The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-02-15
Life On the Pacific Coast Tribute to
An Old Friend.
BY JOSEPH A. ROMAN.

DEAR FRIENDS Last weeks MIDLAND has
notice of the death of my boyhood friend, s. ].
Woodrow. 1t is more than fifty years since we
were "frst acquaint' and hope you will bear
with me while cast my pebble on his grave.
The boys who gathered around the stove in the
old school house at Rowlandvile are widely
scattered and mostly forgotten To few of us
old fellows memory sets them in place and recalls
the pleasant wavs of each. Among them Steve is
foremost in kindly good nature. There was in
that school a boy named "Jim,' bound boy,
whose lot was hard work and slim fare. peep
into his basket prompted Steve to offer him a
piece of his mince pie. You remember what n
piece of old fashioned home made mince pie was,
the one-fourth circle a foot In diameter and an
inch thick. The inside was rich, a whole meal,
meat fruit and drink all in one. To see Jim de-
your it was ample reward to Steve, who contin-
tinued through that winter to furnish Jim pie, for
Steve's kindness was inherited and the story of
Jim's short rations told at home met hearty re-
Spouse. 1t may have been that this richer diet
nerved Jim's heat to it, but anyway he soon
found courage to '.Iun off, and died prosper
GUS mechanic in Philadelphia since the war; This
kindness ofSteve's boyhood attended him through
| life. little more than year ago met him
after an absence of nearly twenty years. The old
light beamed from his eyes and as we talked his
heart warmed to those old schoolmates as if fifty
years were but as day.
| You wish to hear about Oregon City. Well,
when was in Missouri thought knew good
deal about it, but after two months residence here
have grown modest AID am ready to say there is
much l do not know. Why did l make this
move? After the late election settled for certain
/ that we had embarked on this sea of expansion
with all its follies got tired of being so near the
centre could not feel the revolution, came to
/ this rim where people of everywhere meet and
strive. Then we do not have cold weather here,
but we do have what Missouri woman would
call mighty mean weather." for it rains, SHOWS,
fogs and drizzles, but said to be healthy for all
that. There is much to remind me of the Cecil
hills. The air has the Susquehanna ozone in
place of the lung disturbing quality of the free
breezes of the middle west. Weare having jan
uary flood. The Willamette is so high that oil
the big mills at Oregon City are shnt down The
most water they have had at any one time since
'91, when the main street of the town was
thoroughfare for boats as is sometimes the case
of your Port Deposit. This flood serves good
purpose by giving several hundred hard worked
men needed lay off.
In these mills they run what at Rowlandyille
|
two sets of hands to the twenty four hours Those
going on at night work 1877 hours; the day men
1917 hours, except on Sundays; then the men who
go on Saturday eve work until IL m of Sunday,
when the day man of the week before takes his
turn until Monday morning. This is the rule but
mostly these Saturday eve men work until Sun
day eve, thus they each get one Sunday off every
/ two weeks instead of half Sundays every week.
This arrangement is for changing the shifts With
out loss of time.
The wages are one dollar and a-halt day with
something higher for the foreman These men
live all about but at this time of year we do not
see them, only their jack o lantern lights as they
hurry along the side walk going to or coming
from the mills 1t is a slaves life and only pref
cradle to farm labor or soldering because Of the
seeming better situation of their wives and chill
dren. The great majority of these operatives are
young men. They come from everywhere, except
Asia and Africa. Some of them have been to
Klondike and Alaska, some to the Philippines as
soldiers; Others have rustled cattle and sheep on
the ranges in the pasture country east of US, and
many from the logging camps of this coast. The
unmarried are not considered desirable by the
bosses :" They have way OF taking themselves
hence at the It port of new dggings or like light
cause. The young married man who has con-
tracted with a loan company for his house and
lot TO be paid for on the instalment plan is the
catch they like best. He Is easier held to long
hours and arbitrary rules, besides we all like to
help man with family.
1t seems to be settled that this Is to be manu-
featuring town. At one time this would have
meant that fine residences would grace the hills
overlooking the valley. There was once a move
in this direction and some good houses built.
These, however, were not long occupied by the
builders, they either passed into the hands of the
Portland bankers or are held as bad Investment,
rented to store keepers, mill foremen doctors and
other small professionals while the mill propri-
etos stay in the big cities where society is better
and where the evading of taxes is easier.
The land adjacent to this town, where not too
rough to cultivate, is held in small tracts devoted
to mixed truckng The vegetable growing is
however, monopolized by the heather Chinee,"
who uses the river bottoms and overflow lands
owned by the various companies.
This mild. moist climate suits the Jersey COW.
The absence of corn, and the abundance of roots
clover hay and wheat offal give to her fine
coat 1t is not much to care for Jersey COW
where cabbage sugar beets mangels, carrots and
| potatoes are gathered in good condition and
abundance the 2lst of January as they are here
today. Stables and board floors are required but
with good lumber delivered for 500 per NJ. this
is not the Job it was in Missouri
| The old apple trees are moss covered, stupted
growths; nothing to compare to those of Cecil but
they seldom fail to bear while the plums cherries
and pears make good returns, and some of them
| immense crops.
| The land have seen all bears a striking re-
semblance to the Stone Run land of your Sixth
district. Precisely the same 'nigger head" rocks
and naturally fertile soil. Clover timothy, wheat
oats, which they SOW from October to May vetch-
es, China peas and know not how many others
are forage crops here. Corn will not mature right
but no trouble to grow roasting ears"
| am going up the valley soon which some say
is the best country on the earth l have been
looking good while for that place. and if 1 am
| satisfied III let you know.