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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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-
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.