Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-12-29
A Letter From Oregon.
CORNER OAK AND TWELFTH
STREETS, SALEM, DEC. 10. 1898

STREETS, SALEM, DEC. 10, 1898.
Dear--I expect that you have
began to think that have forgotten
my promise to write to you, but |
have not, and would have written
long ago but we have been so busy
and there has been so much to see.
that have found hardly any time to
write to anyone. Salem is a very
beautiful place, but it is not near SO
large city as supposed it would be.
Its population is about 10000 1t is
situated in the valley of the Villa
mette and to the west can be seen the
snow peaks of the Coast Range and to
the east those of the Cascades.
Among these are Mts. Hood, Jefferson
st. Helens and Rainier. We can see
all of these on clear days. Salem is a
we'll kept up town; the streets are all
so pretty and clean. that it is great
pleasure to walk in them. Most of all
the state institutions are located here.
State insane asylum, penitentiary.
orphans home, reform schools and
home for the feeble minded. We
have a fine university, and five ward
schools. No high schools at all.
The State house is magnificent
building. 1t is not as nice as that in
Des Moines but it is considered very
fine for the West. When we came
here the roses were all in bloom but
they are nearly all gone now, only a
few are left. TO me the air feels nice
and warm, but uncle Ashley saws it
is very cold for Oregon. l can hardly
make myself believe it is winter time.
There is no snow and the grass is lust
as green as it can be. We have little
showers every day, but nobody seems
to mind them a bit and there are lust
as many people on the streets during
a shower as when the sun is shining.
The people carry umbrellas all the
time rain or shine, for they never
know when a shower will come; and
may expect it all the time. Uncle
Ashley says you read mans char
acter by the way he carries his UNI
brella and | guess that is about true.
You should see the bicycles! Nearly
everybody rides them. Even little
babies and real old people. We boast
Of the youngest rider in the world;
little boy, not quite two years old.
They do not say bicycle as we do but
pronounce the ii" short, and "y",
long The churches are fine. The
Methodist is the largest in the city.
We have been attending the IN
ltarian services, and have been
hearing some splendid sermons. The
preachers name is Mr. Copeland, and
he is little, bald-headed, and cross eyed
yet every word he says is interesting,
and forget everything else when /
am listening to him. [ do wish you
could hear him, | know you would en-
joy it so much Aunt Carrie belongs
to the Methodists and sometimes 90
there with her. They have a large
pipe organ and Il choir of thirty
voices. like the music great deal
better than l do the sermon. We
live in Very beautiful and busy part
of town. We have rooms in a very
large white house about four blocks
from the state house, three from the
university and two from some large
wooden mills. The depot is block
east and the street car line runs along
Oak ST., so you see we have plenty Of
noise. Our yard is so pretty. A
beautiful little creek, about the size
of Botna runs across one side of it.
1t is not very deep and flows all the
way over little round pebbels. There
is an old rustic bridge, and spring
near it, which flows into the creek.
~ no We why oliC uepOI. MOSl Vi Cne
travelling and transportation is done
by water, and it is great fun to watch
the steamboats,.
The Cinnamon are never ceasing
source of amusement to us; there are
a great many of them and we have
large sized China town. The babies
are so cute Quite noted man
among them died the other day and
they had large funeral. They first
brought a great many gods and joss
alters into his yard, which they
formed into circle around all of his
household goods which had been
thrown together in pile; then they
set fire to the pile of things. They
made a splendid blaze. Then they
fired off fire crackers and sky rockets
to drive away evil spirits. After this
they had a feast, and then followed
the corpse to the grave when they
had another feast. In two or three
months his bones will be dug up and
sent back to China. We had such
a pleasant trip out here. | wished so
often that you could have been with
me to enjoy the beautiful scenery.