The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-12-25

you will find no Eastern city of its size
with so many beautiful and prosperous
churches, nor with handsomer school
buildings. The First Congregational,
the First Baptist and the First Presby-
terrain churches are among the hand
soonest and stateliest church edifices l
have ever seen, and there are scores Of
and prosperity. The school buildings
are large and modern, but rs in all other
cities they are overcrowded The cen
trail high school is an imposing stone
edifce accommodating nearly thou
sand pupils. The Scottish Rites Cattle
dral. just being completed, is one of the
largest and handsomest buildings of its
kind in the country. The free public
library is a massive stone building OF
Colonial type, and contains also halls of
statuary and art.
The city hall is an immense and
stately building, also of stone, hanked
by wings supported by massive columns
of Scotch granite. The entire upper
floor is devoted to a very complete
museum of natural history. There are
two large public hospitals doing an ex-
cellent work. They are st. Vincent
(Catholic) and the Good Samaritan
(EpiscopaD. There are also several fine
private hospitals.
The charitable institutions are many.
but all work in accord with the Board
of Charities and the ground is very
Systematically covered. Among these
institutions perhaps the Baby Home is
the most beautiful and appealing. Here
are babies and babies from the tender
age of two days up to children of four
and five years of age.
All of the secret societies seem, to
flourish, and there are many never
dreamed of in the east. In fact, Port
land is healthy, busy active city, and
it's citizens are philanthropic and gener-
Gus. When we consider the fact that
none of its numerous charities are ell
dowed like those of eastern cities, it
will readily be seen that there are
many cheerful giverS. There are three
Grand Army posts here, also three
auxiliaries of the Woman's Relief
Corps. There are also three Camps of
the Spanish American War Veterans
and they all have auxiliaries.
During the civil war, Portland did not
reach very high pitch of patriotism.
In fact, secession prochvities were in
the ascendency, as the city claimed
many southerners in its population, and
many of the inhabitants of Oregon and
Washington, as we'll as California were
openly in favor of the south, and there
is no doubt but that if the south had
been successful the Pacific states and
territories would have formed coali-
ton, anu would have set up another
"confederacy.' The vast inland en-
pire east of the Cascade range, now
teeming with mineral wealth, and where
millions of cattle and sheep Craze in the
fertile valleys and on the green foot
hills, would have made another confed-
racy but right and might prevailed,
and now no one can really appreciate
the immensely of this vast, blood bought
country until they traverse it from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and gaze with
wonder ard awe on mighty mountain,
river and plain, and all sections at peace
and floating one flag.
The veterans of the civil war who
have made their homes in Port
land still complain of that feeling, and
while the Union veterans do not receive
the general attention that they do in
the east, yet people are fairly generous
in their behalf The Indian war veter-
an fairly claims share of public hon.
age, and we'll he should, for he is uni
que figure in this country. 1t is hard
for eastern people to realize the suffer
ings endured by the early settlers, but
easy for many here whose memories
still TEEN with all they endured. Their
descriptions are very vivid. The long
march across the plains of six months
and sometimes a year, the lonely
bivouac, the midnight alarm of 'Indi-
ans" the massacres, the deaths from
sickness of many fathers, mothers, or
children, the lonely graves on the
march when they left their loved dead,
the pillage of cattle and stores by
thieving Indians, the poverty and some
times hunger of the men and women
who blazed the trail over the divides,
who suffered every privation and every
hardship to plant home in a new
country, all this is very real to many
men and women of this section today,
and is fit theme for poet and novelist.
1t seems almost incredible that so
much progress could have been made in
so years; and that where half century
ago the savage red man roamed at will,
terrorizing the scattered settlers and
committing untold depredations, now
stretches peaceful and progressive
CITY and on the two broad rivers the