The new Northwest., November 25, 1880, Image 1

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Kkke Si'Eixir, Fiikk Pittas, Fkek People.
VOLUME X. NO. 11. PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 18S0. PER YEAR $3 00.
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EASTERN OREGON.
XltS; 1UJTIVAY DBSCKI11KS HBIt VISIT TO CANTON
AJI PKAIItIR CITIBS AND TIIK KIDK TO
J1AKKK SCKNKS AND INCIDKNTS.
5HE. JinaS MAXY TRIKNIKS OP WOMAN HLTPHAnB TIIK
GRANT COUNTY SOCIErY A VJ.VB TO BS
IMUtKU AT I'RUKIK CITY.
Bakuk City, November 15, 1SS0.
Djlvn Kkadkks op ran N'kw Nokthwrst:
The more we see of Cnnyon City the more we
are amazed at the pioneer thrift and industry that
has hewed 'out the necessary accompaniments of
our higher civilization and planted the standard
of domestic life in the very heart of the rugged
gold fields. The town is long and narrow, re
minding us of a barn we once read of, which was
claimed to be six hundred feet long and only six
foet wide. The business of the place occupies the
one continuous street, both sides of which are
closely lined with stores, saloons, hotels, markets
and residences. A number of short side streets
branch away into the near-by mountain gorge?,
leading to comfortable residences and tasty llower
gardens. These streots are as crooked as the
famous cow paths of Boston, and their sidewalks
though primitive, beat nothing by long odds when
the weather is bad.
At the end of the main street stands the vine
embowered cottage where the now famous Joaquin
Miller lived while a resident of Grant county.
AVe carried away an apple as a souvenir of the
first orchard ever planted in the county, gathered
from a tree raised by the Oregon poet. It is a
Tolpeharen" if we spell it right and as hard as
the heart of a man who would desert his family
for the bubble of fame.
' There are three churches, the Catholic, Episco
pal and Methodist, in Canyon City, and an excel
lent district school, with Mr. and Mrs. M. N.
Bouham as teachers. "We did not meet the Cath
olic priest or the Episcojral clergyman, both of
whom reside elsewhere, but we formed the ac
quaintance of Rev. G. E. Wilcox, of the Methodist
church, and are happy to be able to testify that he
is not only a aealous preacher who is progressive
enough to draw large congregations, but is also a
stanch Woman Suffragist, who, like many other
clergymen we could name, is proud to lead in the
work, as becometh a valiant soldier for the right.
The stores of Canyon City are large and flour
ishing, Messrs. Sels, Muldrick, Clark, Uunlach
ami Metschan being tiie leading merchants. A
prosperous livery stable is well kept by Mr. I. II.
Wood. Dr. Horsley's drug store does a thriving
business. Messrs. Herberger ami Gray keep ex
cellent meat markets, ami Mrs. E. Turk, whose
husband met a melancholy fate last Spring under
peculiar circumstances, keeps the store he left and
heroically supports her large family. Miss Mary
Douthit is proprietor of a very choice line of mil
liner' and keeps a handsome little store, our only
complaint being that she sells her first-class goods
too cheap. The two hotels one kept by Mr. awl
Mrs. Thompson and one by John Segerdahl, are
comfortable and orderly tempera nee house. The
post office Mr. E. Hall, P. M. does an immense
money order business, and the daily mail is a
great convenience to everylmdy. Lawyers abound
in the place, Mr. M. V. Olmsted being the lead
ing disciple of Blackstonc who patronizes the
People's Paper. Among the ladies whose ac
quaintance we shall prize while memory huts be
sides those above mentioned, are Mesdames Oim
stead, Rulison, Sels, Kuhl, .Southworth, Gray,
Horsley, J-ockwood, Herberger, Metschau, Shop
awl, Trowbridge, Southerland, and many others,
all being amiable, intelligent and womanly, and
ail, of course, wanting to vote.
We acknowledge ourself under special obliga
tion to R. Iockwood, Esq., the obliging deputy
sheriff, who gave the use of the Court House for
the lectures; also to Professor Baldwin, the efli
cient band master, and his obliging pupils who
favored us with excellent music, thereby contrib
uting largely to the success of the meetings. Tills
band, after only two and a half months of praetice,
would do honor to any company of amateur musi
cians in any country.
Mr. S. H. Shcpard, editor of the fSrnu' ('unity
jVf, is running a paper well up wth the spirit
Of the times.
Politics in Grant county are Democratic in ma
jority, many of the ladies leiiig earnest Demo
crats who want to vote, and whom we would like
to introduce to the editors of the Pendletm AW
Orcronian, the Jacksonville 'lXme and the Port
land Standard. The acquaintance would do them
good, for the ladies could teach them a badly
needed li ;on. There are also earnest Republican
partisans here among the ladies, whom we would
be specially glad to see forming the acquaintance
of the editors of tho Jacksonville Sentinel and the
HiHsboro Independent. Some. men who can never
loarn anything from the sensible women in their
own neighborhoods might yet be able to learn the
truth if they could see equally sensible ladies from
abroad.
Major Joseph Magone, whose untiring assiduity
in the Woman Suffrage cause had already paved
the way for our visit, rode in on horseback,
though a rheumatic invalid, a distance of fourteen
Cay use miles, to attend the lectures. The Major
may be a little sensitive about his age, being a
widower, but rumor places him at about seventy;
and yet he is moreenterprisingand public-spirited
than many men of forty. The Grant County Fair,
which was inaugurated and has been carried for
ward mainly through his exertions, was a finan
cial and popular success this year, and the Major
deserves great credit for his zeal in the work.
The weather, which was line at the opening of
the lectures, grew fearfully bad as they proceeded;
but the good people, nothing daunted, assembled
to hear them nightly, the attendance each evening
being large, and the order and appreciation all we
could ask for or expect. As an evidence that our
labor was not in vain, we are proud to state that,
on tho afternoon of the 12th, a convention of gen
tlemen and ladies of Canyon City met at the
Methodist church and organized the Grant County
Woman Suffrage Association. A constitution,
briefly stating the objects of the Association, and
making it auxiliary to the State Society, was
adopted. Mrs. Duniway gives the list of olllcers
of the society, the proceedings of the meeting, and
the resolutions adopted, which we have marked
out of her letter, as the matter was published on
the fourth page of tho New Nokthwbst of last
week. Jvs. En. The next meeting of the so
ciety will be held on Thursday, Novo nbor 18th, for
the purjMise of adopting by-laws and arranging for
the future work of the Association.
Our labors being over in Canyon City for tho
present, we reluctantly bade our many friends
adieu, and on Thursday morning mounted the
Baker City buck-board, our destination Prairie
City, lifted! miles further on our Wintry way
The snow lay on the ground like a mantle of
ermine, profusely besprinkled with diamond dust.
and the air was biting and keen. Our route lay
through John Day town, which by daylight
showed to much better advantage than when we
had seen it skeleton proportions in the darkness
on a former occasion. We should have been
pleased to tarry here for a season if the weather
had jiermitted. ' There is here an excellent grist
mill and a line hot-house. The gulches, as at
Canyon City, are all burrowed out, and the gravel
Iteds have all been worked, sluiced and turned
over. The mines in these regions are by no means
exhausted, and we have no doubt that diggings
equal to any yet known await the future discovery
of somebody.
On ami on and on goes the bobbing buck-board,
through n winding and widening valley, with
mining cabins here and there, and big ranches
there and yonder, and at noon we halt at Prairie
City, a literal village of the plain, where we take
refuge at the primitive hotel kept by J. W. Mack,
Esq., formerly of Linn county, and where we are,
of course, at home. Here wu shiver around the
red-hot stove till lecture time, when we repair to
Grange Hull, a commodious and comfortable audi
torium, and meet a large, orderly, intelligent am
respectable multitude of farmers, miners, me-
chanics, merchants and stockmen, and nearly an
equal number of equally intelligent and enterpris
ing business women, with their rosy children and
good-natured babies. Professor Baldwin, who
alo ha a band of cornet pupils at this place,
again favored the public with excellent music;
and tho lecture, which was voted a success in
every way, held the people in silent attention to a
laU hour.
In the morning, accompanied by Mrs. S. M,
Cleaver, a successful dry goods merchant, whose
enterprising husband keejw a Hour and general
produce emporium next door, we sallied forth in
the snow a-eanvnssing, and, thanks to Mrs. C,
we met with excellent success. We formed many
new acquaintances and met quite a number of
old-time friends. Among the latter were Mrs. S
E. Settlemire and Mr. and Mrs. Hardman, for
mcrly of Linn county. The public school, kept
by Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Fweek, is in a nourishing
condition. A gentlemanly blacksmith, whom we
found hard at work at his anvil, subscribed for the
People's Pajer, after assuring us that he was
pleased to know that we were not only not an on
emy to men, but had always been their linn friend
on general principles. Surely nothing but con
science has ever made the newspapers such cow
ards in the past, as fo lead them to puhlis'h us,
though a mother of men, as a man-hater. AVe
met .1 nice old bachelor miner living at Dayville,
who deserves a good wife and a better lot than
single loueliness, and several other bachelors,
whom we advised to subscribe for this journal and
carry it with them when they go a-courting, and
show it to their sweethearts. Resides the Cleav
ers, there are engaged in merchandising the firms
of Shearer & Laurance and W. J. Galbreath & Co.,
md Mr. W. R. Fisk. We found all the people
ready for the gospel of peace on earth and good
will to men and women, and not or.e lady who did
not want to vote. They intend to form a Woman
Suffrage club here, that will be auxiliary to the
Grant County W. S. A.
High noon and stage time. Again we mount
the buck-board, wrapped like an Esquimau, and
hot rocks at our feet. The rarefied atmosphere
cuts our breath and freezes veil and nubia stark
still"; but the sun shines, and we jog along without
much discomfort. Two o'clock and dinner, after
which we journey on again, climbing up and up
into the snow belt, and atter awhile entering a
mighty forest of yellow pine and mammoth fir and
deciduous taumrac, all loaded down with snow
blankets, and all as white :nd stark and cold as
Vpernavik ever was in mid-Winter. All the
ifturnoon and till nine at night we plowed
through tiie snow in the dazzling moonlight,
passing Burnt River so near itssource that a little
foot-bridge spans it, and coming down at last to
the :foothilIs, -where we were yet seven thousand
feet above the level of the sea. Here we emerged
into a little open prairie, guarded all around by
tall timber, and halted, after half an hour's further
driving, at the hotel in the solitary wilderness,
whore we were welcomed bv the obliging land
lord, Mr. W. C. Parker, and his hospitable wife,
and were soon shivering beside the glowing stove
and enjoying a supper of venison steaks and baked
potatoes. Slept at night with hot irons in the bed,
in an unfinished room, where a rift in the outer
wall close to our nose reminded us, even in our
dreams, that it was mid-Winter. Spent the follow
ing day in agreeable chat with the landlady and
in patting hergrei.t dog, Tiger, who beats a Gat
ling gun on short range as a defense against wild
beasts or wilder savages. 1 lo has more sense, too,
than many a voter we wot,jof,for it is easy enough
to seo that he is all right on tho woman question;
and he won't drink whisky.
Nine i it., and stage time again. We wrap in
overcoats and furs and blankets till a grasshopper
wuuutw a burden, and climb to our perch on the
buck-board and bowl away, leaving Tiger to the
solitary association of his gitod mistress and Nieo
dcruas the cat. That night ride to Baker City
will never be forgotten. How the stage-drivers
endure the alternate cold ami heat and mud ami
dustlhey encounter yearly in carrying the mail is
beyond our comprehension. Ami then the miles
are m long ami crooked tliat they must have been
measured on writhing anacondas. No Cayuse
horse could have done them justice. But the
country, mountain and plain alike, is passing
beautiful, ami there is vacant land enough adja
cent to the stage lines to make ten thousand
farms. The land fever catche, or rather we catch
it, every Autumn. There is apparent! v enough
timber on these mountains to supply the world
for centuries, and prairies enough to raise the
wheat And graze the cattle of a score of Middle
States. Nobody can thoroughly know Oregon
until permitted to travel over the entire State on
a tjuck-board or the driver's seat of a Concord
coach. The friendly moon, which had dazzled us
witli its radiant light through tho long hours of
the arctic ride, sank below tho horizon at four a
m., but at this altitude tho day was even then
breaking; and the rush of cold air that even in mid
summer heralds the approaching dawn, is sucl:
at this season of the year as to chill the very mar
row bones of the benighted wanderer. How glad
we were to discover tho dim outlines of Baker
City in the hazy distance, we can never tell you,
good render. Wo shook as if in an ague fit, and if
our tocth had been false we should surelv have
losttilem. But the weary and faithful horses jogged
steadUy on, bringing us nearer at every bound of
the iHimping buck-board. If there isn't a horse
heaven, there ought to bo. AVe had loft the snow
behind us and on the mountains round about, and
the bare frozen ground was rougher than a cordu
roy budge. s
Sixto'eloek, and Raker City. The brick hotel
whenj we halted was overcrowded, and we could
not get a room, but the landlord kindly procured
us a refuge at Mrs. .Howard's home for travelers.
wh era we soon fell asleep, ami went to dreaming
that everybody was an actor and all the world a
buck-boa lit
To-day (Monday we have accepted the invita
tion of Mr. and Mrs. J. AV. Cleaver, and liave be-
iiiiuc ii guwi ai meir uopimuie noine. Mrs.
Cleaver's mother, Mrs. SM. Peters, and her sister.
Miss Georgia Peters, of Portland, are-here visitimr
for tho; AVinter, and their many friends in the val
ley will be pleased to learn that they are well and
happy.
Thislevening we are to begin a course of lectures
in tho Court House. Adieu till next week.
i A. S. D.
A pally of twenty-one ladies in New York City
have filed articles of incorporation of a society for
the care of infanta and young children.
A SOCIETY FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION.
There ha.s recently been established in New
York an association .under the name of "The So
ciety for Political Education," which claims to be
'non-partisan in its character and, in the ba&
disc, National in its scope." It is to be marnw;ci
by an Executive Committee of twenty-five mem-
hers selected from different sections of the Ffilteil
tates, "many of them being experts in different
lepartments of the study of social and political
cience." A singular feature of its organization
is that it has no President, and thus avoids the
risk of having its aims confounded with the idio
syncrasies of any individual chosen for its head.
It will have five Corresponding Secretaries, one
each for the East, the Northwest, the Southeast,
the Southwest, and the Pacific slope. Its Execu
tive Committee is not yet filled up, but it now
comprises Prof. AV. G. Sumner, of Yale College,
New Haven; Hon. David A. AArells, of Norwich,
Conn.; Charles Francis Adams. Jr.. of Boston.
Ma.-s. ; and several other gentlemen from differ
ent sections of the country. R. L. Dugdale, Sec
retary for the East, No. 79 Fourth avenue, Note-
York, or M. L. Scudder, Secretary for the Nortli-
west, No. 40 Portland Block, Chicago, will furnish
any desired information of the Society's plans.
The course of reading for the year will be Nord-
bofPs "Politics for Young Americans," Perry's
"Introduction to Political Economy," Johnson's
"History of American Politics," and McAdani'a '
"Alphabet in Finance." These volumes will be
issued in a cheap edition, costing only 53 00.
Next year another set of books will be selected,
and it is planned to extend the library gradually
according to the growth of the Society, until at
tention shall have been given to the whole range "
of subjects comprised under social seienee. At.
the indications are favorable for the enfranchise- '
ment of women in Oregon, the different suffrage
societies should secure these books. AVhile a
rood portion of the members are familiar with,.
American political history and economy, yet allj
would be benefited by studying standard books.
When women rote, a better element will be In
troduced in public affairs, and this element must
be politically educated. There is too much ignor
ance among tiie voters of the present, and the
voters of the future must be preimred to correct
error and abuses. .
A young lady in Connecticut, feeling a desire to
contribute personally to the triumph of Remtbli-
m. - a. - m.
can ism, had her father's horse harnessed on elec
tion day, and earned Republican voters to the
polls all the morning. She was treated with dis
tinguished consideration. No fear was expressed,
that she was in danger of degradation. No ery
was raised that she was "out of her sphere.' But
had she, after coming to the polls without con- '
tamination, offered to slip a little piece of unde-
filed paper into the ballot-box, the howlers would
have commenced their cries about the terrible "
ruin threatening her. The Republican party, like
the Democratic, is very willing to have tho help
of women, provided the women don't wish to help
themselves at the same time.
The Towa AVomnh Suffrage Convention, which
was held at Fort Dodge on tiie 12th ultimo, is
said by a local paper to have been "eminently
respectable in the number and personnel of dele
gates," there being present "a very good number
of ladies of ability and social position in the
State." The otlicers of the society are : President,
Mrs. (Caroline A. Ingham ; Corresponding Secre
tary, Mrs. Iiiuim A. Berry; Recording Secretary,
Mrs. N. IK Allen. Executive Committee Mjs
M. J. Coggeahall, Mrs. J. C. MeKinney, Mm. M.,
G. Davenport, Mrs. M. C. Haviland, Mrs. E. HI
Hunter, Mrs. L. B. Recti, Mrs. M. A. P. Darwin,
Mrs. M. AV. Campbell, Mrs. M. J. Green.
Edward D. Mansfield, who died recently at his
home near Morrow, Ohio, contributed much to
aid the woman's rights movement in its early
days by the publication of a volume on Unr.
"Legal Rights of Women." This book showed .
the disabilities of wives as they then existed, 'and.
the very statemcut of them in a consecutive man
ner called attention of both men and women to .
the cruel ami barbarous laws which afflicted
wives, and by which they were held in subjection. .
Mr. Mansfield was a distinguished lawyer, ami hTa
book carried the weight of his name and position,.
and was a great help.
Mrs. Hayes, wife of tho President, and Mia
Waite, wife of the Chief Justice, have been elected j
respectively President and ATice-President of tha
AVoman's National Relief Society.
AVisconsin lias introduced the Constitution of
the United States as an obligatory study hi hjer"
public schools. Every State in tho Union )ontd
do likewise.