The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-16
la GRANDE, December 8, $50:

LA GRANDE, December 8, $780,
DEAR READERS OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
Our protracted meeting began at Union under
exceedingly favorable auspices. The cOmmodiOus
NJ E. church was filled with an intelligent and
sympathetic multitude of eager listeners. After
our introduction to the audience by Hon. Sam
Hannah, ex-Collector of Customs, choir of har-
monious voices thrilled the listening crowd with
the sweet, old-time melody of ''Home Again"
Our theme, "Why Not ~ embraced the entire
round of hackneyed objections to wOman's liberty
and hugged them all to asphyXiation. The way
for Woman Suffrage had already been pretty well
broken by the intelligent and well-drected labors
of Mrs. Hendershott Mrs Eaton, Mrs. Ames, Mr..
E. 5. McComas and Others who occupied front
seats during the lecture and lent the sympathy of
earnest and appreciative attention to our argu-
ment, thereby greatly enhancing the interest of
the occasion. The Centennial Year. was the
theme of the next lecture, which was equally well
attended, the entire brains of the community be-
ing promptly in their places in spite of the bit
terly inclement weather that invited everybody to
remain in the sung quarters of the freside and
home
The reading public will be pleased to learn that
Rev. Mr. Kirkman, present pastor of the NJ. T.
church at Union, and formerly of the VI. +. church
at Pendleton not only offered opposition to our
use of the church this year, but expressed himself
in favor of the woman movement and in sympa-
thy with its aims and objects. We were also
pleased to meet Hon. L. 5. Chase, Marshal Of the
Territory Of Idaho, who proclaimed himself
strongly in favor of Woman Suffrage, and con-
graduated Oregon upon her bright prospect of
leadership in the great work of bestowing their
rghtful heritage Of liberty upon the mothers Of
men, Mr.. f. 5. McCOmas, formerly of the Union
r.n-.-
day, and who, in spite of his radical heterodoxy
upon theological subjects, commands the respect
of even the most orthodox of his neighbors be-
cause of his frankness, loses an opportunity
to speak good word for the cause and has fright
ened away many mans rights bogie from the
brains of the more timid among them, who but
for the caustic logic of his utterances would vet
adhere to the ''head Of the family" nonsense.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, accompanied
by Mrs. Maggie Ames, we were driven across the
valley behind an excellent team that seemed to
know the driver and feel proud of her skill in
handling the ribbons, and after ride of nine or
ten miles through a Happy Valley that would put
to shame the early home of Rasselas we reached
the beautiful home of Mr.. and Mrs. Hendershott,
of Cove and were ushered into a CHEEKY parlor
where a glowing stove bid defiance to the ever
infringing cold, and the obliging host and hostess
country and the times. A smoking supper was
next in order after which we all cuddled down in
a sleigh and drove to the Universalist church.
about mile distant where gOOdly crowd COM
posed of the villagers of the Cove and the farmers
living in the vicinity, was already assembled to
listen to the gospel of peace. The church is also
a school-house, and is well patronized daily by
juvenile tyros of both sexes who seem to have
constant use for the great blackboard, if one can
Judge by the vast amount of hierogyphics traced
upon it in chalk, ranging up from addition to
music, and down from a problem in algebra to
words of two letters. row of candles on the top
Of the blackboard lighted the room tOerably, and
a roaring fire in the great drum-crowned stove
made the cold endurable We recognized quite a
number of old friends in the audience, among
them Mr.. and Mrs. Mac Rees, who own one of the
finest farms in the valley; Mr.. and Mrs. Clark,
who reside in the Cove and have lost none of their
interest in the woman movement, and Mrs. Nc
Gully, formerly Miss Jennie Mcdonald, an old
time friend and pupil Of our schoolma'am days,
who is now happy mother Of a large family of
sons and daughters, and who fully agrees with her
sensible husband on the subject of human rights
After two lectures at the Cove, and splendid
visit at Mr.. Hendershott's, including a Thanks
giving dinner that couldn't be beaten at Del
monlcos, Mrs. Ames escorted us to Union so be-
guiling the tedium of the ride by her sprightly
conversation that we took no note of time or dis
tance. This publc-spirited lady and her worthy