Numerous experiences might be related which would prove interesting, but for historical purposes would be inappropriate. Such, for instance, as the developments resulting from "On Hand" sales, many extraordinary packages having been disposed of at auction because uncalled for by owners. Reference might also be made to the fact that two men came to the express office with grain sacks with which to carry away $15,000.00 they had won in the Louisiana lottery, same being shipped in currency."
Many of the present merchants and residents of the city will recall the pleasant face and genial hand shake of Colonel Dudley Evans, who was for many years in charge of the Portland office, and to whose friendly interest the city is very largely indebted for its first Class A steel frame twelve story building standing at the corner of Sixth and Pine streets; and who since Mr. Shelby's letter was written has passed over to the other side beyond the reach of energetic express companies.
The Telegraph in Oregon.—We are indebted to the "Father of Telegraphy in Oregon," Dr. O. P. S. Plummer for the history of this important aid to social and commercial progress.
In the year 1855 or 1856 two men, Johnson and Graham undertook the construction of a telegraph line to connect the Willamette valley with San Francisco.
They solicited stock subscriptions from the business men and settlers in the section interested, in which they were quite successful and in time strung a wire from Portland to Eugene city.
The wire used was very light, the insulators very poor and not a pole was set where a tree could be made to serve as a support. Charles Barnhart of Cornelius, informed me several years ago that he remembered distinctly that a pole stood at Butteville, the only one of which he has any recollection.
Johnson established his headquarters in the drug store of our worthy Dr. J. B. Cardwell at Corvallis, and there a telegraph office with a register was duly installed, but not a single telegram was transmitted for pay from Corvallis office and a very limited business was done at Portland with Warren Davis as operator, and at Oregon City where D. W. Craig, (a pioneer printer and editor, yet living at Salem, eighty years of age), did the "brass pounding," during the long interval occupied in the canvassing for funds for the construction of the line. The project proving a failure, the work was abandoned and the enterprising co-laborers left the country.
A few years later J. E. Strong of Salem, undertook the construction of a line from Portland to Yreka to form a connection with that of the California State Telegraph Company.
He succeeded pretty well until the work had reached a point near Eugene city, when meeting with reverses, the principal one being the loss of a quantity of wire and other material in a shipwreck while in transit from New York around Cape Horn, he was stranded and turned the line over to the California State Company in the fall of 1863, upon an agreement to complete to a connection at Yreka and thus reach San Francisco.
Two building parties entered promptly upon construction work. One party under R. R. Haines working from the south and one under E. A. Whittlesay from the north, reached a meeting point at the Joseph Lane farm a few miles north of Roseburg on the fifth day of March, 1854.
Of the men engaged at that time in construction and operation, I can only locate two at this time. I think the others have all passed to the beyond. Captain Frank M. Tibbetts, whose home was at Oakland, was one of the Whittlesey party and did work as line repairer for several years. He is now employed on the Albina ferry and has resided in Portland for many years, a vigorous, well preserved man. John M. Lyon continued with the construction work as the building was extended towards Puget Sound, and managed the office at Seattle for a long time, served as postmaster for a term and is yet living in honorable retirement in that city.
