The Elbert County tribune., 1899-08-03
Opening and Clos
ing Scenes Of
The Convention,
Something About the
Beautiful City of Port
land,
PORTLAND, OREGON, ,
July 9TH. lSaa [

''"i ihoctiHS VI tle NaIlOn-
al Editorial Association closed TO-
day at O'Clock amid an inspiring
time OF oratorial eloquence and
good feeling and the members
scattered in all directions to see
Portland. Everybody seemed very
glad to inform the delegates of
places of interest and described
them, and never tired singing the
praises of the city and state.
Portland is wealthy, substantial
place of about 80, 900 inhabitants,
noted for its massive stone and
brick blocks and elegant homes.
The streets are paved, many with
asphalt, others with stone and
some with wooden blocks. The
street car service is electric and
very good, and the conductors and
motormen agreeable in answering
the thousand and one questions
put to them. The blocks are only
200 feet square, which seemed
very small to me, but the size is
very convenient nevertheless, and
the streets are not quite as wide
as Denver, but wide enough for a
double-track street railway aud
for business purposes.
In the residence part l was
struck with the many comfortable
homes costing from FL, 900 to
So 900, with beautiful lawns, Or
namental and fruit trees, beauti-
fed with many thousands of flow
ers. l never saw city with SO
many flowers, and they tell me
they bloom about the whole year.
The roses, Of many colors and
hues, are much larger than ever
saw. j will stake my reputation
for veracity that l saw many as
large as a common head of cab
bage, all with the purest and most
exquisite perfume. One good
lady insisted on pinning one of the
these large, handsome roses on the
right lapel of my coat and placed
in my band the largest and finest
boquct you could imagine. AT
my hotel its sweet perfume per-
meated every nook and corner of
my room and the hall, and will
linger for hours after l vacate.
Portland is an old and pretty
town and society is well settled.
| Handsome school buildings and
churches are seen everywhere, and
the people seem to enjoy these
advantages heartily. / think l
never saw people live so easily,
and they do claim they can make
expenses with less effort than any
where else in the United States,
yet they are not lazy. Their re-
sources are seemingly boundless.
Portland is the distributing
point for the great Northwest, and
being an ocean port receives car
goes from all parts of the world
and sends them out over the
various lines of railways CEN
tering there. II does very large
wholesale business, and its lum-
bering and fishing interests are
simply immense. Manufacturing
and ship-building are carried on
extensively and there are many
other. interests which combined
make it one of the important
and most prosperous cities of the
country. lis people are unusually
hospitable.
1 forgot to say that before the
convention adjourned announce
meucement was made from the
platform that we would proba-
| bly have to forego our visit TO
Vancouver Island, as the ship that
was to take us from Seattle
had met with disaster and
now lay at the bottom OF the
j Sound under 600 feet of water.
Efforts will DO made to obtain d
u. S. transport, however.
| AS | write this the closing So
ciai function of the association, Il
grand reception and ball, in the ro, ,,
tunda and in the spacious dance hall
of the magnificent hotel Portland
is in progress. 1t is grand afiall
participated in by the most ultra
, fashionable ladies' and gentlemen
of the association and of the city
of Portland and Of the state. Inc
large hall is beautifully decorated
with flowers, ferns, flags and bunt'
inc. brilliantly lighted by thou
sand electric lights whose bright
ness is mellowed by many various
, coIored globes. A fine band o.
fifteen pieces discourses enchan,,
ing music Gentlemen are in fal
dress and the costly robes OF tn'
ladies are simply indiscribable py
pencil like mine, but all max =
a fairy scene that can never o.
forgotten. Hundreds of ladie'
: and gentlemen are witnessing tn
(; beautiful and enchanting scene
: Tomorrow morning We start ol
a tour of the state and thence u
Seattle. Goodbye for to-day.
: J. u.