Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/152

 frontier west afforded, they were wide awake, alert, and practical, and confident of their rights to come into this disputed territory and claim its lands. They understood the risks which they were taking in what most of the world would have called a fool-hardy enterprise. And these very risks, and all the common dangers and labors of the venture tended to knit them together in a common brotherhood, with a unity of purpose, and serving and laboring on a common level. Making not overmuch professions of piety or religion, they were yet one of the most noteworthy body of respectable, moral and law abiding people that could have been collected in so short a time and in so small a field in all the western states. The offences against honesty, honor, common decency, and good order while on the trail, were trifling; and their conduct after reaching Oregon was beyond criticism. Not one of the pioneer men fell down as a drunkard, defaulter, law-breaker, or oppressor of his fellow-man. The emigration under review furnished no divorce scandals, no inmates to the peniteniary, or insane asylum, and we have yet to hear of one who became an object of public charity. They were honest, modest, conscientious, industrious, sober, patriotic, public spirited men and women ; and made and constituted the backbone, heart, and brains of the future state. Some of them were honorably ambitious for public esteem and station, and were honored and esteemed according to their merits. But in not one single instance was politics or office holding adopted as a trade or profession as it is in these latter times. And for that reason, as well as the worth and works of those pioneers, the public business was transacted with an eye single to the welfare and prosperity of the community, and evenhanded justice was given to all as long as the lives and numbers of these pioneers remained a controlling force in the community. The pioneer and first judges of the territory and state were the best judges the state has ever had. The first governors were also the ablest and most efficient the state has ever had; and both judges and governors took pride in serving the state and laboring for the interests of the people for the honor of the service, and one half of the salary paid such officials at the present day. The lust for money, the pride of station, the rush for business, and the selfishness of competition, had not then eaten out the best that was in mankind, and left the empty shell of outside pretensions. We have vastly more of the conveniences of life; vastly more of the agencies of instruction, and education; and vastly more of productive agencies of business; but we have also in even a greater ratio, all the demoralizing agencies of vice, crime, poverty, and insanity. If our pioneers were not distinguished for the greatness that is now the strife of men and money, they were appreciated for that better part which sought each other's welfare with true and honest hearts: