six; G. M. Whitney, eight hundred and thirty-seven; G. W. Dimmick, three hundred and forty-five; and scattering, thirteen votes.
Speaking of the railroad contest, it may be mentioned that on April 6, 1866, the east side road had its opening ceremonies in honor of its work of construction. The celebration occurred about three fourths of a mile from the Stark-street ferry landing at East Portland, and about five hundred rods from the east bank of the Willamette River, not far from where the old asylum for the insane stood, near what is now East Twelfth and Hawthorne Avenue. It is said that in honor of the event flags were flying from every available flagstaff in the city. Processions were formed in the city and marched to the spot, preceded by the Aurora Brass Band. The orator of the day was Hon. John H. Mitchell. It is estimated that five thousand people were present. The shovel used bore on it a beautiful silver plate, attached to the front of the handle, with this inscription: "Presented by Sam M. Smith to the Oregon Central Railroad Company, Portland, April 16, 1868. Ground broken with this shovel for the first railroad in Oregon." President Moores drove the first stake and threw out the first sod in the construction of the Oregon Central Railroad, now the Oregon and California, amid the huzzas of the multitude.
At the general election held on the first day of June, 1868, Joseph S. Smith, democrat, received eleven thousand seven hundred and fifty-four votes, and David Logan, republican, ten thousand five hundred and fifty-five votes.
The total assessed value of the state for the year 1866 was $25,560,312.63, and for the year 1875, $41,436,086.
A brief history of the various state conventions, and of the political issues tendered thereby, may not be without interest. The democratic state convention met at
