Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-12-01
PORTLAND UNIVERSITY ONCE MORE.

PORTLAND UNIVERSITY ONCE MORE.
Iowa State Il ,gister: Register
has another interesting chapter today
in regard to the Portland, Oregon, uni
versity scheme, a lettsr written by a
leading Methodist aud one of the for.
most Republicans of Oregon, which
we clipped from the Salem CAPITAL
JOURNAL. We find that it is neces-
sary to keep the people of Iowa con.
stantly warned as to that real estate
speculation. Iowa has proved to be
a rich pasture for the pious speculators
to the extent of nearly 100000, and
IL Is stated that a new ''archangel" from
Oregon has recently located In this
state to stretch nets for still further
victims. We lave. been promised a
racy chapter in his Oregon history and
will be published If it becomes neces-
slry to protect the people of Iowa from
the wiles of the esauctimOnious sharper.
A former citizen of Iowa, now a resi-
dent of Oregon, has supplied the Reg
lister some additional data about the
Portland university scheme. The Uni.
versity Park is located from five to ten
miles north of the business center of
the city of Portland, according to the
different reports. The university was
established several years ago by ID d.
Stratton and a few professors who left
Willamette university at Salem Oregon,
because they could not persuade the
trustees of that college to go into any
kind of a real estate speculation. 80
they left and organized their present
scheme upon distinctively real estate
speculation basis. Stratton had pre-
viously been involved ia something of
a scandal in California ladies' semi
nary, the facts cf which are easily ac-
cessible to all Methodists who care to
inquire into them. In two years he
and his co-conspirators had nearly
wrecked the old and reliable Will
lamette university at Salem, the first
founded on the Pacific coast and today
the oldest and largest college of any
denomination on the western shore. 1t
was founded by the fathers of the
Mehtodism ia that region, and is now
under the control of the best blood and
brains of Pacific coast Methodism.
Men, like Whitman, Leslie, Wilbur
and Waller, all of whom are well
known in Methodist history, who went
as missionaries across the great plains
in ox-teams, land who rescued that
vast domain from the Indians and the
British, were the founders of religious
education in the Pacific Northwest, =,
and they did not found 1t upon a real
estate speculation. For thirty years
the contributions and patronage of
Methodist people and the Methodist
conferences went freely to aid in build
ing up Willamette university at Sa-
lem, Oregon, noble church institu-
ton which Portland university was or
ganized to destroy, If possible, by
wheedling Methodists Of other localities
and states into purchasing very small
lots at very high prices. Iowa people
have already contributed nearly $780,
900 to this speculative scheme, which
Is proving ruinous TO Methodist unity
In Oregon and will undoubtedly prove
a loss to all who invest In University
Park lots The Register has done it's
full duty, but many have been and are
being caught who do not read or heed
the warnings. Such people ought to
and will lose considerable portion of, or
all their money.