THE SUNDAY OBEGOXIAX, PORTLAND. JT7XE 20, 1900.
ACROSS 0UTH1EE1M OEBSON TEAM H
FT 3. W. TOLLMAN.
PEOPLE hardly appreciate the Joy of
living: who are content to remain
Indoors from the beginning of the
year to lte end. Whatever It may he
that appeals to each Individual In the
great variety of charms possessed by da
tore, Oregon has the attractions to offer.
Ocean surf on clean beach sands from
Seaside to Chetco; forests laden with
aromatlo breezes from Coqullle to On
tario; streams In which mountain trout
disport themselves from- Cazadero to
Lakevlew; thermal waters Impregnated
with mineral medicinal doses from the
chemical laboratories of mother earth
occurring from Hot Lake to Klamath
Falls; wild name roaming mountain,
plain and valley, am) scenery that oalls
for superlatives in description, all are
for enlightenment and pleasure of those
who will go In answer to their In
cessant call. The Journey described In
this sketch was leisurely done, and the
same groundr could have been covered In
much less time with ampin opportunity
tor fishing, hunting and pleasure. But
scores of citizens of Oregon could com
bine business and recreation and' see por
llons of this creat commonwealth that
are more than worth the effort.
March 24. 1008. with camp equipment,
camera, fishing tackle, guns and plenty
;f enthusiasm, the writer and his wife
.mounted the spring seat of a three-inch
I wagon behind a sian of fine mares and
i started from Boise, Idaho, having; no
'.other object In view than clear trout
streams and the haunts of wild game,
f Passing Kampa we made our first camp
on Snake Hlver, where, notwithstanding
I the populous locality, the skilled fisher
man may always anticipate a good mess,
j From there we took" a southerly course
, over the highlands toy wny of the rocks
to Jordan Valley, and changing to an
almost due west course, 38 miles brought
j us to the beautiful Owyhee. This stream,
j now the water course along which are
! many homes having outward evidenoes
of cultivation and refinement was, for a
1 long while lit the early portion of its
I history that we know, the scene of vio
. lent strife between the Indian tribesmen
and later of their conquest by the su
perior skill of lncle Sam's soldiers.
The physical features of this region
are wonderfully interesting to any per
I son who Is fond of the rugged and) pic-
turesque. At a distance the summit of
the ordertng range of hills presents the
appearance of ancient castles that the
I wearing of tlie elements has reduced to
; splendid ruins. Here and there rise
j sharp-pointed columns that the imagin
ative beholder can easily believe the
F spires of some old cathedral.
Vast Interior Ilunge Region.
Hlsliways of travel from the early
times have been along the streams, their
flow affording the easy gradients for the
establishment of roads. Proceeding on
toward the alluring interior, -we found our
best road to be up Crooked Creek, and
In the evening of a beautiful day we
halted at one of the Miller & Lux
ranches. ThHI Is one of the great live
stock firms of that vast ranr reeloti
: extending for nearly ft)0 mljeg from north
I to. south and almost 400 miles from east
to west mostly In Oregon that up to
the present time has been undisturbed
jby the shriek of the locomotive or the
hiss of the air-brake. So rarely do the
(cowboys on these big ranches have an
I opportunity to entertain a lady as their
guest that the arrival of a woman is
pertain to bring a doubly warm welcome,
jl'fjon our arrival the first oon-cern of
'the boys was to make the visiting lady
, thoroughly comfortable before a cheer
ing fire. A rawhide rocker covered with
coyote skinB was the luxury of the living-room
where the boys insisted she
should rest while they proceeded to pre
pare a supper, the recollections of which
still linger.
She next morning was one of lower
ing clouds, threatening rain, and an In
vitation to stop fpr the day was gladly
'accepted. Our horses were feasting on
e Hal fa and the creature comforts which
we enjoyed of good ranch diet was cer
tainly ample to-us. It Is the rule with
Miller & Lux to make no charge for any
accommodations afforded wayfarers who
happen to come to their hospitable camps.
It is 65 miles to the nearest postofflee and
In was esteemed a great favor that we
should carry a number of letters to be
mailed for the boys.
Forty-five miles across a range region
barren of water was our next stretch of
(travel, and this, brought us to White
llforse, also a Miller & Lux ranch, where
we received a warm welcome very simi
lar to that of the first Instance.
V Border Town Is Itummer.
' ' Instead of crossing Stein Mountain we
.followed a nearly south course along the
Kaat side of this mountain group to Oenlo
jn the state line of Nevada and Oregon.
" n e Oregon side of the line,
-which passes through the center of the
town, and the portion in Nevada is
railed Klondike. This seems to be a typ
ical "Forty-nine diggin'a." Bad liquor is
epidemic and the taste for it la appar
ently contagious. Th t- . ...
Ihave all the color and amosphere of the
wim me people generally con
tented with things as they are, but ready
,o adjust all the affairs of state and Na
Itlon while leaning against the bar of
The local thirst dispensary.
From Denlo one day i.f travel brings
fine horses to the hardest climb In the
if-Ji. i "?d, U wnat 13 cled Thousand
vreek mil, and said to be the worst be
tween the Missouri Osarks and the Pa
cific Coast. The road Is merely an 1r-
'E?'tna le"Iln over ft sed mass
of boulders and small rocks. In the bad
tL'j! ?te" that naa becn on r many
,h rn,.th difrrent Oregon coun
I""'1. V , d,,bt that Thousand
T 1' i" "'"d to the ribbon. Any
tlsen of Oregon, by the way. would
vscome a good road, advocate toy making
!L 5 Ta the ,a,e h team Juat
2 . vart way up le ht" we acknowl
edged the futility of attempting to finish
the rlimb without help for the poor
horses, so. Mocking the wheels with huge
11;-, we ?c counted a horse and
far It would be necessary to go but
eight miles brought us. to the Eberline
ranch. Re-enforced by another team
eun'?r'de,V7 ainl" the, top of the
rnountaln. and late In the night reached
the ranch with the wagon. The follow
ing morning we traveled 20 miles In a
snow storm to the Eberline ranch. Here
we found four young Canadians In camp,
engaged )n ,he work of surveying a pol
Hon of this wilderne, for UncVe SanV
Owing to the storm that prevailed we
were ob.iged to remain several days and
on the second day our company Increased
by the arrival of two cowboys and sev
l ""fft-rders. They were all so
pleaded by the novelty of having the
company of a woman that t
were . h J " hnore- So Insistent
T.t A T " ursrtna" " to Prolong our
rude ,n'V T Mt WP hRd bPen itaoit
ilnin "ving them to get on our way
Tragedy, Komance and Big Game.
Two days of splendid weather followed
and In our journey we traveled past Mas--re
Lake, where an emigrant train was
wiped out "by the Indians in the early
60 s and not a single member of the party
escaped. There are dozens of spots in
. . . ' - , '
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; , , fell - -J? oir 4-r " wyv-rrr- "' : -
Oregon about which cluster historlo mem
ories, many as tragio as that of the
peaceful pool where savages ran riot.
Bits of romance, deeds of daring and
heroic sacrifice are marked by nature's
monuments, and tales are told in local
lore that are unheard except by those
who travel about the state to hear these
things at or near the spots 'where they
transpired.
This could very properly be termed a
district of magnificent distanoes. At one
time were were 75 miles from the nearest
postolTIce. and It is frequently 40 miles
between ranches. Over the high plateau
we saw hundreds of antelope, sometimes
in bands of a score or more and some
times in groups of four or . five, feeding
on tne nighest .hills, their glossy coats
glistening in thss sun. West of Massacre
Lake the hills are dotted with Juniper
trees, and black-tailed deer seemed to
abound in that locality. Coyotes, the
thieves and scavengers of the range, were
visible everywhere, and stockmen say
they have been increasing at an alarming
rate. Over great stretches of country
that were sheep ranges a few years ago,
the wool clip is very light at present,
partly because of over-graxlng and partly
because the cattle -growers have forced
the sheep men tu recede. The sheep are
now ranging on the wide deserts of Ne
vada, and the depleted ranges of many
sections must lead to the inevitable re
sult that public grazing is almost a thing
of the past.
During April and May wild fowl were
plentiful. This was during the period of
their northern flight, and geese and duck
were especially numerous in the lake
regions. As the Summer advanced they
were to be seen by thousands, where the
nesting season had been passed, and the
young were being trained to make ths
southern flight before the season of snow
and cold.
Following the high plateau, we Jour
neyed on to Forty-nine Canyon and.
reaching the summit of the mountain,
found spread before us a panorama that
K I j I 1
v - , - J
"' ' -: . ' -.- , - n - . - 1 :1PT
seemed only comparab,. with what the Iff 4lT ' f '
Valley, with the lake of the same name I f fA "- 1 jf ? h,. K l" i 4
formed the mddle ground, with Its mlr- ! Jf TN 1 I -""I VS f F1 " " Vs
hored surface almost 10 by 20 miles, and klJpl V ff II 1 V4-r
probably, next to Upper, Klamath Lake, , Vf,'8 L J v I 1 ' $ f K i,t
the largest body of water In Southeastern ' , V.!V 13 V f ' - -i ? 'F4P
Oregon. The Warner range, snow-capped. V . 'l t , . f ; 'I. -
clad In the garb of its native forests, is &JA f S$ tw y .V 1 f. - f s
the background. ' ajj ' 1 ' " Ti A 4l v y ' s ' ; $ ".ik
Korests Beh,, Steadily Depleted. 1 ,N 'V ' Nf
Even the scant population of this region
is making great Inroads upon the Xne
timber on these mountain slopes. The
writer was here 28 years before, and little
change has taken place except In the de
struction or timber. Three days were da-
proceeded across the Warner rlnll "to
votea
Aituras, the seat of Modoc County, Cali
fornia, and some 30 miles south of the
Oregon line. Traveling north, we en
tered tlje rapidly developing Goose Lake
Valley, and here at an altitude of pearly
5000 feet, found the finest fruit land we
have ever encountered. The road skirts
the eastern shore of the lake and back of
a valley from five to. ten miles in width,
the mountains rise to a high altitude.
The lake and mountain conditions seem
to create a circulation of air that pre
vents the crystallization of frost and ren
ders the district immune, although at an
elevation which would alarm most Ore
gonlans. Lakevlew Is situates at the upper end
of Goose Lake and is the trading center
for a vast region rich In latent wealth
of fertile soil, forests and mineral, the
latter of which wilt become of conse
quence as soon as transportation Is pro
vided. While at .Aituras we found that
the impression is very general among the
people of that locality that they would
soon be enabled to reach Portland by a
new line of railroad, which would link
their present road from Reno with the
Southern Pacific by way of Klamath
Falls. It was reported at that time that
UMM Ef&S JOURNEY THROUGH
A FRUITFUL EMPIRE
WAY INVASION HAS JUST BEGUM
and iwvn t iJro t XkJ i rL" " """
ZLZrg tCconfirmeJhteh,r
months of sight-seeing and investigation
were passed In Lake County and not un-
til July did we start on the third section
of the trip.
Through "Devil's Garden."
Selecting our route along the old Fort
Klamath . stage road we Journeyed
through the "Devil's Garden," another
rough bit of travel, and after a short stop
at Bly traveled down the Sprague River
Valley through the Klamath Indian
Reservation. For three days we leisurely
followed this matchless stream, whipping
its shady pools as fancy or the need of
our larder dictated and receiving the re-
S&STJr (ZOlSJV7-y SZCZ&OOZ-
W8ra OI splendid trout, often 16 inches
to j?" Hlver. into
I wnlcn tno Sprague empties, is called the
' flneat trout stream in the West, and It
' ce"amiy is entitled to the distinction. At
junction or spring ureek and wuilam-
son rtiver we spent several days. The
creek Is a stream less than a mile in
length that bursts from the mountainside,
where a giant spring sends It forth a
young river In volume. Its waters, clear
as crystal, forma, its own current In the
large river, that form Spring Creek, cold
and sparkling clear, while the flow of
the larger stream is several degrees
warmer and tainted with the color and
taste of the marshes. Some distance be
low the point where Spring Creek empties
Into the Williamson is a cataract that Is
WHERE HAIL-
S&.LrT
the final arbiter and settles all differences
between waters of the two streams, lash
ing them into foam so that they proceed
to the great lake ("Upper Klamath) as one
united stream. The waters of Spring
Creek average from four to ten feet deep
and the stream Is literally alive with
trout. Standing on the brink one can
see schools 01 speckled beauties disport
ing themselves in its crystal depths. Drop
a bait in front of one of them aha he will
cast his eye up as much as to say "not
today" and scamper away. But Just re
treat behind the sheltering foliage, cast a
fly over the bank, pull instantly and bring
out a spleridid trout from 10 to 2 Inches
long. Repeat the operation every minute
and 30 minutes means 30 trout. This feat
was accomplished
ence last July.
in the writer's pres-
History Coupled With Scenery.
TTpper Klamath Lake Is the largest
body of navigable fresh water west of
the Rocky Mountains in this country. It
has several square miles more than Tahoe
and is fed by Williamson River, Wood
River and scores of small streams and
great springs. At the south end of this
great inland sea is the Klamath Basin,
where 1'ncle Pam Is building irrigation
works that will place water on several
thousand farms. The city of Klamath
Falls is Just on the eve of celebrating the
completion of Its first railroad and has
been experiencing a degree of prosperity
unaffected by financial flurries In other
parts of the country. But the homes of
men and the marts of business were not
the object of our meandering and we
stopped only for a glance at the places
where men congregate.
Old Fort Klamath, once an Important
military outpost is almost denuded of its
buildings and the parade grounds where
calvary batalllons; were deployed In drill
or for the grlrrt" duties of Indian warfare.
Is now but a verdant pasture. A few
milew further on the new Fort Klamath,
a little trading point at the west side
of the Klamath Indian reservation.
provoa a convenient source of supply.
Thence we proceeded along the Crater
Lake road and followed Anna Creek
Canon Into the heart of Crater Lake Na
tional Park. Here we made our camp
on the rim of this superb seventh wonder
of the world. Looking st its clear depths
from an elevation of almost 3000 feet
above the water one cannot fail to be im
pressed with the Insignificance of animal
kind when compared with the greatness
of nature's work as portrayed In geologic
structure.
Reluctantly we turned away from the
National Park to take a course down the
weat slope of the Cascades, picking up
the thread of the Rogue River, exploring
Its natural bridge and enjoying its rugged
canyons and coming down from its cool
forests to the heat of the Summer sun
amid the orchards above Medford. Thence
we turned our course northward and
found a series of the worst of roads on
our Journey from the Rogue Rlvfer Valley
to Roseburg. If every citizen of Oregon
who has ever uttered an objection to the
plans for a state highway were obliged
to make the over land trip across the
state from north to south, unless wholly
obstinate, we would certainly have none
but boosters for good roads.
Turning Toward Sea Breeze.
wjtn tne mercury setting on xne s&tn
degree point and fanning itself, on Au
gust 6. we crossed the summit of the
Coast range by the old Ooos Ray road.
The cool breeze of the Paclfle -was re
freshing and the horses seemed Imbued
with new life upon gaining the western
slope. A nice spring of cold water, the
starting point of the Coos River on its
rush for the sea, was an ideal camping
place. The trip down Ooos River, cross
ing and rscrosslrg its ever widening bed
Is a continuous moving picture not to be
forgotten. There are mammoth trees and
mossy nooks. The river plunges and
foams here only to glide as Iji a whisper
there, a half mile below.. Leaving Coos
to the right the road leads across a small
divide and then down to the north fork
of the Coqullle. Myrtle Point Is the next
place of Importance and eight miles fur
ther down navigable water is reached at
Coqullle, an ideal home city. Coqullle Is
20 miles from the ocean and the sea
breexes come to its Inhabitants filtered
through the giant forests of fir. These
forests are the base of the leading in-'
dustry in manufactures, which will nat
urally find Its first expression In wood
products. There is already a consider
able output in this line which is growing
at a rapid pace, and admirable products
of Coqullle craftsmen are utilized in fur
nishings of San Francisco palaces of
travel.
WILL TRAIN
ON OXYGEN
Professor Todd's Ten-Mile Bal
loon Trip Toward .the Planet
Mars.
New York Times.
Leo Stevens, the aeronaut, is back from
Amherst College, having spent several
days with Professor David P. Todd, the
astronomer, planning the details of the
balloon trip to the edge of the world's
atmosphere that he and the professor
have promised themselves to take next
September. Mars will be nearest the
earth then, and the professor is going to
try to Intercept some of the electric mes
sages he believes the wise old Martian a
have been patiently firing at us for
decades.
"I don't know about getting to touch,
with Mars, that's the professor's busi
ness, but I have contracted to take him
up ten miles and I'm going to do it."
said the aeronaut- Stevens added that
the professor was engrossed by the pros
pect of fhe trip and was ready to begin
training right away.
Of course, first of all, the professor
will have to be sky-broken. He is going
to begin on that next week, when Stevens
will take him and a few of his Amherst
boys on a little ascension at Springfield.
Mass. After that, if the professor fol
lows the aeronaut's directions, he will
go up every week or so, and learn to
like it.
Stevens declared that he and the profes
sor are dreadfully in earnest with this
project; that they have already placed,
orders in France for a special barograph
and other instruments that will guide
them in their perpendicular flight. Also
they have begun to make arrangements
for the manufacture of the aluminum
cases and for about 10 miles of special
wire that the professor wants to pay out
so as to keep In touch with the earth.
Stevens estimates that the 10 miles of
special wire will weigh only about 200
pounds.
"It seems to be Indispensable." said the
aeronaut, "to the professor's scheme for
getting Into wireless communication with
Mara He has got to be grounded or
something."
The aluminum tanks will close air-tight
like a refrigerator, but according to the
present plans they will be furnished with
a heavy glass floor and windows. Mr.
Stevens didn't expect, however, that they
would have to reeort to their tanks until
they attain a height of Ave miles or more.
They will have a little chair in each
aluminum box and a goodly supply of
"heat-producing" food.
Stevens has never been higher than
four and three-quarter miles. Said he:
"Three Frenchmen went up eight and
one-quarter miles about a year ago, but
one of them , was frozen to death and an
other paralyzed. They weren't prepared
for such a height, however, and we will
be. We intend to go up at least until It
is impossible to draw oxygen from our
tanks, and then, of course, we will take
the warning and drop, for a balloon, my
boy, always has the energy to drop."