The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-09-19
TIMBER LANDS OF OREGON
History of a journey In Which hr.
N. U. Bond was a PILGRIM.


Dear Doctor
As requested, this morning /
will undertake to state as briefly as
I can some Of the impressions l
have received on this visit to your
great State and beautiful city. On
my way from the last General Con-
ference at Los Angeles to Alaska,
I stopped here two days. Ever
since I have desired a more ex-
tended opportunity to know some
thing of this country. Having
been in this quarter Of the State
now for over two weeks, one-half
of which time has been in the city
and the balance in the country, l
am already prepared to say that it
is great country.
The impress to the early his
tory of State on its future is great
er than we sometimes realize. The
courage and enterprise of Lewis
and Clark at the beginning Of the
last century, as exemplifed by
their now historic expedition, was
an inspiration to their intrepid
country men who. in the middle of
that century, came over the Ore
gon Trail" to win from the savage
and the forest wild the prosperity
made possible by that early and
heroic adventure. The people who
are here now in the beginning of a
new century are not unmindful of
this illustrious beginning 1t finds
a large place in their historic COL
lections, in their pioneer associa-
tions and in all their current litera-
ture. They are rooted in heroic
past, but their fame and purpose is
to the front and to a greater and
better future. They are an Ameri-
canized people. They are there
fore, not much given to strikes.
They are here for better purpose.
Not much Of their public money
is needed or used either for the
suppression of strikes, or for the
prosecution of strike murders and
other crimes. 1t is, therefore, APP
piled to needed public improve
ments, and to the development of
OF a fine system of public in
struction as is to be found on the
continent. Their strick is into
their rich soil. and into their great
timber, and into the future of ma
terial prosperity which these
assure.
In the condition Of the people,
in the quantity and quality of the
timber this is truly great State.
The health and cheer and content
ment of the people is one of the
sure and marked results of the
material prosperity found on every
hand. l have talked to many of the
men who have carved their small
clearings out of the forest. On a
few acres they raise more and bet
ter hay and grain and vegetables
and fruit than are often raised on
large and extensively cultivated
farms in the east They are quite
conscious of this advantage. More
than one of them has said to me:
There is no country in the world
where we could get as much for
the same amount of work.
Their homes are generally built
of split cedar. These trees split so
easily and smoothly that the
houses look at a distance like plan
ed lumber, Not only the sides
and flooring but doors and facings
and shingles are all 50 made. In
parts of the east the pioneers made
rough kind of roof of split pine.
TO make it reach they made the
pieces long SO that three courses
would cover pretty good sized
shed or side of roof. Often they
were held in place by logs or
stones at the ends instead of nails.
They called them clapboards and
they were. The split cedar by rea-
son OF its strength and smooth line
OF cleavage makes very much bet
ter and better looking lumber. 1t
IS said that one man from a single
tree can split enough boards in a