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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1900)
mm, wtomm CURRENT TOPICS OF INTEREST FOR MEN AND WOMEN READERS MATTERS OF SOME -IMPORT TO DWELLERS IN TOWN AND COUNTRY, -P VOL. XIX. POHTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, .MARCH 11, 1900. TWENTY-FOUR PAGES PAGES 13 TO 24 NO. 10. Wm. Gadsby ....THE HOUSEFURNISHER.... GADSBY BLOCK Corner First and Washington WW JL- Q HI (II UpG We would like... to talk with you about furnishing your house. You may be surprised If you have never looked through our Immense stock, to know that we furnish houses complete from kitchen to front hall. "We can tell you exactly what It all will cost, and the very least it can be made to cost. Our Spring novelties in furniture ,, 1 and carpets "Will please you, and our prices are as low as Is consistent with legitimate business. 1VB SELL OX EASY TERMS IN THE CITY Stoves, Ranges, Baby Carriages, Refrigerators, etc. WIVLGADSBY,The Housefurnisher The Gadby Block, Cor. Washington and First Sts. We carry in stock Wiiton, Axminster Moquette, Smyrna and Reversible Rugs Carpets Axminster Body Brussels Moquette, Roxbury Velvet Tapestry Brussels Rajah Ingrain and Two-ply ingrains Furniture Brass, Metallic and Iron Bedsteads Mahogany, Blrdseye Maple Birch and Golden Oak Chamber Suits, Chiffoniers Dressing Tables, Dress ers, Wash stands, etc. Parlor Suits, Davenports Rockers, Corner Chairs Bookcases, Desks Whatnots, Cabinets Lounges, Hail Trees Couches, Sofa Beds all of new and exceptionally pretty designs. Special this week Oak Chamber Suits, French beveled mirror In dresser, 24x30 Inches : 11 1 nPFfnniNf'nTYPAPPFSFMT r -Vi" "" VOR tho many years bT the Federal Government, In 1S43 the the afternoon, when there was a dinner. &W Wv 'imf nJi! Hfejlmrt KsLi .thnt th fin r the American residents established a tempo- At midnight supper came, and all sat down -W ' ffl I ,-.,, J 18 kM& ffetP 7 5,OR tho many years that the flag of the United States has floated over Oregon her history has been one of romance. The picturesque adven tures of Qaptain Bonneville appealed particularly to the greatest of all Amer ican, romancers, "Washington Irving; and the later expedi tions of Lewis and Clark and their hand of Intrepid followers the men who "con quered the wilder ness and fashioned the slate" read like pages from a fairy tale. Interest In this land of romancecen ters at the great Palls of the "Willam ette. In this historic region, the most his toric spot is Oregon City. What Ply mouth -Rock is .to grim and Weak New England; what St. Augustine is to sunny Florida; -what Jamestown Is to the -whole country; that is Oregon City to Oregon State and the Pa cific North-west. Situated at tho great Falls of the "Wir lamette, 12 miles aboe Portland, it Is dos rined to become a great manufacturing city. As with the -water power furnished by Niagara, or -at the Falls of Spokane, nature hasiJjffen lavIMln her expenditures at jbregonIty. Its prossjetiijb jfcommer- -clal Importance does not alone make It prominent ClusteredJarouna Jljefold town are legendaryloreJ!andJthlstorlc traditions t that-make it dear to the hearts. of rolUOre- tgon people. First Immlffrnilon. The first Immigration of American peo ple to the fertile "Willamette "Valley was In 1&12. when a band of hardy emigrants crossed the plains and mountains and set- tied at tho Falls of the "Willamette, -which spot afterwards became Oregon City and the first capital of Oregon Territory. Thirteen j'ears previous to this Dr. John McLoughlln, the chief factor of the Hud son's Bay Company, -west of the Rocky Mountains, appropriated a large tract of land, whero Oregon City now stands. Between Dr. McLoughlln and the early missionaries who settled there, much liti gation folio-wed concerning the ownership of this land; but that is another story, and the matter was finally adjudicated. Dr. McLoughlln might be called the uncrowned king of that great area, a vast domain lying between the Rockies and the Pacific Ho had absolute control over t!he property and even the lives of the 600 employes of the Hudson's Bay Company. In. order that ho might legally hold this Oregon City tract of land he renounced allegiance to tho Kingdom of Great Britain and be came a citizen of the United States. In the old cemetery at Oregon City, among the mosses and tho -lichens, -where the briars and the ferns and the flowers grow, exempt no more from the ravages of time than the other rude stones that mark this somewhat neglected spot, stands a plain marble slab. Under this lies all that is mortal of Dr. John McLoughlln. During his life he "was the guiding spirit of Ore gon's destiny; after his death his mem ory remained green In the hearts of the , people. ' A Ul of History. Prior to 1S4) the few Americans who wore In Oregon braved many kinds of appallinif death. Their only protection was their own prowess, and scores of them fell prey to the hordes of red-skinned savages who -roamed through the valleys and mountain fastnesses. The .river, from Oregon City to the sea, is lined with his toric spots, the scenes of historic acts performed by these men. Tidings of tho wonderful beauty of the Willamette Val ley, the great fertility of Its soil, the per ennial greenness of its verdure, reached the East, and In the early '40s Immigration turned Oregonward. Oregon was debatable ground, over which the United States re fused to extend its jurisdiction. Ignored WipartlcuIarly to the grants to arrive in 1842, was emplojed the high water swept It away in l&n. Jir. vjMi RT 08zg&g02f " 3 A M fa I S Yv irrontnot rf ail Amtf. He ti- MT.miehiin tn nint th tnsntitt Baum continued in the hotel buslnesd, and, - -71 srSJ Vi iaLs&I V X v !l K??tS I kKEEZP: by the Federal Government, In 1SI3 the American residents established a tempo rary civil government for the Territory of Oregon and founded the capital at Ore gon City. That was the year that the site of Portland was claimed by "William Over ton, who, it may be remarked, parentheti cally, was afterwards hanged in Texas. S. "W. Moss, who was among the emi grants to arrive in 1842, was emplojed by Dr. McLoughlln to plat the townsite. He did his engineering with a pocket com pass and a rope, and mapped out he city on tho right bank of tho "Willamette, be tween the river and the high bluff of basalt rock. The city now lies on both banks of the river, and some of the pret tiest residences are or top of the bluffs. The first capltol buildins of the territory was a rude cabin of split logs, -with slab seats for the members. Here, also, was built the first Protestant Church on tho Pacific Slope, In North or South America. This quaint old Methodist Church was In the center of the old part of the town, and on the .same lot grows the first apple tree planted in Oregon. That part of tho town oni the west side of the river was at one time called Xynn. It is now all within the same corporation. "When the capital was established here, the place was called "Willamette Falls. The seat of government was moved from the falls to Salem; thence to Corvallis and again to Salem;, where the State Buildings were erected. For many years the village was kept In a .ferment of excitement by the fear of Indians and by the Indians themselves. Peace was secured with tho savages only at Intervals, and most of the fighting forces were raised at Oregon City. It was here that Klockstock, a sub-chief of the Molalla tribe, who was a cruel and bad-tempered man, caused much trouble. A code of laws had been pre- pared -by DaiMhJ.dunder these a'reward of J10"was1oflered for, the apprehension, of a relative of Klockstock, -who had injured a Methodist Missionary named Perkins. Klockstock and four of his braves lted Oregon City in ISM, to talk the mat ter over. The chief was around the town for a half hour or so, and then rode across the river to procure an Interpreter. It was then that an attempt was made to arrest him, and he was killed while re sisting. His four followers escaped, but George "W. Le Briton, a settler, was killed and a man named Rogers was shot in the arm with a poisoned arrow, and af terwards died. This inconsiderate act caused much trouble, and the Provisional Government was forced to form a mllltla company. Tho Indians looked upon these acts of the whites and the Protestant Mis sionaries as cause and effect, and many a blow that was Intended for the Indians really fell oa tho Missionaries. The mur der of Dr. Marcus "Whitman and wife and other massacres of Missionaries can prob "ably bo traced to hasty and injudicious deeds of tho whites. The First Ball." The first great social function that oc curred In Oregon, of which there la any authentic record known to the narrator, was a cotillion party given at Oregon City, Just 50 years ago. This' was prob ably the first formal function given by Americans west of the Rocky Mountains. An Invitation to this party follows. It Is printed on pale blue paper, of English manufacture, with a Hon In the upper right-hand corner. Just below tho head, ing Is a cut of the American eagle. The Invitation reads: COTILLION PARTT. Tour company la rcepectfully solicited to attend a cotillion party, to be glen on Thursday, the 10th day of October, at the Oregon House. Party to com mence at 7 o'clock. Managers: Noes Smith. Jos. Ralston. George- McCarty, Wm. S. Ogden, A. Post. F. S. Holland, Andrew Jackson, Jno. P. Brooks. Oregon City, October 4. 1850. In those days, dancing parties began ear ly and continued all night. Sometimes the festivities began as early as 4 o'clock In vis- Iff tho afternoon, when there was a dinner. At midnight supper came, and all sat down to a hearty breakfast at sunrise. Sleep did not come in for consideration at alL The "Oregon House," at which this dance occurred, was a small, two-story frame building, on tho bank of the river, be tween Third and Fifth streets, and was owned and operated by Jacob Baum, until the high water swept it away in 1S51. Mr. Baum continued in the hotel business, and, after this mishap, purchased the Main Street House from Mr. .Moss, who had built It In 1&I5, on the lot -where Young' Livery Stable now stands. This was first used as a hotel; then as barracks for the First Regiment of Mounted Rifles, most of which was here in 1S49 and 1S50. Mr. Baum enlarged his purchase and rechrist ened It the Oregon House, which caused many people to be mistaken In the identity of the original Oregon House. Traditions of tlws. Ball. Tradftlon has .much to say concerning this ball, those who attended and their costumes. One man wore a broadcloth suit that he had brought around Capa Horn to California, and thence to Oregon. A few of the Army officers bad blue coats, and there were a few silk dresses. One young woman wore a wine-colored Eng lish cashmere, balloon-skirted and tight walsted, but with the waist fastened up the back with a bristling array of pins whose threatening points protruded, to the Intimidation of her partners, in the giddy mazea of the -waltz. The music on this occasion was furnished by three en, with accordions, and one "fiddler," who were seated on a high platform in tha center of the ballroom. Tho site of Oregon City -was selected by Nature. Just here a range of basaltic hills, several hundred feet In height, cross es the "Willamette, or rather the "Willam ette has plowedp.ltSg way Jnroughthcm. Ainanlowwater(3tfalh?JhIeTiara' semi-circular In shape, are 40 feet In W 1 height. From shore to shore they meas ure a half mile. There are several small islands at the brink which divides the stream, and -which does not all fall In one body. Tho factories are located on both sides of the river. The main busi ness portion of the city Is SO feet above the stream. In the southern portion of tho town Is an elevation which reaches 330 feet above tho river. From this point tho view is sublime. As far as the eye can reach, either to the north or to the south, can be seen the beautiful "Willam ottte, meandering through the fertile Val ley, its banks covered with a carpet of poronnlal green. A dozen Valley to-wns can be seen, and a good view of Portland Is had. Beautiful View. Tho elevation on the -west side is greater than on tho east side, though the cliffs are not so precipitous, except on the imme diate banks of the stream. From this height, tho entire city on the opposite bank is spread out like a panorama. This picturesque beauty alone -would make Oregon City famous. The falls are not simply a series of rapids, like so many that are noted, but here the whole volume of tho river plunges over a cliff of solid basalt, forming a cataract of much power and beauty. From the falls the river flows between solid vertical walls of ba saltic rock, 25 to 50 feet high and of beau tiful columnar formation. Hero is tho confluence of the Clackamas River. Both the Cascade Mountains and tho Coast Range can be seen. Mount Hood looms up, 50 miles away. To the north Mount St. Helens, and to the east. Mount Adams, come boldly Into view, and on the south can be seen the Three Sisters and Mount Jefferson. All these peaks are perpetual ly clad in snow and Ice. Great and historic as has been Oregon City's past, it is to the future it must look for Its most lasting fame. This It -will owe to Its matchless water power. According to investigations made by the Oregon City Board of Trade, the "Willam ette River discharges Into the Columbia 15.000 cubic feet of water per second. The only tributary it receives below the falls Is the Clackamas River, which Is In significant. The Clackamas does not dis charge over 2700 cubic feet per second. Thus, the volume of water at the falls- Is 12,300 cubic feet, and these are dry-season figures. This would make the capacity of the falls 56,000 horse-power. During most of the year, it is several times this amount. The falls of St. Anthony, at Minneapo lis, furnish only 20,000 horse-power. At M -. .j:T VJ W fl , Mil ft IT Zisaa553SsSr-JCa fW It MtcCtt I Great Falls, Mont. 33,000 horse-power Is developed. At Niagara 100.000 horse-power has been developed, which -saves the City of1 Buffalo tt.-C0O.Ott) i annually in fuel alone. None of these great water powers, possess moro advantages than the falls of "Willamette, at Oregon City, "afford? , This great power Is practically undevel oped. Not over 1S.000 horses-power is be ing used. This is considerably more than the total water-power of Lowell, Mass. Boats on the "Willamette pass around , the falls by means of a canal on the- west side. In this canal there are four 11ft locka, of 10 feet each. This canal also feeda tho water wheels of several mills, though it was not originally Intended for this purpose. The canal was built in 1872. It is about one-third of a mile long, and the whole distance la cut through almost solid rock. It 'cost over,, a halt million dollars; iKL Prior to 1SSS, all the water power privi leges at Oregon City were owned by tho "Willamette Transportation and Locks Company. In that year the "Willamette Falls and Electric Company was organ ized, and it obtained most of the rights of the old company. This company had in view the generation of electricity and transmitting It to Portland for Illuminat ing purposes. It accomplished Its object, and this Is the first Instance where elec tricity was transmitted to so great a distance, to furnish light or power, on so large a scale. Brouprht -to First Ranlc. The Portland General Electric Com pany was Incorporated In 1852,. with a" capital of -"WoO.COO. - B&rh""the old' companies were merged Into the new one. which contained some Eastern capitalists. "With this organization began plans that brought the Oregon City water power up to first rank. The company owns the water power, the locks, the canal and 1C00 acres of land. Tho electric-power station forr turning the falls Into commercial use, comprises a great plant. The capacity is W.OOO'1 horse power. The concrete foundation of thl3 station was laid on bed rock, at the bot tom of the river, 30 feet below the sur face of the water. The foundation does not have walls, but is a solid mass of con crete. The canal was made 80 feet wide for a long distance aind. In fact, all the old plans were broadened. The following table, showing the water-power capacity, the number of employes, and the value of tho products of Oregon City, was pre pared by H. E. Cross, of that place, and Is authentic: Interesting? Statistics. Aprox. annual "Water- No. prod power, hired, uct. Oregon City Ice Plant.. 150 10 Portland Flouring Mills. 250 25 500.000 Or. City Woolen Mills.. 500 350 500.000 Or. City Pumping Station 100 "Willamette Pulp & Pa per Co 0.000 500 1.725.000 Portland General Elec tric Co 0.700 10 Capen Sho Co. 25 11 25.000 Total 17.725 1037 ?3.150.000 Of raw material, 1.500,000 pounds of wool, 40.000 cords of -wood, 15.000.000 feet of wood for paper making, and a million bushels of wheat are anuually utilized. Nine hundred barrels of flour and SO tons of paper are manufactured every day. A new pulp mill was put In operation last year. Six thousand people live at Oregon City. It Is the county seat of Clackamas Coun ty, and tho public buildings of the county are located here. The principal business thoroughfares of the city are paved with vitrified brick. It is an educational cen ter. Seven large schoolhouscs are In the city and Immediate suburbs, and a Chau tauqua Is conducted at Gladstone Park, three miles away. As a residential town, Oregon City's 'advantages are unsur passed. The great scenic beauty, the sa lubrity of the climate, the sanitation, the congeniality of the people, and the close proximity of the town to tho metropolis (Portland), unite to make this an ideal home city. In a way, it Is a center of learning and culture. It is a town of homes and churches, as well as a manufacturing center. As Port land continues to grow, "eo 'will the popu lation of Oregon City .increase. Trans portation between the two cities Is easy, cheap and rapid. Portland morning pa pers are received before breakfast, and the afternoon papers arrive before 6 o'clock. Residences and pretty suburban towns are springing up alf along tho 55sVTfl$K HvJA J v u f river, and tho electric lino between the falls and- Portland. The first newspaper published on the Pacific Coast, or west of the Rocky Mountains, was established at Oregon City, in 1S4G. This was the Oregon Specu lator, which was printed on a "Washing ton hand press that was brought to tho territory from the Sandwich Islands. Later on, a paper was printed at Mll waukie, between Oregon City and Port land, and in 1S50 the first issue of The Oregonlan was printed. Oregon City has practically the samo transportation facilities as Portlands Steamers ply regularly on tfie river at all seasons of the year, and the river Is nav igablo 150 miles above the falls. The South ern Pacific Railway paes through tho city. The river not only gives means of transportation, but serves to keep the freight rates of the railroad down to tho lowtst notch. It la believed that several motor lines will soon he built, from tho town to points In the surrounding country, so as to more easily gather the products of the valley. Salmon come to the base of the falls, in large schools. In pioneer days the Cal lapoola Ipdlans used to catch them thero In largo quantities, during tne months of May and June, whenthey ran up stream. In those tlraes?I was a'CommonvsIghtito see as many as 50 or 100 large fishjieap Ing out of the water at one time, endea voring to climb tho falls. i