and saleratus and out of tea and temper?
Didn't the folks take us for Indians,
and didn't the Indians take it as an in
suit? Didn't we start for home as fast
as the lean, long nags could carry us,
and if you wish to drive me to frenzy,
just say "CoastT Now do you wonder
that lift up a warning voice?
SALEM, July 20, 1878.