The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-03-15
COUNTRY
EDITORS
LETTER
Goes to an Interior Town TO
Lecture.
Writes About Things He Saw
Which are Not Usually
Told.

Special Correspondence TO The Daily Journal
steamboating Is very tame TO what 1t
was In my bOyhood days on the
Mississippi river. Now long past mid
die life | can recall when only negro
deck hands we're employed and they
were not treated with near the consld'
GRAFTON reckoned necessary toward
mules. Juet ont OF slavery, they were
regarded little better than slaves. They
slept on the deck floor and the mate who
could curse loudest and keep them on
the keeneat jump drew the biggest sal-
ary. Games ran openly on the river
steamers, and there was bnr on every
boat. For time the fastest boats
competed with the railoads, then new
in the west, but gradually the river PAL
aces propelled with sidewheels gave
way 10 the sternwheel ireighters, aud
the charm aud romance Of steamboat
life was gone forever. The gay balls
Aad wedding parties from the highest
social circles we're a thing Of the past.
The more prosaic iron horse snorted
and champed his bits.
On the river steamer the passengers
we're drearily uninteresting, There
was not even the usual game OF pedro
In the forward cabin. Al one landing
We took on fiye-hundred sacks OF oats.
At another we bumped the shore among
the willows and received an accession OF
rural blonde school ma'am with
enough pimples on her face from eat
ing too much country bacon to have
subjected her TO quarantine at the hands
OF some Salem physicians.
Again We plowed on through the flood
sl river, occasionally stirring mp flock
of Wild geese iattening for their long
voyage north. On the lush young wheat
fields they are growing so fat they
have loggy flight. But a goose, If she
be only wild enough is a good Judge OF
distance, and makes a man keep his
distance, not knowingly getting within
gunshot OF him. The school Ma'am
was not 80 wild but what she was soon
cornered in the ladies cabin, and was
saying something TO one Of the boats
officers about cold hands and a warm
heart that he was not ,low 10 under.
stand or take advantage Of. left them
at the next handing and picked my way
up the hank to a clean quaker town thai
prides itself ON having the best water
works In the state and no saloons
Two young fellows 20, of the boat
with me and 40 We walked toward IA,
village whore lectuTed | pumped out
Of them that they had gone 10 10 South
era Oregon last fall after hop picking tC
prospect for gold and were coming home
Tor surprise 10 their families They
had no surprises 10 show but rich fund
OF experiences An through the noun
tains we're miners cabins rhey had
oamped In these, lived on bacon aud
slaplaoks, packed diet 10 water down the
canyons, iouud little ot no dust, bui
were not disheartened, Some OF the
best mines had been found In regions
prOspeetei over a dozen times They were
going 90 Try the RAker mining county
next They had rode all night without
sleep aud sIill they pelted on through
mud and rain 10 taste the sweets Of
mothers homo-cooked food once more.
"say Bal, don't you wish you bad a
nice little nugget 10 make yer gal a pres
oatf" said one 20 the other a. ] hade
them goodbye. HeshoWed little color
and said yoa.
The landlord gave me the big hont
bridal chamber Of the hotel, and had