The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-10-29
PORTLAND LETTER.
Chan~es That Have Been wrought
Within the Year I'm the Thrfv-
ing Metropolis.

Changes That Have Been Wrought
within the Year I'm the Thriv-
ing Metropolis.
Special Correspondence.
Portland, Or, Oct 81. - Such
weather as Portland has been having
all during the Exposition, is simply
delightful. Never warm, at any time.
I have not at any time felt the
need of an overcoat. The nights have
been clear, and the moon beautiful.
With such weather, it has been pleas
ant to wander about the city OF nights,
and look in the windows of the big
stores, many of which are lighted even
when closed to business.
Since you were here Portland has
four elegantly paved streets. Morrl'
son street and Third and Washington
have fine, smooth. asphalt pavements,
and Fourth street from below the new
city hall, up to Union depot nearly, is
baved with wooden blocks which are
in concrete and sand foundations.
The wood pavement is an experiment
The blocks are of a soft Dir. The
chinks between the blocks are filled
with tar 1t makes smooth and
"givey" roadway. If it shall prove to
wear we'll it will be the pavement for
this section as long as our f1r forests
exist.
Ben Tillman, the Sonth Carolina
senator, spoke here last week for Bryan,
and Ben Butterworth, exmember OF
congress from Ohio, followed the next
night for Mckinley. The former is
rugged, quick, vigorous, dashing cam
paiener: the latter is as smooth,
genial, cosy and persuasive in manner
as what Marian says / used to be. 1t
takes all manner of men to make
world. From the gallant South we
find in Oregon man as rough as
miner in earlier days, whilst from the
middle west, Ohio, Oregonians are
listening to a Chesterfield in manners,
and one who evidently thinks a soft
answer turneth away wrath. Both
had large and enthusiastic audiences
Tillman had an open air meeting, and
fully 5000 people heard him; Butter.
worth spoke indoors to a packed house
with /, 800 seating capacity. but hun
dreds were turned away unable to get
standing room.
The exposition closed Saturday night
the 18th inst. without any particularly
special feature unless it be the small
ness of the crowd. The campaign and
hard times were rather disastrous
financially. Whereas, last year the
guarantee fund was returned to SUBJ
scribers, and a surplus Of $4,000 left
over, this year there is deficit of
about 81, 500. Yet the entertainment
provided for visitors this year quite
tQualled last. There were eight big
special nights for the various secret
orders this year as against three last
tear; yet the excitement Of the cam.
baign, the counter attractions Of clio.
Iuent speeches to be heard free, coupled
with the stringency Of the times, com.
bined to make the gate receipts too
Imall, "by SEVERAL" to cover the ex.
penses. However, Portland is plucky
town, and no doubt next years exposi.
ton will be success such as was last
years.
This is truly great campaign OF
education. On many corners right in
the heart of the city there are gathered
crowds of men, from ten to even 100,
listening to disputes on the money
question. The listener put in"
every now and then, and the debate
growing general often becomes warm,
but never boisterous. Nor are these
gatherings composed of only idle men
of the poorer people; by no means. AS
a rule the crowds are made up Of
frequently men Of position and means
take turn at solving a sticker, or of
proposing a crusher. The oorwds most
always seem to be in good humor, and
the Americans love of fair play is
never more conspicuous than when the
opponents in these street corner gather
ings get to humping one another with
what each considers knock down argu-
ments.
Competition is the life of trade, we
are told. Portland now has two tele.
phone companies, and one has to have
two phones to reach the people who
would all patronize one company were
there only one. The rival company
brought down rates, but when one pays
both companies he finds that that kind
of competition has cost him more than
he bargained for. 1t is such facts as
these that give rise to the agitation for
municipal ownership of telephones,
gas, street cars, ETC.; but on the merits
Of that l express no opinion, as the
editorial columns of your paper are ex.
clusively for expressing opinions. A
correspondent should at least let the
editor do his own editing
Almost as many women here ride
the bicycle as men; and my belief is
that about each of one-twentieth of the
population has a bicycle. The folks
with money, keep up the style" in
bicycles. Their '96 wheel is turned
right over to the dealer for some small
sum. probably one-quater of the ORR
ginal retail cost, and that amount de.
Quoted from the '97 model. This
makes secondhand machines of last
year. almost as good as new, sell for
about half price. You see, 1t would
not do for one Of these tony riders to be
seen next spring astride 80 model;
that would exclude him or her from
his or her '97 model set. Well after
all, it is those kind of folks that give
employment to labor, and cheap, good
bikes to poor people. EZEKIEL.
A Heavy Failure.
Hartf0rd Conn Oct 81 -Indna