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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1876)
July- THE WEST SHORE. girl employed in their family. So many coincidences could not come bv chance, and it was useless to try to make such pretence answer for them. The story was a libel, to all intents and purposes, and must be suppressed. The end of the controversy was the discontinuance of the magazine, just started on the strength of that story, and a sum of money paid to the pub lisher by the complainants, as indem nity, he not being to blame in the mat ter, as they were willing to believe. That the author was not guilty of maliciously throwing light upon family secrets, they were never convinced. In this instance a sensitive mind, ren dered still more sensitive by a peculiar nervous condition, had been able, from knowing only the merest skeleton of facts, to imagine correctly the history and motives of the persons concerned in this well remembered tragedy. But the wonderful coincidences of names and characters in the story remain un explained, even to the writer of it. Possibly some mental law governs such conceptions, as a poet too young ever to have experienced in his own person the passions and emotions he describes, still speaks of them as if they were his own. Hut the facts connected with the writing of the story above alluded to, and its subsequent suppression, bv which a strange and secret family his tory was half disclosed to the writer and publisher, furnishes a still better plot for a novelist than that on which the original story was founded; partak ing, as it docs, of all that was cllective in that, and having the additional merit of a mystery equal to, and more novel than the other. DISTANCE LENDS ENCHANT MENT. , To live with pco'plo is fo discover their faults; it 13 better, then, not to live with them. To como together in the snmo village, town, or city, is tho ruin of some excellent friend ship, which would have gone on happily during lite with a short railway journey for each visit, Wo betide certain acquaintances, whoso aspect is mutually pleasant seen from opposito comers ot tho sumo street, if they become next-door neighbors. Do greater mistake can bo made than lor persons to suppose that, be cause they ate friendlv with one another at this or that distance of! removal, they will become increas ingly friendly in proportion as they draw nighcr. Few of us can sup port with credit too intimatoa friend ship. Numbers of funiily quarrels have risen merely because tho mcm - bers came together too often; many a friendship has ended for ever owing to the parties having met every evening for a week, instead of interposing at least two blank nights. Aunt Mary mny be a charming visitor at intervals of about three years; if she came each summer she would be intolerable. You rather like ynui brother John's children, if THE SIGNERS OF THE DEC LARATION. The following facts respecting the personality of the illustrious men who imperiled their property, their liberty and their lives by attaching their signatures to that instrumeirt which established our national inde pendence will be read with interest as the Centennial anniversary of tho day which witnessed the event draws nigh: Tho thirteen States then compris ing the American Colonies wero re presented in the assemblage that passed tho measure by titty-one members, thirtv-scven of whom on- joyed the benefits of collegiate train ing. 1 wenty of them were lawyers, four were physicians, five wore clergymen, three were farmers and the remain lor were engaged in vari ous mercantile pursuits, except Koger Sherman, tho shoemaker, and Benjamin Franklin, who boasted of being a jirintor, yet was a statesman and a philosopher. Benjamin Frank lin was the oldest among tho mem bers and Edward Hutledgo tho youngest. Robert Morris was tho wealthiest, and was the financier of tho administration, negotiating cx tensivo loans for tho use of tho government upon his personal credit. Ho died in prison, having been in carcerated tor debt; a beautiful commentary on these laws that made no discrimination betweeu the honest but unfortunate debter and the con victed felon. Samuel Adams was the most needy, his impoverished condition being well known. The management ot bis pecuniary affairs after death found it necessary to bury him at the public expense Jonah Bartlett was the first to vote for the measure, and first after Pre sident Hancock to sign tho docu ment. Two of tho members, Thomas Jelfcrson and John Adams, wero subsequently Presidents. It is a remarkable fact that those two men, having been Presidents, associated on the committee that framed tho Declaration of Independence, and first recognized lenders of tho two great political factions of our coun try, died on tho some day, tho 4th of July, 182G, the fiftieth anniver sary of ho day upon which thoy had contributed so much to tho wol faro of their countrymen. Charlos Carroll was tho only member that added his place of residence, and tho reason of its being dono in this instance is somewhat peculiar. Tho patriots that formed that convention knew full well that by their action on that day they hazarded their lives. When Carroll was signing, some one remarked, "IIo will get off; thoro are so many Cm-rolls they will not know which one to tnko." "Not so," replied Carroll, and he immediately added " of Carrollton." lie lived to see all of the memorable men with whom ho had acted on that memorable day pass away, and enjoyed the prosperity of his coun try until 1832, when ho died 111 his Oith year. Faum Hands The favorable weather and extra largo acreage ot grim now 111 niagnincent growing onler, makes our farmers begin to you don't go there oftcner than once ! T '"'T ' " t g r s . iiiiL'to harvest our orons' Lm-irn " . ... .." . . i.rt i 1.- 1, ;j ..11 .. '11 .1 . ,, ! numbers of tho most improved head- abm friemlsM,: Some TT lhre ! people can only bo intimate and re main friendly with some other peo- ! as well as other machinery used dur ing harvest time, have been, and iieo- 1 ' ii,- ...... , tde for half an hour ,,t a tin,. Who 0 iioing som limy, out 1 is eareu t tli.it t in umi.i.Ii- .r inn, j ill li luw not observed the part played bv time in visits of some length that tho supply of liamU will be talinrt. So vn lit I luimf roil I111111I4 on 11 tO I 11 1 1 1 1 .1 friends at u distance'; How u-M-ce- n ,u cml"".vmc'" cro """"'J; able some persons arc on the second ' ftp "" ' 'j"'", " ca" ,l,ii. 1..,. .i . 1 . . . " 15:10 per month, emu. by the year, V y r i? K w !! f "' ' M 0 P" 1"V, with ao,?vro - 'I " r'!" T g'" "l- 'f our exchanges, ore never a nte po nice im on the r evening oAhe limt day; olt o, ' h I"?'?!"""' 111 hait'-V" CT' 0r tl,..,., ... . v ii "j " note this item they will cooler a l ! f..,banl0'C,rTi P"T?"f m"ke favor.- Walla Wait 'him. partial amends bv briirhtciiiiiir ui brilliantly during the lust few hours or minutes of your stuv, and are A Rolling Stone gathers no moss. Old Proverb, that s so, but it gain- wholly perfect at the moment of your : era polish, a thing very much needed departure. by the growing generation. PUYALLUP VALLEY W. T. This beautiful and fertile valley is situated about eleven miles back of New Tacoma. As wo reached the brow of a long, winding hill, which commanded a view of this lovely place, we paused; charmed with tho beauty of the scenery before us. A bId, sweeping outline of distant hills, here and thero swelling into mountains, and crowned with a deeper, mistior bine, divided tho rich green of tho earth from tho azuro of the heavens. Fnr as the eye could reach, it beheld the wild est luxuriance of nature, refined and subdued by tho hand of cultivation and taste. The farmers have turned their attention principally to tho cultivation of hops tor tho last few years. We can not think of any thing more beautiful than thoso im nieuso hop yards are, just before thoy commence tho picking. Last season thero was botweou five and six hundred Chinamen and Indians employed in gathering in tho har vest. Owing to the low figures that hops aro selling for, some have invested in hundreds of plum trees expecting in a few years to seo them paying from two dollars to two fifty per t rco, as thoy intend to turn their attontion to drying them for tho market. This Spring a road was surveyed through tho valley, and tho prospect of having a railroad built as far as the coal mines, this Summer, is very encouraging. When wo wero there lust, the Surveyor Clenernl hud com pleted his task, and men and imple ments had arrived for tho purposo of commencing work out at tho coal mines. Coal in crcat quantities has been discovered in that section of tho country. It lias been tested, and pronounced a superior quality by competent judges. Tho timber in the vulley is hard wood chiefly; tho soil rich, and very productive, grain, vegetables and small fruits, have been successfully cultivated. If they succeed in getting a railroad this Summer wo think tho valley will improve very rapidly. Tho people as a class, are well educated and industrious. Thoro are five schools in tho valley, and wo bclievo they aro all well supported. At the Lyceum they havo a small but woll selected Library. They havo nlso quite collection of Geological specimens. The Society meets every Friday evening wo aro told, for the investigation mid discussion of somo scientific subject. An effort is to be made this Summer wo be lieve to increase tho interest in this Society. We wish them well. Northern Slar. ALPHABETS AND THEIR VARI ATIONS. It is both entertaining and instruc tive to trace tho growth of tho alphabets of different nations, and the relations which they bear to one another, although tho marks of con sanguinity are often difficult to de tect. Wo havo no positive infor mation of tho origin of the first alphabet. The tradition of Cadmus is too mythical to lie soberly regard ed as tho true beginning of written language. That all alphabets have had a common origin seems almost certain; but tho connection between the Hebrew and tho Konian, or the Hebrew and the irreirulur, tortuous. and bewildering Chinese characters seems almost as difficult of discovery as the missing links in the descent of man according to the Darwinian theory. The penmanship of every individ ual is peculiar, the handwriting of the best penmen in various coun tries differing widely. English, French, Spanish, and Italian pen manship havo decided peculiarities, and yet their alphabets aro identi cal. It is often asserted that a man's handwriting gives a true index to ins cnaracier. i ins theory certain ly has more aupiort if applied to races; for even the less acute can discern some resemblnnco between tllA niltinnnl rliiirntal.it;.t. nf' n Chinoso his ingonious, dissembling nature nntt tnoso expression less SVtllbols Which hiltfln tlm nirut n comiilished linguists. On the other hand, tho storn nnd solemn earnest ness ot the ancient Israelites is clear lv demoted in tlm atttV gniiM .....1 ..... I1IIU formal Hebrew alphabet. Contrast ll with tho tlowing lines of the Arabic, and then think of Moses nnd Haroundal Unsehild. P poetry are not more di fforcut. W by may not ethnological causes havo resulted in the sir autre, nnd iiiiiltiliii-tii signs and marks which go to niitko up tho volume of written tonguos? The stylo of character called Ko man must bo of more interest to us than any other, and, therefore, wo will briefly refer to a few historical facts concerning somo of tho varia tions through which it has passed down to tho present time. Wo aro told that it Cicero could "revisit tho glimpses of the moon" ho would bo as well ablo to read Sanskrit us our modern reproductions of his orations. HOW THE GIRLS MAY HAVE BEAUTIFUL FIGURES. Competent writers ntlributo tho beiiutv of form of Hindoo in the custom of carrying burdens on their heads. Among thorn aro found no stoop-shoulders or curved spines. f llOV aro as Stillip-ht. us Jin-own litlin supple, and graceful, these qualities uiwuys iiitracuug tno attention of travelers. Sinco musular education has hoeolnn n hnhht' nml llm irii-la ,. , vw aro imitating tho boys in exorciso aim games, now would it do to adopt tho Hindoo hint and cducnto our girls' hondsa little. Itisa notorious fast that tho majority of thoso who como forth from fashionable schools havo littlo of any account in their heads. All that is noccssnry is to havo it understood to bo the fashion, and tubs, pails, firkins, baskots, crocks and othor articlos will mount the army of fashionablo noddles with a magic quickness. And whilo theso would be equally becoming as the monstrosities which in succession havo perched thoro in various forms, they would ho useful in shaping tho sex to nttractivo symmotry. Tho girls' heads would then ho put to a use, something a little new, to be sure; but, when onco started, they would easily bceonio reconciled to it on tho plea of fashiob. Besides, iftho result should hnntiniirlil nuiiinu graceful necks, perfect busts, and a royal pose 01 tno ncnu, the stvlo would certainly commend itself" to good soiibo as a vast improvement on stays, lacings, and padding. Tho Hoop Polo Business lias bo come oiio of tho most important industries of this comity. There is perhaps no placo on tho Pacific Coast whore better timber is afford, cd tor carrying on this business thun in this county. In fact, nil of West ern Washington Territory ullbrds a good Held for coopers ami the manu facture of all kinds of wooden uten sils. Industries of this kind are ot the best for the comity's good. They furnish cmidovmcnt to u lurirx num. i her of our peojilo in cutting, prcpur- ing and furnishing the material. These productions arc jirolitublo articles of exporl, benefiting both tho larger dealer, and iho working class who own the laud where tho material grows. In prosecuting the business, the bind is cleared also, be ing a vast improvement on tho old method of slashing indiscriminately anil burning everything up. Vun couver J mli pendant. A young lady in tho country, in censed ut an egotistical young man, said: "If the butcher of our village could buy you at tho prico your acquaintance hold you ut, and sell 1 you at your own estimate ol yourselt, lie could retire from business on what I he'd make on that single speculation in veal."