News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-05-29
Letter from OREGON.
PORTLAND, Or, May, 1881

PORTLAND, Or., May, 1904.
MesSrS. Editors -
/ am pleased to learn that both Mr..
Samuel II. Scribner and Henry Ward
Beecher are we'll satisfied with this
Pacific North West, including the
Northern Pacific railroad. 1t is just
possible, however, that during my res
idenee in this city 1 have had oppor-
tunities possessed by neither of these
gentlemen of seeing beneath the sur
face of things. Mr.. Beecher was in
Oregon and Washington but q few
weeks, and saw the country chiefly
from the platform of crowded lecture
halls, (admission 81 first class no.
tel and hack windows, while Sellwood,
Mr.. Scribner's place of residence, is
not point from which the country
can be accurately described. Mr..
Scribner has challenged me to furnish
names and dates of an instance of a
case of extreme restitution referred
to in one of my letters TO you. The
name of the woman who died was
Bartonshaw the time last December,
and an account of the affair can be
found in the columns of the Daily
NeaUs, published in this city. L hap
pen to know that this paper did not
exaggerate the matter, for | am init
mately acquainted with the physician,
an eastern man, who attended, gra-
tuitously, to the case. Probably Mr..
Scribner would deny the truth of the
following incident, but it is neverthe-
less true: A week ago last Sunday a
book binder from Chicago was wicked
" rowing In boat on the river, when
the boat upset and the man was
drowned. Next day the Daily Ore
e, ..;ion, in giving an account Of the
circumstance, said that no effort
would probably be made to recover
the body, as the city or county made
no appropriation to pay for dragging
the river. The Oregonidn was right.
The man had no friends and the body
is now occasionally seen floating on
the surface of the water, unpleasant
ly near the water works, and no one
pulls it ashore and buries it, because
if any one did, he would receive nc
compensation for his services, and
the western man "don't work fol-
nothing, you bet" If Mr.. Scribnel
will come to my office l can tell hin
many things about the country Of
which he seems to be ignorant. A
man who looks no further for his facts
than the speeches of Henry Ware
Beecher, is apt to be led astray.
could show him almost every day mer
coming to this office asking for help
no work, nothing to eat. l coulC
prove to him that during the last win
: ter the number of men asking TO
shelter at the police station averaged
as high as fifteen day. l could poin
q. out to him statements in the daily pa
: pers that everywhere men were unable
to obtain work.
1 have always maintained that tn
climate is good, that the valleys ar
productive, and with different clas
e of farmers would be as fine as an.
in the world, but that Oregon ant
Washington are paradises deny. 4
man coming here with capital enough
a to buy an improved farm, can do well
. but TO 90 back among the hills am
Homestead" q place, or buy it OF tn
= railroad, requires youth, pluck, goo
=. health, and with a prospect of as har
Il work and complete isolation as in an
other country.
5 Concerning my statement as to th
Northern Pacific railroad, / hay