The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-03
LET PILOT ROCK ALoNn

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Standing on the boundary line between
California and Oregon. not far from the
town OF Ashland. is the noble mass OF
granite TO which men AVE given the
name. pilot Rock" Now there IS no
objection to that-and. II there were, It
would be OF small avail. The name cuts
little figure. and Eliot Rock was there be-
fore the line between California and Ore
gon was dreamed OF. II will stay there
long after all state lines shall have been
obliterated from the cold surface OF The
dead world whirlIns into The abyssmal
depths OF space. Pilot Rock was put
there to stay by a greater power than
any which may ever be employed to run
and to hold the boundary line between
Venezuela snd British Guians,
All thai is not TO the purpose The
point is that an organization calling itself
the Crater Club OF Ashland seeks now the
dissertation OF Pilot Rock by carving up
on it the arms of the state Of Oregon.
with an inscription in honor OF one Or.
Marcus Whitman. a wauderer OF old who
had the misfortune to stumble upon the
webfoot country in his ainless gadding
whole thing then to be dedicated as a
to the doctor. The Crater
Club deserves simply to be boiled alive
in the lava OF its own name. That is a
punishment fitting the crime OF any or
sanization or any man that desecrates
the grand natural monument OF this
land of ours by planting patent medicine
advertisement or coats-of-arms or
mere names upon the faces OF the rocks
that have looked into the eye OF the sun
for ages without blinking.
Fancy the dedication Of a mountain to
any human insect having the temerity TO
crawl up its face with the aid Of rope
ladders and Alpine stocks and bottles OF
brandy to sustain its falling strength. and
you will get a notion OF the crime the
Crater Club boldly avows its determina-
ton to commit, a mountain dedicated
to a mani! Bah! The man should be
thankful that the mountain does not fan
over upon and crush his lttleness.
And then. to add TO the indignity, the
carving Of the coat-of-arms Of Oregon
upon the face OF Pilot Rock! What has
Pilot Rock done to deserve this? As
well talk OF carving a wart upon the nose
of the sphynx. or Of putting an electric
light mast upon the summit OF Mount
V~esuvius. The c~oat-of-arms Of Oregon
is not a pretty thing 10 look upon, at its
best n in its proper place. No states
coat-of-arms is. The h~erald-at-arms
was somehow a new man at the job
when the various devices for the several
states of this mighty nation were given
out. Still. Oregon. like the rest, can man
age to worry along comfortably under
the present coat. so long as she does not
attempt TO infict 1t upon her neighbors.
nor permit Of it being carved upon rocks
and places where he who runs may de-
ride. The rest OF the world has no in
terest in a coat-of-arms kept for parlor
use. and will content TO give pr. Whit
man the tribute Of its silence while his
merit be not proclaimed too loudly. II
the Crater Gu wants the memory OF the
old gentleman kept green, it will begin
by letting Pilot Rock alone. That be-
longs to the world, and IS a bit Of :he
monument to a mlghtier than any mere
man. The whole world is a part Of that
same monument. and the universe and
its inscription is written in star dust and
cannot be obliterated. The monument
Of men should be the work Of the hands
of men.