THE MORNIXG OREGOMAX, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1920. UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY COMBINES SCENIC BEAUTY AND BUSINESS I Carved From Basaltic Rock, Upbuilt by Dry Masonry, Spanning Canyons and Threading Its Way Along Famous Stream Through Mountain and Valley, Road Is Destined Greatly to Aid Eastern Oregon Secti iwikyuiiiiwiwwuimMiimimiiiuiiiuiiHmMimmi on i MwmimiiiiHimiroiiiiiiiHiiuiiiHiMmHumiiTwro I f: r I - 3?-';f&n mi !!r fSi-i . :'l .-mi; 4f .j - - - TJ - M - 5 y . . " -rr- MUCH has been written and said of the Columbia River highway as a scenic road, but it is more than that. . Until the highway was carved from basalt cliffs, upbuilt by dry masonry, drilled through solid rock and made to span canyons, it was impossible for an automobile to negotiate the Cascade range. Only by means of boats on the mighty river could traffic move, or there was the alternative of the railroad train. Wagon road there was none. When Multnomah county built the highway from Portland to its line touching- Hood River county, the road was essentially scenic. But the peo ple east of the Cascades wanted it ex tended and this extension transformed it into a commercial highway. Now it Is possible to follow the Columbia highway eastward to the Washington and Idaho state lines. There are a few gaps to be constructed, but these are fast receiving attention. In eastern Oregon ranchers are talking, of the day when the grain crop will be trucked by laterals to the Coluumbia highway and thence to the nearest water shipping point The highway is bringing the river closer to the wheat ranches; is push ing forward the time when the wheat iiiMHiiwuwuinmiiiuuiiuHiwimiitinnuiiiiiiiiiiMttmi will be taken from the field by truck to the river and loaded upon barges to drift down to Portland, or on to Astoria. When the highway is complete there will be nothing to prevent freight being hauled to Portland from the far reaches of eastern Oregon. Even in the imperfect condition of the road there has been steadily in creasing a volume of travel. When the section between Mosier and The Dalles is finished and the link be tween The Dalles and Deschutes river, the main stumbling-blocks will have been eliminated. At present the road proeramnM does not contemplate hard-surfacing the Columbia highway east of Hood River. Beyond that point the road will have a crushed gravel surface which will form a substantial base by the time that public demand and funds available make possible a fin ished hard-surfaced pavement. Scenery la Varied. One of the distinctive features of the' Columbia highway is the variety of scenery it affords. This Is due to the fact that the highway flows through the gap in the Cascades, and the Cascade range serves as a fence between two distinct climates. There Is the Boft. balmy air and the foliage ever green on the west side of the Cascades, while, on the east Is found the blazing Bun, the sand and sage brush a typical out-door country. . But for the speed limit regulations, a person could start from Portland in an automobile and In two hours be In Hood River, In a climate absolutely different. Lovers of perpetual sun shine need not leave Portland for southern California; the perpetual sunshine can be found by simply fol lowing the Columbia highway. Trav elers over the highway, familiar with Portland and vicinity, will find them selves in a different country once thev pierce the range of the Cascades. Instead of forests, they will find or chards, then wheat fields extending as far as the eye can see, or exten sive cattle and sheep ranges. Until it has traveled a cneat dis tance the highway follows the river, but the most scenic points are be tween Portland and the Deschutes river. Those who are only familiar with the scenery of the highway be tween Portland and Eagle Creek have no conception of the wonders which will be unfolded by the highway east of Hood River, and by east of Hood River Is meant as far, at least, as the Deschutes. Contractors are now at work constructing this stretch of the highway which will forever do away with routing traffic .over the steep and dangerous grades between Hood River and Mosier and between Mosier and The Dalles. Incidentally, this is &oire of the most expensive construc tion work that the highway commis sion has undertakenn. Construction Is Permanent. No one can lay claim to having seen the beauties of the Columbia high way unless a trip has been made from Portland eastward, and to appreciate the significance of this traffic artery one should journey its entire length, from the metropolis into the wheat lands of eastern Oregon. Nothing less can do the highway justice. There Is this. also, to be paid re garding the highway: It is being built for all time. Each individual section has been carefully located so that when it was selected it was lo cated right. Water grade has been adopted wherever and whenever pos sible. The location is not only the logical and practical one for traffic, but the grades are few and never ex ceed five per cent, which means that any automobile can take them on high." There is Just one change which will be made in the Columbia highway. Some time in the future, when the traffic Justifies the step, the roadway must be widened, maybe to 30, 40 or 50 feet, but that change will not be for another generation. muuHnni; MtimiiiuinuuiiiiiiunJimMmuiiHnnwinuuiiiiniiiiuiniutmiitinuintnniinra 1 NUMEROUS RIVERS AND LAKES OF OREGON ABOUND WITH SPORTSMEN'S BEST I I Record of Fifty Thousand Anglers' Licenses Issued in 1919 Attest Popularity of State's Offerings in Fishermen There Are All Manner of Choice Places Now Easily Accessible to Those Who Would Try Their Luck Mili!inHtmmininHuiHHiiwiiMiiiiimiiiitiiiiiiuiHiiutm By I. N. Fleichnr. Member Oreffon Fish and Came Commission. MORE than 30.000 anglers' license were issued during 1919. When you stop a moment to think what it would mean were these to hit for the trout streams and lakes of "Oregon, the anglers' paradise," at one and the same time, you catch a glimpse of the Inroads the seeker after beauties that abound In this state are making on the supply. Combined with the fact that the au tomobile and the good roads are bringing the streams and lakes near er to the fisherman, is it any wonder that we sometimes hear the grouchy, pessimistic outcry of "no fish in Oregon." To one who, like myself and asso ciates on the commission, knows the boundlesB possibilities for the angler; knows of the tremendous amount of work that has been and is being dona by ' the state adequately to stock stream and lake, it is to laugh when one hears that old-time shout that the rivers and lakes are "fished out." a statement often made by well-intentioned, but none the less ignorant sportsmen. Nothing could be further from the facts. To the contrary, there never was a time when so many millons of various kinds of trout were waiting for the angler in every section of the state of Oregon and never did this great com monwealth, of which we are all so proud, more deserve the title of the "fisherman's paradise." There are good reasons for this statement, which is backed by facts. One is the policy of the commission in stocking our lakes and another big reason is that the once remote streams and lakes are now, in many Instances. easily or more easily reached than they formerly were, and therefore good fishing spots once practically Inaccessible are now quite accessBlble, thus widening the areas In which the sportsman may revel. Experience la Necessary. If one goes fishing In Oregon and catches no fish it is. to my mind, fair ly good evidence that he is a poor amateur. The fish, my experience shows, are there in abundance, only awaitins the fellow who knows how to lure them from their hiding places in lake or stream. An example of this and the reason for my statement is an experience which I had when, in company with Walter Backus, Dr. Charles E. Stolte, Dr. Charles DuBoise and Henry Metz ger, I went to the Rogue river last October, one of our most celebrated trout streams, and near Merlin en countered a party of men who had tried out the stream and told us there were no fish there; that they were discouraged and were leaving for an other point. Well, that was a pretty pessimistic report for a bunch of sportsmen, but my friends said they would tackle the job. Reaching Galice, we pulled on our waders, the while pooh-poohing the tale of "no fish," and when those fellows' went into the stream, up to their necks, and out to the rocks where the big steelheads lay in hid ing, there was nothing to it. Backus and the others got the limit of the most beautiful specimens. This incident simply shows that the fish are in the water, but that it takes real fishermen, most times, like my ' fellow travelers, to land them. There Is nothing at all to the statement, sometimes made by the fellow who has "no luck," that the fish are not there. That same Rogue river is one of our 1 MORROW COU1VTY SHOWS PROGRESS. 1 Illustrative of the progres- 1 1 sive spirit prevailing in Morrow county is the rapid rebuilding 1 ofHeppner, the county seat, 1 which was afflicted 18 months 1 ago with a fire which destroyed 1 1250.000 worth of building prop- I erty. New structures, modern 1 in every respect, are replacing 1 the former ones. Farmers and stockmen have 1 I adopted the latest approved I methods of handling their busi- I I ness. . The John Day irrigation dis- i trict. started in 1919.. is an in- I I dication of the alert methods 1 1 being pursued. This embraces 1 200.000 acres of fine land in 1 Morrow county. i amniiiiiniHiiniiiiminnnMnttuHnmiiiiiiHiiinMHmmMiiHiiHtiiiiiimtiniin best fishing streams. Steelheads are the main fish there. "The fly is the principle lure, but the spinner is common and some' even use bait. It furnishes excellent fishing from Med ford and Grants Pass to Hellgate and the Alameda mine. Some go further toward the mouth than that. All of the fishing spots are easily accessible by auto now and one may return to good hotels in any of several nearby larger towns of the vicinity for the night. Camping sites are good, if one wishes to remain over night. The McKenzle, in Lane county, la a very popular fishing stream, too. It is a wild, roaring bit of water and is best fished from a boat. Most sports men travel to the bridge. Blue river. Cook's or Carey Thompson's places, where experienced boatmen may be engaged and where also fine accommo dations may be had. It is suicidal for novices to attempt negotiation of the rapids, as these are treacherous and dangerous, but a ride down this pic turesque river Is one never to be for gotten and Is well worth takins, even though one catch never a fish. Upper Willamette Good. The upper Willamette is a stream full of red sides also and in some ways is similar to the McKenzie. Of ten, I think, conditions for the sports man are even beter, because fewer gd there. In the McKenzle and to an extent the Willamette the water is always cold and the trout are filled with the fighting spirit so universally enjoyed by the fisherman. Many of our other streams and lakes are warmer and the fish less energtic. In the spring, sportsmen make a rush for the Deschutes, a fine river with a swift flow, coming out of the alkali country. Redsides are thero in abundance and take the fly better than the spinner. Many times one may get two or three fine beauties to the cast. The best lure 1b the Caddis fly. Sportsmen usually get all-day fish ing when going to the Deschutes be cause the trains leaving Portland are scheduled so as to let off fishermen along the river anywhere from mid night to S o'clock in the morning de pending upon where one wishes to take the river. Good points to leave the train on this trip are Maupin, North and South Junction and Mecca, and a full day's sport may -be had be tween trains, bringing the fishcrmam Into Portland the next morning for his breakfast. One is seldom disap pointed on this trip and it is indeed a poor fisherman who leaves the river with less than the limit. Around Portland there are many good fishing streams, including Sandy river. Clackamas, Bull Run, Molalla, Tualatin an Dairy. A popular ex cursion also is that which takes the fisherman to streams in Tillamook county. There are the Nehalem, from the junction with the Salmonberry, which is always good, clear down to the bay. in the fall there is the big silverside and in the winter the fight ing steelhead; the year around, the stream is full of cut-throats, sea trout and other fish. When one tires of this stream, he may try his luck on the Wilson, the Big Nestucca the Trask and smaller streams or may troll on the bay. Lakei and Stream Abound. . From Portland, also, one may go down the Columbia to Scappoose, Big Creek at Knappa, Beaver, the north fork of the Nehalem. Fish Hawk ahd others. Including that prince of pro ducers and favorite of thousands, the Necanicum. There are also several good bass lakes In this region. From this city also sportsmen may cross over the Columbia into Washington, with ease, and lure the festive beau ties from the rivers, among which 5 KLAMATH IS BANNER GAME COUNTY. In Klamath streams and lakes : I the famed rainbow trout thrives, I 1 specimens weighing as high as 22 pounds often being caught. I Deer, bear and other wild game abound. Duck and geese hunting is ex- 1 cellent there. - i It has 1,200,000 acres of farm- I ing land, 1.000.000 a c r e s of I grazing land, 1.250.000 acres of 1 i timber and 276,480 acres of I marsh land. Forty-five thousand acres are under Irrigation, alfalfa being 1 the most practical irrigated crop. 35.000 tons having been I I , harvested In 1919. 1 Cattle to the value of J2.000.- I 000 were shipped out in 1819. ItiiiiinitniiiiimiimuiHiniiiiimHiiiiitmuiiiiiiiiimimMiiiiiniimtiiMnitilitR are the big Washougal and the Lewis., The commission recently amended a rule which in future will permit angling of crappies, bass, catfish and Williamson whiteflsh in Multnomah. Columbia and Clatsop counties during December, January, February and March. . In the summer, a popular excursion for the fisherman and one which takes him into a veritable paradise, is that which Includes Klamath Falls and Medford. There are more fish and game in Klamath county than in the whole state and it is there that large numbers from California come to hunt and fiBh. In this district are Klamath and Williamson rivers, Klamath, Diamond and Crater lakes. In the latter, fish ing is too easy, if anything, as one may catch them with no trouble at all. On Klamath lake, the fish are so bountiful that if one sits in the bow of a boat, they are readily seen dash ing hither and thither, among other things, trying to shake off the eels, with which this water abounds, there being millions of them. They tor ment the fish immensely and it is in this way that the pelican, also haunt ing this region, makes his living. This bird will fly out over the water, wait until a trout leaps high into the air with an eel attached and when the fish shakes off the eel. open its huge bill and take in both Mr. Fish and Mr. Eel, storing them away until theyt are in a proper stage of storage to' suit his taste, when he holds his feast. ' Another feature which opens up great fields for the fisherman is the completion of a railroad line into Coos county, making an easy trip to Coos bay, where accommodations are good, especially at Mapleton, on the Siuslaw river. This region is grow ing in popularity and will continue to. I spent some time there recently, with Walter Backus, chasing riffles, as the fish seem to bite only when the zephyrs cause these to play about the surface of the water. It is calm there most of the time. This kind of fish ing is rather laborious unless one has a man who can handle the boat and anchor. On the bay there is splendid fish ing and Smith's river and several other streams and good lakes in this region furnish ample opportunity for the angler. Lake fishing is becoming more pop ular among those v.ho like to fish from a boat thus eliminating the hardship of stream fishing. This is especially true In the southeastern part of the state, where the stocking of the lakes by the commission is now bringing wonderful results. Many of these bodies of water which were de void of fish of any kind are now teeming with speckled beauties. More than 100 lakes in the Cascade range have been planted with various species of trout, many of them being located so they may be reached by automobile, and are now visited by thousands of fishermen. Among those lakes which have been stocked and which are now at tracting the most attention, there Is Diamond lake, where rainbow were planted five or six years ago. The fish there have multiplied very rap idly, and specimens have been taken weighing as high as 15 pounds. This lake is located about 12 miles from Crater lake, and reached by road leading off of the Bend-Klamath, road, between Fort Klamath and Cole creek, as Indicated by a signboard at the confluence of the two roads. This road is fairly good to the top of the mountain, and by careful driving the lake can be reached without fear of accidents. East lake, where steelhead were planted five years ago, has also been a great attraction for the sportsmen. Specimens of the original fish plant- iiiniimmimiimiitmiimmtrainmmtmmiHiiiHmnmmmimmnHiimTtv? I WHEAT AND LUMBER IN I WALLOWA COUNTY. One million bushels of wheat i Is the average annual yield in I Wallowa county. I i The county is also a lumber producer on a large scale. I In an effort to increase the I amount of stock feed sunflow- ers were raised on 20 farms last, 1 season and were made into ensilage for winter feed. Many :- believe this experiment will revolutionize the manner of feeding cattle and sheep, of which the county has large 3 numbers. Road bonds have been voted to make an important link In I the highway system between f Enterprise -and. Flora. i i wiiutiinittiniiMiiiimiiinmitHiuiriiiitnuiiuiJiH(HliilliujiiiHiiinifiiiimilu ed have been taken in the past two years weighing as high as 15 pounds. This lake is reached by fairly good road from Bend. Sparks lake, where eastern brook were planted, is also a mecca for the fishermen, as well as other smaller lakes in Its vicinity. This is reached by a good summer road below Bend. The two Lava lakes are also show ing results of stocking, and are on the road from Bend to the now well known Elk lake. Elk Lake Develops. Elk lake, lying directly south of the south "Sister" and about 50 miles by fairly good auto road from Bend, is much smaller in area than many of the other lakes, but the eastern brook planted there five years ago have multiplied almost beyond belief, as well as having shown phenomenal growth. An employe of the commis sion recently visited- this lake for the purpose of Investigating the pros pects of establishing an egg station, and reported that the lake was lit erally alive with brook trout rang ing from four inches In length up to adult fish of six to nine pound. A more recent report from this lake shows that in one day's seining for spawning fish more than 10,000 fish ranging from one to nine pounds were taken and placed in the spawn ing pens. Elk lake is now becoming so widely known as a fishermen's paradise that hundreds of machines from Califor nia and Washington as well as many from our own state visited it this last season. A number of prominent people of Bend have acquired sites from the Forest service, and contem plate putting up summer homes. Not withstanding there have been thou sands of fish taken out during the past season, the supply shows no sign of diminishing. The commission is now contemplating closing a portion of the lake in order to give these fish necessary protection. A well known writer of national reputation, who is also an ardent sportsman, after spending several days visiting various lakes which have been stocked, is responsible for the statement that he had spent many years fishing throughout the United States, but nowhere had he found fishing so excellent as in the lakes in the Cascade range; and ho freely staled that in this respect tttunufimiuiraiiM Orearon was superior to any other state. In order to keep up the supply of the fish for the anglers, the hatch eries in this state have turned out in the various streams and lakes 5,590.- 000 trout this past season. Of this number there were 3,626,760 rainbow, 948,650 eastern brook, 1.014,650 black spotted. These fish had practically all reached the fingerling stage and were in fine, husky condition when turned out to shift for themselves. In addition there has been planted approximately 900,000 steelhead most of these in waters which are not fished commercially, and all at the request of the sportsmen; only a very' small per cent of the cost of the pro duction of these having been charged to the sportsmen's fund. Output la Gratifying. The output of trout this year is very gratifying, as It shows an in crease over last year's, not only In numbers but in size; the average age being fpur to six months, when lib erated. The commission, during the year, has completed one new trout hatch ery at Bend. This is an exclusive trout hatchery, and is fully equipped and modern In every way. Deschutes county has donated $2500 for the in stallation of this plant. Arrange ments are also being made for the erection of ait exclusive trout hatch ery In Union county. This plant will be completed in time to take care of next season's operation. A hatchery Is also contemplated at Oak Ridge, on the Willamette, where trout will be propagated. All ar rangements are made for the begin ning of work on this plant within a short period of time. A new hatchery ntHiiiiiimininiiiimtnitliininimiiuiniHiutiiimiiiiNiiiniiiiinumtiiiitni 1 PATROLMEN IN PORTLAND I ULHEAl- OF POLICE. I 19'r 124 1311 224 1912 27 1913.. 1914.. . .31 1 . .310 1915.. 1916.. 1917.. 1918.. 1939.. ...220 . . .202 . . .26 . . .308 nmniiiiuititniuiiiniiutiiiiimnuiiimiiiniiiiiiiiinnuHiiiiiniMmiiiiHiuiii will also soon be under construction atiout two miles below Mehama on Ihe Santiam river, where trout will be hatched and cared for to restock the streams In that part of the Wil lamette valley.