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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1885)
THE WEST SHORE. 293 lose the money they have invested. Tho charter of tho company will provide for Uw rotiioiuuut of ,U.l u. rapidly as tho profit of tho company can tlo it When ever, nt stated periods, the tronKiiry contains more than a certain amount held as a fuml to meet current expense and coBt of repairs, improvements, etc., as many shares of stock will bo repaid to the holders as the amount will cover. Stock thus paid will be selected by lot. This process will Ihj continued until every stockholder has hud his original investment returned to him. He does not cease, however, to Imi a stockholder, but participates in the subsequent profits of the company in pnixrtioii to the number of shares he originally owned, which profits will bo distributed in the form of dividends. That it will bo soveral years before this process of liquid ation cnn bo commenced is evident, and tho scheme is not advocated as an investment for tho puriose of making money. It is simply devised to give tho people an op poitunity to bring alout tho era of prosperity we all King for, and to finally receive back tho money they originally contributed for that purpose, together with any future profits that may accrue. It is not promised that this shall bo tho work of a few individuals, but a jsipulnr movement, in which every one interested in tho welfare of the city will take a hand. Subscriptions for shares will be received in any sum ranging from one to five hundred dollars, giving all a chance to aid. Tho charter will set a limit to tho uumlcr of shares one individual may own, so that it will bo iuiMssible for any unscrupu lous capitalist to "gobble up" the concern and thus do feat the object of its suppler, None but men who are generally recognized as among the most hoiiorablo and trusted in the city will bo permitted to participate in organizing the company and form its first board of direct ors. After that tho stockholders will be responsible for the character of the o Ulcers they elect Every safeguard will bo thrown around it that can l devised for the preservation of the fundamental character of the com pany. If our citizens do not tike hold of this entaririso in a lilsiral spirit, then wo would better cease finding fault with our wealthy men. If we are not willing to do anything ourselves we should bo modest enough not to complain of tho inaction of others. Here is an oppor tunity to accomplish something without relying upon our reluctant "rent per cent" millionaires; let us see if we embrace it AMERICAN FALLS. ONE of the prettiest sights in the West Is the American Fulls, at the crossing of Hnuke Iliver by the Oregon (Short Line, in Southeastern Idaho, The falls and the splendid iron bridge by which the rood ensues are shown on another page. Only the early riser will obtain a view of them from the east-bound train, as it orosses tho river bout six o'clock in the morning of the second day out from Portland. At nine o'clock in tho evening of the third dty from Omaha the west-bound traveler will reach them, and if it chance to bo a mooulight night he i!l view a sight he will never forgot OLD AND NEW JAPAN, NO 11. STRICT orders had boon issued to the commanders of the squadron to use unremitting vigilauoo night and day to prevent any surprise by tho natives. The niarinos wore kept under arms continually, while sentinels below and lookouts aloft kept ceaseless vigil. How neoessary was all this watchfulness and preparation for emergen cies whs plainly evident from tho conduct of tho Japanese themselves. lionts filled with armed men surrounded tho lleet at night, and had vigilance been in the least relaxed, they would have made a sudden dash upon tho ships, swarmed over their sides, and made short work of tho defenders with their sharp swords, slashing halberds and battle axes. In tho daytime thousands of them were seen on every headland and along the beach, each man oquipod with t wo swords, while thousands more darted about in boats Ismring tho Hags and banners of the vari ous princes and sub-princes of old feudal Japan, lu later years, when any of these native olllcers chanced to meet some one who was in Terry's expedition, they would chat iu the most friendly mood of these event ful times, the most exciting and jHirtentious that had visited tho Island Umpire for two centuries. As they sat together over a fragrant cup of tea and mingled their clouds of tobacco smoke, they would relate how at the timo their very blood boiled with hatred toward those foreigu barbarians who invaded their bays and harlsjrs, ami as if in oontempt of the utmost the natives could do, wont whithersoever they pleased, equally unmoved by exsstulations or threats; how the whole nation, from the holy Mikado to the most insignificant beggar, was aroused to such indignation that they would have glveu their lives to destroy even one of those dreadful " flro ships"; how they thought the great American Admiral, who like their own Mikado kept himself sacred from the view of tho common herd, must be of race of gods even siqwrior to their own ruler, since the wisdom and deceit of tho wise counsellors of the Hhin-Kokn (Land of the Ocsls, a native name for Japan,) was of no avail agaiust his superior wisdom and siwer when they planned the destruction of his fleet They often asked, "Did not you Americans look usin us as no better than a hit of chat tering monkeys, when we were so vainly trying to drive or frighten you away from performing an act of friend ship toward us?" Hut that was afterwards, when they had learned to appreciate the benefit of communication with the Caucasian race. Although Commodore I'erry was secure agaluat any force that might attack him, so long as he maintained rigid vigilauoo, still there is no doubt that his big guns and the other unknown terrors of his "fire-ships" Im pressed the natives with less force than his policy of seclusion. This was great stroke of diplomacy, and gained the respect and even reverence of both high and low resjsict for his government and countrymen, aud reverence for himself sa being similar to their own holy Mikado. This feeling has by bo means died out, and his memory is still verdant, while bis name is a