The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-09-03
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

DEAR READERS OF THE New NORTHWEST:
When last we jotted of our journey
ings, we were on the eve of visiting
Knappton, the well known numbering
point opposite Astoria, of which lively
recollections of visit the year before
remained with US as beautiful dream.
Captain Hamlin, in whom the year
has wrought no visible changes, again
took us across the Columbia in his faith
full plunger. Arriving at Knappton, we
missed the familiar face of its enterpris-
ing founder, J. B. Knapp, Esq, who has
retired to his lovely little rancho some
distance below the mills, where his hos
pitable home is, as ever, the welcome
abiding place of many a congenial
friend.
We were met at the Knappton store
by Col. Dickinson, brother of the charm
ing poet, Hester A. Benedict, who, with
her husband and brother, has taken up
her abode in this romantic wild, where
it is hoped her rested and invigorated
Muse will gather fresh inspiration from
her new surroundings.
Colonel Dickinson met us with the
cordial greeting of hospitable gentle
man and escorted us to the house, where
for two days we enjoyed feast of rea-
son which it shall long be pleasure to
reflect upon.
Thousands of our readers have been
charmed with the poems and sketches
of Mrs. Benedict. But to know the
lady, typical woman as she is, with
her quiet, brilliant grace, ready wit
he pitable manner, ripe beauty, and
rare genius, is to prize her yet more
highly than ever. We have great hopes
that she will be induced to favor Port
land this winter with series of dra-
matte and elocutionary entertainments
In the East she ranks as a star of the
first magnitude in this profession, and
we are confident that our citizens would
be delighted with the exhibition of hel
rare powers in the emporium of the
Northwest.
Col. Dickinson and his brother-in-laN
having purchased the Knappton mills
have gone to work to add many i'm
provements. The amount of lumbel
here manufactured is almost beyond be
lief. Looking up or down the river a
almost any time, you notice a raft o
logs in care of tug that comes snortinI
toward the wharf like a porpoise il
charge of a whale. Wait an hour ant
you will see a section of a mighty fores
tree, which has occupied ages in grow
ing, gripped tightly between the raven
Gus fangs of monster log chain, ant
power in the regions under the mill
drag it torn and bleeding to the slaugh
tering saw, which goes ripping remorse
lessly through it, while it screams in
cessantly as if in pain. Another hour
and the mammoth log, eight feet in di
ameter, lies at your feet a dissecte
skeleton, ready to be made into floor
which the thoughtless will tread upol
without sigh of regret for the assas
sinated tree, whose like, it is said by oh
serving lumbermen, will never be pro
duced again upon the earth. Onl.
scrubby, gnarly, knotty, and insignifi
cant pines ever grow again in lieu G
the grand, gigantic old ones, which for
est fires and mammoth saw mills ar
destroying year by year in myriads.
Seats were carried from the boarding
house near by, and the store fitted u
for a lecture-room. Wewere introduce
by the Colonel, in a neat address, of sew
eral minutes, to an intelligent and ar
preciative audience. The Colonel as
sured the gentlemen that woman's en-
franchisement was fact which the
would very soon be called upon to meet
i It was more than idle to ignore il