Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1900)
18 THE SUNDAY OKEGONIAy, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 30, 1900. jd BOOK3 Jftj, NEW EDITION OF KEATS Poems aad Letters of the Poet Pub lished in One Volume Other Late Publications. The period of John Keats poetical pro duction was so brief, and he leaped so quickly Into the possession of his poetical powers, that almost any arrangement of his -works that was orderly would serve. Yet since Keats has left in all but a few cases indication of the date of composi tion, and since even delicate intimations of poetic growth In the case of so rare a cenlus are worth attention, the endeavor In the Cambridge edition of the poet's works, Is to make the arrangement as nearly chronological as the evidence, chiefly obtainable from Keats letters, will permit. The head notes disclose all In stances where the editor had to fall bacx on conjecture. The adoption of this ordei Jias compelled disregard of the grouping of the volumes published by Keats, and the posthumous publication by editors, Tout, for the Information of students, a Dib.Iographlcal note, setting forth the his torical order of publication, is given In the appendix. The publication of "Endymlon" was an important event to Keats and his circle. His earlier volume, the verses which he had since written and shown, and his own personality, had raised great expectations among his friends, and the few who could discern poetry without waiting for the poet to become famous; and now he was staking all, as it were, upon this single throw. The book was coarsely and rough ly handled by the two leading reviews of the time, Blackwood's and the Quarterly. Criticism In those days was far from Im personal. A poet was condemned or praised, not for his work, but for his poll tics, the friends with whom he associated, his religion, and any thing In his private life which might be known to the re Iewcr. Keats knew the worthlessness of much of this criticism, but he felt never theless keenly the hostility of what, right ly or wrongly, was looked upon as the supreme court in the republic of letters. Endymlon had hardly got fairly before the w.r.d when it was pounced upon with great severity by Glfford, whose critical dlssectlng-knife made such havoc with the author's verses In the London Quarterly Review, that Keats was crushed to earth, and it was long believed by many that he had actually died from its effects. "He is," wrote -Gifford, "unhappily a dlsclplo cf the new school of what has been some where called Cockney poetry, which may be defined to consist of the most Incon gruous ideas in the most uncouth lan gmge." Such language Keats did not con sider complimentary, but to charge Glr Xord with his death seems absurd, especial'- in the light of De Qulncey's view: "The friends who honor Keats' memory should not lend themselves to a story so degrading. lie died, I believe, of pulmo nary cor sumption, and would have diea of it, probably under any circumstances of prosperity as a poet." Nothing has given so much currency to this story, excepting, perhaps, Shelley's pathetic lines, as Byron's stanza In the eleventh canto of Don. Juan: John Keats, vho was kill'd off by one critique. Just as he really promised something- great. If cot unintelligible without Greek. Contrived to talk about the gods of late. Much as they might have been supposed to spak. Poor fellow! Hie war an untoward fate. Tls s'range the mlad. that fiery particle. Bhould let Itself be snufted out by an Article, But this stanza should always be ac companied by the comment of one ot Keats' earliest, oldest and warmest friends. When Leigh Hunt was in Italy, Byron showed him the manuscript of the stanza. Hunt told Byron the real state of the case, proving that the supposition was a mistake, and if printed, would bb a misrepresentation. "But," says Hunt. 'a stroke of wit was not to be given up." (Houghton, Mifllin & Co., Boston.) MR. VALEXTIXE BIIO'.VN. Boole of Verse by n Lawyer Who Is a XaIie Orcsronlnn. Mr. Valentine Brown, of Portland, has varied the tedium of law practice In the past eight years by writing verse, some of which has been published In various periodicals. He has been a prolific writer, fcr wo arc assured that the definitive col lection of his verse. Just published, though it contains 190 pieces, does not represent all his writings. It is assuredly the largest book of verse that has ever come from an Oregon writer. It Is much larger than Mrs. Ella HIgglnson's "When the Birds Go North Asain" and Mr. Ed win Hirkhani's "The Man With the Hoe, and Other Poems." Mr. Brown's muse covers a great variety of subjects, ana there are odes to Mount Hood and the Columbia River. The best piece Is "The Trlumrh of Life." Mr. Brown is a. native Oregonlan. He was born in East Portland. November . lc"2 where he has since lived, with the cxrcp!!-n of a short Interval in early manhood. His parents were pioneers of 1S5G, having come to Oregon from Wis-co-s'n, via New York and the Isthmus of Panama His father, on arriving her., purchased the block where Raffety's drug ttore now stands, and was well known to tt" pioneers of Portland, having run the Stark-street ferry for Sam Douglas vntll Knott Brothers assumed control. Thereafter he was employed by them until r s death. Mr Brown's earlv life showed taste for turning He attended Bishop Scott Acad eiry until he was 14 years old. and re ce'ved a good common school education. as well as knowledge of Latin and Greek. For some years after leaving the acad emy he lLd a roving life and did not fol low any particular line of study. Elnco 's Jth year he h devoted a"ll rf his tra'-e t'me to literary work. In 1S3 he was graduated from the law department cf the University of Oregon, and has since been practicing h'.s profession In Port land. At the nge of 1L Mr. Brown carried The Oreg rlan, and at 12 he took charge of the Fast Fide route. Later he was "devil" and "flv boy" on the Bee. when Mr. E. L Caldwell (Jerrv) was pressman. He then "rarned to set type and worked on the Vindicator and Willamette Farmer. t tv age of 16, longing to see more ot the wrld, he went to sea. and for the rext few years passed the time on coast ing vessels between Puget Sound and Cal if r-!i and farther eoutth in the various canadties of cabin boy. oook. steward and a!" seimsn. It was durlmr tMc tut-Iai that he received the Impressions which have largely dominated his later life. From the sea he entered the railway mall service, which he left after four years to engage in the real estate business In Port land. In 1S97 he set in type a collection of his verses, from which he struck six or seven proof copies, which were presentee to Intimate friends, Mr. Brown has writ ten verse for pastime and pleasure, and many of his life-long friends and neigh bors neither knew nor suspected that ho had ever written anything. In his work he is dominated by a desire to be original. Riverside Biosrraphles. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., of Boston, an nounce the first three volumes of their "New Riverside Biographical Series," short, attractively written lives of An drew Jackson by William Garrott Brown, James B. Eads by Louis How, and Ben jamin Franklin by Paul Elmer More. These books are Issued In two styles, a library edition with photogravura por trait and a school edition with a half-tone portrait. Although somewhat limited by the small size of the volumes the writers of the series endeavor not only to give agreeable personal sketches of the sub jects entrusted to them, but to present graphically the character and achieve ment of, and even to Intimate somewhat the influence exerted by each of the men delineated; also to point out the contri bution which has mado to the de velopment of tho country and to show how effectually in some Instances their works have followed tnom. The conden sation demanded by a school bpok gives little f)om for specific treatment of great historical characters. Other volumes an nounced for publication In the near fu ture are Peter Cooper, by R. W. Ray mond, and Thomas Jefferson by H. C Merwln; and In preparation are volumes on William Penn, General Grant, and Lewis and Clarke. Eicnralonn of an Evolutionist. The world Is a vast mausoleum and its history is In Its geology, not In the scrip ture of orthodox theological Interpreta tion. "Truly," says Dr. John Flske, In "Excursions of an Evolutionist," "he who unfolds to us the way in which God works through the world of phenomena may well be called the best of religious teachers." Darwin's "Origin of Species" widened the mental horizon of mankind. Theology fought it on tho ground that it substituted the action of natural causes for tho immediate action of the Deity. Huxley defended It against Protestant theology; Catholic theology Is still hostile, and supports specific creation. Man's po sition in religion has not been changed by the new biology. Man has simply been "rudely unseated from his Imaginary throne In the center of the universe, but only that he may learn to see In the uni verse and in human life a richer and deeper meaning than he had suspected." In these essays we find Dr. Flske at his best It was Darwin's good fortune to live long enough to see his theory adopted by all competent naturalists. Dr. Klske lives to bo an exponent in the 20th cen tury of the greatest acnlevement of the 19th century. (Houghton, Mifflin & Ca., Boston.) American Biography. The six octavo volumes of "Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography," com pleted in 1SS9, were pronounced by the historian Bancroft to be "the most com plete work of its character ever pub lished." Gladstone also commended It as "a valuable and interesting work." The work contains nearly 20,000 names ana about 2000 portraits and other Illustra tions. During the past decaoe many men, comparatively unknown, have become fa mous, and General James Grant Wilson, senior editor and projector of the original Cyclopedia, has prepared a new supple mentary volume, covering nearly 2W0 names of Americans and adopted citi zens who have attained distinction in every walk of life during the past 12 years. Volume VII contains a dozen full page steel portraits and five general il lustrations, besides several hundred vig nettes executed by Grlbayedoff. In tho new volume will be found complete lists of tho pseudonyms, nicknames and so briquets mentioned In tho complete work, as woJl as other lists useful for biographi cal reference. D. Appleton & Co., New York.) The Ape of Faith. "The Age of Faith." by Dr. Amory H. Bradford, of Montclair, N. J., addresses itself to the liberal religious commun ity, and seeks, in clear, reasonable, hope ful tones, to Interpret the fatherhood of God. and to indicate the effect of the idea upon human institutions. It Is never dogmatic, and therefore Is in harmony with the philosophical spirit of the time, and It contends that the science and phil osophy of the age have made It one ot faith rather than of doubt faith, not. Indeed, in dogma, but In the unity of life and the bonevolonce of the existing world order. It belongs to the beneflccnt class of books presented by the works of Dr. Abbott, Dr. Munger and Dr. Gladden. (Houghton. Mifflin & Co.. Boston.) Mm. Dye's Plans. "McLoughlln and Old Oregon," by Mrs. Eva Emery Dye, left the press of A. C McClurg & Co., of Chicago. In June. i.he Bookman for August and September quoted it among the six best selling books of Chicago. The second edition was issued In October, and the third Is booked for Januaty. Three editions in six months Is a very good record for an Oregon book. Mrs. Dye's second book. "Stories of Oregon, ' published by Whltaker & Ray, of San Francisco, starts out wltn the promise of a similar record. Mrs. Dye is at work on "The Story of Lewis and Clark," a companion volume to "Mc Loughlln and Old Oregon." Garland at Ills AVor.it. Hamlin Garland Is short of substantial characters and long on descriptions of na ture in "The Eagle's Heart." which is offered as an "epic of the West." The hero is a Dick Deadeye sort of lndivldal, bad as a boy and worse as" a youth, who gains notoriety as a mlsenlefmaker, and dagger-user. (D. Appleton & Co., New York.) Gnshy Love Letters. We might as well make up our minds that love-letter Action will be with us lor a while. We have had the Browning love letters and the gusfey leve letters of a musician, and now comes "An English woman's Love Letters." This latter book is tho record of an Englishwoman's love, i beginning in happiness and ending In tragedy and death. The writer Is dead. If she were alive she probably -would havo better sense than to publish her sentimental correspondence. (Doubleday, Pago i Co., New York.) Stories of Army Life. In the Summer of ISM General George A. Forsyth was on detached duty as an acting aide on the staff of General Phil Sheridan. He was one of the two offi cers who rode to the front with Sheridan "from Winchester down," October 19, 1SC4, the day of the battle of Cedar Creek. The events of that memorable day came under General Forsyth's, personal obser vation, and he tells the story of the ride in a book which he has Just published under the title of "Thrilling Days In Army Life." After the troops had been formed in line of battle, Forsyth found Sheridan among a group of officers which included General R, B. Hayes and Lieu tenant William McKInley. He proceeds: After the whole line was thoroughly formed, I rode over to my chief and urged him to ride down it. that all the men might sec him. and know ulthout doubt that he had returned and assumed command. At first he demurred, but I was most urgent, as I knew that In some In stances both men and officers who had not seen him doubted his arrival. His appearance was greeted with tremendous cheers from one end of the line to the other, many of the offi cers pressing forward to shake his hand. Re spoke to them all, cheerily and confidently, saying: "We are going back to our camps, men, never fear. I'll get a twist on these peo ple, jet. We'll raise them out of their boots before the day Is over." At no time did I hear him utter that "terrible oath" so often alluded to both In prose and poetry la connection with this day's work. The chapters on "A Frontier Fight," "An, Apache Raid," and "The Closing Scenes at Appomattox Courthouse" de scribe other "thrilling times in army life. (Harper & Bros., New York.) Oriental Rugs, Trustworthy Information concerning rugs offered for sale has heretofore been difficult to obtain. With the exception of one or two high-priced foreign books, there has been no complete and authori tative work. For this reason there Is promise of great interest attaching to John Klmberly Mumford's work on "Ori ental Rugs." The author Is a collector of rugs. He has become, by years of study, a recognized authority, on the subject. He treats of the history of the rug, of tho people who weave It, Its materials, dyes and designs. There are 16 Illustrations by the new process of photochromes. (Charles Scrrbnor's Sons, New York.) The Cardinal's Rose. A young man attending a cinemato graph exhibition sees in one of the mov ing pictures what appears to be the theft of a dispatch-box from the pocket of a man In the crowd. A young woman ap pears in the picture, as If she might b: In same way Involved In the theft. The young man, struck by her attractive ap pearance. Investigates the source of the picture. These ingenious Incidents fur nish the plot for "The Cardinal's Rose," by Van Tastol Sutphen. (Harper & Bros., New York.) Mantle of Elijah. Israel Zangwlll's new novel, "The Man tle of Elijah," is written on different lines front any of his former works. There is scarcely a glimpse ot Hebraic character. The heroine is the daughter of an Eng lish statesman, a girl of great charm, who develops Into a woman of remarka ble fascination, with high aims in life. Her relations with her politician hus band and her poet friend lead to dramatic situations, of which Mr. Zangwlll takes full advantage. (Harper & Bros., New York.) My Indian Queen. Guy Boothby's stories never lack inci dent, and "My Indian Qu:en" Is no ex ception. A London nobleman of the ISth century having gone through his patri mony, tries his luck Jn India and plunges Into adventures in which war. Oriental treachery, elephant fights, mad tigers, monkey's with poisoned teeth, beautiful palaces and dark-eyed women come into play. The nobleman escapes all dangers and returns to England loaded with jew- VALENTINE BROWN. els to marry the girl he had left behind him. (D. Appleton & Co., New York.) California Missions. "Missions of Nouva, California," by Charles F. Carter, is, in a large measure, a guide bpok to the Institutions it de scribes. Mr. Carter puts In handy form a mass of valuable Information which Is hidden In Bancroft's ponderous histories. The Illustrations are from drawings by the author and from photographs and repro ductions of old prints. (Whltaker &. Ray Co., Ean Francisco.) Italian Cities. Those two handsome volumes. "Italian Cities," by E. IL and E. W. Blashfleld. contain essays which have already signal ized the authors as stimulating and au thoritative writers on all topics connected with Italian art. The majority of the studies are entirely new and are the re sult of recent travels and research. (Charts ScribDer"s Sons, New York.) Overheard In a Garden. Oliver Herford maintains, in "Over heard" in a Garden," the fine quality of "The Bashful Earthquake" and "A Child's Primer of Natural History." The delightful collection exhibits, the delight ful artist and versifier at his best. The cover design and illustrations are done with characteristic cleverness. (Charles Scrlbner's Sons.) Lessons in Love. The theme of Katrina Trask's "Lessons In Love" Is love and love-making. The Btories are light but well written. (Har per & Bros., New York.) Argonaut Le.ttars. Jerome Hart's letters from fEurope to the San Francisco Argonaut have been published under the title of "Argonaut Letters." Mr. Hart writes entertainingly. The volume Is prettily Illustrated. (Payot, Upham & Co., San Francisco.) VARDON'S PROFITS. American Trip Netted English Golfer Large Sams. Harry Vardon sailed for England yes terday on the steamship Majestic, and for the time being, at any rate, there will be a dearth of Vardon exhibition matches, which have been so marked a characteris tic of the present golf year, says the New York Commercial-Advertiser. It is in the air that Vardon will return In the near future, and possibly for good. Vardon himself has admitted such a possibility, and as he is now the open rhamplon of this country it would be no more than Just that the holder of that title should be come a permdnent resident of Ihe land which has given him that and many other honors. It Is undisputed that both Vardon and his managers have been agreeably sur prised at the cordiality of his reception and the willingness of so many clubs to pay the steep price of 1250, which was demanded for each appearance. To be sure, some clubs demurred at the price. Lakewood being one of the most promi nent places where he did not appear on that account. But, on the whole, Vardon did not have many idle days, and when they did come he was.heartlly glad of the rest. Just how much richer Vardon Is from the American appreciation 'of his magnifi cent golf Is a problem that many have attempted to solve, but Vardon's manager, Charles S. Fox. has consistently main tained a sphinx-like silence on the subject. Vardon's personal profits probably amount to $10,000. The sale of clubs bearing his name has given a handsome profit to the firm which so successfully exploited him. Although Vardon stands at the top of professional golf In his own country, he Is not above being influenced by monetary remunerations in America, and It would, therefore, surprise no one to see tho champion foreigner permanently located in this country. In Vardon's 73 matches, he met with 11 defeats. Nine of those were asrainst two i - . ... . ....... i uppononis. wniie iiernara -Mcnoils was ' the only golfer to beat the foreigner sin- gle-handed, and he did that twice. The i ; first time was on the Ormond links, Flor I Ida. In February: and the Eecond time ma ! on the Brae-Burn links, near Boston, in soptcmDer. AUTUMN IN WILLAMETTE VALLEY. Ih the valley's trough, deep, wide and clear. Sparkling and dlmpjlng at the sunshine's kiss. The river winds Its way past meadows broad That, smiling 'neath the Autumn's ample j leld. Sweep up to where, decked with the fir's soft plumage. With here and there a brilliant splash of scar let woodbine. Or the maple's yellow hue, the mountain-sides bend down. Like some rav. liveried chief who stoons I To lift the offered bounty of his dowered bride. Above, from range to range, stretches the blue net of the sky Whose meshes light catch the drifting webs of snowy clouds That linger, break away and drift, then catch again. Clouding the sunshine that Is sifted through, and making Shifting shadows on the basking land below. The smoke of Autumn's mystic watch-flres wreathes the hills In violet haze that. In the distance, to bright purple grows. And silent, stately, white, in rugged outline. And with shapely cone, the mighty mountains In the distance rise, piercing 'the blue; And to the pass In: breeze a message sweet confide Of peace and purity and strength That on the heights abevo the valley lies. E. L. N FARMING 50 YEARS AGO PRIMITIVE METHODS OF FIRST OREGON S.ETTLEIIS. Tb.rcsb.lnEr Was Slow and Tedious and a Dread to the Housewife Large Crops. There comes to me a picture of this Western coast, and particularly of our beautiful Willamette Valley, as It ap peared In the later '40s, reposing In the even then comparative solitude of Na ture's wlldness. Here and there were the rude log cabins of the plonters, usually built where woodland and prairie met, or In some sequestered glen or charming val ley, the coveted spots being where wooa was most convenient, and never falling fountains, with plenty of grass near at hand, though this last was abundant ev erywhere. Along the watercourses could frequently be seen the Indian wigwams. Over the prairies roamed the long-horned Spanish cattle, almost as wild as the buf falo, that even then roamed the distant plains by countless thousa'nds. These cattle were the dread of women and children, and even men found It not alone less fatiguing, but very convenient, to cress the prairies on horseback rathe than on foot. Stories are told of how men had to climb trees for safety. Not . single mark of civilization marred tho broad expanse. Pioneers to this day tell how lovely this country was when they first saw It. It must Indeed have seemed a perfect Eden after a six months' journey over arid plains and across rugged mountains. The fir trees at the top of Laurel Hill, near the southern base of Mount Hood, no doubt still show -the marks of the rope used In letting their wagons down. These marks were plainly to be seen In 1S76, as a party of us passed up .that road bound for the summit of Mount Hood. On the prairies grew luxuriant grasses that waved In the Summer breeze, grasses so tall as to hide the timid white-tail deer so plentiful In those days, but, alasl now rarely found, except near the mountain fastnesses. Even the black-tail deer, whose natural home is the lofty moun tains, are sadly thinned ouU The homes of the pioneers often were miles apart, seldom nearer than a mile; hence visitors were always welcome, ana the proverbial latchstring- Invited travelers to enter, as It hung from doors made of split boards resting on wooden hinges. In cold weather the open fireplace, with chimney built of sticks and mud, sent forth its ruddy glow from the generous pile of wood, behind which was the sel dom wanting huge back log. Roofs of cablns were covered with clapboards held on by poles laid across each course, the latter kept in place by chunks of wood reaching from one pole to another, at tho ends and middle of the roof. Puncheon floors were still In style. No partitions, save sometimes of calico or Its like, sep arated the beds of the family and the guests. Furniture was of the rudest kind, and cooking was generally done by the open fireplace. Deer horns fastened to the Inner walls served to support the trusty rifles. Chinks in the walls were com monly stopped by "chinking" split from the hearts of fir trees. Over this "chink ing" was a plastering of mud. Some times chinks were filled with moss. Fences were made of poles or ten-foot split rall3, usually the latter, and given a four-foot worm, or two feet each side from a Une marked by stakes. The "wormcr" was in the shape ot an L, the short arm, two feet long, reaching to where, the rails crossed each other. Seven rails high, with stakes and rider, was considered a legal .fence. Where there was no run ning water, wells were dug, from which the water was often brought up by a bucket hung to a well-sweep. Sometimes ropo and windlass served In place of a well sweep. Such in brief were the homes and sur roundings of the pioneer farmers, men ac customed to frontier life. Inured to hard ships, marksmen who could drop a deer In its tracks running at full speed, at a distance of 100 yards or more; men who, like CIncInnatus ot old, left their plows and flew to arms when bloodthirsty, treacherous savages committed horrid murders, and threatened a war of exter mination against the white settlers. "And there was woman's fearless eye Lit by her deep love's truth." Women bravelv and uncomplainingly shared the fortunes of those of sturdier frame. It was expected of them In those days not only to attend to household du tiesfrying meat or baking bread in a skillet or Dutch oven, the while facing the fire or glowing coals but also milk the cows and do chores generally, hoe the gardens, and sometimes help In the har vest fields. The customs and appearance of the country have greatly changed since those days. Men usually do the milk ing now, a mark of a higher civilization. Saying nothing about the Improvements made In the waj' of homes that every where dot the landscape. Nature has also been at work making changes. Where now are standing groves of sturdy young oaks and forests of towering young firs, was then an open plain across which deer and even hogs could be seen for quite a distance. Successive prairie fires set by Indians destroyed the young firs and the sprouts of the young oaks, but the roots of the latter were alive and soon developed into oak grubs. Some of the young firs set around the prairie homes are now 100 feet or mdre In height. Just where the first furrow was structt in the Willamette Valley that turned the virgin soil may not be certainly known. but It Is safe to say that oxen supplIeaJ the motive power, and for a number of ye.TS the woodland echoes gave back the shouts of the farmers to the then famlliai words, 'Whoa, haw Buck; gee Berry," or like names. In breaking the sod two yoke or more of oxen, and two men were usually needed After that, one yoke and one man or boy nearly always sufficed. The plows were of the rudest pattern, mnde by pioneer blacksmiths and stocked by like workmen. A plow with a wooden mold board, such as was sometimes usea In the Middle West many years ago. was probably never In service on this Coast. Cast-Iron plows were also used In- the East. The first plow I ever saw was one used at our Spokane mission, now known as Walker's Prairie, Wash. I am quite certain this plow was of cast-Iron, and ir so. no doubt was brought to this Coast by way of Cape Horn and the Sandwlcn Islands, as was the first printing press. Along In the '50s plows, were Imported, one of the first and best being the "Peoria Premium Steel Plow." If I am not mis taken, some men by the name of Post manufactured plows at Canemah, just above Oregon City, back in the mlddre '50s. On the farm of Strander Froman, near Albany, are several different patterns of home-made plows, though only the Irons remain. The contrast be tween them and the chilled Iron and "clipper" plows of today is not only Interesting, but amusing. A collection of such old plows would make a unique addition to the relics of the His torical Society. The harrows first used were made of wood, V-shaped, with teeth of some hard wood, generally oak. These were succeeded by Iron teeth. We now hae steel teeth. Toward the end of the '50s horses were quite commonly used for farm work. The pioneer oxen had servec their day, and passed from sight. Now and then could be found oxen "native born." but not in general use. The wheat used for Fall sowing in pio neer days was what is now known as the "old-fashioned Oregon white." For Soring, a red wheat was sown, some va rieties "bearded," others not. Of oats sown the roost common was tho "side l oat." The heaviest yields were of Spring grains, for they were nearly always sown on bottom lands that often were over flowed during the Winter. On these lands from 40 to 60 bushels of wheat, and from 50 to 70 of oats, per acre, were not uncom mon. In one instance known to the writer there was raised on the farm of Norman Martin, Scoggin's Valley. Washington County, a yield of 75 bushels of Spring wheat to the acre. Fall grain usually turned out from 23 to 40 bushels per acre. Quite a contrast from last year's five to 13, though this is not the fault of the soil or husbandmen. In early years Fall grain was Injured a gTeat deal by the myriads of wild geese that Wintered In this Valley. Of a morning the air was resonant with the cries of these fowl, and the long whoop of the "sandhill" cranes. The latter are seldom heard nowadays, and only as they pass high overheaa bound northward for the,breed!ng-grounas or southward for Winter. Where tho geese ate out the Fall wheat, usually came up cheat, and this gave the Idea among farmers that the wheat turned to cheat. Science will hardly bear out this idea. It is more reasonable to suppose that the seed of the wild cheat that grew in the creek bottoms, where the geese often fed, adhered to theig, feet, and was thus carried to the grain fields. On Linn County prairies Fall sowing was for a time quite discontinued, owing to the depredations of geese and ducks. The former, though now comparatively few In number, are still a nuisance. But little hay was put up in the earlier pio neer days. As long' as grass was abun dant, stock of all kinds was rarely fed during the Winter season. Only when deep snows fell did they need It. and the timber gave them shelter. Timothy was the only tame grass grown. The first -of this grass raised In Linn County was by Milton Hale, of Albany, who found In the Fall of 1S4S a stalk at the side of an In dian trail that passed through about where Albany now stands. There were few well-defined wagon roads In thoss days. Mr. Hale also planted the first po tatoes, In February, 1S45. Haying and harvesting were done with the mowing scythe and grain cradle. The handles for these at first were natural crooks from the woods; hence no two were alike. One acre of timothy or two of wheat and three of oats was considered an average day's work for a man. There, were cradlers who could cut four acres of wheat per day, but such were seldom found. Binding the grain was done by hand. A good binder could pick up and bind the grain after the cradle and keep up. Boys sometimes raked the grain for the binder. The biggest day's cradling I ever knew of -was done by E. S. Tan ner, In Washington County, in about 1S3G. He cut five acres of heavy oats In one day. Two boys raking and two men binding failed to catch up with him dur ing the day. "Grant's" cradles were the kind used In those days. The grain was generally shocked In bunches of 12. three pairs of bundles first, then two at each side, and two on top to cap. Even with this precaution there were seasons, as 1S52, If remembered correctly, when grain was greatly damaged by rain. Harvesting machinery was first used about the middle '50s. Among the first was the "Manny" combined reaper ana mower, a great, cumbersome affair large ly made of wood. It wa& a regular horse killer, even where four head were at tached. The McCormlck reaper came about the same time, perhaps the lighter draft of the two. One man drove and one rode and raked off the grain. Four bind ers could usually keep up. The field was divided into four parts, the men going round and round. A fast binder could often get over and "through" In time to rest awhile. Succeeding the "Manny" came the "Esterly," a reaper of much lighter draft. In Linn County among the first reapers was one manufactured by Martin Luper, at Tangent. This is said to have done good work. It was pat terned somewhat after the "Hains" head er. The former machine and some others dropped the grain in bunches, when It was taken up with barley forks and loaded, sometimes on sleds, oftener on wagons and taken to the thresher. Succeeding these came the "Woods" selfraker and "Marsh harvester," on the latter of which, besides the driver, rode two men who al ternately bound the bundles as they were brought up on the "draper." The wire binder, and now the twineblnder far ex cel the earlier harvesting machinery. The first harvesting I ever saw done was by means of a hand scythe or reaping hook In the hands of my father. The threshing was done with a flail. When a young man, and In Washington County, I learned to "swing the cradle," and many a day did I thus toil In the harvest fields. Where there were several cradlers, they took turns going ahead as the corners of the field were turned. In whetting the scythes, a double lick as If a slip of the scythe stone, stood as a banter for a race. If given In sport the customary words were, "Oh! I did not mean It." What fun we used to have In those days: We did not then follow the eight-hour sys tem as they do now eight hours in the forenoon and eight in the afternoon. Plenty ot stories were always at hapd when we stopped to rest or whet our scythes. Our thirst was assuaged by clear, cold water from the wells where hung tha "old oaken bucket." Sometimes we took a Jug of water out into the fields, when some distance from the home. The older pioneers told ub, and tell us today, how common the whisky jug was In the har vest fields "back In the States." There, pure whisky, as It Is called, was but 25 cents per gallon. Here In Oregon it was too high-priced, and our splendid drinking water gave little temptation for whisky. Deacon T. J. Naylor, a leading pioneer farmer and orchardlst near For est Grove, back in the '50s, used to tako delight in telling the story of the man who In the harvest field had his jug of whisky, that he kept in the fence cor ner. Imbibing- too much one day to handle himself properly, he let the Jug fall on the side of the fence opposite to him. As the liquor gurgled out with Its "good, good, good," he exclaimed: "Yes, I know you are good, but I can't get at you." Along in the '60's "headers" were used in Western Oregon, but were soon dis pensed with. The heavy dews hindered getting to work very early In tho morn ing and the fouling of the land by weeds whose seeds ripened with the well-ripened grain, were the principal reasons for dis continuing their use. Threshing ,the grain In pioneer days was a slow and tedious process. The usual way was to clear off a piece of ground, build a- fence around It and then haul the grain, one load at a time, and tramp it out with oxen or horses, sometimes tying the latter three abreastj sometimes turning in a whole band of horses, often wild ones, and driving thom round and round. In later years barns were built with the threshing floors, the grain stored In the surrounding "bags" and threshed out at leisure aurlng the Win ter. The winnowing was done by the breezes of heaven until fanning mills were manufactured, the first home-made one selling for 5100. It was quite an art to prepare a floor of grain for threshing. Some bundles were laid across the floor with bands cut, as were those of all bundles. Resting upon these were the grain ends of succeeding bundles, and so on around the floor. J Horses tramped opposite to tho way the ' bundles slanted. After being tramped I awhile, horses were taken off and grain I turned up from the bottom. Thus turned several times, It was pronounced threshed. Flooring succeeded flooring until the grain and chaff were, say six Inches deep, when the same was gathered in a pile on the mlddlo of the floor and winnowed. With tho advent of the "chaft plies," as the first threshing machines were called, the process of tramping out the grain was widely dispensed with. These machines threshed the grain but did not separate grain from chaff. They were run by a two-horse tread power. The first came In to general use about 1S56. Following these soon came the Buffalo Pitts thresh er, with eight-horse sweep power. A small separator, run by tread power was used by a number ot farmers In Linn County. With the advent of the thresher and separator combined, came the stacking of the grain, for thero was no telling when a farmer's turn would come. Threshing was a dreaded tlmo by the pioneer housewives, for all hands had to be boarded. Cooking had to, much of It, be done ahead, and if a breakage delayed the coming of the machine the provisions got stale or spoiled. It took the best part of a half day to set the machine and horse-power, for the latter had to be unloaded and staked down. In later years the powers were mounted, a great improvement. Then "tumbllng-rods" were generally used In making connection be tween the horse-power and the separator; now rubber belts are nearly always If not altogether in uso. Now the advent or ho threshers brings no dread to tne Housewife, for the white-winged messen ger of good things, the welcome "cook wagon," comes to her relief. What a change from even the "chaff pliers," the first one or wnlch was put up sin 1S4S, near Salem, by Joseph and William Hamilton, who brought the irons across the plains, are our present methods of threshing with huge traction engines and "Tornado" separators that blow out the straw and chaff and make a stack without a strawcarrler. Who can tell what great changes will be mado In farming life and methods of farming In the next 50 years? We are even now In a transition period ind when this Wlllam etto Valley alone gives homes to 1.000,000 or more population, with mills and factories on every hand, thus giving a home market for farm products raised by Intensive diversified farming, our glo rious country will be more famous the world over than now, and the lives and deeds of the pioneers will seem a won drous tale as recounted In song and story. CYRUS H. WALKER, Albany, Or. FROM HEAD TO FOOT. Hints Concerning: Matters of Dress of Interest to Men. Ninety-nine Germans out of 100 are wearing elastic side boot3 today, and It 13 ten to one on the 100th man wearing them also. The soldiers wear them; the railway servants wear them; all the other uniformed bodies wear them. Speaking summarily, one might say of the average German that he wears made-up ties, dummy cuffs and elastic side boots. Yet so to speak would convey, perhaps, a false Impression. The German is not a dressy person, but It would be a mistake to conclude that ho pays no attention to the subject ot dress. His ways may not be our ways, but, within his limits, the average Teuton pays quite as much regard to the matter as we are wont to. In fact, taking the male population all arouna, and including high and low, I think the average stand ard cf dress, in certain important mat ters, 13 even higher among the Germans than It Is among ourselves. They are seldom well dressed, in tho higher sense of tho term, but they are almost in variably neat, tidy and well groomed. It Is well to remember tnat opera hats should be unclosed before put away, otherwise the ribbed silk with which they are covered becomes stripped In ail di rections with creases, which not only look ugly, but are powerful cultivators ot shabblness and wear, like the folds In an umbrella. It Is economy, and It looks neat when the hat Is folded up, to have a black, vater-silk lining, ending, where it touches the head. In black leather. A low nat with evening- clothes is con sidered very bad style. A silk hat Is the only proper thing to "wear, excepting, of course, the crush hat, which Is the most useful thing Imaginable, and is, more over, considered strictly correct. Frock and dress suits demand as corollaries high hats. This seems to be one of the few fixed rules in men's fashions. The latest "bowler," which has a very small brim, curled closely to the sides, suits so few men that It is to be hoped it will never become extensively fashionable, i The warmly fragrant, purely white sweet pea is the choice of the glided bachelor and Benedict. A goodly cluster of these flowers, and white as they can be procured, Is proper for afternoon and evening wear. For the morning, corn flow ers are essentially smart, no matter whether their blossoms are blue as indigo or pale as a. northern sky. Occasionally the corn flower Is varied, or, in Its lack is replaced by a tuft of small pink roses, but if you would be esteemed a man of fashion, don't leave your bouquet but tonhole empty, or allow the flowers In it to grow faint or withered. BEAU BRUMMEL, JR. What HI Rlcketts Says. Say, pa, 13 they a Santy Claus? A reglar Santy Claus? HI RIcketts told me other day They ain't an never was. HI says It's Just a make believe, 'At's what HI RIcketts says; An says it's dona to make boys good All thro' the holidays. Say, pa, now how can fianty come Down little chlmbleys, hey? An' how, -when ain't no snow at all. Is be goln to use a sleigh? Say, pa, I've laid awake at night An' never heard no noise 'Cept you a-snlckerln' with ma, An' playln' with my toys. An say, pa, how can Santy bo Everywhere the same night? An say, pa, now Just for fun, Ain't Hiram RIcketts right? Say. pa. I want to know these things, I want to know because. Well, what's the use of thlnkln' so If ain't no Santy Claus? Joe Cone In New York Herald. APPLIES TO TfiraSr vsEtoltente's AND BESTOBE SOUND BODILY MIEALTiL if ALWAYS HELPS wmm mmiml BiSYlw Tak&n early if yAll OJ1E JlWiGmi l&mn when she Luntts are affected U WILL CUBE