The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-12-11
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


Pennsylvania. And yet, Idaho Terri |
tory is not at all like the Quaker COM
monwealth, to which we have compared |
it, nor is Lewiston at all like the city.
An unexplainable, irreconcilable para
dox, you may say, good reader, but
wait a minute. Lewiston sits like a
rocking I'VE came near saying rocky
kitten at the foot of hills, aud so does
Pittsburg. Two mighty rivers form a
confluence below Lewiston, and so they
do at Pittsburg; only the Allegheny
and Monongahela, that keep guard over
Pittsburg, are but noisy creeks COM
pared to the mammoth Snake and the
rushing Clearwater that environ Lew
istOn. And the hills that border Pitts
burgs rivers could be Clipped from the
lofty heights about Lewiston with a
woodmau's axe, and be dumped into
the rivers here and never missed. The
first idea that strikes a stranger upon
beholding this Upper Country is one
that never ceases to grow upon him,
and this is magnitude. We well re-
member that when we were a child, our
EXTREMIST practical idea of terrestrial
expansion was centered in Delavan
Prairie, in Illinois, which was said to be
fifteen miles in breadth. Here, in this
great Northwest, we have a prairie, in
tersected by hills and indented by val
/ leys and plowed by rivers, but still a
prairie. that reaches from one thousand
mile stretch to another, and then, leap
ing over mountains and laughing at gla-
ciers, spreads its voluminous aprons on
the rocky uplands Of Montana, and rolls
away like an opening scroll toward the
lands of the Dakotas.
Lewiston is improving nOticeably.
The liberality and hospitality Of her cit
liens is unbounded. There are many
wealthy people here, and all have the
good sense not to be purse-proud. DR..
Nevius, Of the Episcopal diocese, is
here, establishing a church, and sue
ceeding pretty well in getting members.
Mr.. Rigby has a Methodist pastorate,
and breaches In a courthouse in alb
sence of a church, where also our meet
ings Except one in the school-house)
have been held. The Raymond House
is new hotel, kept by hospitable and
worthy French lady, who has made our
visit exceedingly pleasant. Mrs.
n Sprenger, well known in Portland, has
opened a nice millinery store. Mrs
, Glover, Of Dayton, has a branch store
here, aud a number Of ladies keeI
restaurants and clearinghouse. The
district school is under the charge o.
Professors Kennedy and Crawford
and is in a flourishing condition, de
spite the prevailing epizootie, which
brings ocket-handkerchiefs into uni
versal demand.
Our meetings have been largely at
tended, the very best class of persons
as usual, being among the regula
hearers. AS is always the case wher,
> there is a goodly degree of intelligence
our mission here is popular. There ar
many gentlemen, quite a number o
them bachelors, and many ladies, VIII
are strong advocates Of the cause Of lib
erty for ali the people. If we had tn
time and strength to organize suil'rag
: societies in all the towns we visit, tn
work might be rapidly enhanced.
few workers in the field like Mrs
D Loughary aud Mrs. Foltz are badl.
needed. The people are ready. Al
they want is organizers.
We cannot close this hurried attemp
r at scribbling without allusion to tn
business prospects Of this mighty region
Of the topography of which we have al
ready spoken. This cannot be other
wise thar a great country for stock
) The range on the rolling uplands is ap
E parently inexhaustible. Grains ant
4 fruits of almost every kind peculiar t
the temperate zone flourish exceed
T ingly well, though early frosts ar
, liable to overtake the unripened prod
D ucts of the soil. This difficulty will bt
! obviated in time by acclimating thu
D seed, which, with care and patience, i
= easily accomplished. The scarcity o
timber is at first appalling to an Oregon
e or Western States farmer, but the raft
r that are coming down the Clearwater
D as we write, i'm whose mountain sources
! forty miles away, there is enough o
fir, tamrack and pine to last a million
ages $50 friend Manning enthusiastically
e tells us) are sufficient in quantity an'
, quality to allay almost everybody's ap
9 prehension on that score.
The stranger is a little surprised tina
S a town as old as Lewiston is so destitute
: Of churches and other public buildings
: Nor Is his wonder lessened when he see
e the people so orderly, intelligent an'
q hospitable as to put to shame full many
a a town we wot OF, where the good citi
: zens are pestered to death for money t
: pay needy parsons and build riva
L churches. or course, the saloons ar
= plenty and prosperous but they are no
e one whit more so than in other towns
II aud we opine that there is more re
,, ligious tolerance and general reverene
+ here for the real Gospel now than ther
y will be when every rival sect has sent
n church spire heavenward, and furthe
y depleted the peoples finances by buyin
bells and organs for the exclusive use q
E. the self-righteous few who control them
4 We like Lewiston. We like her be
s cause she's Cosmopolitan, whole-sOule