The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-03-20


ing himself sort of accommodation
train with facilities superior to The pro-
posed "narrow-gaUge" for which the
people are clamoring.
Salem prairie is left behind at last .
and then skirt Of timber with break .
neck highway is encountered. This We
pass 10 safety, in spite Of roots aud ruts,
and emerge into Howell prairie, one Of
the most beautiful Of the many grandly
beautiful farming districts in this far
famed Willamette Valley. Wheat
fields to the right aud left Of us, mead
ows Oh all sides, farm houses, barns and
orchards In ry~directiou, and berry
patches and vineyards at Intervals make
monotoDy impossible. At last, when
within six miles Of Silverton, We reach
the beautiful farm Of Mrs NJ. A. Cline,
where a sudden change in our pro-
gramme occurs, aud we stop for the
night, being attracted as much by the
genial friends TO our mission whom We
know We will encounter as by the sym
pathy we feel for the struggling posses
sor Of these broad acres, who is endur-
| ing the thrOes Of a lawsuit, in which,
/ of course, her arbriters are all men. a
number Of years ago, her mother, then
in good health, and we doubt not Of
sound mind, made her will, taking the
| precaution to have her sanity tested by
medical experts, and bequeathed to
| Mrs. Cline this farm, aud divers and
sundry other properties, to have and
hold to her heirs aud assignees forever.
| This action excited the cupidity Of the
I old lady's son, who has ever since been
struggling TO dispossess his sister OF the
/ legacy. The matter is soon 10 be de-
| cided in the Supreme Court, and though
no fair-minded person doubts but that
I Mrs. Cline will be victorious, yet the
worry and suspense have told upon her
quite severely. The fact that the will
was made by woman and in favor Of
a woman, was no doubt the primal
cause Of the litigation, the member Of
| the protecting sex who was not favored
| by the testatOr, though rich from his
fathers legacy, not being content that
his erewhile impoverished sister should
receive equal favors with himself But
judges and jurors are fast learning to re-
spect the inalienable property rights OF
the taxed and unrepresented classes,
aud there is far more hope OF Justice for
them now than formerly.
/ We did not stop over at this place ex-
pecting to lecture, but, as usual, there
was demand for the gospel Of liberty,
so it was soon arranged that we should
speak on Sunday upon Everyday Re
/ ligiou." But there was one great draw
back shown-as the astrologers say
The community had built a school-hous,
some time ago, and turned il over tC
trustees who have all along kept Il
locked Of Sundays and evenings to pro
tect it, as they say, from the mud auC
tobacco Juice Of the men. Bat the re-
cent advent Of women voters in the dis
trict had reused the people to a deter
mination to open the house for ehildreI
4 OF a larger growth; and Mrs Cline cause,
our appointment to he circulated. Al
the hour designated, the neighbors as
sembled on the school-house steps an,
fences, but the janitor hai run away
with the key, go We stood on the step
aud did the speaking, the audience
which had built the schOol-house sit
, ting on the fence ami looking in crest
fallen helplessness at its locked entrance
The lecture, with the Golden Rule a
text, was not wanting in material foi
, Illustration, and the interest was 3,
great that we decided to accept the invi
tation Of Mrs. Woodworth and remail
over on Monday evening and addres
the citizens at her farm house upon th
woman question. This decision has de
= layed our visit to Silverton for ye
] another day, so this letter halls from
= Howell Prairie. a J. ID.
March IL, 1879.