The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-17
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Washington county, is quiet pictur-
esque village in the midst of a fertile
plain, hard by the West-slde Railroad.
The Coast range of mountains envirOns
the distance upon one hand, and num-
berless groves Of mOssy evergreens keep
guard upon the other. The village con-
tains good public school, handsome
church, several dry goods stores, the
usual quota of hardware, harness, black
smith and barber shops, two hotels, a
new sidewalk to the depot, many coy
homes, an elegant brick courthouse,
and the Weekly Independent. All Of
these We espy at glance, as we alight
from :he train and meet the Obliging
landlord Of the Tualatin House, who
kindly relieves us Of the huge basket,
surnamed "the Pilgrim" a well-wOrn
hero of many travels, but a never-failing
friend because Of its capacity aud eonven-
ience, the former being about equal to
that Of Saratoga trunk, aud the lat
ter far surprising the adaptability
OF an ordinary valise. "The Pill
grim" long ago contracted a sort
Of neuralgia of the handle, making
thorough wrapping Of stout cord nee
essary TO its further service; and as for
locks or fastenings of any sort to its
roomy lids, they are not necessary, for
nobody with brains enoug to travel
would ever be induced to waste effort in
a vain attempt to rob the baggage Of an
editor of anything valuable. At the ho-
tel we were turned over to the tender
mercies Of Mrs. Leathers, the gracious
landlady, Of whose house we can truly
say that we have seen none better kept,
and have nowhere partaken OF cleaner
food that can be found here at the low
price of "two bits" per meal. "The
Pilgrim" and ourself were slowed away
in neat little bedroom, with a stove
pipe running through for warmth, and
genuine old-fashioned ottoman for
comfort. Here we paused for an hour
to rest from the fatigues Of weeks
business in Portland, and were ready,
after an excellent supper, to attend the
meeting Of the Blue Ribbon Club, which
had been organized but three weeks and
which already boasts one hundred and
forty members. There was music, plen-
ty Of it, and addresses, plenty also,
which were well received in spite OF
Brother Grifiin's stale reminder 10 the
young people that they were in a church
and must not laugh or whisper OF ap-
plaud, "because IL was Gods house" "
He said they might be amused in the
fields or woods or groves, but here In
the house of God everything approach
ing to levity must be laid aside. What
a blessing IL is TO the human family
that we old fogies will all die Off after a
while as did Calvin and Cotton Mather.
Did we live forever without casting our
shells, we'd fossilize the whole earth in
three centuries and there would never
be another evidence of progress in all
the vast dominion. Order among
young orold is we'll, whether we look
for it in the church or school OF lecture
room or home, but with all due defer
ence to the superior fossilization Of our
learned brother, We must insist that the
churches are not the works of God, but
of man. The groves are Gods temples,
and the everlasting mountains are his
steeples; the thunders from heaven
are his church bells, and the liquid
lightning is his herald; the earth his
footstool, the flowers and grasses are
his gems, the universe his home and the
children are his messengers. Let us
not make the works of our hands, which
men have dedicated to the service OF
the Eternal God Of love and wisdom, a
place Of such restraint as shall cause the
young to shun its walls Let Us rather
invite them to the full enjoyment OF
their highest intellectual aud moral ca
pabilities when within its precincts,
and then We shall incite them to return
again and yet again TO its Enclosures TO
fill their souls with chaste rejoicing.
Time was when the masses could not
read, and therefore did not investigate
or think for themselves, and the young
aud educated theological Upstairs and
the old, boiled-down ecclesiastical big
OTIS easily awel them into subsection;
bet the day Of superstition, in that
line, at least, is fast passing away. The
people who build the churches are learn
ing TO look with awe and reverence upon
the real works Of God, aud they are only
driven away from the walls Of wood
and mortar which clergymen call sa-
cred, by constantly clamping them
within straight-jackets when they en-
ter the portals. Let us have churches,
plenty Of them; but let them be builded
and sustained for humanity. God
will take care of himself, and will also
take care Of us if we will do our duty by
taking care OF ourselves and our chill
dren. But pray excuse the depression.
We were speaking OF that HiIlsboro
Blue Ribbon Club when Brother Griffin
quite unintentionally threw US of the
track. Thomas Tongue, Esq, made a
logical, practical and highly interesting
address, and was ably and earnestly
followed by DR.. Price, a gentleman Of
very superior culture and ability, whose
sorrowful story of his past downfall and
the struggles Of his present uprising was
listened TO with intense and fearful in
terest The club was also favored by A
few remarks from +. J. Northrup. E.q..