The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-03-01
JONATHAN BEESWAx.
Butteville, Ore, Feb. 10, 1900.

For the past three weeks have been
living in Silverton, one of the most in
teresting towns of its size in the state.
It is situated on branch of the South
ern Pacific in among the foothills of the
Cascades. and has the advantage of both
agricultural and numbering industries
for it's support. One Of the logging
camps is run by a man known as "Old
Bill Smith" and as he is rather a per-
suasive old fellow he succeeded in induc
ing me to go out and work for him. The
camp is situated in a beautiful little
glen on Silver Greek ard on either side
rise almost perpendicular walls which
prevents the sun from shining down in
the valley more than two hours each
day. The next morning after reaching
camp I started out with the crowd to
the woods which are situated half
mile up the mountain, and after get
ting up there they told me it was my
duty to climb upon a spring board
about 25 feet from the ground and help
another wood engraver" saw down fir
trees from four to six feet in diameter,
and let them roll down the mountain to
the creek. where they are foatod down
to the saw mills at Slverton. I have
witnessed several grand sights, but be
lieve the grandest sight of all, was when
/ stood that morning on spring board
about 30 feet up the side of a monarch
of the forest and looked down the al.
most perpendicular side of the mountain
to the boiling and tumbling stream
dashing iteelf into foam on the rocks
below. When we sawed the tree off it
gave wild leap into space and for a
few seconds there was such a thunder
ing and cracking of falling timber as to
almost deafen person, and the noise
only ceased when the tree lay on the
fat, full half mile below. I believe
would have enjoyed the sight immense
ly, had not foolish thought kept con-
stantly bobbing up in my mind that I
might possibly fall off the board and
follow the tree down the mountain.
This thought bothered me for a couple
Of days when I spoke to Old Smith
about it. The old man seemed rather
put out, and said be didn't know as he
could find man to fill my place. told
him that if he couldn't find a man to
fill my place that perhaps he could find
couple of men who could. The ego
tism of this remark was lost on him and
he wanted to know my real reasons for
quitting. then told him that death in
it's usual form had no terrors for me and
that was ready to meet it's ghastly ap.
proach any moment, but when it comes
I do want to be a decent looking corpse.
I knew that if an accident should occur
that would send me down the mountain
with six foot fir tree, my remains
would 60 to the cemetery on the install
ment plan. b.
Silverton has a Liberal college with
about 100 students enrolled. 1t also
has Liberal newspaper, the only one of
the kind published on the coast. These
followers of Tom Paine and Bob Inger-
coll hold their meetings every Sunday
night in Liberal hall where lectures are
given by the professors. About 500 of
the inhabitants of the town are Liberals.
Silverton is chiefly noted to the outside
world as being the place where Dayen-
port, the great cartoonist. was born and
The Pioneer gives ali the news.