News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-04-24
Letter from Oregon.
SELLMoOp. Oregon.

Wrll6 you as W my lucas vi Gue dCluC
North West, but I did not wish to
make such a fool of myself as the
American statesman did, who, on his
arrival at Liverpool, wrote back to
this country, giving his ideas of En-
glish aristocracy in Hyde Park,-I
mean the Hyde Park in England
and q detailed description of the kink
in the British lions tail. This leads
me to say that / believe the doctor"
who has beer writing you from Ore
gon is close relation to the afore-
said American statesman, and /
should not be much surprised to find
that he is the statesman him.
self. But seriously, l thought l had
better learn something about the Pa
cific North West before L could write
you intelligently, and my determine
ton to, was very much eased in view
of the fact that your correspondent,
the doctor" was doing his best to
keep you posted. Without going into
details can unhesitatingly say that
our Journey was very pleasant one,
and on arriving at Portland were very
much surprised at the thrift and en-
terprise evident on every hand. The
people of the cas-, generally have a
very inadequate idea, not only of
Portland, but of tie Pacific North
West, and l was surprised to find that
much of the advertising matter sent
out by the Bureau of immigration in
Portland did not exaggerate the con-
dition of the count v, the climate or
the future possibilities of Washington
and Oregon. When l arrived here,
railroad construction was going on
vigorously and signs of poverty were
nowhere to be seen. OF course with
the stoppage of railroad work the con-
dition of things was somewhat
changed, but all who came here be-
fore l did, and for some time after,
and secured a piece of land, have
been, and are, getting on well. Not
until the last few weeks have | seen a
single beggar on the street, and this
is easily accounted for. Men who
worked on the railroad, when paid off,
have in many instances hung around
the cheap hotels and saloons, spent
all their money instead of investing it,
and of course are now "hard up"
They have nobody but themselves to
blame, for the reason that there was
plenty of government land to be had
free, and railroad land to be had for
a fair price and on easy terms. 1t is
one of those evils which, though cas-
lily explained, is nevertheless an evil
brought upon certain classes through
their own negligence and love of ease,
and together with laundering for hav-
ing 'good time" The doctors"
structures on the farmers, wherein he
talks of their giving short measure,
in order that he might round out the
point of an incident he had on his
mind, are not in good form. Farm
ers here will compare favorablv with
those Of any community in the east.
OF course here and there you will
find shiftless Missourian who forms
part of the remnant of Prices rebel
army which retreated from Missouri
and never stopped until they reached
the Pacific Ocean. 1t is not true that
the Northern Pacific railroad from St.
Paul to Portland is ''ramshackle af-
fair" as the doctor" says. OF course
it has some of the roughness of new
road, but that is being rapidly rene
died, and after talking with people
who have gone over ali the transconti-
mental roads l am satisfied of one Of
two things, the doctor" did
not get pass over the Northern Pa
-ciffic, or THAT he pays the debt ef-et
ting one in ingratitude. l cannot see,
either, why the Doctor" in defend
ing the eastern man, should pitch in
to the western man. 1t may be that
the western people have not treated
the doctor well. If so, that is be-
cause there is something the matter
with him, and from his correspondence
| should not be surprised to learn that
he is suffering from chronic dyspep-
STA. Henry Ward Beecher, who was
out here, speaks very highly OF the
country, and he has made it the theme
for his new lecture. While out here
he had many opportunities of obser-
walton and of judging properly of the
country, and [ am sure his word will
60 with the New England people as
far as the Doctors" especially as
Beecher when out here was in excel
lent health and free from dyspepsia.
You will see that the doctor" in
bringing up everything adverse to
to this country overdoes his busin ess,
for after reciting the incident of
woman dying of starvation in cellar
here with her sick husband beside her
and two children crying for hunger,
he has to 60 all the way to Montana
to find another case. L am sure if
there was like incident nearer Port
land the ''Doctor" would not have
travelled over 900 miles to get it.
Now challenge the doctor" to give
dates and names that will confirm his
starvation story. If you will take
the trouble to go back and read his
letter you will see that he had a pref
ty hard time all the way from Mime
apolis. 1t would have been far bet
ter for him if he had waited a while
as have before he attempted to tell
of the people of country of which he
manifestly knows little or nothing.
L am satisfied, but as the Dutchman
says ''The more man lives the long
er he finds out"
SAMUEL H. SCRIBNER.