The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-08-20
Fish Lake and Vicinity.

a parallel to the present weather both as
to its intense heat and its duration, is
not recorded in the annals of the history
of Oregon, and without tue recollection of !
the oldest inhabitants There are many, /
however, who will distinctly remember
the second and third days of July four
years ago, as the hottest weather ever
experienced in Oregon, and during which
time it was simply matter OF lmpossi-
bilty to be comfortable under the most
favorable circumstances. All kinds OF
vegetation was completely burned up, as
it were, the streams receded SO rapidly
that many feared some of them would be
entirely dried up; the thermometer
stood ll20 in the shade, with not breath
of air stirring, and all persons were SO
completely overcome with heat that no
one would risk, and in fact could not
stand being out doors in the sun for more
than or 10 minutes at time. Those
two DAYS are said to be the hottest ever
known in this State. The present term
has not been SO hot, but has been of
much Ion ger duration. Twas at such
an interesting time as this, that
started on Il tour of inspection to the
! mountains of Hepsidam, where the lion
roareth, &c. MYoutfit was one complete
armory, and consisted of one jack knife,
one fine tooth comb, tooth brush, towl,
one sixteen inch double barreled Bowie
knife, one yauger, one pair of heavy re-
volyers: two shot guns, one smooth bore
musket, 5000 percussion caps, five bags
of shot, reams of paper, J 3fb of powder,
one loaf Of bread, and 3 bottles Of whisky,
prepared for operations offensive and
defensive, and determined to fight it out
on that line if it took all summer. But
it didn't take all summer. The COM
pauy of which the expedition was CON-
posed, as it left this city, if not respect
able in point of numbers, was doubly SO
in a moral and intellectual point of view;
and as Your correspondent always liked
to talk to sensible man. and hear 4
sensible man talk, the conversation du-
ring the first twenty miles of the trip
from Brownsville to the toll-gate was
extremely entertaining and lively, if not
profitable. Tie country through which
the present season OF the year, rather
unluviting, aud as the hour for noon was
near at hand, some dinner seemed to be
absolutely essential to the comfort and
we'll being Of the Inner man
An occasional health or pleasure seek
er was passed. camped Oh the banks of a
stream where wood, water aud grass were
abundant, enjoying the out door air as
well in the valley as in the mountains.
We crossed .Ames' creek" and reach
ed slight elevation over which the road
passed, and VIC have the first view of
Sweet Home" \ very pretty little val
ley certainly; entirely hemmed in by
the surrounding hills and mountains,
among which it uestles and looks quite
comfortable and home like, and its
name ''Sweet Home is very appropriate
There are perhaps two or three sections
Of land in the valley susceptible Of cult
walton, though fern of the rankest growth
covers great portion OF the level land
and is, OF course, somewhat a drawb K
to successful cultivation. as fern always
is wherever found. The inhabitants,
however, seem to be industrious, thrifty
we'll to-do farmers, and | noticed several
fine fields of wheat and oats, which look
ed fully as well as any had seen further
down the Willamette valley The resi-
dences although not imposing or very
pretentious, had an air of neatncss and
comfort around them, and your CORES
pondent could see no reason why life
could not be enjoyed fully as well in
Sweet Home" as at other points more
favorably located perhaps, as to access II
market and advantages of more extensive
society but the Sweet Homer's hac.
advantages not possessed by some othe
localities that of pure mountain air
clear cold sparkling water, which run;
through their valley, dancing merr,
brooklet, alternately leaping on its wa,
through the sunshine sparkling with life
or running silently through the deel
recesses Of wood On either side, secmingl,
reveling in gladness in its own undis
turbed happy and peaceful possession o
the many charms which the God of ma
ture has given it and with which he ha
so bountifully supplied all animate anc
inanimate nature.
The view of the mountains over which
our route lay across the Cascades wa
grandly UNI pleasant, and suggestive o
nothing neither romantic or beautiful
| he NdlISt VI u ShS =
we'll defined, winding it's way up anon:
the bare rocks of the hills bordering it
banks, the more elevated peaks stretchin:
away to either right or left, and diml,
seen through the green foliage whicl
covers the foot hill this side Of what /
known as the 'burnt district" and owe
which the ''Willamette Valley and Cas-
cade Mountain Wagon Road passes
winding along the base, and finally cross
ing the hills forming the dividing ridg
between the waters of "Wiley Greek,
which flows through Sweet Home vale.
on the south, and the South Fork of tn
t Santiam river on the ncrth. But, how
ever, at the upper end of tho valley, an
a some two miles this side of where tn
t road crosses the divide, an object of in
: terest or at least attention presents it
4 self to the eye of the traveller as the
: TOLL GATE
0 of the aforesaid Wagon Road Company
: attended to by Mr.. Gilliand, who is eve
t ready on the part of the Co. to receiy