The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-10-15
OREGON'S METROPOLIS.

portIand,s Industrial Exposition and
Some Of Her Thriving Institutions.
Special Correspondence.
Portland, Or, Oct. Say, do you
know that this is pretty good KIND OF
a town. The people are more sooiaoIe
than one would think. Several very
nicely dressed ladies. and with their
faces done up in paint and powoei'
have invited me to come right to snelr
houses. and me never having been In
troduxed to them at ALL l cali shat
real sociable, do.
Out at the Exposition, where l was
a total stranger. one lady / never saw
before introduced herself to me, and
asked me to her house, saying she mao
several very attractive girls. OF course
had to go, and what do you think l
done? You see, had to shave my
self
got a flexible razor strop, canvass
one side, leather the other, from Wood
ard, Clarke & Co., Fourth and Wash
ington. They mail these elegant strops
to any address for thirty cents.
Saturday night was Redmen's night
at the Exposition; and, Judging from
the number of 'em there, it looked as
if there were no pale faces in Portland.
These make. believe Injuns had wig
vans, tomahawks, and pipes of peace
galore. One thing that most pleased
me was that I find they pay pretty
good sick benefits, and also they make
Mark Twain's saying good, that the
good Injun is the dead Injun; for as
soon as you're dead your squaw gets
some thousands of dollars.
Cali carpets fade. Some people say
they won't, but we know they will. "
What do you think of sign like that?
I was surprised to see it in the largest
carpet and furniture house west of Chi
cago, the 81. G. Breeder Company.
This house has four floors 100x100
crowded with all classes of furniture
from plainest cottage to superb hand
carved mahoganies. I was afraid to
ask prices as looked through the won
derful establishment. Ny friend was
not so carefnul, and we found that
prices here were cheaper than anywhere
in Portland. That comes from trading
with factories IN trainload lots. Port
land is Justly proud of the great Il. G..
Breeder establishment.
Mayor Pennoyer and Harvey Scott
are having it hot over the fire depart
ment. The mayor. he has the depart
meut; and Harvey, he has the grumb-
ling; so it looks just like each one
would have his own turn--the mayor
with the department., and Harvey with
his grumbling. 1t amt for me to say
a word one way nor tother, but l
think when Harvey's done with Syl-
vester, and the mayor is through with
the editor, that they'll kiss and make
up. Both are pioneers, and that makes
Oregon aristocraoy.
Somehow feel as if we deserved no
manufactures here. Our people seem
to prefer Eastern or foreign goods.
Look at Golden West Baking Pow
der, an article that is surpassed by
none, which has been used by me for
five years with entire satisfaction. 1t
is made here by men of character; yet
how many of us use Eastern goods
without thought that money spent at
home fer home goods stays with US.
This same house-Closset & Devers-
has an exhibit of P. p. G. gas coffee
rooster, patented only last April. The
machine roasts 100 pounds Of coffee in
from to Is minutes, as against As
with the old method. The long, sim
mering of the coffee over an intensely
hot fire destroyed all the fine aroma,
and virtually killed the coffee. By
the new and short method the coffee
falls through flame, at the rate of 40
times to the minute. The fame, being
in the cylinder with the coffee, the in
tense heat directly applied, draws the
oil which is near the surface of the
coffee out and seals the berry SO that,
as the roasting continues, none of the
aroma escapes.
This is campaign of education. On
the corner of Third and Washington,
there are daily, and all-day, from one
to three crowds discussing the money
question. You never hear a word on
tariff-thank God! Free silver is all
one hears. It's lively bouts they do be
having. too, can tell yez that. OF
course, don't pretend to know which
side is right but l do know that the
plain folks like me seem to know "sta-
tistics" on either side better than I
ever knew since I studied Rule Three.
The law and the medical schools all
opened last week. went to both de-.
butts. Science is making great head
way. feel like my grandmother af-
ter three days in big city. She heard
a freethinker lecture, and there was no
hell; and then she heard a dress re-
former lecture, and there was the
union" garment; 80, when the dear
old soul came back to the ranch, she
said she guessed she'd enough of city
life-frst, there was no hell, and then
there was no "chimmie,'' and that
made life not worth living.
EZEKIEL.