The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-02-15
GLAD TO GET BACK.
Mr.. N. Harris Account of the Change
Elsewhere.
The Bottom Has Dropped ont of the
sound Country---Despair OF
Bellingham Bay Woman--
Chicago,s Dire Distress.

Cn1cago,s Dire distress.
Mr.. N. Harris returned last evening
from q trip through the Sound country,
over the Canadian Pacific in British
Columbia, and through the East. Mr..
Harris is close observer, shrewd
fnancier, and his experiences should be
of value in determining the general con-
dition of affairs throughout the country.
To begin with he does not talk very
hopefully. He has been resident of
this country more than twenty years
and he says he never saw such crisis
as exists at the present time. Belling-
ham Bay he describes as a beautiful
city, with. wide, paved streets, lined by
beautiful stone buildings. Hardly any
sign of life is to be noted. For blocks
windows are broken and the houses de-
serted. There is no money in circula-
ton and business is almost totally sus-
pended. He ate dinner at a finely
appointed restaurant, and besides him
self only one other man occupied the
dining room. Standing on the corner
by hotel he saw a woman and little
girl walking on the opposite side of the
street. The woman hastened her steps,
apparently trying to walk away from the
child. The latter, in alarm, said,
"Where are you going, mammal" She
replied in a tone of desperation: ST
don't care where go. I would rather
go to hell than remain here" Those
who had money have left and those who
have no money are compelled to remain.
At another place in the Sound country
he went in the postofice to buy 10 cents
worth of stamps about o'clock in the
afternoon. AS he paid for them the
postmaster remarked: '.That is the first
money taken in today" Mr.. Harris
thinks that the reason of the greater
stringency in the Sound country over
Oregon is due to booming" and over
building.
In British Columbia, on the line of
the Canadian Pacific, he was surprised
to find the state of affairs reversed. The
people seem contented and no one is
suffering. Work is ordinarily plentiful
at good wages. A resident said to him ::
eve have not got such fine buildings as
in st. Paul and Chicago, but we have
plenty to eat"
At Chicago the scenes of distress were
renewed. The wife of one of his friends
was knocked down and robbed at 9
O'Clock in the morning on a public
street while doing some marketing.
Strong men may be seen sweeping the
streets, and are only allowed three
hours day. They are paid only with
food and q very mean quality at that.
Even women are thus employed. The
weather was so cold, said Mr.. Harris
that if one poked their head out of doors
he would get his nose frozen off, and ir
such an atmosphere, women, thinly
clad and in one instance, man with
only one shoe on, were sweeping the
streets to procure food. Everyone il
!, praying for another election to hurry
around and, mentally, are clothed il
sackcloth and ashes for voting for the
change. Chicago will go republican
next time by phenomenal majority
the disposition being to vote the straighi
ticket, down to constable, and, even i
democratic candidate happens to bt
more agreeable to them personally, they
win vote for the republican anyway, al
sort of self-inhicted penance. Theii
remorse is deeply rooted, and they have
come to realize that the suffrage is moi
thing to trifle with.
Speaking of the jobbing trade, he says
merchants are buying only to fill il
broken lines, and do not, as heretofore
order an entire line of goods. Other,
| go and buy nothing, representing only
as matter of form, and for bushes:
ends.
Speaking of The Dalles, Mr.. Harris
says he believes that it is today the bes
town in the United States, and that we
don't know what hard times are. Asked
if he thought we should finally be over.
taken by the same fate as exists in the
East, he said no; everyone here is in
moderate circumstances, and is pro-
vided against the commercial famine
Few here live from hand to mouth, like
the thousands in the larger cities, and
there is reserve fund which will fulfill
all requirements. We may be pinched
but never crushed. He concluded with
a comparison of our climate over that oi
Illinois, and said we are not half appre-
ciative enough of the blessings we enjoy.
Notice--Auctfon Salei