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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1915)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, MARCH 14, 1915. 13 MANY LAURELS WON BY . REPORTER IN 30 YEARS Leander Wells, Who Broke Into Newspaper Game in 1885, Credited With Exploits From Driving Out Gamblers to Escaping Political Intrigues. f v. '.!. lV i i v Iff A V""' f - " ' 1 feT IIENRT K. REED. HIRTY years ago, my beat on the I old Portland Daily News included the East Side. I was expected to cover as regularly as practicable all the territory from Hawthorne avenue northward to the Portland Flouring Mill and wind up with a day's work on the West Side. The late & Bullock was The Oregonian and Telegram re porter in the same district. One night in March, 1S85, after I had turned In my day's copy, my city editor. Jack Egan, told me that Mr. Bullock was going into other business and would be succeeded In the newspaper work by a new man. "His name," said Mr. Egan. "is Leander 'W ells. The Ore gonian and Telegram are going in strong for East Portland news, and -- Wells- is going to give all his lime to the work." And so, on March 7, 18S5. Leander Wells broke into the newspaper writ ing game as the Bast Portland reporter of The Oregonian and Telegram. His was a district of wonderful distances j and some 4500 people scattered far and i wide. In those days, the East Side was, in the imagination of most people, long distance from the real Portland on the West Side. So true was thi that newspapermen frequently referred to Mr. ells as the East Portland "cor respondent." as if he lived at Salem o Astoria, and sent in his copy by mail Population Only 25,000. In going back over Mr. Wells' 30 years of active and continuous service on The Oregonian It may interest many people to give an insight into Portland and its environs 30 years ago. The real Portland then was that part of the city west of the v lllamette River, not Including territory annexed at later date. The population did not exceed 25,000, probably not 23.500. Business strain and depression, which followed the col lapse of the Villard boom, were still severe, but the sky had begun to clear and the people were hopeful. First street was the main thoroughfare for retail business, although there were many stores on Front street. Second street was Chinatown, while Morrison and Washington streets were of minor Importance, The Esmond was the hotel of the town, and the principal place of amusement was the old New Market Theater, on First street, near Ash. After the theater the average Port land girl was satisfied with oysters at Keith's at 25 to 50 cents a throw. The hangout for Republican politicians was Joe Meyers cigar store, on First street. near Alder, while the Democrats con gregated at the Holton House, on Fourth and Alder. turret Lighting Partly Electric Street lighting was partly by elec tricity. partly by gas and partly by coal oil. Bull Run water was in the dim distance. Horse-drawn streetcars ran on First. Washington. Third and a few other streets. There were about 400 telephones, with little pressure on the service after 9 o clock at night. There were, no bridges across the Wil lamette. Communication with the East Side of the river was entirely by boat. Speedy little boats ran to Sell wood and Al bina. There were four ferries th Jefferson-street, which shut down at 9 P. M.: the Stark-street which ran its boat until about midnight, and after that the rowboat; the railroad ferry at Flanders street, which stopped at 6 P. M., except when the trains were late, and the Lower Alblna ferry, which stopped in the early evening. The East Side, to which Mr. Wells was assigned to collect news, had just about begun to grow in 18S5, but was not taken seriously except by a few en thusiasts. Any man who would have predicted 30 years ago that the East Side would ever outrank the West Side In population as it does today would have been pronounced crazy. East Portland, incorporated as a city inlS70. was the main center of population. South of it was the promising settle ment of Sellwood. and north of it was Albina. Both of these places were In corporated in 1887. St. Johns was a name, while Sunny sldo had not been heard of. East Port land was an uninviting place. It was full of wooden bridges spanning gulches, and running over low. marshy ground, though east of Grand avenue there were many comfortable homes. Poor streets were poorly lighted with oil lamps. Street railways and tele phones East Portland did not know. But It had a separate city government and was young and ambitious. Mr. Weill Only Left In Game. When Mr. Wells started news gath ering he had as co-workers on the various dailv papers the following: Newman J. Levlnson, E. L. Coldwall, Alian B. Slausoo. Bailey Avery and Oscar 1. Clay on The Oregonian: John M. Baltimore and Otto Greenhood on the Evening Telegram; John MJHiken on the Standard, and John G. Egan and tho writer on the Bail News., Coldwell, Avery, Clay, Baltimore. Greenhood and Egan are now dead, and all the others have retired from the newspaper work. It will not be practicable in limited space to follow Mr. Wells in detail since 1885, so a few incidents of his career stated without regard to chro nological order will suffice. The young reporter when he started to work got what the old city editors used to term a roving commission. That is to say, travel as far as you like and as long as you like and get news where you find it. Leander's first act was to buy a horse and saddle. In no othey way could the East Side have been covered 30 years ago and long afterward ex cept on horseback. Leander and that horse made East Portland famous. The horse always took Leander where he wanted to go, but did not always come home with him. Frolicsome boys somettimes turned the horse loose while Leander was reporting a meeting and the re porter had to make his way to town afoot. Once the horse was driven away while Leander was reporting a com mencement at Portland University, where Columbia University now is, and Wells had to walk to town". He got his story into the paper, just the same. Gambler Take to East Side, Along about 1889 the big Portland on the West Side had a spasm of virtue and drove out the gamblers, who im mediately flocked to East Portland, The main headquarters of the gamblers on the East Side was In a large wooden building near the northeast corner of Here they had a combined saloon and PIONEER MILLER, 89, DIES gamonng nan, leaders organized the famous East Portland Improvement Association. W. D. Fenton was president for th first year and after him came Whitney L. Boise. Mr. Wells was secretary lor 12 years. Through the influence this powerful organization the gulches and sloughs were filled and the central East Side virtually made over. It doubtful if any body of men ever did so much for a section of Portland a the East Portland Improvement Asso elation did for the East Side. Its la bors put 30 people on the East Side 1 1915 where there was only one in 1885 Mr. NVells Is regarded, by many as the father of Milwaukie. Without hi help to illiam Shindler the move ment for incorporation must have failed. He saw Albina come into ex istence in 1887 and go out of existence in 1891, attending the first and last meetings of its City Council. He was present at the beginning of municipal government in St. Johns and was close to the city fathers when Sell wood Had government before it was merged with Portland. He would" have been-on the ground floor at Sunnysid and Montavilla if the movement for city government at those places had materialized. After Portland, East Portland and Albina had voted to consolidate 1 1891, Mr. Wells was instructed to watch the City Councils of the East Sid cities in their last days. It was feared in Portland that East Portland and Albina would, before consolidation became effective in July, vote bonds and franchises that would burden th greater city. Both cities did. Indeed, go well along to the limit, but their acts have not burdened anyone. Al bina's boulevard system and Columbia Park are tributes to the farsightedness of the last city government of Albina. Railway Grants in Big Demand, btreet railway franchises were es pecially desired in East Portland and the Council granted many of these in its last hours. The Council in one of its sessions tried to throw Wells off the scent by a pretended adjournment at 10 o clock at night. The members did disperse, but reassembled at mid night and remained in session until the arly morning hours. Mr. Wells was not fooled by the ruse, however. He got the news and published it fully, correctly and promptly. Mr. Wells, after 30 years of work, is still the East Side man of The Ore gonian. The Telegram end he dropped 24 years ago. His beat runs out to Gresham, which is nearer the West Side now than Lone Fir Cemtery was in 1886. Long ago he discarded his faithful horse and took to the bicycle and the bicycle has in turn given way to the telephone and the streetcar. He now brings his copy to The Oregonian iwice a oay. 'I nirty years ago he handed it to Captain Van Anken or Captain Robin son, at the foot of East Washington street, then L street, at 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and when the Stark-street ferry steamed over to the West Side the captain delivered it to The Orego nian business office at Front and Stark streets, whence it was shot ud to the local room. V Record Beget Pride. Mr. Wells has every reason to be proud of his record of 30 years. No more loyal and faithful man than ha ever worked for a newspaper. In all his years of service he never was sick a day until a few years back, and then the trouble was not serious. No matter how stormy the weather, he was on the job. He got the news, wrote it clearly, correct- and without coloring nd got it into the paper. He never failed to reach the office with his report, be the contribution large or small. To get to the office he has crossed the river in the big ferry boat, in the rowboat after midnight, on the bridges in streetcar or afoot and on the ice when the river was frozen over, but he always landed. No city editor ever had to worry oji account of Leander Wells. Leander brought the news, not excuses for a fall-down. No man ever controlled Wells, as witness his experience with the water jobbers who tried to wreck him. Neither attempts at physical violence nor inreats ot death ever swerverf htm from the right. He saw the straigh pain ana zonowed it. His was tn grand distinction of writinsr the new fairly and honestly and without fear or favor. , Mr. Wells is to be congratulated nnnii having completed 30 years of service so creditable to himself, to his news paper, to the material welfare of th great nasi Biae and to the glory o; Greater Portland. Wells tore into the gamblers through The Oregonian and aroused public sen timent against them. Then the gam blers thought it would be a good idea to give Wells a beating, so they in vited him on some pretext or other to visit the place. Wells accepted the in vitation and went to the gambling- house, carrying in his hip pocket a trusty six-shooter. As soon as Wells stepped inside he was told that a sick -man in a rear room wished to see him. Wells said he would not go. At this a big gam bler stepped toward Wells and told him that he would have to go back to see the sick man whether he liked it or not. Wells whipped out his revolver and, covering the gambler and his friends, said quietly: "Gentlemen, please open up a path between you. I am going out that front door and I do not want anyone to stop me." Wells got out of the place without fur ther trouble. He kept after the gam blers and soon drove them out of East Portland. Down in. Lower Albina In early days there were a lot of bad characters. whose favorite diversions were whisky and fighting. In my West Side work used to run across one of them now A. J. Chapman, Native ot England Survived by Family of Right. A. J. Chapman, one of Oregon's first millers, died Tuesday morning at the home of his daughter, near Alba, Or. i me age or s years. .Ueath cam suddenly and was due to old age. mr. t napman was born in Devon. shire, England, August 22. 1826. He left England at the age of 22 and few years later married Miss Nancy aiarKwooa. a native or Ohio. In 1856 he crossed the plains to Oregon, build ing a nour mm on the island near Oregon City and supplying flour for many or the large Arms throughout the valley. Mr. Chapman's Oregon City mill was washed away In 1862 and he and his wife barely escaped destruc tion in the flood. Later Mr. Chapman operated mills in different sections of Oregon and Washington and be came well known throughout these two states. He is survived by elirht children A. B. Chapman. Edward Chapman. D. W. Chapman, F. V. Chapman and Mrs. John Lightroot, all living near Pendle ton; Mrs. C. H. Horsman, of Centralia, Wash., K. G. Chapman, of Tacoma Mrs. R. B. Gibson, of Eagle ana Mrs. s. J. Eddy, of Port Wash. Creek, land. and then In a hospital, undergoing treatment for a battered face or broken head. Wells took after these thugs and made things pretty hot for them in the paper. The thugs sent Wells a menacing let ter with death's head and cross-bones, and threatened to kill him if he ever showed up In Albina again. Wells I City Kepi at nis worK ana Kept siter me thugs and cleaned them out of Albina. Frarae-lp Evaded, Too. Leander Wells not only defied the attempted violence of the East Port land gamblers and the death threats of the Albina thugs, but he came tri umphantly through a frame-up by cer tain unscrupulous politicians to wreck him or send him to the penitentiary. As East Portland grew it developed municipal problems, and one of these was a water supply. There were two contenders In the. field, the old com pany, for which Mr. Wells had at one time worked, and a new enterprise. To each of them Mr. Wells said: "I will give you a fair and even break In what I write and will not play favor ites." However, Wells' old employers did not want a square deal. They wanted the best of it, and when they saw that they could not control Wells or his writings they went out to get him. Although Wells had been out of heir employ for two years they spent $700 to make their books say that Leander had taken $1700 of their money. Then they went to the grand jury nd asked for an indictment against I i r A iiipndmpnte tn Tnitiativa ELECTIONS TO COST LESS Auditor Compiles Figures lo -Show Saving Under New Law. After this year elections are to cost the city, the county and the state con siderably less than heretofore,' accord ing to figures compiled by City Auditor Barbur to show how the act passed by the State Legislature cutting off one Judge on each election board will work out. It is shown that the law will save the expense of employing in Port land elections a total of 586 persons. In the elections in Portland there are 293 precincts. Each has two elec tion boards, each with six members. By cutting off one member on each board the total number of persons cut off will be 586. Each official receives $3 a day and the two judges on the two boards to be eliminated are al lowed $1.50 for meals. This makes a total of $7.50 paid out for the two officials, or a total of $2197.60 for these officials in the 293 precincts. In county and state elections the same rule will apply. SPOKANE WILL PETITION Leander. The grand Jury immediately saw through the gam and threw the charges into the waste basket. Lean der's accusers long ago" left Portland. Mr. Wells has been a constructor on his own account as well as a narrator of events. Fifteen years ago the great tast side was safely through the de pression of 1893. supplied with good carlines and has adjusted itself to the results of the consolidation of the cities. Mr. Wells thought the 'time opportune for a for ward movement, so he, and a few other and Referendum Sought. SPOKANE, Wash., March 13. (Spe cial.) Petitions calling for a repeal of the primary bill and the amended initiative, referendum and recall en- It was plentifully acted by the State Legislature will b in circulation ner me oi week. The petitions must be on rua at Olympia within 90 days from the time of adjournment of the Legislature. Spokane backers of the proposed - is . ' r-w 7SU. ., 1 . . s. SUMitVfffn uimj " . r. .v mil & Mrn 1 1 w,r u n UmMffWU 'IB!, ll 8 kWH, 'l l ly .. .'CI e t77fSMMWGXM'.. Hk. '' HjESSS&fS&r v s. ,mtiffrTiiiWm2ar v Hzswjjrsii e rkvyrr .. iii'ifbMiMSt j&mmnrzezsz&sr rn fjTXs'ssxrs' -r-owx w4Zzl m.2Mnmjvh K-iWjtf,f. wfrjrw-i2r wi ts&j&r?ssi - stj5N u u su www m - hv 11 ste-Jifs-Jiz-'Aac iaim?- vcs. IWjWyS&&5&z T j iU jViEi till X II ml lit tffr? fJAJi'? V V I BMM mmmz&zz sm ; jwMmm SWIB pjlpKlNGS HEIGHTS s --' .- xssv tj m ; wJl - Sill " " If' v (f ir u u a u ii er " ttr b bMMitnmm IMPERIAL HOTEU Do you know the sale begins Monday Morning at D o'Clock? Do you know that you can have your choice of 400 building sites on the West side, within. lO minutes of Broadway and Washington Street, from lOO to SOO Dollars, and on terms as low as SO Dollars down and lO Dollars a month? Do you know the streets are hard surfaced, that the gas, water, sewer and carline are already there? Do you know that this is one of the finest automobile rides in America, and that you should take the ride t0dDo you know that you can reach this property from almost any part of the West Side by automobile in from five to ten minutes? . i i4 Do you know that we have reduced the price on these splendid building sites from forty and eighty per cent, and that the-total reduction amounts to more than Three Hundred Thousand Dollars? Do you know that there is a sign on every building site with the former price and the sale price plainly marked? - xl , Do you know that this is a most unusual opportunity for you to secure a home site, that you can secure a home here very reasonable on terms satisfactory to you? . , ,i Do you know that this is the most beautiful residence section of Portland? Unnval ed location, commanding: one of the most superb views in the world. Close to the business district, yet remote from all unpleasant features of commerce. Easy of access, free from the noise, fog and dust of the lower levels. Good car service, hard-surfaced streets and all modern improvements. Beautiful winding: streets and boulevards, with sightly homesites and villa plots, offering splendid oppor tunities for individuality in landscaping and architecture. All building sites are sold subject to taxes and street improvements. DORR E. KEASEY & CO. Dealers in Heights Property Second Floor, Chamber of Commerce Building referendum on the Legislature s pri mary act and amendments to the Initia tive, referendum and recall win oe asked to include in the referendum move the jitney bus license and bond- bill nassed ver the uovernor s veto, and, should the Governor Bign it, the bill requiring certificates of neces sity before a competing public utility can be established in a city. The utilities bill, now in the faov- ernor's bands, it is alleged, is to be a measure for the aid of private monopo lies in public utilities. WORKMEN LAW RULING DUE Constitutionality Is Issue Before Washington Supreme Court. OLYMPIA, Wash., March 13. (Spe cial.) Before adojurnment of the May term of the United States Supreme Court a. decision will be handed down affecting the constitutionality of Washington s workmen s compensation act. according to Attorpey-.uenerai Tanner, who is preparing the plain tiff's brief in the case of the state against the Mountain Timber Company, of Cowlits County. The case will be reached for argu ment in the latter part of April. The suit originally was brought in tne Cowlita County Superior Court, where a change f' venue was taken to the Federal pistriet Court at Tacoma. That tribunal remanded it to tne state courts. The lower court held .the act constitutional, and its decision was af firmed by the Supreme Court. The suit was brought to force the payment of premiums. Death by Roadside Due to' Heart. CENTRALIA, Wash., March IS.- (Special.) Deputy Prosecuting Attor ney Newell. . who investigated the death of Albert Johnson, farmer of Ethel, who was found dead in a road i near there Wednesday, pronounced death due to heart disease. The funeral was held at Kthel this morning. Mr. Johnson, who was 70 years old. was ed that he sit down and rt while she walking from the Ethel store wjth his wont home and startid a fire. Ills wife to their home, a mile distant. He body ws found jn hour la(r by Wal- prow faint and Mrs. .Johnson mtEWl- tor prim. DEFOillf IS CURD) if1 FOR. leurakk Ru'o Omega Oil gently over the ach ing nerves; then cover with flannel oaked in th Oil. Pot a piece of dry flannel over this and bind tightly against the face. This simple treat ment has brought peaceful rest to leole who hve suffered agoniea. fl IID CrCT of sny variety, snd t. iny isonble LLUD ILL I on be mi1e otraicht. natural sod No plaster paris, do levers surgical operation, snd the result is tured. DflTTC nSCrnCF h treated in time should reault rUlld lIOCMut tn no driortrltr: paralya" ran hr prevented and the srowth oat invertered with. Write lot usually make information and referrnres. ennui Olinif aTlinr Rrrrnt rn DrlflKL bUniHlUnl. , mrnTrrlea and erro thoe of tnnsr stanrHnj do well. No planter rarl. fell or leather jacketa. Write for information and reierenre. U!D riCCICC In th painful stae can be relleed and nir HIOtnQt tne -.(lamination permanently arreHrri. Shortening;, deformity and Ip ol motion ran olteo be cor rerted. No surgical operations or confinement. INFANTILE PARALYSIS refpon-ihle people all orer the connlrv, whose children, afflicted with Inlantlle Parall els have been practically restored at tbia SanitaJium, DEFORMED KNEES AND JOINTS ;frT"OTft ods ot treatment, and If Interested you should know about it. This ia the only thoroughly equipped Sanitarium in the country devoted exclusively to th treatment of crippled and paralyzed conditions. ILLUSTRATED BOOK FREE SMKS.'-1 THE McLAIN ORTHOPEDIC SANITARIUM 852 Aubert Avenue) ST. LOUIS, M0.