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VOL. XXXIX. PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 9, 1920 . y 19 S
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8r-
BT DeWlTT HAERI.
BOYVTT.T .K, come create again
those memorable days you se
date Tortlanders. Back when
there were no playgrounds, no trained
workers jo supervise recreation per
carefully prepared syllabus, no Boy
Scouts, no rule and rote for play,
and when every section of the city
had its gang who inhabited the back
lots 4ind established headquarters in
remote city placee difficult of access.
.Remember the Goose Hollow gang,
the tough bunch from Albina that
brought shivers of fear from the
youngsters on account of the sheer
terror of their accomplishments, the
Sixth-street gang that hung out about
' the Harrison school, the South Port
land crew who used to play hockey
days and tease policemen nights
about the old vacant lot at Front and
"Whittaker streets, the Portland
Heights kids who had their lookout
where the cable line ended way above
the city, the Sunnyside gang who
bung out near Lone Fir cemetery,
the North Portland kids who defended
the sacred precincts about Guild's
lake, th Sellwooders, fellows from
Woodstock. Mount Tabor, St. Johns
way out on the' little steam line,
tVoodlawn, those were the days.
Staid Portlandera Bcmlnctce.
Just talk with nearly any one of
the men in Portland today who spent
their boyhood in the city- and they
will ordinarily be more than pleased
to regale Inquirers with choice tid
bits and legends of deeds of derr'ng-
do in which they and their particular
companions were concerned. The in
vasions of enemy territory that took
place, the regular fights that had
more of the nature of tournaments
of old with favored knights earning
Klory for their section, the battles
between champidns' of different parts
of the city, the many feuds to the
bitter end that were started over
some fair lady's hand, the baseball
games and other athletic contests
that occurred when the teams and
competitors were escorted to their
field by marshaled forces of the en
tire neighborhood in the expectation
of the game ending up in a row.
Well-armed retainers were these and
seldom were they disappointed in
seeking trouble, for, if memory does
not rali, seldom was there an occur
rence of this kind that was not en
livened by several little side bat
tles, the more sanguinary the more
satisfactory for the youngsters.
Those days bred a sure thinking
bunch of youngsters. Early did they
learn that they had to fend for them
selvea, and early did they -ealize the
extreme value of co-operation. Re
ports of insult or injury brought to
headquarters were generally acted
on by a council of war called by the
leader, usually a fellow who had
gained his high and responsible po
sition by combative and planning
ability. The b'e crews were usually
made up of a complete rocter of the
neighborhood boys, all - ages. - 'The1
youngster normally flcke by em-
&TS Otl
ir
selvee and imitated the bigger fel
lows until some deed out . of the
ordinary, or their reaching a cer
tain stage in their careers and de
velopment made them welcome in the
charmed circle of older and more
responsible boys who really con
trolled the destinies of the neighbor
hood. It was difficult to define any
line of demarcation at which a chap
grew out of his tiembership in the
gang and went to manhood, for the
younger men of the neighborhood
even had their organizations and
backed the boys up. '
Courthlp Had Danger.
Theorists who study the develop
ment of humanity will easily per
ceive in this a purely normal out
growth of the development of races
since the beginning of time. Doubt
less they are right but the young
Portlander concerned himself not
with such thoughts, merely went
along as the rest of the fellows did
and had his fun. Sweethearting in
those days liad its danger for the
fellow who became smitten with the
charms of a lady fair who lived In
some other section of the city was
more than likely to become the target
for concerted action on the part of
the young males who lived in the
vicinity, especially if the fair one
who was sought after was more thn
ordinarily desirable in the eyes of the
jealous males of her section or had
at any time given any of them any
encouragement.
Many were the clandestine meet
ings that were had and a real spice
of danger was given them when the
swain knew that he was liable at any
time -to meet up with some of her
champions who resented the bestowal
of any favors on fellows who did
not reside near the home of the ob
ject of their affections. Escorts of
protecting males were not unknown
in those days. For instance a fellow
would become smitten with the
charms of some girl who lived way
off on the other side of town. He
just knew that existence was impos
sible were Ji'e . not rewarded with
several of her smiles Sr. given an
opportunity to bask in her favor.
The only way to get in touch with
her, as any boy of those- days will
tell you, was to go to her part of
town and lay in wait until she visited
some entertainment or until she went
to church and try and .walk home
with her. This would ordinarily be
possible if the boy was not too faint
hearted and was certain that the lady
would fall in with his plans, and most
of the fellows were more than ready
to take a chance that their advances
would be received , with, favor, but
the difficulty would be to put the
act over unaided in the face of the
gang from' the neighborhood, every
one of whom would ' regard himself
as her self-appointed guardian . and
duty bound to defend her. to the last
drop of blood from any philandering?
with anyone who was not a member
of the charmed circle of which she
was regarded' as' an 'adjunct.' '
- Of - course .. thee , prastiqe oJte&
ortl
a- v
complicated love affairs and rendered
them rather hazardous, but then who
would ever want the course of love
too smooth? Back about; 20 years
ago in Portland few, of the average
courtships were any too easy and it
was often necessary for the young
ster to have a defensive escort safely
hidden whenever he made his calls
or tried to curry favor in the eyes
of his lady love. Of course most of
these agreements for offensive and
defensive alliances were made on a
co-operative basis the plan being for
the exchange of protection.
Mock's bottoms and) the South Port
land bottoms used to be great places
for play. Spring freshets used s to
flood both these low .sections and
during the high water period the
boys of the city used to congregate
there by hundreds. Favored fishing
and bathing spots were staked there
and by usage became the property of
cliques. Baseball diamonds were
made In South Portland and here
each Sunday would resort the myriad
teams from all over the city meeting
for Inter-city championships, the pre
decessor of the present well-organized
leagues that nowadays sponsor
the national sport. Sad to .relate
now, but highly enjoyable then,
many of the games among the older
fellows and men's teams would be
played for. a stake of a keg of beer.
and another favorite stunt used to
be to have the keg placed on third
base so that every player who man
aged to reach that station could have
as much as he wanted. This used to
make some fast playing and it is more
than possible that better games
would result today could some simi
lar practice be revived.
Orchard Raids Were Fretntat.
Boys must be the same generation
to generation, and many . are , the
treasured remembrances of the back-
lot ball game that used to necessitate
chasing the ball into some forbidden
nearby precincts. Just try and rec
ollect the games that were played
next to the orchard with the rlpen-
g fruit and the strange habit that
the ball- had of getting beneath the
trees and the spirited chase and hunt
with the ensuing difficulty of locat
ing the missing and necessary sphere.
What of it if there was a great deal
of .the .half-ripe and sour, but care
fully guarded, fruit lost? . That could
not be helped and was part of the
game. Who wouldn't give half his
worldly goods to be transported back
once more' to those halcyon days?
Spring days seem to get into the
blood and the mere sight of a crowd
of boys at play on a vacant lot, and
Portland Is extremely fortunate' in
that it has a great number of these.
cannot fall to recall the days, of yore
when the big boys of today " vied
for the honors of their neighbor
hood In spirited competition. It seems
but yesterday that the fellows who
have to ,sit tight on alluring sweet-
scented days used to be the ones
to venture forth to their favored
nooks and 'test 'the waters' of 'the
i Willamette- witfe- a, - sensitive . toe . to
d
Youngsters o
Last Decade Just
Grew Up and
Found Own Ways
to Play
"V. "
Difficult ro J-mzf&t:-
see if it was time to venture in for
the spring bath.
And the hills; The exploration
trips that used to take place into
that realm of romance surrounding
the city. The long all-day journeys
fraught with all manner of adven
ture. The spirit testing ventures way
back along the old abandoned line of
the logging road", that used to tap
the hills behind Hamilton street in
South Portland. The old trestles that
stood as a monument, shaky 'tis true.
to the skill of the engineers of old.
The abandoned huts that marked the
spots where some old-timer had en
deavored to wrest -a pittance .from
stumpage farms of tiny acreage that
lay in the bottoms of the ravines that
seamed the hills.
Then was none of the skilled "guid
ance of trained scoutmasters or play
supervisors, it was every fellow for
for himself, and the more adventur
our had their select coterie of follow
ers and- competition was keen among
the boys to make the deepest explor
ations into the backwoods. Land of
unexplored adventure that it was.
Irnuch of it pristine in its rugged
simplicity and seemingly never be
fore visited by humans, at least in
the estimation of the" boy , adventur
ers. Boys Took I'sage Title.
. Then there were the nooks that, by
constantly repeated visHs, came to be
looked on as the individual property
of some of the boy organizations.
Some slight appeal was accentuated
by constant Improvement. Marquam
gulch used to be a place of myriad
adventure for could not the explorer
by venturing ' up its narrow gorge
make his way far back into wild
country that might, even then, be
teeming with savage Indians who had
remained back after the main section
of their tribes had taken their de
partnre to, the nearby reservations?
And the hills up canyon road at the
head of ' Jefferson' street.' The" city
park was but a tiny, place and plenty
P
trails, Indi atis.
ots
V
of adventure offered thereabouts,
always providing a fellow did not get
too near the rifle range where the
members of the national guard did
their target practice. And out be
hind Marshall street over the hills
near Macleay park, down the river
back of Gvild7s lake and out I near
Xinnton. -On the other side by. Co
lumbia and Willamette sloughs be
fore the time when the packing
plants defiled their . neighborhood
when the Union Meat company did
their slaughtering at Troutdale and
another plant near Fulton was in
operation. The boy who was fa
vored by the- butchers and could ven
ture into the sacred confines and get
a bladder. Why, a fellow could even
get livers and other by-products
given him in those days by merely
visiting the slaughter houses and
asking for them, and many were the
feasts that were had a la gypsy style
alongside the river banks, the as
sorted delicacies that were served be
ing the combined loot of the bunch
and much of the history of their at
tainment being better . left unwrit
ten. Barefeet Rare Today.
Barefeet, not much of that nowa
days. The neighborhood bully and
the leader of the bunch with his host
of imitators. Leadership was always
bestowed or earned as a right by
some deed of more than passing bril
liancy on the part of the extremely
fortunate individual who had the
ability to seize opportunity. Many
were the notable achievements that
set- a youngster aside from his more
ordinary playmates and made him
the envied of all.
Mischief, of course there was mis
chief, but the youngsters had to in
vent their own relaxations: they did
n6t have everything so carefully pre
scribed for them as is the case today.
It is a question in many a grown
up's mind if the little tads -of today
are aa happy -as were those of a
decade ajro. Of course, everything- is
,
so carefully thought out for them,
they have so much more chance to
get healthful sport; modern trends
have been to not leave anything to
chance and to perfect carefully con
sidered plans for scientific playing. It
is all set out in books just how boys
should play at certain ages, what
sports should be encouraged, what
degree of interest the young fellows
should show, how they should be led,
the big brothers who should by their
example set the best patterns for the
little imitators whose characters are
In the formative stage, and doubtless
the American boy of future genera
tlons, having all these advantages
and with his play and development
carefully regulated according to set
schemes, will profit hugely thereby
and be a much better chap than his
aaa; but oad cannot but regret that
he is not back in his childhood days,
and it is doubtful if many of them
would choose to grow up any differ
ently than was their actual lot.
Tree Belongs to Boy Tribe.
Out on the back lot on Tibbetts
street there is a solitary tree stand
ing that has been the companion of
the Woodstock boys Tor years. Fath
ers in that locality can recall vividly
the good times that they used to have
playing, in its shade or indulging I
varied adventures aloft among its
branches. Staunch and proud, this
sturdy tree, yet stands in solitary
glory on a vacant lot; but the gradual
encroachments of a rapidly increas
ing population seem to have numbered
its days. In its loftiest branches it
bears graphic testimony as to its
favor among Boyville of the locality
In the form of an old barrel, hoisted
to this dizzy height at the cost of un
told labor at the hands of the tribe
who inhabit the region.
Now1 this hoary old tree has taken
on varying identities in its long and
assorted career, but it has not de
clined one whit in favor. 'Last week
It . was - the mainmast . of a battle
7v
cruiser and a skilled young gob. who
had never sailed on the ocean, occu
pied the barrel-like crow's nest and
semaphored the location of enemy
ships that he had in view to a waiting
crew that clustered on the platform
of the fighting peak below. At the
base of the mast, on the green, mossy
deck of the ship, waiting gun crews
lay to, patienitly ready to serve the
enemy with a dose of hot shot when
he was overhauled.
Pirate Crews Pan Owt.
It was not thus with this tree in
days gone by. Before the big war it
was the mast of a pirate ship and
swarthy villains swarmed up the rig
ging with cntlasses In hand, daggers
in teeth and pistols In their broad
sashes as they scanned the horizon
for their treasure-laden prey. Or at
another time In its history a tribe of
cliff-dwellers resided perched preca
riously on the narrow shelf of their
lofty home. From day to day, even
now. this giant does not know to what
use he will be put, but his popularity
never declines.
Compulsory military training has
been advocated by many adults, but
one resident of the vicinity of the
Tibbetts-street tree stated that the
vacant lot had produced some 13 sol
diers who took part in the late war.
Military games have always been
popular with boys, and the daring
hero who led his troops to victory, or
the stubborn patriot who fought to
the last, have had their myriad coun
terparts in the back-lot battles of
Portland. The lessons- Inoculated in
this manner generally live in the
young men's character and only need
opportunity for expression.
Water Heroes Are Noted.
Let's not forget the Willamette-.
scene of so many watery adventures,
and also, sad to relate, of many a
tragedy. Ross and Swan islands, In
opposite sections of the harbor, have
always enjoyed their rightful share
of popularity. Gathered along the
river bank the young savages used to
wait gleefully for the advent of the
rapidly-moving river boats and dis
port themselves in the wash, and the
more adventurous and skilled would
swim far from shore and clamber on
log booms as they were towed past
and steal rides. The fellow who could
swim the river was a hero, but water
life in Portland developed a fast and
sure set of swimmers with the result
that today the city has a great pro
portion of its population who are at
home in the water.
Swimming parties, taking to the
water in their native state and enjoy
ing to the utmost the cool, soothing
effect of the soft river fluid, used to
throng the banks of the Willamette,
and often the boys would venture in
from floats and logs right in the
heart of the city. Skillfully decorated
with mud in assorted patterns, some
striped like zebras, others resembling
spotted leopards, yet more bearine
designs that would do any savage
proud, these chaps would disport
themselves for hours at a time until
their little carcasses would have
shriveled little sections all over. A
good, brisk fire, built of driftwood,
did the world and all for comfort, and
the spirited deeds of athletics that
took place on the muddy beaches made
many a sturdy little chap. Nowadays
a commercial bathing beach has en
croached on the sacred precincts of
Ross island and other sections of the
city are no more fortunate In that
respect. However, a careful set of
city dads have enabled the construc
tion of a number of tanks in various
sections of the city, where the young
jtfCoocluded on- face
t .
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