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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1886)
THE WEST SHORE. be among the obstacles overoorao, as wood of home growing will be abundant, judging from the growth of wood planted a year ago on timber cultures here, while coul fiuiu Tuget buuud will be accessible after the Cas cades branch is completed. There is no country on earth that has not some drawbacks, ami none so barren but it has one redeeming quality. This territory is about the last of Uncle Sam's great ranch, and the per son who would like a slice must be up and doing, or he will be left to take his chance in older states at high prices and in a crowdod community. Those ooraing hore to soek homes ought to have money enough to bridge them ovor for a year, until they can raise a crop, and thus provide themselves with the staff of life. They also want money to buy a team, wagon and plow, and to' build a bonne, no mutter how small, so long as you can turn around in it and lie down straight Then, if possible, bring with you a good wife to help you, and to share with you the joys and sorrows of pioneer life. Have a good crop of sand in your craw, confidence in yourself, trust in Gxl and keep your powder dry, and you will conquor evory obstacle and have a better home here in a few years than you can ever get in Wisconsin. So gird up your loins, enter and possess the land, and in time prosperity and inde pendence will follow. But it contemplating immigranU to this part of Washington have any iiloa Hint the coun try hore, and everything in it, rolls on wheels, ami all you have to do is to jump on and ride on a complimon- tary ticket from Uncle Sam, it is a delusion. Uncle Sam gives you one hundred and sixty acres of land, but he doesn't furnish any mulo, and what you have you will work for; if you won't work, just stay where you are; you have no businoss out hero. THB TOWERS OF 8HJDNCB. OREQON MEMORIAL 8TONB. On naue one hundred and eighty-six i given an en graving of the momorinl stone contributed by the state of Oregon to the Washington monument Each state and territory was Invitod to supply one stone from some building material to be found within its limits, the stone to be suitably engraved with the name of the slate and anv other devices desired. It was the original Inten tinn to set these stones in the wall of the monument but to manv states were tardy in providing their oontri butions, and the stones wore of such varied quality, that it whs finally decided to place them in niches in the in terior. The Oregon stone is a sandstone slab, four and one-half foot long by two foot high and six inches thick, woiuhins six hundred pound, The stars in the shield are inlaid pieces of polished granite, while the white rJ tlm tiimintAiiiM. ronrosoiitimr our trraml snow Vlnt vfc w ... r w twViL are inlaid pieced of polished marble. The enrv ina is more elalmrate than that of any stone sent by other states, and it naturally attracts much attention from visitors to the monument It was executed by v...A W.u.l. i,t Atlmi.v. Orcflou. and oust tbs sUUt 1IBHB wvm, - 1 two thousand dollars. Colonel Floyd-Jones, writing from India to the MiU ilnry tkrvin Journal, gives an interesting description of the " Towers of Silenoe," near llomlmy, and the 1'ar- soe mode of disposing of tlte dead The Farsee is a do. voted fire worshiper, and most of his prayers are offered at morning and evening, facing the sun. It is, perhaps, in consequence of this belief that he is oareful in pre. vonting the pollution of the other olomouts, and that at. tor death his body is placed in an open tower, usually on some eminence, whore it is dovoured by vulture. Those open sepulohora have boon appropriately named the "Towers of Silence." In every Tarseo dwelling house there is an aorture in the upper or sleeping story, which is usually covered by a grating; but when a member of tho household dies, his body is placed on a bier and lowered through the atwtiire to the ground floor, where it is cared for by a set of .priest called Neor-ser-saln, or death men, who prepare the body and clotho it entirely in white. ltofore the body is removed from the house, however, tho forehead is smeared with a sooios of clarified butter, or " ghee," and the dog of tho house admitted. Should tho animal lick the butter, it is regarded as a good omen for the departed's futuro happiuos, but its refusal would signify perdition. Tho death men have no contact with the world at large, and on no account are ihey admitted to the house, as their presence would pollute it Hence it is that the iMnly is lowered to thorn, lu order to make their entrance unneo. essary. A procession is then foimrd, the friends of the dead following tho priests to tho towers of sileuce, on Malabar bill. Arriving at tho entrance of the grounds, the body is taken in charge by another set of priests, with long beards, who carry it to whichever of the Ova towers may be selected by the Inst tot of priests. Tho body is taken through sn aperture in tho wsll of tho tower and deposited on a grating. There aro three sets of these, ono for men, signifying good deeds, one for women, representing good words, and one for children, indicating good thoughts. The clothing is then re. moved and torn into pieces, after which it is thrown into another tower and the In dies ripened to the vul. lures. In a few minutes the birds have stripped all tho flesh from the bones. Evetything about the grounds is kept ss neat as possible, snd flowers grow in pretty gar. dens near tho entrance. It 'is very curious that are. ligion which otherwise contains o much that is elevat ing should countenance a mode of burial at once so un. natural and repulsive. TliR iiopular and enterprising Walls Walla Nlulrt. moil, tho Ixnt democratic paiicr in V ashington Terri tory, has donned a new drees and appears in more at tractive form than ever. Always tyttographically noat and full of live news, the Httilrmnn has won its high position by display of superior merit t iU many friend this viioiMM of ooutiuiwd prosperity is highly gratifying.