The record-union., 1892-09-03
HOMBWARD BOUND.
The Return Trip from the Land of the
Midnight Sun,
Portland and Corvallis ColIege-Mu-
scum at Eugene-shasta's After
giow-Sands and Breezes.
special Correspondence RroonD-UNros.1


last word. 1t is maintained that the law
abiding element of the country is found
| mostly among the missionaries; that the
moral standard of the community has
| been unflinchingly supported by them,
and that corrupt officials have been re-
moved from positions Of honor and trust
by their influence. until now the quality
| OF those in power is very much improved.
L am informed also that the methods
! used by Duncan in the island of Metla-
k&tla have succeeded mainly because the
trlbe OF the Chimpseans is a superior
race to the Alaskan. Be that as it may,
the experiment is worthy of repetition
among those other tribes, as it is founded
upon the genius of good common sense.
We have some funny memories OF tax
ing the train at Tacoma for Portland. 1t
was midnight, and every few minutes a
bell would ring, and everybody-men,
women and children-would rush madIy
with arms filed with baggage, crying.
rs this my tramp But it rarely was,
so all would go back and relapse into
stone statues against the wall till the next
ring and clatter Of an approaching train
L think there must have been ten trains
that night and all of them late 1t was
cOmical sight.
Finally we captured one and rode all
night, reaching Portland in the morning.
We admired the handsome buildings and
visited the park and the Hights. The park
is laid out beneath noble trees of natures
own rearing for hundreds of years. Some
have fallen across little ravines and
been utilized as bridges. We were
charmed with the geological part, which
was composed mostly of animals native
to the coast. Especially fine were pair
OF California lions, which, very selfishly,
lay sleeping and paid no attention to the
admiring crowd gathered around. Red
Cap gave few feeble news, like tiny
kitten, then the eyes snapped open and
they responded with deep groWls of anX-
ious inquiry, evidently thinking one of
their own species was converSing with
them in the cat language.
From the Hights was to be seen a
grand sight. The resiStless sweep of the
Willamette, as it flows into the mighty
Columbia, the city in all its beauty, and
the splendor of the snow-crowned peaks
Of Hood, j Jefferson, the Three Sisters and
the range beyond.
1t seemed like home again when we
took the Southern Pacific at Portland,
and the baggageman obligingly checked
basket for us which the other route had
made us carry. AS we flew along we
came into realm of wonderful sky.
There was dark, purple cloud, about
twelve miles long, shaped like whale
against glittering sea of red gold. We had
about been sahated with sunset effects up
in the regions Of the north, but here was
something new and stupendous. and
we watched it in silence, as it continued
even In the starlight and moonlight.
Next morning at Albany we walked
across the new steel bridge, the finest in
the state OF Oregon, and of which the res
ldents are very proud, as they we'll may
be. We seemed to be in mid-air, as we
looked down at the Willamette below,
and Red Cap sang from out the lightness
of her heart:
Give me days of golden glory,
And my dungeon opened wide,
And the taireSt maid of story
With black-maned steed to ride
From Albany we had delightful drive
across to Corvallis, one OF the old towns
of Oregon, which contains the Corvallis
College of Agriculture. As we passed
along we discovered how sweet is the
air OF Oregon-weIl washed, of course.
and then tinctured with the breath of the
wild rose, which attains great Iuxuriance
in this cline. And we were ferried over
the Willamette by a queer contrivance of
pulleys on wire in high mid-air which
seemed very mysterious. Then we drove
through the old-tashiOned town, coming
to the college, where the strains of music
from the college band made us feel as if it
were a homecoming. The new officer,
President Bloss, was being installed, and
it was gala night.
I wish I could tell of the adyantaUas
that these children of Oregon find in this
practical home Of learning-the bows and
girls alike encouraged to make a study of
the useful and mechanical arts. The
wild rOsebush is utilized in teaching
them to bud and graft choicest roses in
the study of horticulture. The electrical
lighting up of the college is done by the
| boys themselves dnasmuch as there is no
light to be had IN vacation timel. Sewing,
! household economy, blacksmithing, car
penterIng, ETC., are practically taught.
and by means of certain employment
about the college every boy is entitled to
SO much per hour, thus earning some
thing for his industry. All this, in ad-
dltlon to the usual college course of men
tai study, evolves young men and women
competent to use their hands as we'll as
their brains, and with most gratifying
results.
That it rains in Oregon we had heard
indeed, that is about all we ever did hear
but it was in Corvallis that we had to
take an umbrella to bed with us at night,
not to keep off the rain, as might be sup
posed, but the thick, heavy sunshine.
which would get in past the shade and
blind US in the early morning with its
dazzling brightness. l never saw such
sunshine.
From Corvallis we went to Eugene, by
rail, to visit the remarkable museum of
the State University. Can it be believed
this was one of the most charming after
moons we had spent since leaving home?
Eugene is an old-taShioned town, every
home under a cherry tree, and holly
hooks blooming in riotoUs splendor. But
the college was modern enough; and here
of Tbo
Condor, the geologist under whose auspi-
ces the museum has been gathered.
Before we entered, Red Gap warned me
not to try to appear as ii thought | knew
anything, because it would only ac-
centuate my ignorance and cause her to
blush for me. So, very meel<Iy, / sub
sided, and merely listened. But the
group OF visitors there was so apathetic
in the presence of the wonderful relics of
the past that it was depressing. The
Professor was full of that youthful en-
thusiasm which is SO infectious-and
pretty soon forgot my warning.
Said he, 'This is the jaw of the pre-
historic horse, just as it was found in the
solid stone of Oregon-the little fellow,
no bigger than dog, who had the orig
inal five toes" Somebody yawned.
But seized hold of the dainty little jaw
at once. why it looks as if the teeth
had turned to chalcedony."
''Yo ou are not far from right said the