The Sunday Oregonian., March 08, 1908, Magazine Section, Page 4, Image 48

TILE SUNDAY OREGOMAN. PORTLAND, 31 ARC IT 8, 1908.
A LITTLE JOURNEY IN QUEST OF LOCAL COLOR
Some Everyday Sights and Impressions
To Be Found in Portland's Streets
Bi ARTHt'R A. GREEi.N'E.
JL7ST rows of big buihllnga, lanes be
.tweon some definite place for the
doing- of the day's business and some
definite place for resting from the fit
fulness and strife of life's whizzing:
llywhenls- a thoughtless, hurried prog
ress to and from those premises
through the ever-moving currents of
liumanity which constitute a city's life
blood as it ebbs and flows through a
city's arteries these in the concrete
constitute the staid and respectable
routine which is imposed by the rules
of the game which the townsman
plays. The splendid average of men
and women who make the underpinning
of society sees little else.. There are
just so many houses, so much asphalt,
so many voters, so many taxpayers, so
many workers and so many idlers. The
chop, the office, the. home, the club.
These are the things big with sig
nificance in the reasoning of those who
make this tolerably good and tolerably
well behaved world an abiding place
for the children of men, coming down
through devious ways, marching for
aeons from the valley of the Kuphrates.
It is a long time since first they fore
gathered in tribes and villages and
cities. The community instinct has de
veloped so gradually that we have come
to take it as a matter of course. What
It has always been and what has been
will always be. There have been births
and marriages and deaths since long
before the time when an angel of the
J-ord found Ha gar by a fountain of
water in the wilderness, by the foun
tain In the way to Shur. Then society
tirst discovered that the Individual is
merely a means to an end. a thread in
the warp and woof of colorful tapestry
that life is continually weaving and
hanging on the walls of history. The I
in Me is important only in an incidental
way to a-11 the rest of humanity. It is
In the mass alone that we see each
other, that we heed each other's plaints
arid rejoice in each other's victories.
That Is the reason why the average
atom of humanity, when he ls thrown
close together with his kind, sees the
passing throng only as a stream which
; represents so much power and requires
o much feeding from the springs
'which culminate to make its flow.
The crowds on the. streets signify
Olttle except that there are a good
l many of us and that times must be
Prosperous to require that so many
people be abroad going about their af
fairs. The one who knows fifty of his
tfeKows really well has a large ac
quaintance. This is a hard game to
Vlny, and one must fcecp his attention
-fixed on his own hand. The Lrfrd helps
those who help themselves and the
devil isn't kind to the hindmost.
Because these observations are gen
erally true, it follows that when one
of us starts out with his eyes wide
open and his ears eager he will find
more romance in an everyday explora
tion of a city than on many book
shelves. The sights and sounds and
the Incidents we pass by three hundred
and sixty-four, days in the year and
discover on the three hundred and slx-ty-flfth
supply much diversion, com
mand some attention and inspire no
little philosophy. This town of ours
la not the largest, nor most beautiful,
nor the most virtuous in the world,
but it is cosmopolitan and a fair epi
tome of all other big settlements. There
5s a lot of London in its atmosphere,
r suggestion of Fans, some of Cal
cutta and Constantinople and Shang
hai and considerable of New York. In
addition there is a great deal of Amer
icanism of the dominant Vestern kind.
And therefore it Is worth studying. I
have in mind residents here who see
the Grand Canal every few years who
couldn't find the Skldmorc Fountain
without a guide. True, the town has
grown away from it. until It is now In
m. picturesque pocket in Old Portland.
hwrv down In that hazy region near
which the sailing ships lie. in the heart
of the wholesale district, apparently
Milea from anywhere. It remains, how
ever, one of the finest examples of the
Kcuiptor's art, in America, and when
those, who understand neck It out they
render it the tribute that is Its due.
Its surroundings jcould hardly be more
picturesque if it were featured in an
Kuropean guidebook. The streets in
its vicinity swerve and ramble in and
out like cow paths, some of them. not J
m tic n wmer. ruruna in mose lew
blocks which surround it might be as
ancient as old Boston to ail Intents and
purposes. The buildings are quaint
and time and the elements have
wrought beautiful wonders in gray
shadings.
Start out some of these sunshiny days
just as I did on Thursday, you don't
nerd a photographer, and vilt this
little-known corner for yourself. It's
worth knocking off work and the vani
ties of the flesh to see.' There Is a
human side to It for here wavfanng
men and beasts quench their thirst and
perhaps unconscious! v render praise to
the good man who left it to posterity.
The quest of local color is fascinat
ing, Inexpensive and not altogether
vain. Neither does it lead one far. Al
ways provided one has yes and ears
and a small ability to assimilate, the
least of us mnv become for a little
while, philosopher, painter and poet.
Try it sometime, going up and down
any of the more frequented streets
when achievement waits upon your lei
sure, and you mav rejoice in the zest
of exploration. Here nt the curb,
where perhaps one in 500 of the pass
ers stops to buy. a one-legged flower
vender, whom I know, with our Oregon
climate as his silent partner, finds
profit In his helpful trade. At his elbow
the newsboy, wiser than manv sages
of antiquity, offers for barter the most
lately written chapter of the world's
history.
From another corner. percolating
through the noise of car gongs and au
tomobile horns, comes the doleful mo
nody of an asthmatic accordion. It
takes on the familiar notes of a well
worn hymn tune ' There s a Land That
Is Fairer . Than Day," suggesting at
Kit zruA,L;Ai, ,.i i II . , :r?vft
If hM I;
' - - , LfH
wearing self-esteem large on his pub
lic face and wrapped in the garments
of ultra-respectability the wrecker of
a bank who brought suffering to thou
sands like those who jostle him and
who will go, scot free after the law's
delay Is over. Perhaps here a daughter
of Babylon, flaunting her ancient pro
fession in the faces of her sisters, de
fiant in the midst of her misery. Now
tottering upon his cane goes the "last
leaf," survivor of the heroic davs when
Oregon was more remote than the
Thibet of today. The pioneer finds
himself in a strange country and has
no place in the crowd. Timidly he suf
fers himself to be carried along ' in
the swirl with his dimming old eyes
on the watch for an eddy into which
he mav drift and watch the world go
by. Here the beaux and belles of
Kings Heights and close beside are
Mayme, of the ribbon counter and
Jimmy of the "Gents' department" go
ing home from work with Pap of the?
trowel and emQtv dinner bucket drag
ging his weary feet in their wake. It's
a motlev and an incongruous throng.
But it Is these and their counterparts
in a thousand cities that are keeping
the machinery of the world going. The
stokers, the oilers, the apprentices, the
drudges, the master mechanics, the
bosses and the owners of the great
machine. At once the operators and
the fuel. Good, bad and ' indifferent.
7, rur-X- - -rvT- orETS1
.s
...NlT-lTTtr- '
?
-
once some hope
much despair of
musical efforts.
of immortality and
the blind minstrel's
Reminding us also
that Azrael hovers about the crowded
streets of cities in which more men die
than on battlefields. If the blind player
could see the sunshine and the blessed
ness of the day he might attune his
harp to something more sprightly. It's
worth a nickel In his tin cup. however.
and a nickel in his tin cup is worth
two in your pocket.
Down the street you go and. single
out from the crowd perhaps a man
wisdom, folly, virtue and vice all cheek
by jowl. It takes them all to make
a city. N
If you wander, from the main thor
oughfare it may chance that you will
find Portland's "yellow streak," that
long street given over , mainly to the
oldest civilization under the sun. Here
the shops are small replicas' of tho
marts of Canton and the almond-eyed
denizens not much farther away from
Confucius than their ancestors were
in the days when Moses wrote upon
his tablets of stone. Our Chinese breth
ren and fellow residents take the whole
matter rather indifferently and fail to
understand what the fuss up town is
all about. They exhibit a rather lan
gourous resentment toward the earner
and scent trouble to their fan-tan
games and the operation of their lotte
ries in this journalistic visitation. For
they still do all the things they want
to do in Chinatown and will continue
to so long as the lotus crop across the
sea holds out and the Oriental fancy
lightly turns to games of chance and
smoked duck.
-Farther" north-and well "over the Mne"
are many things to see of human, inter
est, even from the sidewalk and in broad
daylight. After nightfall and on the
inside" well, then and there are wonders
Indeed to look upon. It was my happy
lot to arrive at a certain "Turkish cafe,"
a bad eminence In that morass of gen
eral cussednefis and bad liquor, just ' in
time to watch Lou Wagner and his depu
ties go about the pleasant task of raid
ing the place. The absent-minded pro
prietor had failed to comply with the law
in some manner or other, and, the con
stable did his duty. From that "Turkish
cafe" he ejected some 200 Greeks, but If
there were any "regular Turks" In the
place they concealed their identity. Tha
photographer promised me a picture of
this mob of ejected habitues, but his
camera went wrong and failed to justify
the promise. The best he got In the pic
torial line was a family group of "the
glory that was Greece" Just before the
meddlesome arm of the law reached them.
It is a rather far cry from Marathon to
North Portland, and from Pericles to the
fellows in the picture. If the Greek of
that elder day might by some miracle be
brought back to this present one and ta
this town to meet these modern Greeks,
it Is almost certain he would order a
hemlock high ball for his and take the
count;
We have wandered somewhat far away
from Petticoat Lane, where Miladi goes
a-shopping, but even here there Is traf
ficking in other goods than the luxuries.
This is the chosen field of the second
hand merchant and a lively trade does he
ply. The patronage in not of the exact
ing kind except that it wants the neces
sities cheaply In order to conserve riches
for the pandering of their accomplished
tastes in the matter of life's pleasures.
"Dollar ifilla palace" Is typical, al
though perhaps larger and Tnore trimly
kept than other emporiums that flourish
north of Ankeny street. It is here and
at similar places that the '.'Other Half"
does its shopping, while the carriages and)
limouisines await Miladi at the depart
ment stores a dozen blocks away.
Our ramble has extended far from the
center of things and It is crowing late.
Too late for photographs, "Sarony" tells
me, and there- is nothing for it but to
"hit" a car and get back to civilization
again. This little journey was a simple
affair of half an afternoon, but I found it
well worth while. Maybe when the signs
are right there wilj be another one for
the reading of those who may find in
terest in the local color quest. Mean
while, try it yourself. You will find that
there are things worth seeing this side
oY the Thames Embankment.
CHOICE FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR
Statement Xo. 1 Man Says Party Principles Are Fairy Tales.
i To the Editor.
tement No. 1 can-
PORTUXD, Feb. 2
The election solely of
chelates to the legislature is the only means
whereby tne voters of Oregon can be as
sured of their choice for United States
Senator.
What made Statement No. 1 so nece?fi
tou? Were the people, dissatisfied ? let
me see. For more than ;10 years the his
tory of the sessions at SaJem has teemed
with Intrigue concerning patronage and
benefits to special Interests; but the darkest
and filthiest of alt Its pages relate to the
selection of our Vnited States senators.
Any person with some knowledge of the in
ner mechanism of a Salem session. If he be
a patriotic citizen, cannot but hold bis fin
gers to his nostrils as he recalls the meta
phorical stench. The hotels and the halls
of the Capitol were crowded with lobbyists
for wpecial interests, with pap-seekers and
heelers, all looking for special bene tits. But.
overshadow tor all, has be seen the main
and most unscrupulous threads of intrigue
and corruption which darkened the whole
fabric of state legislation In the strenuous
trugirlc of factions and Interests for con
trol of Vnited States Senatorships.
Parly principles and interests were prac
tically lenored, and the weaving of the
web showed . pseudo-Democrats joining
hands with alleged Republicans, and vice
vera. for the. supremacy. The needs of
the plain peop!e of Oregon n ere neglected.
True patriotism hung its head. In the
same connection many will - recall that
struggle for control of the Multnomah
County convention which culminated in a
good, old-fashioned ground scramble on the
floor of the convention hall, in which
Charles H. Carey, of the Mitchell wing, en
deavored not metaphorically .but literally
to oust Hon. Joseph Simon from the chair.
It was a spectacle which, "while it made
the unskillful laugh, could not but make
the Judicious grieve.
Bitter feud still exists. Party principles!
Bah! They are regarded simply in the
light of fairy tales fit for children and
the unsophisticated. And are these our
patriots? Well and aptly has The Ore
gonian exclaimed In despair: "A plague o'
both j our houses:" And mark, to more
than POjer cent of the voters of the state
It made not a particle of difference as to
which faction won out. But It makes a
difference now to our decent citizenship In
the light of direct primary laws as to
whether political banditti shall continue lo
monopolize the state to to exclusion of
Oregon's best interests. All county con
ventions were not so strenuous. The wheels
and gear were, as a rule, well oiled, the
Senatoirhip al-ways in view, and everything
proceeded according to programme. Once
in a while a cog slipped; but the main pre
arranged movement continued.
What has been . accomplished at the Na
tional Capitol? The Columbia River !s next
in Importance to the Mississippi. For over
fM years the Inland Empire east of The
Dalles has been groaning and sweating un
der an outrageous freight tax laid by one
powerful railroad Interest. From the time
our Senators began to make haste slowly
they consumed over 20 years to build the
Cascade locks, opening the river only to
The Dalles. 'Jhe work could have been
accomplished in five years. The empire east
of The Dalles still groans and swexta. Port
land, by a direct tax upon Its citizens, has
spent hundreds of 'thousands of dollars
keeping clear the channels of the Wil
lamette and Columbia Rivers westward,
which should have been done by our Na
tional Government. The Willamette Valley
for over 2.1 years has been paying heavy
tribute to the railroads through the private
ownership of th looks, once owned by our
state, but which should long have been
owned by our National Government.
During over 30 years our railroads,
through Congress, have absorbed Immense
tract's of our land. Harrlman's Southern
Pacific now claims absolutely hundreds of
thousands of acres of the choicest land,
which it refuses to sell, although In the
original grant by Congress it was to be
sold to actual settlers at $2.50 per acre.
And now. for the first time in 3 years,
some activity is shown at Washington. D
C, to give relief. Much more can be said
even to satiety. Meanwhile the Cincin
nati, the Sons and Daughter of the Revo
lution and the Loyal Legion are giving
prizes for essays. But deeds, rfot words,
are sorely needed. The Oregonian "ha re
peatedly asserted that the Vnited States
Senate is the very citadel in which the great
special and corporate Interests are In
trenched, fc'hall we strengthen, or weaken
it?
The direct primary law has eliminated
the vocation of the professional politician.
He Is not dead, however. He is engaged
openly and secretly in a determined attack
on Statement No. 1, realizing that it de
prives the machine and interests of their
most ch erished power.
The writer credos George H. Williams.
Stephen A. Lowell and The Oregonian with
sincerity and purity of conviction, bu not
with infallibility. Oregon has had practi
cally but one election for Senator under
Statement No. 1. Mr. Bourne appealed not
to the bosses, but directly to the people, for
indorsement. The writer believes- the peo
ple are satisfied, but not the bofes, The
above gentlemen contend that Statement No.
1 will tend to destroy the Republican party,
eliminate party principles and very llkel
elect a Democratic' Senator.
Indeed! The Republican party of Oregon
claims a strength of GO.OtM) to 0.000 Dem
crats. A strange confession to maife when
it is asserted that such a majority can be
overcome by allowing the voters a voice
in the selection of United States Senators,
and we are forced to one of two conclu
sions: Kfther the principles of the Oregon
Republican party have become so shopworn
that many of its members now fail to b at
tracted or else the working parts which go
to make up the party itself are of so dis
eased a nature that a radical operation is
necessary. Neither the Democratic nor the
Republican party bis discovered the foun
tain of perpetual youth. Neither is assured
of immortality. To live, they, must be true
to themselves, and no party should succeed
without clean leaders as well as principles.
For this reason, the good citizens and
parties of Oregon have for protection
Statement No. 1. It is not intended to, nor
will It destroy a true party, it is the very
touchstone of party, accurately testing its
candidates and principles, and tending to
eradicate corrupt factions root and branch.
A party refusing to cleanse itself from them
invites defeat. It purifies, it need not fear
Statement No. 1.
The writer puts to you. George II. Will
lams, to you Stephen A. Lowell and to The
Oregonian this question, no personality be
ing In any way intended: Suppose that at
the Republican primaries a canddfate for
1'nited States Senator is chosen whom you
three believe to be unworthy, and at the
I emocratic primaries one of unimpeachable
;-ctitude and ability is selected, can you.
i vould you advise your party, your friends
or any citizen to vote In June for the man
von deem unworthy? Hence, have we State
ment No. 1 warning the party to be true to
itself.
For himself the writer declares, that
whenever the above condition shall in hi
opinion exist, although a Republican, he will
without hesitation vote for the Democratic
candidate, and moreover, he will rejoice
that there is a law in force giving him that
privilege. How say you?
.TTLTtTS PTT.VESTONBl
"Cncle Joe's Faalm of Life.
Chicago Record-Herald.
Tell me not. oh- fellow members,
- That we ought to put on steam;
Let the flame die down to ember
While we sit around and dream.
Say revision to your sorrow!
Let us fritter time away.
Acting so that each tomorrow
Finds us where we are today.
Talk is cheap and time is flee tin'.
Let tho foolish xmbllo rave;
It's enough .that we keep meetln'
And most generMy behave.
Though our critics would remind us
How to make 0U5 lives sublime.
Let us act uff they aiay find us
Doln' nothin' all the time.
If by chance a foolish brother
Should rebel or make a kick.
Trust your "ITncle Joe" to smother
His ambition mighty quick.