Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-12-08
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
Salem, Her People and the Valley
Described by Pennsylvania.


summer paid a visit to the coast
and writes of Salem at con siderable
length. He says:
"Salem is both a pretty and an
interesting place. The ground on
which it is built is level and its
surface is high above the surface OF
the river. This naturally gives the
river here very high banks; but
only on the east side, as on the west
side the banks are low and the
river is fianked by bottom lands
which are Overhowed in times Of
high freshets. The streets of Salem
are very wide and in many places
lined on both sides with shade trees
which, nourished by the rich black
Oregon soil, have grown tall, dense
and symmetrical, giving the entire
city an agreeable shady appearance
that you are not likely ever to for
get. It'brings to your fancy visions
Of the city of Elms, and Unter den
Linden. There are many elegant
and comfortable residences, the
homes of culture, wealty and re-
finement. These generally are set
back from thestreets and have yards
between them and the streets. In
these yards are closely cropt lawns
and flowers and shrubbery.
1.-The court house is a large brick
structure standing in the center of a
square with ample grounds all
around it and wide board walks
leading from the streets to its doors.
The walls of the building, as many
brick buildings in Oregon, are
covered with a thin coating of blue
black cement. On the next square,
directly to the east of the court
house square, is the capitol.
"a wide and long flight Of marble
steps reaches from the ground up to
the second floor, the floor upon
which are the chambers of the two
branches of the legislature, and the
offices of the governor and other
state officers. On going up this
grand flight of steps l was several
times impelled to stop and turn
around to take a look at the well
shaded city, and at the Polk county
prospect which lay beyond the river
to the west. 1t was like climbing
snow peak in miniature, but much
easier work.
"Among the persons tOwhOm |
had the honor of being introduced
was w. A. Munley, Private Secre-
tary to Governor Pennoyer. Mr.,
Munley is a man of probably twenty
five or twenty-siX years of age and
went to Oregon from the northeast
ern part of Pennsylvania less than
dozen years ago. He is clever
young gentlemen and submitted to
my questioning with an easy grace.
E. b. McElroy, State Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction, was an
other person to whom | was intro
duced. l found in him also a Penn
sylvanian, from Washington county.
met the Secretary Of State, G. w.
Mcbride. Mr.. Mcbride is evidently
man of ability and rare good judg-
ment. AT least he impressed me so
in the little while was with him.
While Mr.. Mcbride is not Penn
sylvanian found in his office L. f.
Glltner, from Northumberland
county. Mr.. Giltner is an uncle of
Mr.. Mcbride and also his deputy.
"The view from the top of the
capitol was commanding. Away
off to the east lay an almost illimit-
able farming country, yellow with
harvest fields to the very horizon.
The Cascade mountain range was
not in sight, partly because of the
haze of the dusty summer atmOs-
phere, but far out in the direction in
which it lay We're light spots of
large area which Mr.. Giltner said
were grain fields on the foot hills, or
lower benches of this range of
IN 'untains. Streaks of timber, in
which the ever present Oregon fir
was the most conspicuous feature,
radiated in all directions, giving an
agreeable variation TO the level
landscape that otherwise would be a
littlemonotOnOus Fine large build
ings I'M the suburbs Of the city lay
In easy view, The prospect TO the
east was the most attractive, but
northward and southwark the views
were also pleasing through appar-
emily more thickly timheped than to
the eastward. Beyond the river, TO
the west, lay some hills that caused