so
THE SUNDAY OBEGONIA2?, PORTLAND, 22, M.
ON E IS HieH; THE OTHER POOR
Fortune Smiled on Sir William McDonald, but Frowned
on James McDonald, Portland's "Bad Bill" Collector.
HERE are some people In Port
land, -who. If a saint were to
come here and die, -would dig -up
his "body so that they could get the
shroud to make nightgowns of."
James McDonald Is vindicated and to
some extent at peace, for he has at last
had an opportunity to tell the people, in
print, just "what he holds them at.
James McDonald Is a pessimist, but he
is a man of pride, and that has dragged
him into print; that and his brother, the
millionaire from Montreal. And so he
rested his gnarled and knotted hands
on the top of the old stick which serves
as a cane, peered out with "his faded blue
eyes from under the down-hanging fringe
of whitening eyebrows, and told what he
thought of the condition of things.
The old bill-collector of Portland who
has made so many hearts beat at his
approach during the past 20 years, has
many other troubles besides being the
brother of a long-lost millionaire. He is
the universal prey of robbers and thieves,
but yesterday it was his pride which was
hurt.
"I want you," he said, "to bring that
man around who said I was slovenly and
dirty and dressed in a coat with the
grease of years on its collar. I want to
see the man who said I lived In a hovel
at 361 Union avenue, and I want him
to apologize for what he has said- Ho
came out to my house last night at 12
o'clock with a telegram from Montreal
telling about my brother. Sir William
McDonald, having decided to come here
to see me, and then he said that about my
house and my coat."
The old man drew Ills faded raincoat
around him a little closer, perhaps to
hide those places where buttons had
ceased to do their natural service, or per
haps to ward off the cold, and extended
his eyeglasses as is wont with orators.
Feels for His Tenants.
"I don't care for myself," he said,
earnestly, "and I want you to make this
plain, but I am thinking of my tenants.
My house is a nice seven-roomed place
worth $5000, and I don't like to have it
called a hovel, because it will make my
tenants feel bad."
"Perhaps I am slovenly. I will admit
the coin," and the old man looked slowly
up and down the battered garments he
wore. "But then," he continued, "I am
not like you starched and scrubbed fel
lows; I am a bill collector and have to
work for my living."
The conversation was fast becoming
personal, and it was time to change.
"I understand, Mr. McDonald," it was
hinted, "that you arc a man of wealth,
that In your life in Portland you have ac
cumulated quite a sum of money. Why
then do you follow your line of business
and why do you allow any one an oppor
tunity to cast slurs at your clothes and
their cleanliness?"
Out from behind the screen of his
brows an angry gleam shot from the
old man's eyes.
Says He Is Worth a Fortune.
J am worth $300,000 in money and
$50,000 in judgments, but it is all in other
people's pockets," he said. "The bank
rupt law is a robbery and has cheated
me out of $200,000. The flat salary for
Sheriffs and Justices is a fraud and a
cheat. When they got fees for what
they did, they would take a case, but
now they say the claim is not valid.
They don't want to do any more than
they have to do, and I am going to put
a petition before the Legislature to cre
ate a special Justice of the Peace for my
JAMES M'ttONALD. WHOM A MILLIONAIRE BROTHER IS COMING TO
PORTLAND TO SEE.
business. Then, perhaps, we can get sat
isfaction." "What is there about thq $l.OD0,000 claim
which you have against the state gov
ernment? How did you happen to have
such a claim as that," Mr. McDonald
was asked.
The old man smiled a pleasant smile
of reminiscence, for he was about to talk
of his hobby.
"That claim is one I have against the
state government for the services of my
self and others in the Indian wars of 'S3
and '56. After the war I bought the
claims of many of the veterans, paying
them 50 cents or. the dollar for them until
I had bought assignments amounting to
J900S.6C. This sum has been bearing com
pound interest for 49 years, which makes
the total about $1,000,000."
It was not perfectly clear just how the
Government happened to be mixed up
In the debt, so Mr. McDonald told a little
history'. In S5 and '56, he said, he had
enlisted to serve -against the Indians, and
at that time be and his comrades were
promised $2 a day for their service and
$2 a day for the horses which they fur
nished. It was the understanding that
the Government would pay the bills, but
in the event of refusal the Territory of
Oregon would assume the obligation.
The Government paid a small part of the
claims, but scaled them down to 50 cents
a day, and under the agreement the
claim passed from the territory to tha
state when Oregon was admitted. In 1SS9.
That was the ground work for his con
tention, and now he is about to see to
it that the Legislature does something
for the widows and rpfcaac; and inci
dentally for their assignees.
Senator Nottingham Is pledzcd to do
what he can for the Indian War Vete
rans.' continued the speaker. "Before
the election I met him on the street, and
I asked him If he had voted against the
widows and the orphans. He said he had
not. and I asked him If he would Intro
duce a bill appropriating money to pay
their claims, and he gave me his pledge
to do it. Then," and the champion of the
orphans beamed delightedly, "then x saia:
Nottingham. I will vote for you. even if
you are a Republican and I went out
and got IS votes for JTottlngham," con
cluded the politician.
"Did Mr. Nottingham present the peti
tion?" the narrator was asked.
Threatens to Bring Suit.
"I think he is going to." was the an
swer. "I went up to his office and found
the petition I gave him, signed by more
than. 2000 of the citizens, of Portland, and
I asked him why It was "lying on his desk..
He said he thd&ght there had been a law
passed refusing to pay any assigned
claims, and I told him if he presented the
petition I. would wait for the state to take
action, but If the Legislature did not pay
I would bring suit against it. and the
Government In the Federal courts and
force them to do It- I- have written to
many orphans and widows of Indian War
Veterans, and now have $u,000 offered me
to carry on the suit before the Court of
Claims."
James- McDonald Is a character of Fort-
land, a man with a history- He came
here in 1S50 and took tp a section of land.
During the Winter he worked for a mer
cantile house, and with his earnings and
$1000 which he had brought across the
plains with him, sent to San Francisco
for farming implements and seed. The
firm became bankrupt and he lost his in
vestment. The man then worked during the Sum
mer of '52 for a farmer, with his earnings
bought a single mule and during the Win
ter packed between Yoncalla and Scotta
burg. As fast as he earned the price he
would add another mule to his pack
train until he had 20 working over the
roads. When the Indian war broke out he
went into the service with his entire
train.
Twenty years ago he came to Portland,
and since that time has been a continual
resident of this city. He has Invested in
many plans and has planned many In
vestments, all of which seem to have been
unsuccessful, until the pioneer has become
a pessimist. He, as be grew older, be
came a bill collector, and has forgotten
his relatives tn Canada, living a lonely
life In the midst of the thousands, and it
was not until his desire to prosecute the
claim he holds against the state and
Government .induced him to seek a loan
of his long-forgotten brother in Montreal
that he brought himself to the notice of
his family.
Left Home at Age of Thirty.
Fifty years ago, when he left Txacadle,
Prince Edwards Island, he was 30 years
of age, and was one of a large family.
For 30 years he kept up a desultory cor
respondence, but for the past 20 years has
dropped from the sight of his family. In
this time William McDonald, his younger
brother, has accumulated a fortune In the
tobacco business, and is now supposed to
be on the way West to meet his brother,
whom he thought to be dead. The meet
ing will be a strange one, on the one
hand the roan of wealth and refinement.
on the other the aged collector of bad
bills, into whose life has come the bitter
ness of unsucce3s and the sorrow of
many defeats; on the one side the opt!
mlsm of money, on the other the cynl
clsm of Its lack. The manufacturer comes
to seek the long-lost brother for love of
the brother; the collector waits to greet
him, not that he is a brother, but be
cause perhaps he will have the means to
force the wheels of the law into action to
bring untold wealth into the lap of an
'often and ever unfortunate man.
Mr. Dooley on the Subject of Oratory
Finley Peter Dunne's Irish Philosopher Discourses on the Wide-Spread Accomplishment.
"D
ID ye iver make a speech?" asked
Mr. Henncssy.
"I did wanst," said Mr. Dooley.
"Ivery thrue born American regards him
sllf as a gr-reat orator an' I've always had
a pitcher lv mcsilf in me mind standin
befure a large an admirin' bunch iv me
fellow pathrites an thrlllln thim with me
indignation or convulsln thlm with me
wit- Manny times have I lay in me bed
awake, sceln mcsilf at th head iv a table
pourin out wurruds of gooldcn eloquence
fr'm th' depths iv mo lungs. I made a
pretty pitcher, I must say ca'm, dignified,
a perfect master iv mesilf an' me audji
ence. Th concoorse shrieked with laugh
ter wan mlnyit, an rose to their feet in
Jrenzied applause th' next. In all me
chreams I wore a white necktie an a long
tailed coat, because I have a thoory that
all thrue eloquence comes fr'm th' tails
lv th' coat an if ye made an orator change
into a short coat, he wud become deef an'
dumb. As I sat down afther me burst iv
gleamln' wurruds, th audjlcnce rose an'
cheered f'r five minyits an Sinitor Bev
eridge, th' silver spout lv th' Wabash who
was to follow me sllnkcd out iv th' room.
"So wan day whla th Archey Road Im
provement Comity give their grand banket
an' th' chairman asked me to make a few
appropriate remarks in place iv Chancy
Dcpoo, I told thlm 1 wud toss off some
orathory Just so th boys wud not be dis
appointed. "I didn't write out th' speech. No great
orator who has nlver made a speech needs
to. I merely jotted down a few inter
ruptions be th' audjience; like this, Illn
nlssy: (Great Applause), (Loud an con
tlnyous laughter.) (Cries iv 'Good. 'Hear,
hear,) iCries lv 'No. no, 'Go on,) (Wild
cheerla, th audjience risin to their feet
an 6ingin': "F'r he's a jolly good fellow,
which nobody -can deny.)
"An' havin' arranged all these nlcis
sry details, I wint to th' banket. I
knew ivry man there an thurly de
spised thim. There wasn't wan ix thlm
that I considhered me intellcchool
equal. At wan time or another, ivry
man iv thim had come to me fr ad
vice. But somehow, Hlnnlssy. th'
mlnyit I looked down on what Hogan
calls th' sea lv upturned faces dhrlnk
in 1 began to feel onalsy. I wasn't
nfraid iv anny wan iv thim, mind ye.
Man Tr man, they were me frlnds. But
altogether they were me lnlmy. I
cudden't set still. I had come with an
tippytlte, but I cudden't cat. I had a
lump in me throat as big as an apple.
2 felt quare in th pit iv me stomach. I
noticed that mc hands were moist. I
thricd to talk to th man next to me.
but I cudden't hear what he said. Wan
orator afther another was' peltin th
uujdjieaoe with remarks out lv th
fourth reader, an I cudden't listen to
thlm. All th' time I was thinkln': 'In
a few minyits they'll detect ye, Martin
Dooley. th countherfclt Demostheens.'
Th room swam befure me eyes; there
was a buzzln in me ears. I had all
th symptoms iv Doctor Bunyan's cus
tomers. I thried to collect me thoughts,
but they were off th reservation. I
wud've gone out if I cud walk an I
Avas goln to thry whin I heerd th
chairman mlntlon me name. It sound
ed as if it come out iv a cheap phono
graft. "I frgot to tell yc, Hinnissy, that in
thinkln lv me gr-reat effort I had re-
Dooley "Whiniver I go to a poolytical mcetin' an th la-ad
with tl open-wurruk face mintions Rome or Athens, I grab f r me
hat.
An' I'll rap in th eye anny man that altimpts to wrap his second-hand
oratory in th' American flag. There ought to be a law
against usin th American flag f'r such purposes.
"An', be hivens, I don't want anny man to tell me that I'm a
mimber iv wan iv th' grandest races th' sun has iver shone on. ,1
know it already. If I wasn't, I'd move out.
"Whin a man has something to say an' knows how to say it, he
makes a gr-rcat speech. But whin he has nawthin' to say an' has
a lot of wur-ruds that come with a black coat, he's an orator.
"There's two things I don't want at me funeral. Wan is an
oration an LV other is wax flowers. 1 class thim alike."
hearsed a few motions to Inthrajooce '
th' noble sintlmints that was to bubble
up fr'm me. At th mintion lv me
name an' durin th' cheorln' that fol
lowed I was goln' to lean forward with
me head bowed an' me hand on th' edge
iv th' table an a demoor smile on me
face that cud be translated: "Th
gr-reat man Is amused but wudden't
have ye know it f'r ivurrulds. Whin
th chcerin throng had exhausted its
strength I intlnded to rise slowly, place
me chair in front iv me, an" lcanhf
lightly on th back lv It. bow first to
wan side an' thin th other, an" re
mark: 'Mlsther Chairman, a-a-and
gint-elmen: Whin I sec so manny
smilln faces befure me on this auspi
cious occasion, I am reminded lv a lit
tle incidlnt ' An so on.
"Well, glory be, Hlnnlssy, I can hardly
go on with th story. It was twlnty
Hve years ago. but 1 can't think iv it
without a fcelln at th end lv me fingers
as though I had scraped a plasthcr wall.
At th' mintion iv me name, 1 lept to me
feet, knockln over all th dishes an'
glasses in me neighborhood. I carefully
stepped on me neighbor's toes an bumped
into th" chairman who was still tellln"
what he wanted me to think he thought
iv me. I rolled me napkin up Into a ball
an' thrust It into me pants pocket. I be
come blind, deef an' dumb. I raymlm
ber makln' a few grunts, fightln" an
imaginary inimy with me fists an" dhrop
pln' in me chair, a broken four-flush
Pathrlck Hlnnery. I've niver got mo
repytatlon back. Most iv th people
thought I was dhrunk. Th more charit
able said I was ony crazy. Th im
pression still remains in th ward that
I'm a victim iv apoplexy.
"Well, sir. 'tis a sthrange thing, this
here oratory. Ye see a man that ye
wudden't ask to direct ye to th" post
office get on his feet an" make a speech
that wud melt th" money in yc'or pocket.
Another man comes along that ye think
a rcg'lar little know-all, an whin he
thrlcs to make a speech to a Sunday
school class he gives an Imitation iv a
man with croup, delusions Iv pursuit an
St. Vitus" dance. If he don't do that he
bombards his fellow-man with th" kind Iv
a composition that they keep boys afther
school Tr. Carney made wan iv that
kind at this banket. Carney has a head
as hard as a cocynut- He wanted a new
bridge built acrost th crick an' he was
goln' to talk about that at th "banket.
On th way over he tol me about it. He
argyed so well that he convinced me, an"
I'm wan iv th' most indignant taxpayers
f r a poor man that ye iver knew. I
thought whin he got up he wud eay some
thin" like this: 'Boys, Sve need a. new
bridge. Th ptislnt wan Is a disgrace to
th' ward. Curtlns' hone fell through It
last week. By JImuneddy, if Billy O'Brien
don't get ub a new bridge we'll bate him
at th' prim-ries." That wud have gone
fine, fr Curtln was a loud an" popular
fish peddler. But what did Carney do?
He niver was within four thousan' miles
Iv a swing bridge acrost th" Chicago
River. Says he: "Glntlemen, we ar-re th"
most gloryous people. that Iver Infested
th noblest counthry that th sun Iver
shone upon, he says. 'Wc meet here to
night he says, 'undhcr that starry lm
bllm that flaps above freemen's homes hr
ivry little hamlet fr'm where rolls th
Oregon in majestic volume to th sun
kist wathers Iv th Passyfic to where th
Pimslcoddy shimmers adown th pine-clad
hills iv Maine. he says. Th hand lv
time., he says, 'marches with stately
steps acrost th face Iv hlsthry, an as I
listen to Its hoof-beats 1 hear a still small
voice th'at seems to say that Athens (a
shout). Greece (a shrill cry). Bawhm (a
shriek), an Egypt (a deep roar) an' iver
on an upward an' as long as th stars
in their courses creep through eternity
an twinkle as they creep recallln th
wurruds Ir our sr-rcat note. "TwInUllnir
stars ar-re laughin' love, laughln' at you
an' me," an" a counthry, glntlemen, that
stands today as sore as tomorrah's sun
rises an" kisses th" flag that floats f r all.
Now, glntlemen. it is growin" late, an" I
will not detain ye longer, but I have a
few wurruds to say. I appeal fr'm Philip
dhrunk to Philip sober. That ended th"
speech an" th' banket. Th chairman's
name was Philip. Th second Philip that
Carney mlntioncd was not there.
"1 guess a man niver becomes an
orator if he has annything to say,
Hlnnlssy. u a lawyer thinks his client
Is innocint. he talks to th jury about
th crime. But if he knows where th
pris'ner hid th' lead pipe, he unfurls
th" flag, throws out a few remarks
about th flowers an th burruds an"
asks th twelve good men en thrue
not to break up a happy Christmas,
but to slnd this man home to his wife
an childher an Gawd will bless thlm
if they ar're Iver caught in th same
perdicymlnt. Whinlver I go to a pol
lytical meetin' an th la-ad with th
open wurruk face mintions Rome or
Athens. I grab fr me hat. I know be
not goin to say annythlng that ought
to keep me out iv bed. I also bar all
language about burruds an flowers. I
don't give two cints about th Oregon,
whether it rolls or staggers to th
sea; an" I'll rap in th" eye anny man
that attimpts to wrap up his slcond
nand oratory In th American, flag.
There ought to be a law against usln"
th" American flag fr such " purposes.
I hope to read in th pa-aper some day
that Joe Cannon was arrested fr usln"
th American flag to dicorate a speech
on th" tariff an sintlnced to two years
solitary ronfinemint with Sinitor BIv
rldge. An" he hivens. I don't want
aany, man to tell mc that I'm a mim
ber Iv wan Iv th grandest races th
sun nas iver shone on. r know It al
reaJv. Tf T xraxn't T'rt mnv- mil
"No, sir, whin a man has something
10 say an don t Know how to say it,
he savs It nrettv woll. Whin h hn
somethlntr to sav an' know tinm tn
say it, he make3 a gr-reat speech. But
wnen ne nas nawtnin to say an has
a lot iv wurruds that come with i
black -COat. he's an nratnr Thnr.'
two things I don't want at me funeraL
Wan is an oration an' th other Is wax
nowcrs. I class thlm alike."
'Te're on'y mad because yc failed,'
said Mr. Hennessy.
"Well," said Mr. Dooley, "what bet
ther reason d've wnnt? Ttptr
didn't fall as bad as I mighL I might
jitvc inuuc m 5eecn-' (Copyrlgh
1905. by McCJurc. Phillips & Co.)
TRIBUTE TO "OLD WILLAMETTE"
Eloquent Words of President Will
iams, of Puget Sound University.
Among the fine talks at the banquet
given Bishop David' H. Moore, resident
bishop. In the Patton Churcn. Wednes
day night, by the Men's Methodist So
cial Union, nono was more effective
than the response of President J. It
Williams, of the University of Puget
Sound, to the toast. "Methodism and
Education in the Northwest." Dr. Cole
man, president of "Old Willamette"
University, was to follow. Dr. Will
iams is a large man. and as he stood
on the platform facing the expectant
audience, he seemed to get bigger. He
expressed his pleasure in being present
in deliberate terms, and then paid the
founders of the Willamette University
a high compliment, but at no time re
ferred to his own work at the Pugot
Sound University.
"In the Willamette Valley, the de
voted pioneer Methodists braved
the wilderness and desert," said Dr.
Williams, "and founded an institution
from which have gone men who havo
Special Sale of Palms
Avery large consignment of Preserved Potted Palms is offered at tempting
prices. These Palms require no attention or care, and have all the appearance of
a live Palm.
Three-Leaf Palms and Pots, complete , 25
Four - Leaf Palms and Potc, complete 35
. Five -Leaf Palms and Pots, complete 45
Monarch Malleable Eanges are now fitted with oven thermometers. They
have no breakable parts. The thin tops heat quickly. There is no enamel on them
to burn off or crack. Each oven is 20 inches deep. You can always get $30 cash
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in their construction. The oven doors cannot be broken off. The patent duplex
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$5.00 Per Month Will Buy a Monarch
Malleable Range
Three Big Iron Bed Values
An Iron Bed, in white enamel, with
extra heavy posts, brass knobs
and vases; regular TO
price $5.50, special.. PJJ'
CASH OR CREDIT
Iron Bed, like cut, brass knobs and
vases, enamel rod head and foot;
regular $6.00 C QC
value p-tJsJ
Same style, with brass rail, head
and foot $7.50
iirJP
A few only of these Beds, in three
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CASH OR CREDIT
H. E. EDWARDS
185-191 FIRST STREET
distinguished themselves as ministers
of the gospel, as lawyers, as states
men and in every calling that can be
mentioned. Shall it be said that somo
of the wrecks of our institutions were
failures? I think not. Coming up the
river, we may see the old mill, lone
since silent and deserted. Who shall
say that the old mill did not perform
its part well In its time? Are the de
serted cabins in the forests and se
cluded spots, now fallen Into ruin and
silence, indicative o'f failures? No.
they have had their important parts
in making up the early history of this
country: likewise have these wrecks
of institutions. But we face the future.
Our Methodist institutions have a great
future and a field In spite of the state
institutions that are supported by ap
propriatlons, but to sustain them as
Christian colleges means a grea sac
rifice on the part of Methodists all over
the Northwest. Our institutions must
measure up to the aided institutions
in scholarship, must furnish high-class
education, and must do more must be
Christian institutions."
Execution in Starr Case.
In the case of Adelaide Bloch against F.
THE LUXURY OF
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FINDS FULLEST
EXPRESSION I N
THE USE OF
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AND ESPECIALLY
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SMOOTHING
IRONS
WRITE FOR PRICES
Portland General
Electric Company
SEVENTH AND ALDER STREETS
Portland , , Oregon
A. E. Starr and F. I. Richmond, in which
the plaintiff obtained a judgment against
the defendant January 23, 1S37, for $3396,
an execution was Issued yesterday invol
ving considerable property, and was
placed In the hands of the snerin tor
service. It covers a large number of lots
In AlBIna Addition. Lincoln Park and
Mount Tabor villa, and the undivided half
of lots 7 and 8. block 12. Portland. Starr is
alleged to have sold" the. property after
Judgment against him and Richmond was
rendered. The present holders of the
property will no doubt vigorously oppose
its sale under the execution.
Starr was formerly -an attorney in Port
land, and Richmond Is a well-known trav
eling salesman. Mrs. Bloch sued them to
recover money loaned, and was never able
to collect any of the Judgment.
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