Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-10-30
OUR OREGON LETTER.

EuIroR N0BTHwE1Ts Having been IN oregon
nearly I've months, AL Of which time have been
trying to form common ssnse opinion Of this land
Of magnificent distances aud high lafltudee, drifting
sands and stesp precpices have concluded % give
else description Of this grsly over-estmAsed eoun-
Try. Back home my pariahOners call me Bishop, out
here pass ~ q plain christian gentleman with
family name do not deserve. II WAS PROBES.
sional man would start . newspaper bureau and
hire men TO write things that would keep me before
the public.
over al Astoria the other day was interviewed,
or rather reporter attempted 10 Interview me, mis-
taking me for played.out politician from the State
Of Mississippi; In fact my being mistaken for that
class Of citizens is one Of the grievances that have
to complain Of since my arrival here.
do not give my opinion for anything, but 1t
seems to me as though the entire northwest Is de-
veloping on borrowed capital a. basis. Transpor
tstion lines branching out In every direction
laying out for an immense commerce, but there ts
| nowhere any evidence Of producing power to
| furnish the trsfic. The whole structure seems TO
be built upon borrowed money, and money BY tself
ls the most sterile Of all crops TO plant This entire
region 10 therefore over developed In the line OF
commerce and transportation, and 1t viii be genera
tons before the producing power OF Oregon and
Washington win be squRl TO the power OF dlstribu
tion meanwhile the pinch to pay interest VIII make
somebody squeal, then comes . scaling down or
population; then settling up at 20 per cent. aud
commencing over again. What this country needs
s more small farmers composed Of that class of men
who can make two potatoes grow where one former
| ly grew.
After leaving ST. Paul the tourist or emigrsnt as
he ia called (according to the train he takes begins
to serutlDiZe the people lotterers at the various
stations along the line, and he wonders where so
many people come from, as the houses are few and
scattering. asked man who boarded the train
for an explanation. 0h thatis easily explain ed said
he when the train is due every one crops his busi-
ness and rushes for the depo this is done to make
favorable impression the arrivals that this
town is on the boom. After riding three or four
days through this valley Of desolation aud shadow
| of death. (thn daafh fapfnO nv the great
nu mber Of dead cattle along the track that have
frozen been killed by the engine,) one begins to
feel sort of home-sck feeling that goes way down
into his boots, and 1t does not improve any when
be goes into restaurant at the way station and calls
| for glass OF beer and q pretzell when the high
wayman behind the bar takes all the money he lays
| down, giving no change back.
As we approach the foothills of the Rockies feel
ing OF curiosity begins TO creep over you and You
and yourself looking for the high mountains we
used to read about. asked o train man where
where the Rocky mountains we had heard SO much
about. why here you are half way across them said
he. why, these amt mountains these only hills
said I. why, man you are on the top of the mount
aims said he. This explained why the mountains
were so low; we had been climbing them for day
and night. AS continue to study the countenances
OF the different highwaymen along the line think
to myself, surely this is great field for missionary
labor, and Rs am some on that racket, began to
look for proper subject to commence on. Soon q
halfbreed came aboard and managed to get into
conversation with him; / asked him II he knew he
was on the road to hell? He gave me q look that
seemed to say, are you crazy, or do you think am
found on further acquaintance that he was grad
uate from one of eastern colleges, and being dis
gusted with civilization, had returned to barbar-
/ ism, like the SOW to her walowng.
Every effort that have made to convert the heath.
en- on this side of the mountains convincee me that
have either mistaken my calling or the proper snb-
ects for missionary labor are given over to hardness
| they are past redemption, and have concluded to
| turn my efforts to other fields Of labor.
| AS peruse the NORTHWEST find that the isle OF
Patmos. which was honored BY our first missionary
efforts, like the temple in Jerusalem, has become
resort OF the toughs of both sexes and hereby
DIN my partner In my FIRST missionary work, A. j.
Saygers. to make scourge of small cords and whip
them out at his earliest convenience, for 1t Is writ
ten "that my house is house Of Prayer" but they
have made 1t q den of thieves and money changers.
The first Indication that We are receding from civ
ilization and the home of the American hog, no.
tced at Spokane Falls on the 9TH Of June last in the
efforts OF some eastern dudes to eat pie with fork
at the hotel table, the past board of the pie be-
ing too much for the fork. After leaving Spokane
Falls one can but notice the great diversity OF soil
along the route. The soil in many places is COM
posed OF 20 per cent. sand and the rest rock and
sage brush. The most villianous compound that a
man ever put in his stomach is found in these high
way robber hotels called saloons and restaurants
1t is mean enough to make man do anything. He
feels as though he wants to take some bodys scalp
or to hold up and rob STAGE or be held up himself
In conversation with some Of the old 49ers as they
versaon with one Of these old timers he said, that
when newcomer arrived he was expected to rise
| up in meeting and tell what brought him here. II
1t was nothing more than killing somebody, robbine
a treasury or passing counterfeit money, he would
received In full fellowship at once, but fhe had
stolen horse or mule he could not be forgiven In
| this world or the world to come.
| visited an Indian reservation few days ago in
hopes Of finding subjects for missionary work; in
conversation with intelligent half breed learned
that about ten years ago eastern society had nj
them missionary; after ten years hard work he
had converted ten old Indians when the work sue
| cumed for want Of funds. The Mckinley bill has
knocked the bottom out of missionary work in the
United States in admitting sulphur and birthstone
on the free list, this and free salvation is the
main stock to draw from In the missionary field.
/ got pointer from the Indians that might be
adopted by the crowded eastern cities In disposne
of their surplus female population. The klamath
Indians marry off all their girls at from ten to four
teen years Of age, and they old women at thir
ty there is plenty Of old women In the tribe to man
| age the matrimonial market. ORIN THOMPSON.