Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The new Northwest. (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1880)
"3 PlCKR Sl'EKCU, FltKE I'KESS, FltEE PeoI-LE. VOLUME X. NO. 12. PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1SS0. PER YEAR S3 00. : ' l 1. I ' EASTERN OREGON. MRS. DUXIWAY'S TRAVELS IIKU VISIT TO IIAKHK CITV AND WIXGVILLK AX INTKK KSTIXG CAUIXKT. A WOMAN SUFFItAOB SOCIKTV ORGANIZKIl AT IIAKHK I'Ull I.IC SKNTIJIBNT STEADILY GHOWINO IN HAVOK , OF EQUALITY OK THE SKXKS. Uxiox, November 22, 1SS0. Dkax Readers of tiik New Xokthwkst: The premature cold weather that has abounded in unprecedented intensity for the past three weeks all over this Borean upper country did not prevent the good people of Baker City from at tending our lectures, nor did it in any way retard their enthusiasm upon the woman question. Here, as at Canyon City, they were ready to or ganize a County "Woman Suffrage Association; and here, as elsewhere, the very best elements of society, social, religious, liberal and literary, were ready to take the lead in the work. As tho Re cording Secretary of the Association has already forwarded the minutes of the first organized meet ing, it is not necessary to make further mention of it in this connection, except to speak in praise of the zeal of the friends of the cause, and their determination to use all honorable means to keep it before the people. Baker City has almost outgrown our former -conceptions of it during the five years that have elapsed since our first visit. Quite a number of new and substantial stone and brick business houses adorn the main street, exhibiting the con fidence of the proprietors in the future prosperity of the place. There are excellent farms in the valley, and seemingly inexhaustible stock ranges on the mountains and hills; but the chief attrac tion is the mines, whose resources are scarcely yet imagined, and certainly not yet developed. In the valuable cabinet owned by Mr. J. W. Virtue, and which visitors can inspect at their leisure in the Virtue & Van Schuyver banking house, can be seen almost every variety of ore from adjacent mines, all rich, and abounding in gold, silver, isinglass, antimony, quicksilver, asbestos, sulphur, tin, copper, iron, and many other metals. Next Summer, when the weather is propitious, we hope to return awl visit the mines and give them an extensive writing-up from personal observation. Besides his magnificent collection of minerals, including smelting ores, carbonate ores, gold bearing quartz, leaf gold, shot gold, gold lumps awl gold dust, Mr. Virtue's cabinet contains a rare assortment of coins, some of which are fifteen hundred years old. He exhibits some specimens of Continental currency, and quite a number of Confederate bills. A bronze medal proclaims that it was awarded to him by the Centennial Com mission for his fine display of ores from the Virtue Mining Company's claims, which were on exhi bition at the National Exposition. Among other curiosities, we note a cannilMil's war club, Living stone's tobacco pipe, the pocket knife of Captain Jack, with A. B. Meacham's blood upon it; the shark's tooth club that killed Captain Cook (pre sented to Mr. Virtue by Lee Millard, Esq., of Portland); an air castle, elaborately carved from solid wood by an unfortunate convict who was imprisoned for life, and whose only tool was a piece of hoop iron ; some mammoth fossils, among them a jaw bone three feet in length, a tooth twelve inches long and seven inches in diameter, and a tusk nearly eight feet long and fully twenty one inches in circumference. These fossils were found by miners many hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth, and would conclusively prove the vast and inconceivable age of this planet if ail other demonstration were wanting. A pair of huge antlers, closely clasped in the "lock of death," surmounts one large show-case, and some fine specimens of the California redwood adorn the top of another. Want of space forbids further detail concerning this cabinet at this time, hut we hope some day in the future to examine it more fully. It is a credit to Eastern Oregon, and of great value to its enterprising possessor. Turning from tiie contemplation of Nature's vast resources as exhibited in the above-named cabinet, we return to the home of our hospitable friends, the Cleavers, and, after an hour's chat, go forth again a-canvassing. With this rather un pleasant duty we always combine all we can of independent observation. We note first the furni ture store and undertaker's emporium of Mr. J.M. Cleaver, and are surprised at the multiplicity of orders that crowd upon him for articles in his line. Then we pass on, noting whisky shops, tobacco nists and restaurants, and call at the well-filled drug store of Mr. H. McKinney, where for half an hour we hold glad converse with this gentleman and his intelligent wife, ncc Miss Susio Harrison, of Salem, and for a number of years prior to her marriage a partner of Miss Whipple, now princi pal of the public school in Astoria. The millinery store of Mrs. Alfred next attracted us, and here again we were at home. Tins lady's many friends will be pleased to learn that she is again in busi ness on a safe basis, and is another proof of the constantly demonstrable fact that women, as well as men, can tide safely over financial difficulties when, by their will and energy, they arc disposed to clear the way. Mrs. J. Sparks is also a prosper ing proprietor of an adjacent millinery business, and the two ladies are on excellent terms with eacli other, thus disproving the allegation that "two of a trade never can agree." We find our good friend St. Louis at the old stand following the jewelry business, and take dinner with Mrs. Rea, who keeps a well-patronized boarding-house. Messrs. Haines and Lawrence, the former a mem ber of the late Senate and the latter of the House of Representatives, both of whom did valiant ser vice in the Woman Suffrage cause, reside here, engaged in the practice of law. Judge L. O. Sterns, who is known all over the State as an able barrister and jurist, also lives here in good style, and, witli his intelligent wife, contributed much to the pleasure and profit of our visit. T. C. Hyde, Eq., also a Woman Suffragist and a law yer, enjoys a lucrative practice. Drs. Hulsey and Atwood, whose acquaintance we made at a former visit, are still at their posts and still busy and prosperous. We were indebted for the use of the court-house for the lectures to the gentlemanly sheriff, Mr. W. Trevillion, and to Messrs. Cleaver, Schoiield and many others for kindly and respect ful aid in our work. For some reason best known to the initiated, we did not meet a clergyman in the city; but we hope the ministers of Baker do not all deserve the Scriptural declaration that "He that is not for us is against us." Mr. Abbott, of the llcvcille, attended the lec tures, but ignored them in his tmper probably an oversight. Mr. Shepard, of the Bedrock Democrat, did not attend the meetings, but made favorable mention of them and of the cause in his journal. We think they will both do good service for wom an's liberty in the pending suffrage camjMUgn; though we were somewhat surprised to hear of certain very uncalled-for allusions to ourself as "old woman," "old gal," etc., etc., by the editor oi me latter paper, wnen among Ms boon com-"J ...... ... pamoiis. He are an earnest advocate of men's rights, but are firmly convinced that the right to slur the mothers of men is not one of them. Our closing lecture in the city was given on Thursday evening before a fine assembly of thoughtful ami sympathizing auditors, the I 'resi dent of the newly-formed Woman Suffrage Asto ciatiou, Mrs. Eliza R. Gray, in the chair, her fine, chastened, womanly face beaming upon the people like an inspiration. Mrs. Susan McKinney read the minutes of the organized meeting of Wednes-j day in a clear voice, and with the grace and dig nity that characterizes the cultured lady in all countries. After this came our lecture, the theme, "Man's Rights," being one of our favorites. As at Canyon City, we had become warmly attached to the many friends we had met, and it was ditli cult to soy good-bye. On the next afternoon, accompanied by Mrs.. Peters and Mrs. McKinney, we started over to Wingvilie, nine or ten miles away, our vehicle a light-running sewing machine wagon, and tho driver an honest owner of a line trotting team. The road ran through the Powder River Valley, as level as a iloor, and covered with excellent farms, all made in the heart of the sage-brush desert, where twenty years ago it was thought impossible to sprout white beans in the volcanic soil. Arriving at Wingvilie, Mother Osborne, an aged grandmother well on in the seventies, met us at tho stile of her great wide door-yard fence, and welcomed us all in the true hospitable man ner peculiar to the Sunny South. Upon learning that the good woman's daughter was absent, we felt our visit to be an imposition, as our hostess appeared too old and frail to prepare supper. But she would take no denial, and in less than an hour we were regaled with an excellent and savory meal. Supper over, and all repaired with the dear old lady through the snow to the church, not far away, where we met a goodly multitude of eager curiosity-seekers, who listened for the first time to the women's gospel of liberty. Two men, one a horse doctor rejoicing in the appellation of L. L. Russel, M. D., and the other a newly mar ried man named Miller, blacked themselves up with burnt cork and came to the lecture in out landish dress, evidently hoping to create a sensa tion, but only succeeded in making the citizens boys and all ashamed of them. No one took any apparent notice of them, and ono of the noble pair, more sober than the other, soon grew disgusted with himself and sneaked out of the church. )t Is needless to say that they are both "agin" woman's rights, and "think too much of women" at the wash-tub to let them perform the ardu ous labor of depositing a vote in the ballot-box. Hon. Charles Chandler, who was State Senator from Baker county in '74 and '70, resides here, and introduced us to the audience. We were indebted to Mr. Jas. Dwinell, an extensive farmer and stock raiser, for the courtesy of publishing the lecture, and were also much pleased with his earnest wife and her evident interest in the suffrage cause. The meeting over, we returned to Baker City, well satisfied with the evening's adventure and entertainment. On Saturday night wc bade adieu to our friends at Mr. Cleaver's hospitable home, and took a room at the hotel for a few hours' rest, and at midnight were called by the watchman to go aboard the stage, bound Unionward. The weather had sensi bly moderated, and the long ride was not an un comfortably cold one. A few miles out from Baker City the snow grew deep, and the sidelong mads were so slippery that the great coach would often slue until just on the point of upsetting on the hillside, but would always fetch up in the "nick of time" and save us from a smash-up. At half-past live we halted at North Powder station for breakfast, and were greeted by a good fire and excellent meal at the wayside inn of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan. Mrs. H. ought to teach a cooking school for the benefit of dyspeptic travelers. After breakfast we passed a grist-mill belonging to Mr. James Welch, of North Powder station, and drove on past fine farms for fifteen miles further. Then we entered the Ladd Hill pass, and came down into Grand Ronde Valley to the town of Union by a route so easy of descent and so different from the old emigrant road of '52, eighteen miles below, that it was difficult to realize that the valley was the same that greeted our childhood's gaze in the long ago, when, after a perilous ride adown the rocky ridges, our sire's patient oxen had plodded wearily over the bunch-grass plain in search of Western Oregon. At the head of this beautiful Grand Ronde Val ley sitslhe thriving town of Union, which we see at a glance has improved wonderfully in the past few years. A commodious school-house, court house, and a new M. E. church have been added to its public buildings, and several fine brick stores and many new dwellings dot the plain. At this writing the entire valley is covered with a feathery coat of alabaster whiteness. rivintr tiie whole earth a Wintry look. But we find refuge in Mm " . W the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. S. Hannah, who greet us with cordial smiles of welcome. Allliction has laid a heavy hand iijwn these kind friends in the past few years, and the trailing wing of the Death Angel has swept away three of their lovely children, leaving an aching void in their hearts and new lines of care upon their faces; but the great Hereafter has come nearer to them than ueiore, aim iney iook eoniHieniiy iorwani to a glad reunion with their departed darlings in the halcyon by-and-by. We had enjoyed theirsociety for half an hour when we were called upon by Mrs. Minerva Eaton, whom Portlanders will re member as the star of the last State Suffrage Con vention, and arrangements were at once made for the lectures, which are to begin to-night (Monday) at the M. E. church. On Wednesday wo are to go to Cove, whence more anon. A. S. D, Neal Dow, the Prohibition candidate for the Presidency, received some 9GO0 votes, and the rep resentatives "of the liquor traffic and interests are laughing at the meagernesss of his support. But they may rest assured that this vote is no index of the mass of people arrayed against them. When Mr. Dow was nominated, it was known that he had no chance of success and that all votes thrown for him would be pract ically wasted. The great body of temperance people cast their ballots either for Hancock or Garfield mostly for the latter and the S)G00 votes represent men who realized that a stand must be made, and who voted as their principles directed them. In Maine there are several times that number of Prohibitionists, and tne same is true ot several other Eastern States. In Kansas and Iowa prohibitory amend ments to the constitutions were adopted, in the former State by 20,000 majority. The liquor mer chants and saloon-keepers do not even smile at these results. In several other States streiiKth equal to that in Kansas would be developed if there could be a fair vote on the liquor question without dragging in extraneous issues. The op position to me wiusky trafiic is growing. The Roseburg Independent will please accept our thanks for pronouncing the New Northwest "a first-class newspaper," although not "endors Ing our ideas in cxtcmo." We admit our brother's right to differ from our opinions, for we believe in Di'vvtii, uui are giau mat no credits us with "saying a good many good things" and as being "endowed with more than usual brain, pluck and energy." Without wishing to form a "mutual admiration society," we can say that the Independent is an excellent paper and a good representative of the live town of Roseburg; but wo hope our contemporary will read and profit bv 41, 1 J I 4.1... 1 .. 1 T1 T I 1 J niu ivuuci in mu lorn tutnacaier. WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN BAKER COUNTY- Baker City. November 19. 1SSQ- To the Kiutok of the Xbw Xortiiwkst: In pursuance of previous appointment. n-tn met at the court-house, on the afternoon of tne in instant, a number of persons interested in the formation of a Woman Suffrage Association- After a very lively discussion between the editor of the Jtcveille and the editor of the New North- kst concerning the relative conditions of man and woman, the convention proceeded to the busi ness ot the hour. The meeting was called to order and its obiecti clearly and concisely stated by Mrs. Duniway. un motion, Mrs. Eliza R. Grav and Mrs. Snsr H. McKinney were elected respective! v President and Secretary pro tan. A constitution was submitted to those nresenr. and accepted. The organization then proceeded to the election of permanent ollicers with the following result r President, Mrs. Eliza R. Grav: Vice -President-. Mrs. Melissa Cleaver; Recording Secretary, Mrs. ousan n.. lcivmney; Corresponding Secretarv, Mr. Calvin F. Hvde: Treasn Alfred. ' J On motion, an Executive Committee, comnnswl of Mr. D. L. Moomaw, Mr. A. C. Mitchell, Mr. E R. Parker, Miss Tottie Cleaver and Miss Georgia Peters, was appointed by the chair. The following resolutions were then adopted r lletolvetl, That we will use all honorable to the LegiilNture of 13 men who are pledged to ratify the raviuuuii hi t-nirRiicnise woman, which was pmwed by in legislature of Jtf. Jtesoletil, That we cordially endorse the IfclMtart; ot 1S30 In lt favorable action on tho Woman SuftVafte Kesote tlon, ami will resiiecUully demand its raUHcatlon by the Legislature of 1SS2. After listening to a few eloquent words of en couragement and advice from our lecturer, Mrs. A. S. Duniway, the Association adjourned, to meet at the iHirlors of Mrs. J. W. Cleaver on Monday, the 22d inst. Mrs. Susan H. McKixxev, ' Secretary. 4 MISSOURI SUFFRAGISTS. The fourteenth annual meeting of the Missouri Woman Suffrage Association was hold on Tues day, November 9th, at Kirkwood, Mrs. E. 1. Case, President, in the chair. The Western Light says that after considerabYS debate, in which Mrs. L. P. Yeatman, Mrs. GeuJ Rober, of New Haven, Rev. John Snyder and." the President took leading parts, it was decided to memorialize the Legislature on the matter of "school sulfrage." The following were appointed delegates to rep resent the State of Missouri in the American Suf frage Association meeting to be held at Washing ton: Mrs. Cleveland, Mrs. Grubbs, Mrs. MurS feldt and Rev. John Snyder. The election of officers for the ensuing year re sulted as follows : President, Mrs. R. N. Hazard ; Vice-Presidents, Dr. Wm. Elliott, Mrs. M. A Hunt, Mrs. M. E. Bedford, Mrs. Eliza C. Draper, Rev. John Snyder, Mrs. Charlotte L. Cleveland, and J. M. Dutro; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. I. H. Sturgeon Recording Secretary, Mrs E. L. Chase; Executive Committee, Mrs. L. P. Hall, Mrs. Geo. H. Rea, Miss Mary Murtfeldt, Miss H. B. Roberts, Mrs. John C. Orrick, Mrs. A. O Grubbs, Mrs. W. P. Wilson, Mrs. J. Andrew, Mrs. Thompson, Dr. Maria Walker, Mrs. Elizabeth J.. Dutro, Mrs. John W. Noble, Mrs. H. S. Stnggr and Mrs. John W. Stockbridge; Treasurer, Mr. John Dutro. The next meeting of the Association witt-tgl held in St. Louis on the 14th instant. John Sharp, one of the Mormon Bishops, is now in New York City. In an interview, he saidl the demise of Brigham Young had not altered? the Mormon policy; that the twelve apostles who became the head of the church at his death have in no way abridged their own powers by electing: Taylor as prophet ; that "not only is polygamy a part of the Mormon faith, but it is obligatory, and' those who say otherwise aro not true Mormons or do not know what they are talking about." This is enough to arouse the Ladies' Anti-Polygaray Socicty to renewed exertions. It is a candid ad mission that women are considered by Mormon as mere slaves, each master to have as many of. them as he wants. The New York Tmics is one of the very best of American newspapers. It fairly recounts not only metropolitan event", but the news of the world at large. Politically, it is Republican. The Weekly Times, an eight-page, nicely printed sheet, is issued Wednesdays at $1 per year. A committee of three has been appointed by the President of the Portland Branch of the Iriab. Land League for the purpose of suggesting names for and assisting in tho formation of a Ladies' League. Our Irish citizens appreciate the im portance of having tho help of women.