The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-09-15
FROM TIa. wEBFO0T COUNTRY.

FROM THE WEBPOOr COUNTRY.
PORTLAND. Ogn.. Sep. 18th. 1880.
After two long. weary days on the
steamship Colomb ia. and after amusing
ourselves by listening To Chips" and
the first officer engaged in q war of
words, which occurred every time that
Chips received some new order from
that funetionary. We sighted that we'll
named Cape Disappointment. We
slowly felt our way over the bar, and
in half an hour we we're opposite Sand
Island. where lies ell tina. remains Of
the obce magnificent steamship Great
Republic All that remains to be seen
Of her now ia her beam and wheels.
which are no, more than FIVE feet above
the surface. An hour later we were
alongside the wharf at Astoria. Once
ashore, need hardly say we treated
ourselves to what in common vernacu
lar is called a square meal. We were
hungry beyond question, for had We not
for two days teen engaged in feeding
the gulls and fishes. without replenish-
ing the inner man7 Nature needs no
prompter; 50 we fell 10 with a will
worthy Of the cause. expecting to ca;
the Astorians out Of house aud home.
In this we ANONYMOUSLY failed. We
love excitement. and. after appeasing
our hunger. we began to hunt some up.
It didn't take long to find some, for ev-
identity Astorians wish to agreeably
entertain visitors. Presently q pistol
shot was heard to echo on the evening
air, (for it was nearly dark when We
lsndsd) and we calmly. yea, solemnly.
marched out to carry in the corpse. We
found it to be lively corpse. IS we'll
as al Indiscreet one. IN the person of u
fisherman, who had. the previous day.
threatened to blow the brains out Of his
fsllowman without having the where
with ~ do it, to wit: q pistol. His en-
envy. seizing the first opportunity,
shot him on sight, carrying away the
fore6nger Of the right hand.
We thought we were we'll served for
beginning. SO We sought our little
bed on the steamer, and steamed up the
Columbia at 5 O'Clock next morning.
If there is anything more pleasant in
the world than being on board an ocean
steamer, with jolly good number Of
fellow passengers, steamiDg up the CO.
lumbia. have to learn what it is. The
river is nearly mile wide aud as
smooth - glass. with gorgeous scenery
on either side. Here and there we
passed riverside homes which were the
picture of domestic tranquility.
Seven hours run brought US to the
mouth Of the Willamette. on the Ssst
bank of which the city of Portland
stands, IL miles from the Columbia.
and not ON the Columbia. as ninety mine
ous Of every hundred people suppose
who have never been here. In brief
space Of time We reached Portland, aud
yielding TO the gentlemanly solicitation
Of one Of the proprietors Of the Nico-
lie. We permitted ourselves to be housed
and cared for.
We like Portland very much to look
st. 1t 10 attractive. and we might say
picturesque. but We must hold to our
arst opinion, that It cannot and will
never become great commercial city
It 10 too far from deep water. 1t is 10.
Gated where il Is deluged wnen the
river rises. and il We were to overlook
these two very important obstacles to
its future prosperity. the Columbia bar
is sufficient menace TO retard its pro.
grsss. We are sorry to have these con
illusions forced upon us by the existence
Of undeniable evidence. because We
have been received land kindly treated
by her people, who are Industrious and
snterprising. ~ we'll ~ courteous to
strangers. In our opinion her only hope
Of realizing her expectations 10 to push
her many railroad schemes through to
completion. and by . thorough and
good railroad system. with their ter
miuuses ct Portland. che will be- able to
snap her fingers ct her natural enemy
the Columbia river bar.
We leave here tomorrow for Kalsma,
on the Washington side Of the Colum.
biz. and thence for New Tacoma, from
who're We will cross to Seattle.
PoKEE.