THE WEST SIIOPvE.
May.
4
TO OUR PATRONS.
Although this is really the April number
of the Wkst Shore, it is published and
dated in May, and our reader will no
doubt expect an explanation. We have
heretofore published at the end of every
rnniith, but our circulation extends now
over lliirty-two different States and Terri
tories, besides lare numbers sent to Kng
liiinl and Scotland. s it takes from three
to four weeks for flic mail to reacli a lartj
nmnocr of our subscribers, wc make this
than 7: in order that thfy mnv receive tliir
paper the same month it in published in.
Another and very imiortaul reason is that
we desire to publish the Weather Report
of ihe tr. S. Signal Department every
month, and as tint is com ; led on the first
of ever month, we nliall hereafter publish
on that day, and papers will leave this office
on the fust, second and third of everv
Ainnth. Our patrons will no; be losers bv
this change, as wc shall extend the suit
.scrip'. ion of each one otic month.
We hereby extend a general invitation
to our readers to contribute articles for our
columns on any subject except jwlilics and
religion, Wc shall pay liberally for any
article used, if the writers desire it. They
will therefore Wale whether an article is
intended as a free or paid contribution,
BIOGRAPHICAL. DR. W. L. ADAMS.
'make him his agent for Illinois and
Indiana. In 1845 he was married to -Miss
Frances Olivia Goodell, having only thirty
dollars in money and a "bxJly-wom suit of
rioting" with which to beirin life. He
settled in Henderson county, Illinois, and
in the fall of 1845 he built a log cabin,
close by a log-hut school-house. He
taujlit school two years, bought young
steers, nut up wild hav during vacation to
winter them on, and broke them himself-
made his own vokes and in ths spring of
1847 he was prepared to start for Oregon,
having paiJ all hU debt for board and
tuition in College, and possessing eight
yoke of cattle and two wagons. His lath
er's death that spring detained him until
pository of the lives and acts of the pioneers March, 1848, when he began the trip with
and representative men and women of one team, wlnJi hi drove across the
Oregon and the North Pacific Coast, and j Plains, rcaclii ig Foster's October 2d, the
in the furtherance of our purpose we tire-, same year. T.u trials and difficulties that
We aim to malic the West Siiiike a re-
We have received from 1'rof. Ch.is. Hray,
of (his cily, a superb piece of music, especi
ally written for us, an. I entitled "The
West Shore M.trch." It is now being: en
graved, ami will appear in our next num
ber. Wc should be pleaseJ to hear from
our siilwcribcrs on this subject. 1 it is the
desire of the majority, tiltlioii(h it is an
expensive feature, wc arc willing to furnish
a piece by our local Professors, with every
number. A vote by postal card is most
respectfully solicited.
Im
I'lom a letter received by l.dward
Akin, of Marion Station, from a gentleman
in Schenectady, wc learn that the latter
so nun h pleased with samples of ( Ircgon
Max lent by Mr. Akin to him, that he in
trn.ls, if the proper accommodations can lit
(ound, or Ihe proper inducement is held
out, to bring his machinery to this State
for the pursue of manufacturing shoe
thieids, upholsterers, sail, and all other
kinds of threads and twines. We haven't
Ihe slightest doubt but what if he does
romc he will Hud his a proiitable business
in Oregon.
TI(K Ft IK DISi'ONTI.NTMI.'.NT.
llecomiug tired of his house a gentle
U1.111 determined to sell it. lie instructed
an auctioneer, famous fo: his desciiptivc
powers, to advertise in the upers for pri-
vale sale, but conceal the location, telling
persons to apply at his office. In a
il.tvs the gentleman jhappcucd to see the'
sent ill this issue a good likeucs of Dr. W. ( Mr. Adams, i.i cjnimon with the immi-
L, Adams, of Portland, with the following
biographical notice. The character of Dr.
Adams is undeniablv one of the most
unique and original in Western dcvclo
meiit, and his history certainly entitles him
to be placed in the catalogue of the repre
sentative men of the Suite, illustrating, as it
does, the resolute spirit and unconquerable
purpose that wc are wont to associate with
the pioneers of civilization.
Dr. Adams was born in l'ainesville,
Ohio, Feb. 5, iSji. Mis father moved to
Joncsvillc, Michigan, in 1834. In 183
grants of that day, encountered during the
wearisome journey over the desert wastes,
and during their first few niomlis' sojourn
in the Willamette valley, have been feel
ingly recounted by himself in his "Rambling
Notes on Olden Times." published in the
West Shore. He took up a "claim" at
the foot of the mountains in Yamhill
county, and varied the routine of farm life
by teaching school at times. Among the
lads who were then under his instruction
were sonic who have since been among the
most conspicuous men of the State. In
at the age of fourteen, young Adams left lS52 ,ie 'H elected Probate Judge, beat-
home to enter College in Canton, Illinois, '"8 llls opponent nearly a hundred votes
going the 350 miles on foot, with only a county where the latter's party had a
twentv-fivc cents of his own iiioucv and
a "Wihl Cat" five-dollar bill that his father
gave him the morning he started. Me
majority of two-thirds. In 1853 a propo
sition was made by leading men to present
him with a printing-office complete, if lie
1 . I.M r.. t iiOm-iT.m, ItiKTl.AM). Photo by lluchtel & Stolie.
made the journey in fourteen days, spend
ing only seventy-live cents on the way, but
reaching Canton completely worn out and
sick. From there he went to tlalesburg
College, and entered its first Freshman
would siart a Whig newspaper at Oregon
City, which offer, however, he declined,
deeming its acceptance incompatible with
his ideas of iolitical independence.
In April, 1S58, Mr. Adams purchased
hers, nanielv: Martin tiav. Henri- llii.h.
cock, K.I. Ilolyoke, and W. I.. Adams
Me supported himself by leaching school
occasionally, and by working in the harvest
field. Me finished his collegiate course at
llelh.iny College, Virginia, an institution of
learning founded and presided over by the
iiuo a laugh, and told him that that wa.the' 1 um MWL " ,Kn "c
l.-M.-ripiion f his own house, where he! ,l" "ou"" '' -
I ivi-ii ui'iiais, aim on reacinug ms uesli
I nation there remained but twenty-live cents
i in his nuclei. On the final examination
count of the place, showed it to hi, wife
1111. 1 the two concluded it was ju,t what
th ) wanted, and ihcy wo.ild secure it at
once. So he went to the office of the auc
ti.meer and told him the place headveni,
cd was such a one a, he dcsiicd, and he
Would purchase it. The auctioneer burst
tn then liiing. Me read ihe adierti,e
nieill again, vmdercd out the "gi.iv
slopes," "beautiful vistas," "smooth lawn,"
advertisement, was pleased with the ac- j -'ll,'i' wmVI' "s nu' l " fnr mem-1 the old SpteMir printing materials, and
began the publication of the Origin Argus, I
at Oregon City. This journal continued j
under his editorial management during its
entire existence, a period of eight years '
and a half. The Argus proved itself a 1
power in the Territory, and assisted greatly j
in forming into a consistent and cohesive
body the scittereil materials that afterward
composed the Republican party. Mis I
views of public (wlicy relative to the im-1
porunt issues then agitating the American
people, as enunciated ilir.,u.rl, 1,;. I
and on the stump, were comprehensive
and statesmanlike, and ever boldly out-'
lined the principles that finally triumphed '
bv the election ot Abraham Lincoln and '
Ihe subsequent overthrow of slavery. And '
while in this task he had .'as co-laborers 1
many men of talent and influence in vari-'
ous parts of Oregon, it is not going bevond '
the bounds of truth to sav that Mr. Adams 1
w.is regarded by most of his associates as 1
the leader in the movement, and in draft-'
ing addresses to the people and in suggest-'
mg measures of public Micv, his assistance 1
was invaluable. If we mistake not. he1
called the first Republican Convention '
ever held in Oregon, and in S,8 lie was 1
run on the Republican ticket for State'
fenator 111 Clackamas, beating his com-'
etc., and broke out, "I, il iKsihlc .' Well,
make out m; bill for advertising and expen
ses, for 1 wouldn't sell the place now for
Ibioe times whit it cost inc."
Dhaimno W tt SiMrs. mple meth.kl
f ilrainiiu! certain wet and swainnv in.u ' ..,,.,.il ,. ,i... r.ji. - .'.
.siecially those of low buns, consist, in the Institute in an oration on Commence
mikini! an Artesian slnlt through the soil to ment dav, the ath of lulv, which Society
layer of clay or other substance pre- was comiwsod of nvim-' ,.,. n,
he receiveil the highest honor of the class
in Mathematics, and though having, is he
himself says, "only one liadly-worn suit of
Kentucky-jeans clothes in the world," he
was chosen by a large majority vole of the
American i.ucrarv institute, a societv
the
venting me runner drainage, and into the talent and wealth rutin all tvirts of the
titdv ttr.ua underneath. The ca.tly of Cnion. Me broke himself down with hard
the well may ho tilled upwitli broken stones, study, and his eyesight failed hint entirely,
anion which the drained water ncrcotatei .compelling his return home two months
and visses off K-low, leaving the suiface Iwfore the close of the College term. On
entirely dry.
'leaving. I'icsidcn, Campbell otlered M I petto. 11
votes in that county. In 1861 he was ap
pointed by President Lincoln as Collector
of Customs at Astoria, which office he held
till the Autumn of 1866, when he resigned
the same. In 1868 he went East for his
health, traveling extensively through the
New England "and the Southern States,
extending his journey down through Cen
tral America, and finally to South America,
stopping in Chili several months. On his
return he leetured in New England on
Oregon, beginning at Tremont Temple,
Boston. His lecture was extensively pub
lished, both in pamphlet form and through
the newspapers, and contributed much
toward disseminating correct information
concerning the Pacific Coast. In 1873, he
went to Philadelphia, and attended Medi
cal lectures, adding to his knowledge of
the Healing Art acquired by previous
study, the most recent improvements of all
the Schools. He received the degree of
A. M. from Christian College, Oregon;
that of M. D. from the Eclectic Medical
College of Pennsylvania, also an honorary
gold medal, "awarded for eminent attain
ments in Medical Science," and the degree
of LL.D. from the American University of
Pennsylvania.
Besides his reputation as a politician,
Dr. Adams is equally well known through
ought the State for his literary abilities.
For twenty-five years he has been a con
tributor to the press, either as editor or
correspondent. During the early days of
the Oregonian he enlivened its columns
with the productions of his pen, in both
prose and verse. The best remembered of
these was the Mdodramt, which was also
issued in pamphlet form, and widely cir
culated. Like all political pasquinades,
the Mdoiirame lives in the recollections of
those only who were cognizant of the
scenes and actors it satirized, but its publi
cation had a prodigious effect at the time,
and fully accomplished the design of its
author.
Whilst speaking of his mental endow
ments, we must not omit to make mention
of his talent for oratory. When a young
man he studied theology, preparatory to
entering the ministry, and frequently
ascended the sacred rostrum and ex
pounded the Gospel, and in later days he
often harangued his fellow-citizens from
the "stump." It is the opinion of one of
his intimate friends that had the Dr. chosen
a career in life that would have given full
scope to his forensic powers, he might have
added another illustration to the saying ol
the ancient sage Orator nascilur, nan
Ji."
As a writer and speaker, Dr. Adams is
logical and argumentative, and his thoughts
are invariably expressed in strong lan
guage, and often in terse and vigorous
Saxon. One of the most philosophical of
men, he is yet combative in disposition.
and, as editor, was always eager for a con
test like the Irishman at Donnvbrook
Fair, he boldly inviledanv man to tread on
the tail of his coat. Able, forcible, and
adroit in argument, his shafts were hurled
111 every direction, especially where he
imagined error was ensconced, and, from
this habit of indiscriminate attack, he was
often styled the "porcupine editor" of
Oregon, liut that was in days when po
litical rancor was at its bight. Time and
adversity have somewhat mellowed his
prejudices, and many of those who were
formerly Ihe objects of his keenest thrusts
are now on terms of the kindliest friend
ship with him, and it is highly edifying to
a spectator of those old-time conflicts, to
hear Dr. Adams, with earnest, but amusing,
ingenuousness, speak of the reforms that
"Uod and the Democracv" are about to
accomplish. This, however, is but an evi
dence of his independent turn of mind-
error ami unprincipled ambition are sure
to receive his maledictions, under whatever
guise they present themselves, and, not
withstanding his modified views of men
and theology, there arc two subjects he
never allows to he assailed in his hearing
without speaking in their defense "Abe
Lincoln and the New Testament."
Though not much given to reading, he
is nevertheless a deep thinker. It is re
lated of him that, whilst editing the Arpn,
he read the newspapers of the day but
rarely, confining himself w hen he did so to
the leading articles and a summary of the
delates in Congress. In this wav, he un
consciously avoided the disjointed stvle or
thought of the modern newspaper-skimmer,
and produced those admirable papers on
political topics, some of which would have
done honor to the Tntunt in its palmiest
(1.1 V
it c""en' Dr-AJams u hon' nJ
truthful. His only ambition, apparently, is
to be known as a man of his word, and as
one who will never betray a friend
hvttlung an untrustworthy man more, per
haps, than most people know how to do.