The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1912-07-12

men stood feeding the machine Next
followed car load of ladies, the car
bearing notices and greetings in print.
Their roses were tied in bouquets which
they tossed to the people, Then the
day following the "horse parade" was
fine The parade of the public schools
was fine. Thousands of pupils with
their instructors, different schools in
costumes, The Brownies, the May Day
Girls, the Hollanders, the Frontiers
men OF Oregon, the pied piper followed
by an army of boys dressed like mice,
then a crowd of girls and the weeping
mothers close behind.
Three miles OF march ropes stretched
all the way to keep back the crowd.
Police controlled the whole line of
march, which was headed by city
officials and company of mounted
police.
The Electric Parade" consisted of
large motor trucks. These bore large
and beautiful figures and men ard
women, representing nations and great
characters. Each float was Illuminated
which was supplied by trolly arm to
the railway wires overhead
The newspapers Of Portland had to
import a few adjectives to describe it, so
I'll not try.
The trip down the Columbia river
100 miles to the coast was fine. A
magnificent river with sea going vessels
an III
for river boats for three hundred miles.
We stopped at Astoria which has just
celebrated it's first centennial, a city OF
$1,000 with large lumber mills and
near by forests of fir containing
millions of feet of the finest timber
in the world. But we were particularly
interested in the Salmon fisheries,
and had the pleasure of visiting the
canneries when the river boats unloaded
a few ton OF the large Chinook salmon
caught few hours before. The Chi
nook and Steel head salmon abound in
the Columbia River. There are at least
5000 men engaged in catching and
canning these fish. The total catch of
last year was 36, 45S,llS pounds with
fish weighed from % to 70 pounds
piece and are the finest market fish in
the world. The work of dressing these
fish was so well dore that a little later
we ordered salmon for dinner and had
dish fit for king.
Shad, sturgeon, smelt and crabs are
also included in the fishing industry of
Oregon.
We spent few hours at Fort Stems
at the mouth of the Columbia where
about 300 of Uncle Sans troops are
stationed Here we received little
idea Of our coast defenses. Forts OF
to-day are so different from those of
few years ago. An enemy approaching
the entrance to Columbia River would
see no frowning battlements, no rem
parts of stone with display of canon.
They would see only a rocky beach and
above it hills covered with the dark
green frs aud other shade trees. But
back of the trees are banks Of sand and
solid masonry ard in deep embrasures
| some rods apart are three batteries each
Of four ten inch guns. These are rhed
guns, fire $50 pound shots and can be
! fired at the rate of one minute each.
! The gunners do not see the enemy but
are directed where to aim by men in
observation towers. There was also a
battery of ten inch guns, of the
disappearing type. These are raised by
the gunners above the parpet, the gun
s discharged and then fall back out OF
sight OF the euemy. The Sargent who
conducted US through the fort is friend
OF my sou, and he also gave US the
experience OF launch ride on the
Columbia.
Motoring on the Columbia is fine, but
as the wind freshened to a gale sending