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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1911)
TIIE SUNDAY OREGOMAN. rORTLAXP. AUGUST 6, 1911. DESCHUTES RIVER OFFERS IDEAL SUMMER OUTING FOR CANOEISTS Jemrney Made From Crant Prairie to Bend Furnishes Delightful Tims for Two Pleasure-Seekers-The Stream Abounds In Qamy Fish, and Labors of Portages Prove Not Unmixed Joy. ' , 7- ''v rU!- r-v : '?r. : i J ' '- ".V, y. ? zisvrG-crjrir' 7 ' ' ,. - -4 J .-,' .v.) "- , r -f-J. ! ;V " -----'- : v- ' . - - :; ' ! ? r -V4' -J J?- In S-',. .:! , V - -'-' Uf Sij, Af i -- ' ... r-i". I . r - . ' - . - i ' i i 'ii ! R J 4 :.-v;.-r: - h :: .4. v-v- - i m. PT CEOKClK PXI-MtK PUTNAM. BEND. Or, Au. 6. (Spcll.) WhM on earth do you want lth a rano In a dsrt country Euch was the question of the wise Portland cltjr-brd roan when ha chanced to sea our craft In course of transportation from the railroad termi nus at Opal City to Bend. Like many city dwellers who occa sionally visit the Interior this ques tioner really thought he knew more about the subject of his query than was the case. True, the old-time maps, with typical OoTernmental disregard far sucb a minor matter as the truth, calmly plater the word "desert" In abumianly large characters over the srreater portion of Central and Eastern Oregon. And equally truly the visitor, who seeks pastures new In "the vast reaches of the Interior, encounters a goodly quantity of dust and waterless waste tn the course of his Journeying, even In the comparatively short trip from the railroad to Bend, the center cf most things In Central Oregon. And the Portland man who wondered at the apparently inexplicable presence of a canoe on these dusty roads that eemed to lead to nothing more aqueous than more dust perhaps bad good raMse to be surprised. Yet he would have been more as tonished had he known that a few miles further on on the western bor ders of this Governmental "desert" flowed the fairest river not only In the great state of Oregon but the Pa cific Northwest, excepting only the Co lumbia. Journey Brings Pleasure. And from the headwaters of this un suspected Central Oregon stream, the Peschntea. In this canoe, the writer smd a companion but a few weeks ago sjUi.-vv, lis - ;:. . . . J v n i'IJl jjlAjc-J3 made as' delightful an excursion as la possible In any state In the Union, or In any country In the world. Ours was an amphibious Journey. The automobile, the less rapid but perhaps more dependable wagon, the graceful canoe and the graceless legs of its participants provided each a method of Its diversified transporta tion. We autoed. we drove, we pad dled and we walked. Also, we nearly swam. Leaving Bend ahortly after daylight on a late July morning, tho writer set out for the head waters of the Des chutes In a most unplcturesque wagon. The other member of the canoe ex pedition waa to Join me at Crane Prairie a day later, coming thither by the more rapid transportation medium of an automobile. Some miles from Bend the canoe waa procured and after sundry maneuvering the not-too-easily handled craft was placed upon the wagon and there lashed in place. Beneath It was the grub, blankets, fishing outfit and other slight paraphernalia of a brief camping expe dition. In addition to horse rations. Those who have traveled in the pine lands of Central Oregon can under stand the beauty of the.road side In the early morning when the air was cool and quiet and the great brown-hued trunks of the trees stood majestically Impressive In their peculiarly park-like clusters, with the dun-tinted needle carpets below, and above the olive green verdure and the opalescent Ore gon sky. And those familiar with such a driv ing trip as ours also can realise Its manifold "pleasures" as the Summer day unfolded, with never a breath of wind, except such stray sephyrs as oc casionally appeared, with Just suffi cient force and persistence to keep the dust clouds abreast. Like flour millers 1, r we appeared after a few hour of tha grimy travel. Crane Pralrlc Well Known. On the evening of the second day we found ourselves at our destina tion, and starting point. Crane Pralrlo. Probably no camping and recreation ground In Oregon, .cast of the Cascade Mountains. Is more widely known than Is Crane Prairie. Thither scores of campers go In August, until. Indeed, portions of the beautiful meadows as sume an appearance more character istic of a picnic ground th.yi mlRht be expected In such an isolated locality. For hundreds of miles. sometimes, come great caravan "outfits." several wagons bearing the women folks of the farms, with many children, while the mala pleasure-seekors ride their horses. Crane Prairie occupies a posi tion relative to Central Oregon about that of Tuolumne Meadows In the Call forala Hlerras. The prairie itself Is a broad snd level meadow land, pcrhapa six miles long and half as wide, on- an average, through the central portions of which meander the headwaters of the Des chutes, here a moderate sized and slow flowing stream, which. In the meadows splits Into several branches, each of which winds up Into the timber and the lakes beyond, where Is the real source of the river. All about the prairie Is timber, stretching down to the edge of the grass, thence billowing upward over foothills to higher hill tops beyond, and on the north to the snow-covered mountains whose more distant peaks, those of the Three Sisters, are plainly visible from the Willamette Valley. After a day of fishing on the upper reaches of the river we were Joined by the automobile contingent. who made the trip from Bend, which had taken our alow moving vehicle the better part of two days. In less than five hours. Early on the morning following their arrival, we started our real Journey. A canoe well merits the appellation of "graceful." for assuredly no water craft appears so at home as doe this slight bark upon Its native element. A well-built, well-lined canoe, quietly paddled and rightly "trimmed." Is for all the world like a seagull, so easily and beautifully does It ride. Cano Is Set Afloat. Below Brown's Cabin, the one-time home of an oldtlme homesteader, we found a launching place for the canoe. Here a ford crosses the river. With care and precision we loaded our out fit Immediately we realised what we had suspected from the etart, namely, that we had too much with us. And so we started, the doctor In the bow seat, wielding his -unaccustomed paddle with a certain gentle air of experiment. At the start and for many miles there were rapids. While always negotiable, these furnished a pleasant amount of Interest and excitement. Occasionally there came times when a quick Jump Into the Icy waters was necessary, with an angry-looking cascade or bit of white water before us. But with few exceptions there was no water through which we could not safely and easily glide with the canoe. The river was delightfully varied. A long more or less straight stretch of rapid, tumbling water would give place to a quiet-flowing, meadow-bordered piece, while every few hundred yards a great black pool, probably eddying about the base of a high bank, broke the monotony of the open river and lured the fishing rods from their cases. Our days were fairly alike. At dawn we were up. While grapefruit, waffles and buttered toast were notlcably ab sent from the breakfast menu, steam ing tin dishes of cornmeal mush, re inforced by equally steaming coffee and perhaps stout hotcakes. better styled flapjacks, gave us a fitting start for the labors of the day. Simplicity In "Grub" Bst, A first-class camper's rule, as re gards "grub," Is to take plenty, but above all make what he does take the simplest possible. Flour, beans, bacon, baking powder, tea or coffee, sugar, salt, corn meal, rice, dried apples or apricots, a few onions, perhaps a few potatoes, a little syrup, condensed milk (half cans, by all means), and perhaps some Jerked beef make the foundation for any brief camping trip, to which may be added. If desired, any amount of deli cacies. But unless transportation fa cilities are luxurious, as when one drives, or remains always In permsnent camp, beware of canned goods of all kinds. To carry water is a weary duty. And If one Is dependent upon a pack horse, or upon one's own back, to pack non-essentials Is to ruin the pleasure of a trip. The one nightmare of a canoe trip, unless It be the probability of a duck ing and tho resulting loss or damage of supplies. Is portaging. There are few rivers worth follow ing that do not come to occasional obstacles, about which "carries" must be m.ide. Usually these are falls or bits of rough water that cannot be negotiated In the canoe. Then fallen logs or' Jams, occasionally make neces sary short "carries." On the Deschutes there are a num ber of great falls, picturesque natural masterpieces, about which the voyager must carry his canoe. And then It Is a question of picking up one's bed and walking. However, on the great Cen tral Oregon river the few portages, though hard enough, are fairly easily overcome. Canoe Easy to Carry. . The canoe Itself Is an easy burden. One man can handle It, If desired. But Inverted and placed upon the shoulders of two. Its carrying resolves Itself Into a simple task. And the transporting of the rest of the "plunder" Is easy or difficult. Just according as to whether or not the victim has overloaded him self with useless duffle. "Would you do this for $100 a month?" The doctor asked the Imper tinent question at an unfortunate mo ment. We had been paddling for many hours under the broiling sun Of mid day, and then a back-breaking portage, followed by more arm-wearying pad dling, had been the programme of our alleged holiday enjoyment. There was no pleasant camping place In sight, for on one side a high bank did double duty by shutting out possibility of breeses. while It did away with camp-sites, and on the other "Jack pine" thickets equally breeze proof were most uninviting. But Just as this disquieting question was thrusting home upon my mind, an unexpected turning of the always un certain stream brought us into an Ar cady of woodland beauty. A welcome breeze ruffled the placid waters. A proper camping place roofed by giant tree trunks and lofty foliage, and floored by the greenest of grass, came In sight. . . , And there, with a deep dark trout pool before us. the great trees behind and the fairest of Oregon ekles over head, we rested and ate, and decided, beyond all possibility of doubt, that canoe trips are after all the only rea sonable methods of recreation. That much-written monitor of wood land ways. Stewart Edward White, de clares that the prime requisite of those who would prosper In the open is a highly dependable sense of direction. In a canoe trip such as ours this sense may be totally lacking without mis hap. Illver Sufficient Guide. For provided one's craft has been launched upon a stream and that the only desire la to gain some objective point farther down its sourse, the task of ascertaining and following the right direction resolves Itself Into a simple pursuit of one's nose. Therein, Indeed, lies the chief charm of such a water made Journey. For the experiences of the trip makers are the experiences of the river Itself. One sees It at Its birth, perhaps In some wooded spring or upon the snowy flanks of distant mountains, and thence It Is followed to Its end. After a week of paddling, fishing, portaging and delightful loafing, we came to the end of our Journey. While the complete trip to Bend was Impos sible, because of many Impassable cas cades on the lower reaches of the river, we contrived to get within seven miles of the town. Later, the canoe completed Its Jour ney, aristocratlcly arriving drawn by horses. Ahd now it reposes with the other 'trophies of the trip, probably to become dust clad for many months, before again it is placed upon the riv er's waters. Twilight. , Ainslie s Magazine. How many things are like this sad, sweet hour, . When neither light nor darkness rules the world And nature lulls to slumber ev'ry flower Before night's dusky banners are un furled. A solemn hour when all things bright must die. That made the world so radiantly fair; The sun's pale crimson fades upon the sky. The breath of night la In the per fumed air. Perchance there's some desire In our hearts That, like this dying day, will never see The light that hope to everything Im parts. And never blossom to reality. Some secret love that never must be told Some hidden wish some thought of ungalned fame. All sink on life's horizon, dark and low. Just like the sunset's dying evening flame. Whose . life Is there this twilight does not mark? Whose heart Is there that does not hold within Some poor, dead hope that once burned like a spark. And struggled hard t" ntory to win? So struggles day against the coming night. . Till, weary with the shadows on her breast. She yields to darkness all her treas ures bright. And slowly sinks Just ltka our hopes to rest. BLUE AND GRAY VETERANS CLASP HANDS ON BULL RUN BATTLE SITE Dramatic Scene Is Witnessed by President Taft and Members of Congress at Celebration of Fiftieth Anniversary of Opening Conflict of Civil War. i"-JHaf '-t RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 5. (Special.) In the presence of President Taft and a number of Senators a.nd Representatives, who made the trip from Washington In automobiles, the 50th anniversary of the .Battle of Bull Run was celebrated July 21 at the scene of the opening conflict of the Civil War. One of the most dramatic incidents of the day was the shaking hands of the assembled Union and Confederate vet erans. At a signal the two groups of men advanced toward each other and shook hands warmly. This ceremony took place near the famous Henry house, around which took place much of the fighting during the famous bat tle. At the exercises which were held on the battlefield. President Taft told of the progress that Is being- made In the movernentfor International peace. ACCUSED LABOR LEADER TELLS AIMS OF UNIONS J. J. McNamara, Held on Dynamiting Charge, Says His Trial Is Only Inci dent in Struggle With Organized Capital. - LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6. (Special). J. J. McNamara, secretary-treasurer of the International Organi zation of Structural Iron and Bridge Workers, charged with the destruction of the building of the Los Angeles Times, explained the other day his view of the fight between rgantied labor and organized capital. It was his second statement to the public since his arrest in Indianapolis by De tective Burns. He took the oppor tunity again to protest against his ar rest and to declare the innocence of himself and his younger brother, J. B. McNamara. His attorney. Clarence Darrow, was present when he gave the statement to the newspaper men. McNamara said: "Regardless of the outcome of the charges against me. the eternal battle between employe and employer will go on. I am a mere incident only an In dividual In the fight and If hanged somebody will take my place. The leaders are only individuals. Many times they are pushed forward by ac cident but always someone has taken the leadership. ' "I did not start this strife between the man who toils and the man who employs. It started years ago when ii r -1 -" - ii r vv J B Je-y 1 1 ' ill I S - - t '. J ' fit i, is' . J , , . 7 1 t-- . . . . , ,r . s. -. - aassMaBsjBMBBBaBBBsaBB( the men of Europe were slaves. It is the rebellion of theoppressed against the oppressor. The unrest Is general. It is world wide. In a few words, it Is the fight of the plutocrat against the man who works. "To illustrate this general principle we have only to look into the relations between organized labor and the United States Steel Corporation. I became a structural iron worker in 18D8, and a short time later Joined the' union. At that time the wages paid skilled struc tural ironworkers were J2.50 for a ten hour day. Now the scale is $4.50 for an eight-hour day. "This appears a tremendous increase. It Is only a benefit in hours. The day of work Is now two hours shorter, but the wage Is virtually the same. The cost of living, by the manipulations of the trusts, has so increased that $4.50 now Is no more' than $2.50 in 1898. Even though the efforts of or ganized labor have not gained iuch In wages wo have prevented any de creases and have gained many advan tages In this particular craft in rela tion to protection from death. "Figures show that the Ufa of an ordinary structural Ironworker is 10 years. By that we mean the time of his service In active work. Our rec ords show that 90 per cent of all deaths N it i ' V. i In our organization are deaths of vio lence deaths caused by falling. None of the old-line Insurance companies will take risks on structural ironwork ers. Our Organization carries a small benefit and it shows that one man In every thousand in the union loses his life each month. We have a member ship of 20,000 and each month our death toll reaches 20. "This all goes to show the hazard of the life and work of the structural ironworker. This, of itself, is sufficient for us to gather in organization to secure what safety we may and to preserve our rights. "In our particular organization we have been contested by the United States Steel Corporation. This is a gigantic corporation a trust which has annihilated competition and dic tates to the customer and to the con sumer. Those who do not carry out the policies of the monster . trust are destroyed. "This company carries $1,500,000,000 In bonds. Of this. $1,000,000,000 Is watered, but dividends are paid on all stock. One-half of this company's in come is profit. With its millions, this organization has cruelly fought labor at every step. "The National Erectors' Association Is one of the organizations through which the fight is carried on. This organization was formed to kill the labor unions and to promote the non union shops. In the National Erectors' Association, the steel trust is repre sented by the American Bridge Com pany. This subsidiary company domi nates the organization and sees to it that the members carry out the policies of the trust. "They have agents to bribe and de bauch the officials of the unions, and their spies are everywhere.