Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-31

PORTLAND, OREaoN, May IL, 1888.
My residence of few months
in Portland has been one of con-
slant delight and surprise. Com
ing, as ! did. from the rigors Of
midwinter into the balmy air of
sping, almost at a bound, as it
were, was so forcibly reminded
of the contrast between the Pacific
coast and the entire region from
the Rocky mountains to the
Atlantic, that am not likely ever
to forget it. For weeks, even
months, l reyeled in delightful
spGi1g weather, and with the
telegraph daily informing me Of
cod waves and billiards, OF SNOW
ard zee, in my former home, I
watched the opening of bud and
fiowe-, saw the fruit trees bust into
their bloom of white and red, and
heard the cheerful voices Of early
summer birds, as they hoped
fror1 branch TO branch Of the
profusion of shade trees which
line the streets of this beautiful
city. Already the second week
in May spring is past and summer
is upon US. The lilacs have long
since disappeared, and the beauti-
full snoWballs, whose masses of
white have appealed to my eye for
admiration from hundreds of we'll
kept lawns, have given way to
roses. And such roses! The
yards Of the rich and poor alike
are mass of bloom; carnation,
yellow, pink, cardinal, flesh, saffron
and all the glorious hues assumed
by that queen of flowers, greet me
at every turn. The love offoWers
evidenced by their profusion and
the attention given them, speaks of
culture and refinement, and in my
most pleasant intercourse with the
people of Portland I have found
them all that their beautiful yards
had led me to believe. l assure
you, it was a novel experience for
me to see lawn mowers in active
operation in March, and to behold
the Portlander in April nightly
handle his garden hose with all
the care and apparent enjoyment
the resident of Chicago or Cincin-
matt would display in June or July.
This matter of lawn is the Port
lander's pride and one of the chief
glorious of this most delightful
climate. The sight of green grass
Is not absent from the eye from
one years end to another, save
perhaps, during few days in jan
uary or February, when the
ground is covered by light fall
of snow. 1t is only few weeks
In the entire year that the services
of the lawn mower are not re-
CURED to keep in trim the con-
stantly growing grass. This per-
ennial green sward, with almost
constantly blooming flowers, offers
an opportunity for beautiful lawns
and pleasure grounds, of which the
people of Oregon's metropolis have
not been slow to avail themselves.
In the matter of shade trees, the
streets and grounds Of private resi-
dences appeal strongly to every
eastern man, be he a resident OF
the Mississippi valley, the Middle
states, or of far New England. In
California he sees the ubiquitous
eucalyptus and others less familiar
to his eye, less beautiful in form
and color than those of his native
forests, filling him with a sense Of
loneliness; but in Oregon, and es-
pecially IN the outrageous streets
of Portland, he is greeted by the
familiar foliage of his childhood
by the graceful elm, the leafy
maple, the sweet-scented locust
and the glistening poplar. | have
been particularly impressed with
the multitude of fruit trees grow
ing in the yards surrounding the
residences. Cherry trees of enor-
nous size and wide-spreading
branches now appeal most strongly
to the eye, as their burden is al
ready displaying the rich tints OF
the ripening fruit. Pears, apples,
peaches and plums hang from the
boughs of thousands of trees in an
abundance that promises a crop Of
unusual magnitude, even il this
land so prolific in natures bounties
As / said at first, spring has
given way to summer, after hold
ing its own for nearly three
months. Think of it, you who
like myself, have been accustomed
to but from two to three weeks o.
genuine spring weather; think of a
vernal season extending over a per
iod of three months, a season o
bud and blossom, of leafing trees
and poisoning fruit, Of wild flow,
ers and cultivated bloom, of clean
dry streets and good roads, o
I