Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-07-11
SHE LIKES PORTLAND
BUT LOVES THE farm
Ella McMunn Writes FOm the
City But Longs For the
Old Farm

Ella McMunn just can't help it.
When she gets in front of her type
writer her fingers go wandering over
the keys, improyising wierd harmonies
of thought from the basso profundo of
| things sacred to the lifting ragtime of
modern frivolities. Her fingers re-
gard not notes, for she writes "by
car, +" and the result is some of the most
delightful medleys. You can never even
guess as to. what is coming next. And
therein lies the charm of her sugar
coated sarcasms and her delicately
veiled filings at humanity's foibles. The
| following letter, perhaps not intended
for publication, shows these traits of
hers. She writes:
July 10, 1917
Dear Mr.. Fisher:
Inclosed you will find the where
withal for subscription to the Capital
Journal, which I shall ask you to send
to me at Salem, R. F. D., No. 5, as my
mother, who is still on the ranch saves
the papers for me and read them
when 1 go home for weekends. don It
know when shall return to the farm.
1t looks mighty nice up thefe now, and
can t forget what lovely feather bed
have there, and fried eggs for break
fast and real cream and how much nicer
it is to be awakened by meadow lark
in the morning than by street car or
honking auto horn.
And I'm not so awfully clever as I
thought / was. Why you know ]
thought only needed chance in order
TO make people sit up and take notice,
and that is why / stay and stay, just
waiting to lay hold of the big oppor-
tunity that 1 somehow feel is coming.
/ am awfully homesiek for all my dear
Salem friends who used to pat me on
the back and tell me that what l wrote
was "just fine"
But / like Portland-everything but
the street cars. They are-ever so much
noisier than anywhere else on earth,
and they start up the minute you enter
and land you on the lap of the nearest
person without regard to sex or previous
condition of servitude.
Last week was "Salem week" in
Portland. Mr.. May was here attending
the Chiropractirs convention; DR.. H. G.
Clement, DR.. Grover Bellinger, DR.. E. =.
Fisher, DR.. Lee Steiner, DIR. c. H. Rob-
tTISOu dUIGuutu luC N1CSOh OldtO NHNfN
ical convention; and for the Salem pic
mic for Salemites and those who have
left there, Judge Burnett, Mrs. Burnett,
Mrs. Olive Enright, Joseph Albert, Mrs.
Albert, Cooke Patton, Senator Hal Pat
ton and Mrs. Patton and their two
beautiful babies, Mrs. G. P. Bishop,
Miss Byrd, Miss Margaret Cosper, Mrs.
Pearee, Geo.. P. Litchfield, Perry Ray
mond and Mrs. Raymond and ever so
many more i didn't know except that
they lived in Salem or had lived there.
And at the Oregon State Music Teach
ers convention there was Miss Minnet-
ia Magers and Miss Beatrice Shelton,
while of course at this National Educa-
ton association there must be scores
from Salem, for people are standing on
ell incoming trains.
/ do hope they won Z be disappointed.
There are splendid speakers here and
persons of great Importance, but really
l can It hear them at all in their grand
new auditorium. OF course the work
men keeping up their dreadful pound
ing in some pert of the building may
have a good deal TO do with it. The
crowds are wonderful. This afternoon
every seat was taken (and they say
there are 5000 seats), and 400 persons
stood throughout the three hours and
at least 1,00sAwere turned away.
The wonderful little old-fashioned
but truly great Ella Flagg Young was
on the program. couldn't hear a
word she said but I applauded because
could see that her dress came down
to her ankles as PERSONS dress should,
and up around the neck decently. The
Belgian commission got steady five
hand clapping, and when they
ran up the flags Of the allies the house
rocked with cheers. But really nobody
understood them They had some
speeches written on paper which they
fondly fencied they were delivering in
but it didn It matter. Wei
knew they said Germany had jumped
on them and injured them and that they
thanked US for sending them aid and
that they loved us, SO every little while