WILLAMETTE RIVER BRIDGE AT PORTLAXD.
MORE than sixteen years ago, Ste
phen Maybell, then a young and
untutored bard of some native
genius, who resided in East Fortland,
ventured the prediction, that, among the
early achievements of the progressive
spirit of enterprise, a bridge would be
constructed across the Willamette river,
at Portland. This theme he duly cele
brated in verse, and it has passed into
the permanent literature of the vapor
ous land of Webfoot Once upon a time,
when suddenly seized with the glow and
fervor of poetic inspiration, Mr. Maybell
dashed off a poem, many lines in length,
in which the prediction was breathed
(in fact, it was repeated at the close of
each stanza) that the romantic Willam
ette would be spanned by a bridge, and
that we should all "see it yet" The
opening verse ran in soft, mellifluous
numbers, as follows :
Behind the pine hal nunk the win,
And darkness hunjf oVr Oregon,
When on the hanks o' Willamette
A youth was neon to set and set,
And net and sing unto the tnnon
A wild, yet sweet, athetic tune
"They're ?oinjr to build, 1 feel it, yet,
A bridge aerM the Willamette."
What once only existed in the dreams
of the young bard's imagination, and
took the shape and form of impassioned
song, has now become, after the lapse of
years, a palpable reality. In all truth,
the doggerel, which, by common court
esy, may be dignified by the appellation
of " poetry," was indited in a scrio-cVjinic
style, and reads much more like a satire
than a sincere prediction; nevertheless
the poet has, thoughtlehly or otherwise,
written himself down a genuine proph
et After encountering almost nuralier.
less impediments, and waging a long, ex
pensive legal warfare, tho enterprise and
determination of a few men of means
have overcome every olwtacle, and tho
project of constructing a bridgo is now,
virtually, an accomplished fact
As these lines are !cing penned, the
bridge, while not completed and ready
for actual public service, is rapidly ap
proaching the finishing strokes. Four
of the spans are already in position, the
roadway and walks on each side of the
structure havo been laid, and tho other
parts are being pushed toward an early
completion. What principally remains
to be accomplished, is the putting to
gether and placing in position of tho
huge draw. It is thought that ten days
will be required to complete this work,
after all tho Dcccssary materials have
arrived. The greater part of tho draw
is being manufactured in the East nd
when the sections reach this city it will
be a comparatively small Uk to put tho
work together. The material is expec
ted to arrive about tho twentieth of Feb
ruary. I!y tho first of March, or during
tho early part of tho month, at the very
latest tho Morrison street bridgo will bo
completed and re ady for traveL This is
the present expectation of the company,
should no unforeseen olwtacle arise. It
is confidently believed that the applica
tion for an injunction, now pending be
fore the United Btatea court, will not re
sult in any serious interference with the
operations.
Column upon column has ben writ
ten on the subject of the bridge which
is so soon to span the Willamette river,