EASTERN CLACKAMAS u
Devoted to the Interests o f Eastern Clackamas County
V olume 11,
N umber 25
FISH TRAP REBUILT
IN EAGLE CREEK
Steel-Heads To Be Butchered
Public Deprived Of Fish Food
The opposition, which for the
past years has been steadily
growing among the sportsman
and residents of Eastern Clacka
mas County, against the present
system employed by the U. S.
Bureau of Fisheries in the con
duct o f its hatcheries in this ter
ritory, about reached a climax
last week, when it was reported
that the rack and fish trap is
agai* being built across Eagle
Creek near Alspaugh Station.
The original rack was washed
out by the floods of last winter
and it was sincerely hoped no
further barriers would be built
in that stream. But the founda
tions are now in and the rack
should shortly be in operation.
As the name implies, this rack
and trap are installed to stop and
catch all steel-heads or salmon in
their attempted ascent of the
stream to their natqral spawning
beds. So successfully does it ac
complish its purpose, that but a
very small proportion o f the to
tal run of fish ever reach the up
per waters.
According to the principles ad
vocated and given publicity by
the government employees, but
a fair portion of the fish are cap
tured, these being but tempora
rily detained in their annual pil
grimage. To the uninformed it
is also supposed these fish are
humanely treated while the eggs
are being removed and fertilized,
with the parent fish finally re
turned to the stream and allowed
to enjoy many more years of life,
returning each year from salt
water, as is the habit of steel-
heads, to reproduce in the fresh
waters of its natal stream.
In reality, at the Eagle Creek
rack and probably elsewhere,
fully ninety percent of the steel-
heads ascending to that point,
which is less than two miles from
the stream’s mouth, are caught
in the trap. These beautiful fish,
ranging in weight from three to
a dozen pounds each and in fine
condition for eating, are handled
like cord-wood and thrown into
nearby muddy pools and packed
in like sardines in a can. These
captives are kept in these dirty
pools from a day to a few weeks,
dependent upon their so-called
“ ripeness” . Then instead of be-
»
I
E stacada ,
O regon ,
Boy Scout Corps’
T hursday , M arch 7, 1918
E. C. C. F To Issue
Finances Are Assured
Premium Lists Early
Thanks to the liberal response
given the Estacada Boy Scouts in
the sale of “ Tags’, on Saturday
last, the perpetuation of that use
ful organization is assured for
two years at least.
The local corps’ quota was $45.
payable in three yearly install
ments o f $15. and Saturday’s
campaign netted between $35.
and $40., about $10. of which was
received from private contribu
tions, other than the sale of tags.
At a recent meeting o f the
directors o f the Eastern Clacka
mas County Fair, it was decided
to immediately set about having
the 1918 fair premium lists pre
pared and printed, to be ready
for distribution this Spring.
This action is a sensible one,
allowing exhibitors to plant agri
cultural products with a view to
conforming to the exhibit re
quirements and the production of
livestock and poultry accordingly.
The custom, has been general
among m od fairs to issue the
premium list too late to be o f
value in preliminary preparation,
in many instances being distri
buted too late to save samples of
grain from the threshers.
But
the E. C. C. F., like everything
in this hustling portion o f the
state, is not afraid to tackle new
things and get out o f the rut of
tradition.
ing carefully stripped o f their
eggs and milk and as carefully
placed back in the parent stream,
their necks are broken with a
club, the eggs and milk taken
and the carcases tossed into the
stream, for craw-fish food and
water polution.
The hatchery employees will
tell you that anyone is welcome
to a fish after they are done with
it. But by the time they are fin
ished, a hungry bear or a Digger
Indian wouldn’t eat it, covered
as it is with sores, fungus and
other parasites, incident to the
congested pools and unnatural
propagation.
Statistics and investigations o f
the past few years clearly indi
cate that the steel-head and sal
mon a r e diminishing in the
Clackamas River and tributaries,
this condition being due in part
to the two dams at River Mill and
Cazadero, but largely to the e f
fective barriers maintained by
the U. S. Bureau o f Fisheries at
Clackamas and Alspaugh.
Together with this condition is
the injustice of the enforcement
of the federal law prohibiting
fishing, even with a hook and
line, within two miles of a fish
rack.
From the standpoint of the
public there is no argument in
favor of the present hatchery
system along the Clackamas Riv
er, for natural reproduction would
assure at least as many fish as
the artificial system and would
also allow the public the right to
fish for food purposes, whereas
at present no one is being bene
fited.
The people of Eastern Clacka
mas County do not need the
hatcheries or the government
supervision, but they do need the
food supply and are rightfully
entitled to their share conse
quently well signed petitions will
shortly be forw arded to the pro
per authorities in Washington,
D. C. and elsewhere, which it is
hoped will result in some relief.
Lumbermen To W ork
For Terminal Rates
Apparently the New s struck a
popular note in its recent article
on “ Terminal Rates” for Esta
cada.
Already, a number o f the ship
pers from this community have
volunteered their cooperation,
even offering to finance the fight
for a square deal if money is need
ed.
In the case o f the Horner-Mil-
lard Lumber Company o f Viola,
Mr. Horner states that a charge
of over $40. is made on every car
load of their product, between
Estacada and Fairview or Esta
cada and Portland, whereas the
Willamette Valley mills are able
to ship as far as Portland, free of
charge, on shipments bound east
o f the Montana line
This handicap o f $40. on a car
load o f lumber is a serious one
for the local mills, materially de
creasing their profits and direct
ly hurting the industrial growth
o f this outlying section.
T h e O r e g o n Development
League and nearly every booster
organization in the state is con
stantly urging and working for
the upbuilding o f the rural and
slightly developed portions o f
Oregon and their cooperation
should be obtained in this fight
for equal shipping rates.
Any aiguments or suggestions
that will aid in this important
cause will be welcomed and given
full publicity by the News.
$1.50 P er Y ear
C O M ilN IT Y AUCTION
WELL ATTENOED
Implements Find Ready Sale
But No Demand For Livestock
Despite the g o o d plowing
weather and tin* Orange meetings
on Saturday, the community auc
tion sale held on the Broadway
pavement in Estacada was a big
success and well attended.
About one hundred articles
were disposed o f in the sale,
ranging in prices from 10c t o $85.,
with tin* demand and prices paid
being the L>est for implements
and household goods, with vehic
les and harness going at lower
prices and no call whatever for
livestock, excepting a horse and
colt.
Due to the high cost o f feeds,
no one was in the market for cat
tle o f any description and the
one prize boar offered brought
no bids
A few complaints were made
because some owners, either per
sona ly or through representa
tives, finally bid in their goods,
paying the 1 0 commission, rath
er than having them sold at a
price far below their value. Even
then many articles, especially
good harnesses, sold for but a
fraction o f their value.
From t h e general business
standpoint of the community and
town much good was done, with
many dollars going into circula
tion among the people and mer-
chants and many supposedly use
less articles getting into the
hands o f parties needing them.
The splendid cafeteria dinner
served by the ladies o f the C. I.
C. in the former Adams’ restaur
ant was well patronized and net
ted the sponsors about $16.
The sale of tags by the Esta
cada Boy Scouts on that, day met
with a hearty response from the
public, with the l>oys disposing
o f about $28. wort h.
Many parties from Portland
and distant parts o f the county
were in attendance and a large
number o f people from outlying
sections o f Eastern Clackamas
were present.
Many Buying New Cars
Even the H. C. o f L. is not in
terfering with the purchasing of
new automobiles in this commun
ity and the outlook is a bright
one for the dealers this Spring.
Within the past two weeks,
the Cascade Garage reports the
sales o f Chevrolet cars to T. .1.
Dolan o f Barton. .John Moger
and Jas. Folsom o f Springwaier
and J. F. Fournier of Boring;
with a Dodge car sold to Ray
Keith o f Faraday and a Ford to
George Saw telle of Eagle Creek.
Smiley Lovelace o f Springwater
is also driving a Dodge, which he
purchased from the Cascade peo
ple a few’ weeks ago.