The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-06
From the North Pacific Coast.
The City erPor.iand. II. RusIness House
) md Chtirehes-A Tragedy, ske., dc.

will become stronger and the way ior tue
other virtues, godllness, &C., will be pre-
pared. \
The other day we thought We would go
over to Portland, Oregon, and see the
sights Upon arriving at the wharf prep
aratory to landing, the first thing that
makes an Impression is the swarm Of hotel
runners. And such yelling you never
heard. Clarendon Hotel o gents"
Free coach to and from the St Charles
Hotel o gents" and SO, on over and over
again through a dozen or more hotels OF
the city. You have heard the tones OF a
horse.fddle or the voices blending Of
twenty.four mules. Well, sounds twenty
times more disagreeable, split our ears for
the five minutes the boat was being made
fast. Then when We would have escaped
by passing on into the street, these pests
grabbed hold OF our sachel, umbrella and
coat.tail in such manner rs to produce q
climax in the feelings of any nervous man.
But We remember that "patience" goes be-
foro ''gOdlineSs" and rs correspondents
need these virtues as well as editors we
will hope to profit by these things.
But, finally, We are out into the street,
and there is no greater business city oil It's
size in the country than Portland. The
streets are full OF drays, express wagons
and freight wagons, bearing goods and
merchandise and farm aud garden produc-
tons to and fro through the city, while
men arc hurrying along the sidewalks and
back and forth over the ferries, engaging
in business and traffic Of all kinds. For q
considerable distance along the river and
for four or five blocks deep the place is
principally occupied by business houses.
BACK OF that, and to the south against
gentle declivity, arc situated some OF the
finest residences We ever saw. 1t does US
good TO 90 up Stark street to Seventh and
Park streets, and then southwark dozen
or more blocks, spendinga few hours look
ing at the magnificent buildings and ele-
gantly ornamented grounds where some OF
the wealthy people live, and then back
past the Central School building where is
kept the best school-eScepting the Will
lanet University at Salem, north OF Cali
fornia,- thence to the Court House, Gus
tom House and PoStotlice, and through q
wilderness OF elegant business houses and
halls back to where the great Willamet
rolls on toward the ocean.
We would not forget to mention the
churches. There are not Us many churches
| in Portland as there are in some other
towns we know OF, not one third its size.
They are better, however, and better sup
ported. Some places on this coast there
are more churches than arc necessary.
One town we could mention, of not over
fifteen hundred inhabitants, has eight
churches, but scarcely anyone OF them
amounts to anything. Their societies and
congregations are small, and the ministers
are discouraged. The different denomina.
tons cndeavor to rival each other, instead
OF bringing the people under the immedi.
ate and personal influence OF the gospel OF
Christ. But Portland is not thus affected,
her church ediices are good, and her con-
gregations are large and interesting; the
Taylor Street NJ. +. Church leading the
rest.
But Portland is wicked city, and'it
will require great deal OF solid earnest
gospel preaching to convert some OF her
people.
There are several quite influential news.
papers published here, the OrsyoRidn be-
ing the acknowledged leader among them.
Quite tragic scene occurred on First
street, the other day, between one Mercer,
assistant e,litOr OF the Be-, and Mcdonald,
editor Of the Standard, in which the latter
lost his life. The Re, rather unreliable
paper, published sometime previous to the
afffay, an article rejecting somewhat Sc
riously upon the character Of McDonald's
family. Mcdonald met Mercer on the
street and asked him to explain. He did
not do it, when, after scuttle and good
deal OF shooting, in which man walking
along the street was wounded in the tleShy
part OF the leg, Mcdonald was MORALLY
wounded, and died the next day. The
public feeling is very strong against Mer-
Ger. The press and people generally con-
denim him and his paper. He is in Jail
awaiting his trial.
Standing on the banks OF the Willamet
We have full view OF East Portland, which
covers quite an area OF land on the east
side OF the river, and contains several hun
drcd inhabitants. The two together
\ Portland and East Portland-constitute q
very respectable city Of perhaps 10000 in
hahitants, and is the MISUNDERSTANDING
oils Of the Northwest. And tits likely to
continue to be so for some time TO come.
The Oregon Steam Navigation and
lyillamet Transportation and o. &
C. Railroad Companies have their prin.
cipal offices and warehouses here, and
having pretty general control Of the COM
mercG OF the country, controls 1t to Port
lands interest. But Portland is too far in
Hand to remain the leading city always.
The bar at the mouth of the Columbia and
the numerous sand bars along the river
make it difficult for large ships to come up
that far. Some OF US look for the leading
city to spring up somewhere on Puget
Sound.
But Portland is a wealthy, thrifty, vigor-
Gus city. 1t is central point for the trade
of the valley, and is backed by an excell-
Gnt farming country. May her beauty
never grow less. NIpI.