USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > History of Portland, Oregon : with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 42
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To the southward the flames ran with great speed, pressed upon by the wind, and met with no effectual resistance so long as there was material to burn. A large number of dwelling houses, store rooms, a foundry, framne buildings, saloons, the ice works, Love's hotel and McGinn's bakery succumbed, and the flames leaped across Madison street, burning, among other things the engine house of the Protection fire company. As a sort of dramatic incident, one of the inembers of the company ran under and tolled the bell until the string was snapped by the hot air and flame. Vaughn's flouring mills, the steam saw inills of Smith and Brothers, cabinet shop of W. F. Wilcox, Jones' coffee and spice mills, Moffit's wharf and brick buildings, Sykes' brewery, a number of hotels, saloons and restau- rants, and the extensive sash and door factory of John T. Walker,
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together with many lesser buildings went down successively in ashes or up in smoke. A most determined fight was made to save the steam saw mill of Smith Brothers, at the foot of Clay street, and, although it caught in a hundred places it was finally saved. At Clay street, having passed over a district of eight blocks along the river bank, and for the most part back to Second street, and having consumed about $1,200,000 worth of property, the conflagration inet with a number of shade trees, and came upon a less densely built section, where the dense foliage arrested the sparks and defeated the flames-demonstrating, as has so often lias been done, that green trees are the best of protectors against fire.
Various wild and ill-ordered individuals, either a little turned by excitement, or allowing their love of destruction to exceed all bounds, or else in hope of plunder, were found setting fires in other parts of the city as the day advanced, but these were quickly extinguished. During the whole terrible destruction the steamboats on the river rendered most efficient service, taking on vast quantities of goods that were hurried out from the stores and other threatened places. As may be supposed, the excitement, the rush of the crowds, the rage and terror consequent upon reports of incendiarism, and the curiosity of people from the suburbs, bringing them in from all sides, reached a great pitch. But, nevertheless, in all this turmoil and in the hasty work on the part of firemen and others, there were but few accidents.
Great praise was accorded to the firemen who certainly fought bravely and sagaciously. Invaluable aid was rendered by the Salem and Vancouver companies. To provide for those rendered homeless nearly all the churches fitted up their basements for sleeping and eating accommodations, and much provision was sent in from abroad. Great sympathy was felt for Portland throughout the East, and contributions were sent from many points; General Grant, then President, among others, lending his influence to raise means at Long Branch. Portland, however, rather surprised the country and herself by accepting but little of this proposed aid, trusting to her own vigor to rise again from her ashes.
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The loss, however, proved exceptionally high, there being no more than $250,000 insurance, leaving the net loss something over $900,000. Partly from the fact that the heavy business center was then moving toward the north end and partly that the loss fell upon many of small means, the burnt district was very slow in rebuilding.
CHAPTER XVII.
SOCIAL FEATURES AND NOTED PUBLIC EVENTS.
The Cosmopolitan Character of Portland-Changing Character of its Early Pop- ulation-Their Vices and Habits-Moral and Social Conditions of Early Days- General Stability of Present Society-Culture and Refinement of the People-Public Amusements-Excursions, Public Festivities and Celebrations-Events Connected with the Celebration of the Completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
AS S may be inferred from the foregoing pages, the staid residents
who made the city were men and women of a morality, religions conviction and sturdy force of character not exceeded by any class of people in America. But it must be noted, in any just estimate, that Portland has been a most cosmopolitan spot. From the first it was the landing place for ships, and they came from all ports. French and English as well as Americans tied up at our docks. Sailors coming asliore from long voyages, whereon they had lived on salt beef, some of which had been well apostrophized in seafaring song, as "old horse," and upon a very limited supply of grog, felt the usual jubilation of the jolly tar off duty, and sought whom and what he might devour. To meet the wants of such men, came the abandoned wretch with his "blue rnin" and in latter times with his scorpion juice. More infamous means of satisfying the long denied passions of the sea- farer, were sought and supplied.
Immigrants from across the plains, naturally an honest and moral class, reached Portland destitute, eager, and without the restraints of their old home about them. During the time of gold, men acquired a directness and bluntness, often leading to bravado,
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especially in those naturally ill-balanced or light. The "luck" of the mines bred a feverish unrest, developed abnormally a love of excitement and speculation, and magnified the desire of gambling. The gamblers of the Mississippi River flocking to the Pacific shore, brought with them their manners, morals and tone, and set up on the Columbia and Willamette very much their former methods of business. They were a class of hard drinkers, stimulating them- selves for successive nights of indulgence in their games, and among the excitable and feverish people who came from all parts, their example was a sort of law. The perverse notion that friends meeting must drink together, that a bargain must be sealed by a drink, that any big luck must be celebrated by a drink all around, that a good story could not be very well told, or very well listened to without a drink, that going off on a "prospect," or a safe return home, or good news from the folks, or bad news either, or getting well, or feeling sick, or in fact almost every occurrence or mental state, must be accompanied by a little social drinking, became all but universal. This was mixed up withi so much of good will and human feeling, and anything else seemed so sour and graceless and was referred to as a niggardly desire of saving one's money, and keeping to one's self what belonged to the "crowd," that even men trained in temperance, accepted it as the rule of the West. The inevitable tendency of men from all parts of the world, adopting a course of life common to all, which would eliminate many former ideas of religion and morality, moved the masses toward a reckless- ness of health and life not before known. The comparative absence of women stimulated grossness and coarseness of speech and man- ners, and the temptation toward immorality was greatly intensified.
Portland got the full benefit of all this, and from early days was a place where drinking was carried to a most ruinous extreme, and men of the finest capabilities sank under the bliglit, not living out half their days. Gambling, and other indulgences were carried to the same violent and wild excess. Bloody affrays or murders were not so frequent here as in the mining camps. Even with all these unfavorable influences, however, there was a high inoral tone in the early days, and it is said that the bagnio was so discountenanced as
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to be obliged to leave the city. The young men of the place were all in good fellowship, and in time of distress, as in the winter of 1852, bonded together to care for the sick. With the coming of the Chinese, however, further inducement to brutal indulgence was added. With the building of railways a large floating population of men away from, or without homes, and not on their best behavior, came on pleasure excursions to our city, crowding the low hotels, and saloons, the theatres, and places of popular amusement. To satisfy the thirst of such men, came the cormorant class, who live chiefly on the disease and death of their fellows. To increase their business and swell their profits, these caterers to public vices added attractions which swept in the young, unstable and thoughtless, as well as satisfied the cravings of those already indurated. Thus the demand of the vile for vile pleasures led the way to the establishment of a kind of trade, which in its turn bred still further corruption.
With the increase of foreign commerce, in 1868, and onward, the foreign sailor class became much larger. With the rise and growth of the salmon fishing business, the fishermen of the Columbia River, many of whom were of low character, inade periodical trips to Portland to spend their earnings, as did also the miners, and to some extent the ranchers, from east of the mountains. Men of their class, from a life of hardship and peril, and social privations, frequently made their trip to the city for nothing but amusement, which meant dissipation of the most violent description. Opium joints from the Chinese appeared, and the variety theatre was set 11p. A passionate sort of existence without purpose, unguided by principle, reckless of money and health, and even destructive to life, was followed by these migratory crowds. It is always observable that in a time or place, where men are shifting about, and come upon others with different religious views, doubt is thrown upon the fundamental ideas of life, and especially to those of slight conviction who see in religion chiefly an irksome restraint, a general insensibility and prodigality spring up. Life becomes easy, free, generous, impulsive, careless, intense and self destructive.
Portland is not well yet out of these conditions incident to all our frontier cities. But the times of deliverance are nearly at hand
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since to a large extent the manner of life which first brought the evils is passing by. The mining camps, the ranches, the fishing stations, the logging camps, are not now occupied as they once were by men away from home. The home has been taken to those places, and the fathers and sons do not feel the craving for, not being without, social life, as when away from all such privileges. The railroads will never again be built by armies of men gathered up from the four winds. The main lines have been put down, and the others will be provided with workmen from the laborers living along the line. More than all, other towns divide with our city the rude classes. Portland is not so much as formerly, the headquarters of amusements. The "rough crowd " will not flock here from all points, since they find what they want nearer home. As our city grows in population, in the steady laboring classes, in families, in large business, in extensive wholesale connections, and in the pursuits of the higher classes, the transient and vicious element will at least become proportionately less.
There has been a noticeable improvement in the tone of the people as to temperance since the earlier years. It is not now, as then, the fashion for the leading public men to drink to the point of intoxication, and to excite the entire place by their excesses. There is at least much more conventional, and probably much more actual restraint of the appetites.
Along with this state of private vice, public corruption exists only too extensively, crime against the ballot and complaint against the officers of the law, being only too common.
The above is a fair, concise statement of the immorality of Port- land. We have preferred to thus sketch it boldly, thinking it improper in any one attempting to write a history to omit any facts which go to work up a complete view of the subject. Perhaps the worst feature of it all has been a weak acquiesence in all this on the part of the better classes as something necessary and inevitable, or at least profitable.
On the other hand there is much hope for future improvement. The general stability and growth of the State, and the fashion that reprehends excess have already been spoken of. A strong effort to
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improve the sanitary conditions of the city; an intelligent interest in education; great activity on the part of benevolent societies and the churches; and at least the dawning perception that that which is destructive of human life, happiness and activity cannot be of any use, in any way, to a great and flourishing city, are signs of progress toward the higher civil order, not only of the old East, but of the great new West of the future. A general denunciation of political corruption and official negligence and connivance with crime, goes to the same end.
It must always be remembered, in charity, that a commercial city has great evils to contend with, not of its own seeking, and most difficult to eradicate.
In the face of all that has been said above, the general quiet and tranquillity, and good order of the place is quite marked. Affairs of blood are not common; house breaking, violent robbery, or affrays are but few. Popular tumults are unknown. The order in proces- sions, or excursions, or iu public assemblies is good. A general spirit of urbanity and civility prevails, and the virtue of hospitality is nowhere more marked.
For particulars in the special field of schools, churches, and societies, the reader is referred to the chapter under these headings. He will find by such reference that large and wide endeavors are made toward mental culture and moral mnelioration.
PUBLIC EVENTS OF INTEREST.
While the people of Portland are not mercurial or exciteable, and by Californians, or people "east of the mountains," are even accused of being lymphatic, if not somnolent, they are much .given and have been from the earliest times inclined to recreations and public amusements. The two forms in which all are ready to unite as obnoxious to the feelings of none are the excursion and the procession. Oregonians having crossed the plains or doubled the Cape early learned the pleasures of traveling, and it is almost uni- versal custom to take an annual trip here and vonder.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
From Portland, excursions by water are easily mnade to points up and down the river. In the Cascade Mountains, and on the coast are nooks and corners of the rarest beauty and scenery upon the most ample and lofty scale. As the summer comes, picnics for the Sunday schools and churches follow each other week after week, preferably on Saturdays, loaded steamboats or trains speeding out in the clear of the morning and returning in the cool of the evening, or by moonlight. Sunday excursions are exceedingly popular, particularly among the foreign population, and these usually have their accompainment of music. Rides on the river boats or on the trains to near points are much indulged in as a recreation of a few hours. Points thus frequented near at hand are, Vancouver, Mt. Tabor, Ross Island, and The White House, a few miles south on the Macadam road, a particularly popular terminus for carriage drives; River View Cemetery on the southern boundary of the city, Oswego and Oregon City. These places are frequently thronged Sundays, not so much by large companies, as by individuals, small parties and families. The young men of the city quite generally spend the Sabbath day in driving, boating, hunting or fishing, at a distance of 5 to 40 miles from town and the transportation companies favor them with reduced fares.
The regular summer vacations are spent chiefly at the seashore. The beaches at the mouth of the Columbia River are the places of most frequent resort. These are: the Ilwaco or North Beach, in Pacific County, Washington, on the weather shore from Shoalwater Bay, and Clatsop Beach, leading down to the seaside near Tillamook head. Both are magnificent expanses of wave-beaten sand with delightful surroundings of meadows and grasses. Each has its advocates and advantages. They are reached by steamers on the Columbia and both are supplied with railroad facilities from the point of debarkation.
As the heat of summer becomes oppressive in the Willamette Valley, and the freshet of the Columbia threatens malaria, the coast-bound steamers are loaded with men and women, and particu- larly children. At the sea-shore they live largely in tents. Many own lots at the ephemeral cities and have their own cottages, although
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there are accommodations at the hotels. A few weeks or months, breathing the salt air and of salt water bathing are certainly of great advantage to the health, and those thus spending the hot months preserve their strength throughout the year. This is particularly the family method. Yaquina Bay, reached by the Oregon Central Railroad and by the Oregon Pacific, is also sought to some extent for the same purpose. To those desiring more exciting recreation the peaks of the Cascade Mountains prove inviting; they afford all the beauties of precipices, crevasses, snow- fields and glaciers, and the perils of Alpine climbing. Mt. Hood is the greatest attraction, being the nearest and most familiar. Rev. Dr. Atkinson, of Portland, and Prof. Woods, the botanist, were among the first to make the ascent. Many others from Portland have followed. Rev. Mr. Izer, pastor of the Taylor Street Methodist Church was the first to carry to the top an iron chest for holding papers, names of those ascending, etc. Several young ladies of this city, among them Miss Libby Vaughn, have stood upon the summit. This is no small feat, the mountain being about 11,000 feet in height, and the last 1,000 feet of the climb very heavy. Rev. Dr. T. L. Eliot, of Portland, is much at home on this old volcano, and one of the glaciers bears his name: Some of the young men of the city have been in the habit of illuminating this mountain with red fire on the night of July 4th. As this is early in the season to climb the snowy sides, the lower peaks not yet being wholly denuded by the hot suns of summer, the enterprise is quite difficult. Nevertheless, it has been done quite successfully, a party consisting of Messrs. Yocum, J. M. Breck, Jr., Dr. J. M. Keene, and several others first accomplishing the task. The fire was seen over the valley to the intense admiration of the people and illustrations of the mountain thus lit up were made in leading papers of the east.
The gorge of the Columbia, with its Latourelle, Multnomalı, and Horse-tail Falls, and its Oneonta canyon, with the Cascade Mountains themselves, are most inviting, and to the artist no less than to the common excursionist, prove wonderful. Mount St. Helens has been an object of attraction to the Alpine Club of this city, the members of which recently played snow-ball upon its
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mosque-like top. Mount Adams and Rainier, although the finest and most curions of all, are too much removed to be frequented by the men of Portland; they will ultimately, however, come into due appreciation. For those bent on wider exploits, Alaska offers immense attraction, and is not unknown to our citizens, many visit- ing its shores on business or pleasure. The Sandwich Islands have also been a spot of popular attention by our people. Regular trips are made to California, and to the old Eastern and Southern homes; while as elsewhere among Americans, the more wealthy take an occasional journey to Europe. The health, culture, refinement and mental and moral quickening, derived from these less and greater evolutions and revolutions, probably more than balance the dissipation, hardening of the heart, and the restlessness that they induce.
As popular festivities and celebrations in the city, the ordinary homely American feasts and jubilations are observed. The New England fasts have been suffered to lapse, and the Carnival and Mardi Gras, although sometimes tried a little, have never been general. There is something that sticks in the throat of our dig- nity to deliver ourselves up to uncontrolable mirth, unless first unbending by the mellowness of drink; but this is held to be dis- reputable, at least to the point of intoxication. No more than other Americans or Tentons can Portlanders abandon themselves gracefully to their animal feelings; but if attempting it, fall into gross riot and rude license. Washington's birthday, by balls; Decoration Day, by military parades, speeches and floral displays; the Fourth of July, by explosives, processions, orations and pyrotechnics; the Autumn harvest, by fairs, or particularly the Exposition, lasting twenty days; Thanksgiving day, by sermons in the churches, and family reunions at home; the Christmas time "The Holidays," by special decora- tion of the shops and stores; by "trees" at home and in the churches, and by musical festivities-these all come around in order and in truth afford a refined source of pleasure. There is not an excess of rudeness connected with even the most noisy, and on the whole they are profitably enjoyed. Probably there is little that is unique or peculiar to Portland in any of them, but as a part of the
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culture of the people, they show no sign of dying ont. The reunion of the Oregon Pioneers in June, which usually takes place in Portland, may become a special feature of the country, as the Pioneer Association passes on to the descendants of the early Orego- nians. The "Native Sons," "The Alpine Club," the "Indian War Veterans," or other organizations peculiar to this State, may give some day a feast that will add to the usual stock of American holidays in our city.
A remarkable Fourth of July is spoken of as having occurred in 1861. This was during the days when the fires of patriotism burned brightly, and a general depression of spirits and anxiety of the pub- lic mind, as well as an imagination excited by constant reading of preparations for war, led the way to a great celebration. The firing of cannon during the day and orations by able speakers, was succeeded at night by a display of fireworks, which was regarded by every one with respect. To most of the spectators it was magnifi- cent, being far superior to anything they had ever seen even in "Old Missouri." Country people came in for miles around to witness the views, and the woods were thick with their camps.
Since that day the demand for rockets, roman candles, etc., has been sufficient to keep at least one resident pyrotechnist in the city, and the burning of fizzes and red fire, and illumination of the river at night by fire-boats, has been a more or less regular circumstance of the day. In 1869, Geo. Francis Train was present on Independence Day, and his oratory, and the man himself, as a specimen of a great man of the East, brought in crowds to see and hear, and excited a vast deal of old-time curiosity. In recent years, as mentioned above, the illumination of Mount Hood has been added as a sort of good night at 11:00 p. M., and in the near future we may expect to see electric lights, the power of some millions of candles, touched off on each of the great snow peaks at the close of the exercises.
Portland las an enviable reputation for processions. Scarcely a day passes but thick or thin files of men, accompanied by drum and brass band and banners, march to and fro. The most of these are of orders or combinations of men who work, and of those who do
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not, who desire to emphasize some feature of their political or economical creed as to wages, or the Mongolian, or else of showmen or of religious enthusiasts, as the Salvation Army.
On occasions, however, the city has made processional displays of such a character as to excite high encomiums from all. The celebra- tion of the completion of the N. P. R. R., in 1883, and the wel- coine to Villard and his guests, was an affair of great good taste and significance. No history of the place would be complete without giving it a fair place; accordingly we insert the salient features as they were depicted at the time by the Oregonian:
The main thoroughfares of Portland never presented a more animated appearance than on yesterday. Flags and garlands fluttered from hundreds of buildings, and a small army of men and boys were engaged in decorating and beautifying stores and dwellings in all parts of the town. Myriads of ladies and children in gaudy colored dresses materially heightened the effect of the gorgeous scene. The main attraction was First street, from A to Salmon, where regular collonades had been established, flanked on either side with garlands of evergreens and elaborately festooned bunting, which had been arranged in an artistic and picturesque manner. Near the corner of First and A streets an arch representing the entrance to à fuedal castle had been erected with such fidelity to nature that it elicited expressions of admiration from visitors and residents alike. The arch is surmounted with towers, and is elegantly adorned with evergreens, streamers, flags and bunting. On either side the word " Welcome " in evergreen stands out in bold relief. Statues emblematical of Europe, Asia, Africa and America are placed in such a way as to give the spectator the idea that the statues are standing in niches. The whole is elaborately finished, and reflects great credit on the artist.
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