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About The new Northwest. (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1881)
6 THE NORTHWEST, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1881. CHAMBER SCENE. 'She rose from her untroubled sleep And put away her soft brown hair, And In a tone as low and deep Ax lover's whisper, breathed n prayer -Her snow-white hands together pressed. Her blue eyes sheltered In the lid, The folded linen on her breast Just swelling from the charms it hid And from her long and flowing dress Escaped a bare and slender foot, Whoso form upon the earth did press Like a new snow-flake, white and mute; And there, from slumber pure and warm, Like a young spirit fresh from heaven. She bowed her slight and graceful form, And humbly prayed to be forgiven. O God ! if souls unsoiled as these Need daily mercy from Thy throno; If she, upon her bended knees, Our loveliest and our purest one She, with a face so clear and bright "We deem her some stray child of light; If she, with those soft eyes In tears, Day after day in her first years, Must kneel and pray for grace from Thee "What for, far deeper need have we? How hardly, If she win not heavon. May our base errors be forgiven. PHILIP PARSONS. A CHICAGO EDITOH'S WILD YARN. On Christmas morning, in the yoar 1S75, when I entered my room in the office editors have no Christmas or other holidays I was surprised to find my chair occupied by a person of pleasant but somewhat singular appearance, who was so attentively reading some of my manuscript that he failed to notice my presence until I stood at his side and inquired if he were waiting to see me. At the sound of my voice, he rose quickly from the chair, and, scanning my face and general appearance, remarked, more as a personal com mentary than as directed to me : "Yes, time a quarter of a century has left traces of its march, nevertheless has dealt kindly." Then, extending his hand, he added: "I am the bearer of a package, one of some value to you, and the bearer of some messages of grateful remembrance. By the way, that article which I found on your table and was looking over when you came in, though unfinished, promises, with a few grammatical corrections and some judicious pruning, to be pretty fair reading." Overlooking the circumstances under which the criticism had been made, 1 bowed an acknowl edgment, and told him that, if he had any busi ness with me, I was then at leisure to hear him. Opening a leather traveling bag, he took out of it a package bound in still", dark-colored paper, tied with strong tape, which, at all its crossings, was connected with red sealing wax bearing some im pression as of a private or maybe a public seal. Placing this on the table before me, he waited for no question, but asked, quickly : "Do you remember Philip Parsons ?" "I can't say that I remember any person of that name. Who was he, and where does he live?" "Do you remember a young man, fresh from college Yale who one day, twenty-five or twenty-six years ago, applied to you for work on your paper, which work you were unable to give bim?" "Such an occurrence as that has taken place so often that any particular case does not suggest it self. What of it?" "Well, that case was a peculiar one. That young man was Philip Parsons. He remained here in Chicago three weeks, seeking any kind of a situation, and though you aided him with your advice, and even your recommendations, he ailed in getting anything in the way of employ ment. His last dollar was expended, and then, in his extremity, he explained his condition to you. He proposed to go furthor West, and you loaned bim twenty-five dollars, to be repaid should he ever be able to do so. That package on the table before you is that sum, returned with interest. The bread cast on the waters is now returned to you more than a hundredfold. Perhaps it will be considered as an additional pleasure that the re turn is on this blessed morning when all Chris tendom is rejoicing. Feel the weight of that package, if you please." Picking up the parcel, whose weight far ex ceeded any expectations founded upon its ap- Searance, I expressed the judgment that it was eavy for its size, and asked what it contained. "Gold, sir pure gold, nine-tenths fine, coin standard, and bears upon it the stamps and seals of the Assay Office. I will show it you in a mo ment; but let me first explain its history, and why it is I am its bearer to you." Quietly replacing the package on the table, and trying, with poor success, to hide my Impa tience to see the treasure and realize the extraor dinary result of an ancient act of kindness, which I was still unable to remember having ever per formed, I bade my visitor proceed with his story, Which he did. substantially after the following: "When Philip Parsons left you that morning, jt was with a feeling of gratitude so profound that be swore to himself that, so long as life lasted, he would never forget you, and that, should he ever obtain wealth, he would share it with you, even Jf it were millions. He kept his word; he did tvennore; the gold now before you was his all. Hoplves no more. I was his companion for many vearsjfnnd he bid me time and again to tell you of "bis adventures, and to assure you that fre- tsntly ho would have given up, perished in de lr, were it not that he was sustained by the pose to enrich you, no matter how many years might pass away in the eflbrt. From Chi cago he reached the Mississippi River, going by canal to Peoria, and thence by steamer to St. Louis. He failed to find employment there, and hired as a de6k-hand on a New Orleans packet for his food and 'transportation. Ill-fortune followed him. and at last he went to Toxas, and thence out on the plains where he found employment as & herdsman. )A band of Mexicans, entering Texas m a. foray ibr cattle, carried him with them into Chihuahua J -while there he was seen by a Mex icAnfGenor:!. who wasthen running a revolution ffSMexIcM ttlilJT own to icaca xngnsn to a family jbey and girl. His scholars proved. to be apt, and in return for hlg English one of the gins taugnt mm to love, 'ineir tove was discov ered, and to escape the fury of the father he fled in the night, being supplied liberally with money and a horse through the procurement of the lady. He was followed, and so nearly was he overtaken that, while crossing the Rio Grande, he was fired upon by a battalion of armed pursu ers; and no less than thirty-three bullets cut through his clothing. But he safely 'Relied the American bank. In Mexico he had acquired a knowledge of Spanish, and this turned his thoughts to California, which he started to reach by way of Northern Texas and Arizona." "When was this ? I inquired. "That was in 1858," was the answer; and, clearly understanding the purpose of my question, he quickly added : "Oh, don't be alarmed ! Iam going to cut it as short as I can, though there is much to tell. The fact is, I could not leave that Mexican part out, as the main point of Philip's after history turned upon his proceedings there." It was Christmas, and there, tangibly before me, Was a fortune, brought to me by tins man. I felt kindly and forbearingly to all the world, and especially toward him, and nodded submissively to him. He proceeded : "Though Philip was well mounted, it took him four months to reach San Diego, where he took steamer for San Francisco. He at once went to the mining districts, where I met him. We be came friends and companions from that time out. He told me of his solemn, self-imposed obligation to enrich you, and also of his love for the lady. But, warmly as he looked forward to the time when he could claim her hand, he considered that affair of secondary importance to his debt to you. We were at work he as a clerk, and I as a fore man at the Baronevas Mines when news of the firing at Sumter was received. We declared for war, joined a company that received recruits at every cross-road, and went to San Francisco. We enlisted under assumed names. I don't intend to repeat the history of the war. For distinguished bravery, Philip Parsons was commissioned and assigned to the stall of a now distinguished Gen eral. Let me say, confidentially, that it was his plan for the siege of Vicksburg'that proved suc cessful, after all others failed ; and he always claimed that he selected the battle-field at Gettys burg." "He was not at both these places, was he?" "Certainly not. He was not at either. He was, on that memerablo Fourth of July, in a hos pital, waiting recovery from a fractured limb. He it was, also, who proposed that Sherman march to the sea." "But his name has never been mentioned as the author of those things." "I know that; he was too much of a patriot to claim special credit for service to his country, and others have won imperishable fame which might have been his. He was, however, so far appre ciated that when the war cloed he held the rank of Brigadier. After leaving the army, he resumed his own name, and a year later went South. He tried cotton planting in Mississippi, sugar plant ing in Louisiana, sheep raising In New Mexico, and cattle feeding in Colorado, but they did not pan out fast enough. We then spent one season with the seal-catchers in Alaska; two seasons in the forests of Washington and Oregon ; tried one vear at the Sandwich Tshmilsr nnntlior In Auwtrn. Tin, and while there we accumulated some gold, which we sent to the relief of the sufferers from the great fire in Chicago. From there we went to New Zealand; thence to China and Japan, and eventually, last year, returned to our native land. "Soon after we reached 'Frisco, Philip Parsons learned that during all these years the lady who had befriended him in Mexico had been in anx ious quest of him, and had but a few weeks before left California for Japan, expecting to find him there. Subsequently we learned that this lady, soon after Parsons' hasty flight from San Louis Potosi, was forced to marry an old and wealthy Mexican of rank. Her husband had business re lations with bankers in New York. During our civil Avar these relations had been suspended, but were renewed at once at the close of the rebellion. The French were then in Mexico, and the vener able old gentleman converted all his convertible property into silver, which silver he industri ously, but with much secrecy, had removed to New York, whither he had also sent his wife. On his way to the steamer with the last of his cash he was captured by a guerrilla hand, and, making a fierce resistance, was killed. The widow in New York was the sole inheritor. During the years that had intervened she had never forgotten the young American who had stolen her heart while teaching her English. She made ollicial inquiries, which were long bullied by the fact that he had served in the army under an assumed name, but in time she was made acquainted with his military record. Four years had passed be tween the time he had left the army, and when she had learned even that much, sho traveled to all the cities in the country ; had inserted in the papers the most ingeniously worded advertise ments, hoping that one would meet his eye. One day at a hotel in New Orleans she heard a ser vant, talking to another, fix the date of some event by the time when he lived on General Par sons' plantation. The negro was called, but years had elapsed; the cotton plantation was found, but the person wanted had long since gone, and no one knew whither. The lady at this time was about six years behind the man sought, and, though her agents labored diligently, finding place after place where he had been, the trail was always cold and of years gone by. When we were in Australia, her agents were "searching for us in Alaska. Not to worry you with details, let me say that when last in San Francisco she heard of Philip Parsons as then in Japan. An adver tisement in the Chronicle had elicited that infor mation from some one just returned. She acted promptly. She took the first steamer for Yoko hama, and arrived at that port on the exact day we arrived at San Francisco. From one of her agents we learned all thcRc particulars. Philip Parsons, unable to wait the slow course of the mails, started as soon irs practicable for Japan, In the same steamer which had brought us to San Francisco. "Some two weeks out of port, one morning about D o'clock, all the passengers were crowded on deck wntching the approach of a steamer, then hardly perceptible above the horizon. There was a perfect calm on the sea, and the water was of Icy smoothness. All the glasses on board were in use to watch the meeting of two steamers on the ocean under circumstances so favorable. The captainB of both vessels yielded to the appeals of their passengers, and permitted the steamers to pass within a distance which allowed an easy ex change of compliments between those on the crowded decks. Just as tho two vessels had passed each other, there waB a shriek from the San Francisco bound steamer, followed by a lady plunging from the deck into the sea; and, while the crowds on both vessels were horror-stricken at the act, the excitement was intensified by a male passenger from the other steamer repeating the same strange proceeding. I need not detain you to say that these persons were Philip ParsonB and Donna Glovenza. Standing one on the deck of the outgoing and one on the deck of the home ward bound steamer, they had recognized each other. The lady, over-wrought by the excite ment of the sudden recognition, and the enforced separation, after such long years of search, leaped into the tea, under the impulse to reach him. The lover, with true gallantry, promptly jumped to her rescue. He was a good swimmer and soon reached her, and was able to hold her until the boats from the steamers came up with them. Un fortunately, the boats' crews had not witnessed the whole occurrence. They had simply been sent to rescue 'a passenger overboard.' By the time the lady had been lifted into the boat, Philip Parsons was unconscious and neither was able to explain. The result was that the lady was taken to the Yokohama steamer and Philip was put on board the San Francisco steamer. The steamers having by this time become widely separated, and having lost many miles by the delay, pushed on their respective ways without stopping to correct the blunder of the exchange of passengers." "Where do you say this took place midway on the Pacific Ocean?" "Yes, sir; in 30 deg. 15 min. 17 sec. north lati tude, and 17 deg. 27 min. 42 sec. west from Green wich. Involuntarily the lady was taken on to Japan and Philip back to San Francisco. Of course she promptly returned, and there was a happy meeting when she landed. The mental strain of the mid-ocean meeting and parting, the ocean plunge and consequent physical exhaustion, had their natural effects. Both were prostrated with a lingering, incurable fever for months, and then, finding that they grew weaker instead of improving, and that medical science gave them but faint hope of recovery, they concluded to finish their days together. They were married. They took up a residence in a nook on a mountain side, and there they lived as happily as their fail ing health would permit, for six months, when she quietly ims-ed away. All their money was united and held in common while she lived. During the years of her widowhood she had spent the great bulk of her riches in the search for him. So soon as she was laid away, Philip Parsons counted up his worldly store, and one-half of this he set apart for you. He had the metal cast into that mold, and hoped to bring it in person here to you ; but there was no recovery of strength. In his last days, when his own funds had diminished to a mere sufficiency for his wants and for his burial, he charged me with the delivery of this package, and to tell you his story. I am alone in the world. I have performed my duty. Let me remove the wrappers so that you can see the gold itself. There it is, not half as great as he expected and intended it to be, but nevertheless a hand some sum, and a fair-sized Christmas gift." Together we examined the goldon legacy of friendship and gratitude. He then rose to take leave. With thanks which I could hardly find words sufficiently explicit enough to express to my visitor for his services in the business, I in- 2uired of him how long he intended to stay in !hicago, where he was stopping, and if he would not go home to dinner with me and witness the happiness that the gift would produce there. He answered that he was at the Grand Pacific and would leave in a few hours; that he was in a hurry to reach his old home in New England, from which he had been absent twenty years, and that his only reason for not going through direct was that he could perform the last request of his de ceased friend by delivering the package of gold to me. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him in Chicago, and at firt he emphatically said "No," but afterward said that he had his tickets through to Boston, but was short of ready cash; that he had all his money in bills on New York and Boston, and was short for current expenses. After some hesitation he said that if I could, without inconvenience, take one of these drafts they were for $5000 each and give him $10U, it would be a favor; that I could forward the rest of the money when it Avas collected. To do this, I thought, would be to show a dis trust of the man who had kept my treasure safely, and who had so faithfully delivered it, so I said that I would let him have the $100, and he could remit, etc. With the package of several pounds of coin metal on my table, this man's gift, and which he could have kept to himself, certainly I could aflbrd to lend him $100 for a few days. I got the money from the counting-room, handed it to my viiitor, shook hands with him, and he de parted. While gazing admiringly upon my bar or brick of bullion, and regretting that I had not asked its exact value, one of the other plodders of the office entered. Of course, in a few minutes the whole force of the establishment was around me. The estimates placed on the gold ranged high. I had a self-satisfied feeling that at last 1 would have a whole week's fishing in the Summer I could afford it. Work that day was out of the question, so I yielded to the mental discussion of what I would do with the money, and to the charming anticipation of the pleasure at home when I should exhibit the treasure at the dinner table. It happened that in these moments of my good fortune many friends came in to congratulate me. One gentleman eyed the treasure with interest, hefted it, and measured its length, breadth and depth. A weak question as to whether it was real gold was hooted at as worse than denying the evi dence of one's senses. The ouestion was crush ingly silenced when the gentleman stooped over the precious metal and applied the tip of his tongue twice to each corner of the bar, and, rising beamingly, exclaimed: "That?8 tho real thing, and no mistake. That test is infallible; that is the way we always do in Ireland when we find gold, and arc never de ceived." An hour later a mcssengcr-boy delivered to me a note which read: Sin: I told you n story and you paid mo 8100 In good money for it, for which I am thankful. 1'orhaps some time you may tell it yourself, and Ret something for it. Who knows? Yours, Philip Parsons. Christmas, 1875. Madame do StaGl says that "the conversation of women in society resembles the straw used in packing china; it is nothing, and yet without it everything would be broken." It was an undertaker who said, "It is never too late tomb end." The Great Commercial Center of the Northwest. Itw Present and Its Future. It has a population of 21,000. It Is to Oregon, and the Ter rltorles of "Washington and Idaho, what New York City is to the State of New York, and bears the same rela tlon to that State and those Territories that Chicago does to Illinois, St. Louis to Missouri, Philadelphia to Pennsylva nia, and New Orleans to Louisiana. It has more territory tributary to It than any other city in the United States, and will soon be numbered with the foremost cities in tho Unlon. Even at this time the hammer and the saw can be heard In all parts of the city ; the demand for buildings is no great that the Inclement season of "Winter does not check the onward march of Its growth. With the vast number of ships constantly plying between this and foreign ports, freighted with ourconstantly increasing agricultural products, and the numerous railroads now tributary to or terminating at this city, it will not require more than ten years to swell the population of our beautiful and growing city to 100,000 souls. Having a larger territory than San Francisco to support it, we may confidently assert that In less than a quarter of a century Portland will be the fore most city on the coast in point of wealth and population. We will here enumerate the many railroad enterprises already Inaugurated. Some of them are constructed, and others in process of construction, all making their termini at this city. THE NORTHERN" PACIFIC Is building rapidly west from Duiuth, on Lake Superior, and also from the Columbia River east, and will be com pleted at an early day, thus connecting us with all ourslster fjtates. THE OREGON AND CALIFORNIA R. R. Terminates here, and Is having an Immense patronage. THE WESTERN OREGON R. R., Formerly tho Oregon Central, Is doing a good business. This road runs through the fertile country on the west sfcls of the WillameUe River, and iu southern terminus at present is at CorvalMs, 97 miles from Portland. THE UTAH NORTHERN R. R. Will bo built through hundreds of miles of fertile lands, the produce of which must be brought to this city for ship ment. This road wilt connect with the Union Pacific K, It., thus securing two competing: lines from the Atlantkt to the Pacific It is now a settled fact that the 1-ORTLANII, DALLES AND SALT LAKE K. R. Will be constructed at an early day. This will give as three trans-continental roads. NEW RAILROAD ENTERPRISES. A home company, with unlimited capital, has been or ganized, under the name of the Oregonian Railway Co., to construct narrow-f-uaie roads from this city to the interior portions of the State, ultimately connecting with the Cen tral Paclflc, with branches wherever Inducements may of fer. This enterprise is being pushed vigorously to comple tion, so that it may be in readiness to move this Fall's crop. ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION Have been filed to construct a road from Rattle Mountain,. Nevada. In the direction of Oregon, to eonnect with the Oregonlan Railway Co.s road, and make Portland its ter minus. This will give us direct communication with the rlohest silver mines in the world, and will make Portland one of the greatest railroad centers in the Union. We shall soon be connected by rail with the Northern Paclflc R. R.; alt-o with Chicago and the Atlantle cities. Thousands of immigrants are constantly arriving from alF parts of the civilized world, and the millions of aerei?" of agricultural lands that lie still unbroken by the plowshare, and awaiting the advent of the sturdv farmer,, point most conclusively to the fact that an era of prosperitv is already dawning upon this fair young State. When the immigration has reached its full tide, and three mtllions of acres are under cultivation, then will Oregon be known as the wealthiest State in the Union. POP.TUXD CITY IIOJ1ESTEAD. The land in this enterprise lies adjoining the city, and i& only from ten to fifteen minutes' walk from the CbttrS Houso, and a less distance than that from one of the beefc publlc schools In the city. It Is divided Into ONE THOUSAND TWENTY-POUR LOTS, Fifty by one hundred feet in size, with streets sixty feet wide. PRICE. All lots will be sold for $100 each, payable In installments of $ per month, or Uie small sum of 19 cents per day. No interest will be charged, and a good and sufficient Bond for Deed will be given upon the payment of the first Install ment of S5,and a Warranty Deed upon receipt of last in stallment, both without expense to the purchaser. TO PURCHASERS. Those not finding It convenient to make their payments when due, will be granted twenty days grace in which to make such payments, as it is desirable that all shall have? every possible opportunity to keep up their payments. Those desiring to make full payment at the time the Rond is Issued, will be entitled to a reduction of S10 on each lot,, or S5 on each $50 paid In. As the ROAD TO WEALTH Is the most certain and rapid through real estate Invest ments, this enterprise oners far more inducements to the public than any other on the coast at this time, as the priee and payments are within the reach of all. Do not let thte chance pass. Buy a lot, build, and make vourself Inde pendent. Many t you who live In rented houses pav inore every year for rent than would purchase a lot and build n. roof over your head. You then would be Independent of" exacting landlords, and in truth have a place to call homer DON'T FORGET That not many years ago some of the best lots In San Fran cisco were sold for an ounce of gold dust, and that now they" cannot be bought for $100,000. Also, remember that in Chi cago some of the best business lots were once traded for a. pair of old boots. How often Is the remark made by old residents of Portland that once they could have bought lots1 for S100 that S20.000 would not buy now. It Is not wlsje desplse the day of small things." IT IS TRUE That of all real estate investments the homestead plan lsr the best nnd safest, as all who Invest are interested In mak ing the whole property more valuable. To Illustrate: Sup pose A builds a house on his lot, and R owns a lot adjoin ing; R gets the benefit of A's improvement, while A Is not injured thereby. This philosophy will apply to tho ontlnr property. c have donated a lot to each of the principal churches for church purposes. Also, two lot are set apart for public school purposes. RAILROAD PURCHASE. The Overland, Oregon and California and the Western Railroad Companies hRvo purchased all the land from the east line of the Homestead (Ninth street) to tho water front for their terminus, depots, machine shops, etc.; also the main lincof the()regonlnnlUiilwayCoinpinv(I4mlted)' will have Its terminus near by. Thus the greatest railroad center on the Pncitlc CoHst lays In close proximity to these lots. This purchase has caused a rise In all surrounding: property of 100 per cent, making the lots In this Homestead from 75 to 100 per cent cncTipcr than any other real estate in Portland. Inasmuch as this Homestead was advertised to be sold for a stipulated price before the recent ndvance,nn pleasant as Ills, we shall strictly adhere to our advertised contract with the public to sell these lots for $100 each for the next ninety days. The two hundred lots that were reserved for actual settlers are now all sold, and the demand to select lots being so great, we have been compelled to place more lots on tho market from which the public may solect for tho noxt ninety days. This nlTbrds an opportunity for persons so de siring to purchase the most beautiful residence property. TO PARTIES DESIRING TO PURCHASE. This property Is now selling very rapldly.and those wish ing to buy will do well to call or send immediately for a lot. or lots. All but the first installment must be paid nt tho llnnking House of I-add A Tllton, In the city of Portlnnd. PERSONS FROM A DISTANCE Desiring n lot, may forward $5.00 to the Gercral Mnnager and a Rond will be Immediately forwarded. Money may bo forwarded by registered letter, monoy order, or Wells, Fargo & Co's Kxprcss, at my risk. For further particulars, apply to J. M. RICK, General Manger, Portland, Or. Or to HAIGHT & MCLAUGHLIN, 62 Morrison street. Certificate: I certify that I am the owner of the lands In tho Portlnn-S City Homestead the title thereto Is perfect, being U.&. pntontnnd I authorize J. M. Rice to soil said property or tho foregoing plan. p. A. M ARQUAM. References: Wm. Reld.Banker; Hon. J. H. Mitchell, Ex U. 8. Senator: Hon. L. F. Grover, U. 8. Senator; J. A. Strowbridee, Mer chant; Meier Frank, Merchant; Geo. H. Hlraes, Printer, i