The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1905-04-14
When East Meets West.

When East Meets West
The East needs an introduction to
the Middle West Both the East and
the Middle West need an introduction
to the Far West That introduction is
going to be made, formally and inform
ally and informally you may take
your choice this year, and the Lewis
and Clark Exposition, at Portland
Oregon, will be the introducer. This
exposition, which will open June /, will
be useful in many ways, but in no way
will it be more useful to Americans
than in making the far divided sections
of this great country acquainted with
each other Whot does the man who
lives in Augusta on the Kennebeck,
for instance, know about the man
whose home is at Salem on the Will
annette? Aud the Walla Walla Wash
ingtonian-what is his conception of
the Washinqtonian whose residence is
in the District of Columbia? Between
San Francisco and New York stretch
5000 miles Of territory, and the middle
does not know the ends; nor do the
ends have proper acquaintance with
each other.
The exposition at Portland will bring
together both ends and the middle and
make them mutually acquainted The
East ought TO know more about the
West than the West kLow about the
East, for easterners travel in the west
more than westerners travel in the
east; but somehow these touring east
erners do not seem to diffuse their
knowledge of the west when they re-
turn home. Or perhaps the home
staying easterners refuse to believe
what their travel. wise neighbors tell
them of the west, because some OF
those tales ere tallish, so to speak, aud
appear unbelievable to the eye of the
conservative easterner.
On the other hand, the East has
gained mighty misconception of the
west by placing credence in tales en-.
tirely too tall for the proper stature Of
truth and veracity The "wild and
wolly" west is the only west which
much of the east wots Of. The tanned
aud tranquil west they refuse to be-
lieve in, and they entertain also, in
some quarters, notion that the wesi
is incapable of complete civilization.
The Exposition at Portland will dc
much toward giving the east a proper
attitude of appreciation toward the
west The thousands of easterners
who will take advantage of the reduced
railroad rates and attend the Exposi
tion, see the western country and it.
people study conditions and take note
of achievements, will return home with
minds cleared of very much haziness
that has beclouded them by reason Of
the acceptance of fictional caricatures
as gospel fact They will find all along
the Pacific coast civilization far ad
vanced, splendid cities with skyscrap
ers, church spires, public libraries, uni
versities of learning, telephones
1t is related that a Boston woman
who visited St. Louis last year, was
amazed to learn that the telephone
was in general use throughout thai
city. What will be her astonishmeni
to find in Portland not only the tele
phone that talks, but the telephone
that sees? At the Lewis aud Clark Ex-
position a device whereby one talking
through telephone may see the re
fiected features of the person at. the
other end of the line, will be exhibited
in practical operation for the first time
in public, and strange to state, it is the
invention of Portland man.
The East and the West will become
acquainted at Portland This will clear
up many misconceptions on each side
and will serve the stronger to cement
the several sections of our land.