THE WEST SHORE.
Vol. 10.
Portland, Oregon, November, 1884.
No. 11.
ESTABLISHED 1878.
THE WEST SHORE,
.4n llluttruled Journal qfdeneral Information, rfrmtnl to Inn drwliipmrnf
. the Unut W ent.
Huhcriition prim, pernnnum Mm
To fcirmxn oimiuruw, incluilinic poatiure , , 2 i
Single oopiee j!5
Hiilmcription win he forwarded hy ni(n.l letter or xill nnler at our rink.
roHtinuaUint ami New Agent will reoeire nubaariptioiu nl minim rale,
(lenernl Traveling Agont-Crnigie Sharp. Jr.
I" NAMUKL, I'ul.ll.lier, 11 Front St., mir. Wellington, 1'ortlanil, Or.
TA11LK OK' (30NTKNTK.
An Kxpenniv Kolly '
Hurieil Trenmire ofthe Minee j"
01iiiii of Willamette Valley t n',
Hop VixIcUof Puyallup anil While Kier , 81.
Meehiinie rair.. ; tv
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Oueen Charlotte lxlumU, No. I iu
Something for Nothing , ; nil
1 he I ouk or Miruoo Saw Mill dti
True Jourualum m,
A blue X on tlila paragraph IimUphIm flint your ubacrliillun el
plrea with tlila number. I'Ikhm renew at oime.
The Christmas number of The Weht Siioiie, which
which will lie lernly early in December, will bo an elegant
one in every resect, superior to anything which has over
lcen produced on the Pacific Count
The year is now rapidly drawing to a close, and one
more number will complete the tenth volume of The West
Shone. The great superiority of that volume over tin mo
of previous years has won for it mauy flattering com
ments, which can but be highly pleasing to tlie publisher,
This gratifying evidence that his efforts are appreciated
has caused him to make extensive arrangements for still
greater improvement in the volume for 1885, by additions
to his artistic and editcrial corps, and an increase in his
facilities for doing more and better work in every depart
ment The magazine is now superior to any other pub
lication with a ubscription price of but two dollars Mtr
annum, and this superiority will lie rendered more marked
and evident during the coming year.
A movement is on foot to oroct n monument to the
memory of General Joseph Lane, Oregon's first Territorial
Governor. General Lane distinguished himself in the
war with Mexico, earning the soubriquet of " The Marion
of the, Mexican War," and when seltnited by President
Polk to organize tlie Oregon Government, left his home
in Indiana within forty-eight hours after receiving notice
of his Appointment, crossed the arid deserts of New
Mexico And Arizona, resisting in his passage through
California the influences of the gold excitement, which
caused the desertion of all but two of his companions,
and reached Oregon ir time to proclaim the organization
of the Territorial Government on the !)d of Murch, 1819,
just one day before the expiration of President Polk'i
administration. His subsequent devotion to the interests
of Lis Adopted State and his national prominence as a
candidate for Vice-President ia ISM, are well known to
all. It is fitting that the people of Oregon should erect
a suitable monument to his memory, and we hop the
Legislature will make an appropriation sufficient to sup
plement the lilieral private donations which will doubtless
te made.
AN EXPENSIVE! FOLLY.
Not to characterize it in stronger terms and the net
often deserves a more forcible expression of condemna
tion- tho changn of school text Ixniks from one series to
another is an expensivo folly. Often, by some mysteri
ous influence brought to War upon those in authority, a
set of text books, such ns readers, geographies1, histories,
arithmetics, etc., and frequently several of these series,
are arbitrarily thrown out and others adopted in their
place. Yet A little thought seems to Iki taken of the hard
ships thus forced Uxn the parents of the thousands of
school children who are affected bv the chance, find a
balm is offered by. the publisher to s sit he the outraged
feelings of the indignant parents culled iinui to HtipKrt
these little ofllcial eccentricities. This is called "ex
changing." To get the old btsiks out of the way, simply
to show his "good faith" in trying to " foment " the
schools by supplying them with these "very snerior"
books, he offers to "exchange" the new foioks for the old
ones ami a little money consideration, just enough to
cover tho "bare cost" of the transaction. This is not an
original idea of the school hook publisher. His slender
stock of originality is entirely exhausted in making " im
provements" upon the old editions. Tho exchange idea
was nn old dodge of tho suwing machine agent long
before tho publisher Is-camo enamored of its beauties
and a convert to its purely philanthropic principles.
There is, of course, constant Advancement being made in
methods of imparting instruction to tho young, and tho
evolution of tho text book has been sternly and marked.
To Ixi sure, sound reasons may bn advanced, in casa a
soloction lietwoen contending series of text hook foeome
necessary, why tho choice should fall Umii tho most
modern and most practical; but when a series lias already
been adopted, when it has foion in constant use for a
sufficient length of timo to test its value, And is pro
nounced good by tho prnctiild teachers under whose
suMrvision it is used, no satisfactory reason, that is none
which is convincing to thisto ajsin whom tho burden of
(Miying tho bills rests, can 1st advanced for changing it
Our xplo have built commodious and comfortable
school houses, have employed comix-tent teachers in
every department, and have cheerfully paid the heavy
taxes imposed for educational purposes, and their reason
able demand thai the unnecessary expense of exchanging
text foioks li hot forced upon them should be heeded;
also their demand to lie relieved of the constant annoy,
nnoe of a reflated and persistent Agitation of the school
book question.