Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific CoastRusling, James Fowler
History
Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific Coast
Rusling, James Fowler
Overland journeys to the Pacific; Pacific States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
Here at Portland, John Chinaman turned up again, and seemed to be
behaving thoroughly well. At Boisè, we found these heathen paying their
stage-fare, and riding down to the Columbia, while many Caucasians
were walking, and here at Portland they appeared alike thrifty and
prosperous. Their advent here had been comparatively recent, and there
was still much prejudice against them, especially among the lower
classes; but they were steadily winning their way to public favor
by their sobriety, their intelligence and thrift, and good conduct
generally. Washing and ironing, and household service generally, seemed
to be their chief occupations, and nearly everybody gave them credit
for industry and integrity. Mr. Arrigoni, the proprietor of our hotel
(and he was one of the rare men, who know how to "keep a hotel"), spoke
highly of their capacity and honesty, and said he wanted no better
servants anywhere. One of them, not over twenty-one, had a contract to
do the washing and ironing for the Arrigoni House, at a hundred dollars
per month, and was executing it with marked fidelity. He certainly did
his work well, judging by what we saw of the hotel linen. In walking
about the town, we occasionally came upon their signs, over the door
of some humble dwelling, as for example, "Ling & Ching, Laundry;"
"Hop Kee, washing and ironing;" "Ching Wing, shoemaker;" "Chow Pooch,
doctor;" etc. As far as we could see, they appeared to be intent only
on minding their own business, and as a class were doing more hearty
honest work by far, than most of their bigoted defamers. We could not
refrain from wishing them well, they were so sober, industrious, and
orderly; for, after all, are not these the first qualities of good
citizenship the world over?
We left Portland, Dec. 11th, on the good steamer _Oriflamme_, for San
Francisco. For a wonder, it was a calm clear day, with the bracing air
of our Octobers in the east, and as we glided out of the Willamette
into the noble Columbia, we had a last superb view of Mts. Jefferson,
Hood, Adams and St. Helens all at the same time. Sometimes Rainier also
is visible from here, but ordinarily only Hood and St. Helens appear.
We thought this the finest view of these splendid snow-peaks that we
had had yet, and it seemed strange no artist had yet attempted to group
them all in one grand landscape, from the mouth of the Willamette as
a stand-point. Or, if he could not get them all in, he might at least
combine Hood and St. Helens. The breadth and scope, the grandeur and
sublimity of such a picture, with the Columbia in the foreground, and
the great range of the Cascade Mountains in the perspective, would make
a painting, that would live forever. We watched them all, with the
naked eye and through the glass, until we were far down the Columbia,
and to the last, Hood was the same
"Dread ambassador from earth to heaven!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account