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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1876)
THE 1 WEST SHORE. August THE OLD DODGE. A few days ago a communication signed ".Pater" appeared in the Daily Oregonian, in which a few pertinent questions were asked relative to the re cent consignment of small pox ex steamer "John L. Stephens." On the morning the communication appeared, it was stated in the local column of the same paper that for some reason the health officer did not board the steamer at Astoria. The statement and questions referred to, called Dr. Dodd to the surface in the Daily Ongonian of the 7th in the shape of a card, from which it appears that the Doctor did board the steamer and that he relied on the statements of the officers that there was no small pox on board. Dr. Dodd then admits that he was humbugged, and seeks to shift the blame of the outrage from himself to the officers of the ship. The Standard of the 7th seems to think that the Doc tor has succeeded, inasmuch as in refer ring to the "Kcard," it heads a para graph in the local column, " He did his duty!" We have taken some pains to inves tigate this affair, and learn that the dis ease was, on the arrival of the vessel, so far advanced as to indicate that had proper watchfulness of the health of the passengers been observed, the na ture and character of the Chinaman's sickness would have been discerned four days before it it claimed to have been noticed. With these facts before us, backed by the Doctor's " Card," we feel little hesitation in saying that both Dr. Dodd and the officers of the vessel merit blame and punishment. As the law bearing on the matter does not seem to be understood, or if understood, is disregarded by the par ties on whom the duty of preventing the introduction of contagious disease into the State is imposed, it may not be amiss to quote the following sections of our criminal code for the benefit both of themselves and ot the good people of the State who suffer through their acts: f 723. It ihU be the duty of every ship-master to ubmit hia ship to a, full lad free examina tion by the health officer, and to obey end perform all the lawful orders end direction! of aach officer, end every hip-maeter who aball fail or refuse m to do, or who shall permit hit ahip to enter the Co lumbia River with the Intel! pox on board, with out displaying a yellow fleg, shall on conviction be fined in any aum not exceeding three hundred dol lars, or imprisoned in the oounty jail not exceed ins three months, or by both such line end impris onmeuL a f Tii. If, by reason of the negligenos or ineffi ciency of the health officer, euy contagious dis ease shell be introduced among the inhabitants of the Bute, such officer shall, on uonviotion, be lined in any eum not exceeding one thousand dollars, or be imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding three months, or by both such line end imprison ment. It will be noticed that the mere act of permitting a ship to enter the Co lumbia River with small pox on board without displaying the yellow Hag, sub jects the ship-master, on conviction, to the penalty denounced. Upon an in dictment and plea of not guilty, evi dence of the fact that the disease was on board, that no examination was made by the ship-master prior to entering the river, and that no yellow flag was dis played would authorize, nay, under proper instructions, ensure a conviction. The law does not say knowingly per mit, but simply "permit" and hence imposes on the ship-master the duty of examination prior to entering the river. If he remains wilfully ignorant of facts which he ought to know, and thereby and thereon omits to do an act which the law says he must do, he is a guilty as though he did the act knowingly and with his eyes open. We devote more attention to this matter than we other wise would do, for the reason that Cards from the health officer and recrimina tions on the part of ship-masters when small pox has been imported, are no new things. '' The repetition of such acts would in dicate that the regular arrival and de parture of steamers and the amassing of wealth by corporations are consid ered of more importance than the lives and health of our citizens, and that to secure the objects of their cupidity, the chances of a conviction for violating the law will be taken. The whole matter should receive the attention of the next legislature, and adequate penalties should be imposed, making the cost of violating the law greater than the profits to be realized by its infraction. If Dr. Dodd relied, n he snvs he did, on the statement of the officers of the vessel, he did not do his duty. His at tention is invited to Section 3 of Chap ter XLIX. of the General Laws of Oregon, Page 719. It will be seen that in making examination, the health officer must " proceed by personal in spection and by the examination of witnesses sworn by him" to ascertain whether or not there be cause for the detention of the ship "1'ersonat in spection" we do not understand to mean, a glass of champagne with the captain in the cabin, and a simple in quiry from him as to how all on board arc; if it does, the sooner health officers arc abolished as public nuisances the better. On the contrary, we understand by the phrase, that the health officer shall personally see every one on board, and swear witnesses to ascertain whether or not the vessel is liable to propagate disease. The health of those he in spected might he good, and yet cause exist for detaining a ship, as for ex ample: when a small-pox patient had been landed at some point on the coast two or three days before arrival in port, hence the necessity for swearing wit nesses. The "Kcard" of Dr. Dodd, when viewed in connection with the law on the subject, will not exonerate him from the gravest suspicions of negligence and inefficiency; and unless some more satisfactory explanation of the case can be made by him, we insist that it is the imperative duty of His Excellency, Gov. Grover, to remove him from an office that needs to be filled by an honest, trustworthy, ener getic, capable and efficient physician. Our friends in different parts of the State would oblige us very much and at the same time do the country a great service, if they would report to this office the yield of their various crops, which we would most cheerfully pub lish. Whenever it can be done with out any great inconvenience, we should like samples of all kinds of grains, hops, flax, and wools, as wc very frequently have inquiries for samples from far mers residing in Eastern States. TAKE A FARM. Umatilla county is settling up very rapidly. The manv choice locations on Birch, Butter and Willow creeks and their many tributaries are nearly all taken. Still settlers from the States some how or another find room to com mence the labor of opening up a ranch among the bunch grass hills bordering on the streams alluded to. In the north-eastern portion of this county there are many desirable locations on Government, State and railroad lands, but the amount is fast being diminished by the constant arrival of settlers. The class of settlers now coming among us are perhaps no more desirable than those that came before them, except in one perticular, and that it they are better provided for with means to com mence to open up their farms. To our young men who contemplate settling upon ranches in our prosperous county (and we would advise all who have the enterprise to do so, and let the drones seek their proper places) must be up and doing. There it no immediate prospect of the opening up of the Uma tilla Reservation; therefore those who are leisurely awaiting that event had best wait no longer, but be up and do ing. They will find the time interven ing between the settlement and the opening of the Reservation to have been spent much more to their profit than if they had idled away their time waiting for a good thing. There fore vte say, youug men, take up a ranch." East Orrgonian. SEATTLE, W. T. The city of Seattle, of which wc give an excellent illustration in this number, is the seat of government of King county and the chief commercial city in Washington Territory. It is a very picturesque place, being located on Duwamish Bay, and having an excel lent harbor will ere long sec it outstrip cities which arc now ahead of it in population. At present the inhabitants number about 4,000; but being the central city on Puget Sound from whence the principal line of steamer., start for different parts, it at no time has less than a floating population of 1,000 in addition to the number men tioned above. The main portion of the city occupies a gradually sloping plateau, and this displays it to excellent advantage from the bay. It has nu merous churches and excellent school facilities. Chief among the latter wc may mention the Territorial Univer sity, a most beautiful structure, (seen, on the summit at the left, in our en graving) occupying a prominent po sition and commanding one of the finest views on the coast, snow-capped "Rattier" being visible in one direction and the bay and part of Puget Sound, with the famous "Olympic Range" for a background, in another. The differ ent secret and benevolent organizations all have lodges here in a most flourish ing condition. The town is lighted by gas, and has all the modern conveni ences of cities of ten timet its popula tion. There are three excellently con ducted daily papers published here, each of them issuing a mammoth weekly edition. The names are: " The Puget Sound Dispatch," "The Pacific Tribune," and "The Intelligencer." In addition to these, a spicy little daily "Figaro" is published for theatrical purposes. We have no idea where the present inhabitants all originally came from, but it teems as if the cream of enterprising men of the Pacific Coast settled at Seattle, for it is a fact that there is not a place of its population anywhere that can excel it in public spirit or whatever tends to elevate and refine. The commerce of the place is very extensive, considerable wholesale business being transacted here. The principal milling towns of the Sound arc located within a radius of 35 miles, the logging camps connected with them, as well as the different coal mines, the latter being located only a short distance back of the city, and connected with it by railroad, all find Seattle the most convenient place to procure their supplies from. It it no exaggeration when wc say that nearly all townt of this tcction pay tribute to The Queen of the Sound," Seattle. A inott beautiful sheet of fresh water, located three miles back of the city, is known at Lake Washington; it is twenty miles in length and averages about four miles in width. The coal miuea are located on the margin of this lake. Deposits of iron have also been found in this vicinity, and before long we expect to tee iron mines and fur nacet in full blast, adding ttill more to the wealth and commerce of the place. The surrounding country using Seattle at a shipping point, it a heavy ex exporter of coal, lumber, and cereals of all kinds. The traveling facilities from here are at good at from any other city on the coast, there being a line of semi monthly ocean steamers to San Fran cisco, a semi-weekly line of steamers to Victoria, B. C, and three different lines of steamers make alternate daily tripe to Olympia and Tacoma, connect ing at the latter city with railroad for Portland and other placet. Numerous small tugt and steamers make daily trips to different placet on the Sound. 3 - -- - - i Several rivers emptying into Duwa mish Bay furnish excellent water power, which could, and Wilt, no-doubt, before a great while be utilized foj, manufacturing purposes. The bay is six miles long, has an a crave width of three miles and a depth of 45 fathoms in the centre, with about fifteen fathomt on the anchorage ground. It is land locked, except at the natmw entrance, hence it is safe from ail storms and ' large enough to float the entire navy of" ' the United States. The city is grow ing so rapidly that we doubt if our Migrating can be culled accurately cor rect at present, for even since the sketch went into the engraver's hands numer ous buildings have been erected, and every day witnesses some further im provement. Seattle has all the nil vantages to make it n large city, namely : a fine harbor, where ships can, enter and depart safely at all timet without any trouble; ample room foi building purposes; good hotels; good newspapers; live merchants; excellent schools; numerous churches and a central position, thus possessing all the necessaries to hold its position at the metropolis of Washington Territory. The Wkst Siioiik is the best jxtpcr to send to friends abroad. The engrav ings will give them an excellent Idea of our buildings, both public and prl vate, as well as the most noted of out beautiful scenery. Our articles on the resources arc truthful, as wc never ex aggerate knowingly; therefore send 1.50 for a copy to start with the com mencement of the second volume. An article has been of lato going the rounds about a horse pulling the plug out of n bung-hole and slaking hit thirst. It is pronounced to be some thing extraordinary. Now, if the horse hud pulled the barrel out of the bung-hnle and slaked hit thirst with the plug, or if the barrel had pulled the bung-hole out of the horse and slaked his thirst with the plug, or if the bar rel had pulled the hitng-holc out of the plug and slaked his thirst with the horse, or if the plug had pulled the horse out of the barrel and slaked his thirst with the bung-hole, or if the bung-hole had pulled the thirst out of the horse and slaked the plug with the bar rel, or if the barrel hud pulled the home out of the bung-hole and plugged its thirst with the slake, it might be worth while to make a fuss about it. A Homk Rki'ii-h. kok Otto ok Rosks At this time of the year, when so many rose leaves fall to the grouml and are wasted, every lady can, if the chooses, manufacture a delicious per fume at a cost of lets than fifty cents In a few ininutet' time. Take a two gal Ion glass jar, and fill full of clean, freshly-picked rose leaves. Then cork it tight, and take a two-ounce phial and fit the neck into the cork of the two gallon jar. Cut some sponge into nar row strips; toak them in good oil, free from smell or rancidity; put the strips into the small phial, turn it untitle down, and put the neck into the bung of the large jar. Place them in the sun for four dayt, and the heat will dis til the rose leavct and the aroma will ascend antl saturate the oil in the sponge. Put in fresh Icavca about four times, and you will have a small phial ol the finest otto of roses that can pot sibly 1 made, and in quantity sufficient to scent the clothct and handkerchiefs of a family for a year. Pure otto of f rosea costs I30 per ounce. He lure and keep it well corked for it will evaporate. It is reported that an Onondaga min-, istcr, who preaches to an agricultural community, finds it difficult to collect his pay. One farmer taid at the end ol the year: " I have tulncrihcd $40 for preaching; I will give you a cow ami call it square. She't rather a poor cow, jutt like your preaching." The parton drove home the cow. Fears are entertained that the extra ordinary dryness which hot recently prevailed in Algeria will lead to a fam ine. It it stated that no rain hot fallen this Summer during the usual wet tea I son.
