Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-11-19
PORTLAND LETTER.


Portland, Or, Nov. l7.-It is quite
a common thing for people living in a
small town to belittle their home pa
per, except under two circumstances
when the paper praises them or when
1t tells on them, and, heaven knows,
1t doesn't do the latter half as often as
it might, and, indeed, half as oft en-,
possibly, as it should.
These remarks were suggested by an
incident that occurred the other day
in my office here. A couple of gentle
men from your town, knowing that l
represented your paper at this metropo.
lis of the Pacific Northwest, called to
see if l kept your paper on file. OF
course do; and it would have made
your heart glad to have seen those fel.
lows ~devouring every local line in it,
ads. and all. pom honor. l think
they'd have gladly given me a dollar
for the pleasure they had in reading
their home paper, of which they prob
ably think very little when at home.
1t is not often that l strike a tartar
of a business man, but the other day
l lassoed one in fine shape. In solicit
ing an ad. for your paper, | presented
my card to a manufacturer who was
standing near the front door in his
store, and who was evidently not en-
gagged for the moment. AS he read the
card, | began to speak of the merits of
your paper as an advertising medium.
Before l had gotten in medals res, he
waived me off saying, cts no use
arguing with me-"
The mans manner was abrupt and l
was miffed. Imprudently, possibly, l
promptly responded: "If merchants
treat your drummers as you treat me,
you'll not have any use for advertising
or for your factory either"
This brought him to his senses. He
a~pologized, and after half hours seance
on advertising in general, and in your
paper in particular. he told me to call
on December 1, when contracts he had
elsewhere would expire, and then he
would be in a position to give your
paper an ad.
Do you find your merchants inclined
at all to be "snappish" when you talk
business to them? 1t is not often that
| run across such a churlish man as
have Just spoken of. Business men ap.
preciate more and more every day the
. value of advertising, and the solicitor
finds his business easier and better as
the merchant he approaches is shrewde1
and more progressive.
a You doubtless know now quite as
e much as l do about the presidential cleo
= ton, held ON the Sd inst. Here II
e Portland it was the q%uietest election
ever held. The B~ryanites claim thai
$ the peace and good order was due tt
i Mayor Pennoyer's non-partisan police
; whilst the other side declare that the
I good order was due to a well-organlzec
league of Mckinley men who were de
termined to have a fair election.
r saw nothing of this league in evidence
but the police were in evidence every
where and their conduct was admirable
| think both sides were surprised a
i the vote in Portland and Muitnomal
county. Reckoning from the vote a
the June election when Pennoyer, tn
: silverite, was elected mayor, the Nc
Kinleyites were figuring ON from 200
to 5000 plurality in city and county
r. and the Bryanites were disposed to con
slider that pretty tolerably fair figuring
The result-always remembering tn
June vote-certainly surprised bot
sides. The surprise, however, dlffere'
in each case in it's nature and effect o.
the mental temperament. Leavln
aside the little conferences on ever
corner as to how the federal patronag
shall be distributed after March
1897, interest has already become az
tive as to the senatorial election mex
Y January. OF course, Senator Mitche
N expects to succeed himself. Indeed
Y there is every reason to believe that L
was promised the support OF the eimo
gold people in consideration OF n
services on the stump, and also IN Col
sideration of his giving the Simon pei
pie the votes of his friends in the legl
lature in behalf of a new charter II
=. Portland, which would legislate tt
, present city administration out.
"a The slate was arranged with no Col
s. siderable g~eneralship, but there is a
f. ready a speck of trouble in the SIX
= and that is that many of the sllv'
in men who were elected on a platfol
Oh supporting Mitchell for the senat
T. now declare their obligation to vo
Mt for the senator's reelection to ha'
IT. been released by Mitchell's attitude
ly supporting a candidate on an intern
is tional bimetallic platform, when Il
Ill -. f,~oorantlv declared for i