The Washington herald., 1920-06-14
By RAYMOND G. CARROLL.

When II was suggested less than
a century ago that one future day
iOregon might become a State,
United States Senator from New
Jersey roared: "Preposterous propo-
sition" He went on to demonstrate
that a member of Congress from
Oregon would of necessity have to
travel 10000 miles going to and COM
ling from the nations seat of gov
ernment, along winding and often
dangerous trails. His argument was
that IL Representative Travelled
thirty miles a day II would take him.
after counting out Sundays for rest
| just $50 days. and the speech con-
cluded:
+ Think of the absurdity of a
fifteen-day Representative"
! Nobody then wanted Oregon. Sem
ator Benton, of Missouri; Senator
winthrop, of Massachusetts,, and
even Daniel Webster voted that
Oregon was a Western wilderness,
infested with wild beasts. redskins,
,trackless forests and deserts OF
shifting sands. Their imaginative
chambers. great in problems OIL
constructive government, were
wholly incapable of visualizing rail-
road lines straight as the crow nies
cutting down the round-trIp dis
tance to less than 1000 miles. MOI
did they dream OF the telegraph or
the telephone.
As David w. Hazen. historian and
war correspondent for the Portland
Telegram and the best reporter In
the Northwest. pointed out for my
iattention an old clap-boarded house
still standing in Portland. which
was once the residence OF Ben Holi-
day. who started the transconti-
mental pony express. my mind dwelt
on the early scorn of Congress for
Oregon.
Trip Cut to Five Days.
Today United States Senator
C'Uncle George'D Chamberlain
travels from this progressive city OF
200, 900 inhabitants located amidst
beautiful orchards and flower gar
dens to Washington, d. c., in few
hours more than FIVE days, and when
legislative matters are pressing he
can telegraph or telephone on the
instant. Oregon has been a State
since 1869.
In 1905 Uncle George" whose
nickname used to be "Nonpartisan
George" rode irto the Senate on the
back of the late Col. Roosevelt.
Henry NJ Hazen. political authority,
says Mr.. Chamberlain. sensing the
popularity of Col. Roosevelt, bolted
William ]. Bryan and campaigned
"I reserve the right to place country
above party. Although a Democrat.
will support Ro' -"lt and the
things that he star
This year the sis that I'm
Gle George" will is seat In
the Senate through Inpopulari-
ty of President Wilson with the
voters of Oregon. Until the Presl-
dent took his big potshot at Mr.,
Chamberlain in May for his pre-
vious opposition to the league OF
nations without reservations, there
was a chance for the Republicans
to beat Uncle George"
r. n. Stanfield, a wealthy sheer
king, is the Republican opponent OF
Mr. Chamberlain. Mr.. Stanfield made
lot of money during the Euro
pean conflict from the sale of his
wood
Uncle George" was born in Nat
chez, Miss, in 1854, and was ap-
pointed. deputy clerk of Lynn Coun-
ty a year following his arrival in
Oregon in 1876. He has been in
public office almost continuously
since. being successfully represent
ative to the State Legislature. dis
trict attorney of Lynn County and
attorney general of the State. Nov
ing to Multnomah County. in which
is Portland and one-third of the
p pu I a t on Of Oregon. Uncle
George" was elected district attor-
ney there, and from that powerful
office he climbed to the governor
ship.
Senator Chamberlain's art as a
politician aside from his statesman
ship lodges in his extraordinary
memory for names. Whenever he
meets a brother Oregonian he Is
able to say. "How's Mary" Has
Joe left school?" or Let's see. John
is 16 years old" without ever max
ing an error. He Is an unofficial
and honored member of every i'm
portant vote possessing family in the
State.
History on Tongues End.
Senator Chamberlain is probably
the only man in Oregon who knows
offhand whether IL was Lovejoy who
came from Boston and Pettigrove
from Portland, Maine, or Pettigrove
from Poston and Lovejoy from Port
land. The firm of Lovejoy & Petit
grove, or maybe II was Pettigrove &
Lovejoy. ran the first department
store in the Northwest; 1t was a
scrt of "small-time" Hudson Bay
COMPANY on the west bank of the
Willamette River, ten miles from
where it makes a junction with the
Columbia River.
Each wanted the settlement to
wear the name-coliar of his nome
place in the East. They tossed a
coin to decide and naturally the
Portland man won. Boston people
claim that if the Portland man had
lost, the town would have done
much better as Boston. The expe-
ri.nce of other name-collar Bostors
all over the country does not Justify
such a pretension most of them