Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1914 — Writes From Washington State. [ARTICLE]

Writes From Washington State.

In a letter received a few days ago from George M. Babcock, of Tacoma, Wash., he tells something of Portland, Ore., which he visited three days during the holidays. He says: “Do not remember about card I sent you from Portland; think, though, it had a picture of the business section of the city, which is certainly a hummer. The business buildings are all clustered together and one can tranact business with very little walking there. In Seattle so many small “dumps” are sandwitched in between the large business blocks. Portland is about five or six miles from the Columbia river, being connected with it by the Willamette, a good-sized- stream. The ocean-going vessels can only come up part way on account of the shallow water. “As for weather, Portland has the best of it. when compared with the Puget Sound country, judging from what I saw while there. The sun shown warm and bright all the time until the train got about half way back to Tacoma, when the dark, murky weather came upon us again. But today leaves nothing in Tacoma to be desired. It is grand to see the sun here in the winter time, when fog and cloudiness are usual each day.

"The 3 newspapers in Portland, the Journal, the Telegram and Oregonian, the first two evening and the latter a morning publication, have very modern plants. The Journal has recently moved into a new building where, everything for the health and convenience of its employes has been installed. One thing I noticed especially was an automatic passenger elevator for the employees, who enter the building from a side street, and by pressing a button on the door jam opening to the elevator shaft, the elevator lowers or raises to that particular floor. One then opens the door and enters the elevator and by pressing one of the several labeled buttons on a board inside the cage, they are raised or lowered to the desired floor. The composing room is well lighted and ventilated, contains about 20 machines, including two Intertypes, the new linotype now on the market, and a slug easier. “One of the noticeable things of Portland is the absence of hills, and as a result the streets are very dirty, as compared with hilly Tacoma and Seattle. But, nevertheless, it is a town where things are doing. Building is going on in great abundance. “I just got a letter today from a fellow employe of the Tribune in which he says there is nothing in the printing line doing/at Portland now, and that he will come to Tacoma if he can set some of us fellows to come and board and room with him. I had one meal with him in Portland, so will tell him he can depend on me for one. Anything to get away from the alleged hash joints of this place.

Oh, yes 1 a’most forgot to tell you I had lost my situation. But I expected it would not last long. I am now first"on the “sub board” again: may get the regular situation back in a short, time, so the foreman says. It has been quite common talk that the Tribune would take over the Ledger and publish both morning and evening papers. ’ If this takes place I will undoubtedly get well tip on the regular “board.” I am now getting five days a week. "There are more unemployed printers on the coast now than ever before and they are still coming from the east. Our union will pay traveling expenses of :* number who have sojne chance of a job, which now seem all to be in the east. Tn San Francisco, it is said, there are 1,200 printers who are averaging possibly one day a week. Hundreds of printers and ' linotypers have drifted to the coast country on account of the coming exposition.

“The Tribune had a big community Christmas tree on Christmas day at the state arm dry. It helped greatly to advertise the paper, which hatT doubled its circulation In the last year. It seems as though working conditions are the main subject of conversation here on the coast now. “The striking job printing here are still out, and something has got to happen soon to relieve the situation. Expect a bunch of the “subs” will start east soon. Most of them want to go to New york. "Have been thinking some of taking a trip next year to San Francisco, late enough to see the grounds and buildings of the exposition Frisco is only S2O by boat from here. There is a fine railroad trip now being advertised from here. It includes firstclass passage, everything included, for $93 to Los Angeles and return limit three months.”