New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-15
LETTERS FROM NEXT DOOR.
No. XII
Up TIE COLUMBIA.

UP THE COLUMBIA.
SAN Francisco. Sept eG.-I don't know any social
axiom moIe incontrovertiblc than Hoods" The
man who's fond prccOciously of stirring must he a
spoon" Over night we felt that the great day oil our
lives was at hand and that getting mp a three IN the
morning was the least attention could render the
Columbia in compliment to all the greatness 1t would
reveal to us. In the mornng-we kept our VOW
indeed. with the stern nobility Of Lucius Jnnins'
sunamed Brutus. The very clocks were not more
determined nor more punctna than we. Bnt we
came on board chilly and miserable, and susliined'
am glad to say. only by red-handed hatred OF our
kind. Each sauted each other with saturnlne ana
grim civility, more whitening than rudeness. and
there was no single point of agreement between the
whole company except the bitter tolerance with
which we all looked ont at the black void. calling
itself the river rs who should say, Show us some
thing very fine indeed. then, by way OF scenery or
expect no sort of consideration at our hands" ms
stearier of our actOn whose passengers could hafd-
IN have been gOOncr had Charon been their captain
was a day-boat and 50 there were no statefooms 10
speak Of But straightway all about the caDln lay
scattered large cOcooDs Of various coors which, be-
inc gently stirred when breakfast was announced,
were found to contain the vital principle OF the
slcepiest, and, therefore, the bcst-natured OF the
company Breakfast indeed. reconciled ono 10
many sings and arrows Of outrageous fortune ahd'
Modified but still defiant, we assembled on the
guards and waited;--as they who had given gener-
Gus order for natural beauty and were properly nm
nlacable at its not being sent home az per agree
ment.
mention our attitude Of unbelief and superiority
as an act of simplest justice TO the Columbia For inc
SPLENDID river overcame even this black mood and
L.. tho mo Yin M W
out from the low wooded shores of the Wallamet we
swept into the stateier stream and turned faces
eastward toward tho broadening light white
mist hid the shores, crept along the water, climbed
IN the horizon so that nothing was in the universe
whose airy walls it builded save our littlo micro
cosm of hfe There was such stiffness such clcmen-
tary emptiness, such absence of color and harmony
and the rich complexities of organized eX-
istcnce. that it seemed to be the hush
and pause of tho uncOmpeted world
into which we had strangely come-and the
time seemed that in which the spirit of the Lord
moved on the face Of the waters A road in that
misty chaos. a road made by man and Travelled by
man. would have been intolerable. But the
wayelcss, soundless river was the fit and expected
presence and gave even TO our modern and prosaic
coming something Of its mystery and imper-
sonalty, so that we did not seem 10 intrudc.
By-and-by we saw tho miracle of the Creation.
The mists stole back from the river and lifted a
little from the shores The chilly roof of vapor
parted and the tender. bending sky acknowledged
us Last, far up the horizon Glowcd the perfect
morning, and the sun came over tho towering
mountains in such state that seemed never before
20 have seen its approach. Then all the purple and
fre-tipped peaks uplIfted themselves suddenly,
still clothed in mists except their shining tops, on
which the heavens rested Presently these mists,
too. vanished and then we were possessed by and
possessed the Columbia.
IN some moods Yo Semitic was grander II was
never more satisfying, never more beautiful In Yo
Semitic Won were oppressed and oyerborne by the
immensely and awfuncss. IL was days before you
were heroic enough for tho occasion. Then, indeed
YOU knew that life had no other Mount Of Vision so
sublimc nor from which so fair lands lay open. But
the Columbia has that beauty and greatness which
enter every mood with blessing. One could sec 70
Semitic and then die But one would sail on the Co
lnmba through soft. long days Of every sweet re-
curing Summer, and every Summer would II seem n
loyclier voyage Here where the clouds lifted, the
stream flowed clear and smooth between mountain
shores. mile and half apart and rising sharp and
bold thousands Of feet IN air. Forests, tracklcss
silent illimifable covered their rocky sides,
times stretching TO tho very top sometimes dwn-
ding into groups and thckcts as they climbed.
And on the very crest, standing out alone
and smoking their lusty life from the inhospitable
stone lone pines shot ont Of the creyiCes of rock,
looking so far above u.s. like the wooden toytrees IN
the boxes Of pay-solders that so delight the chill
dren. These mountains are solid wall along the
river for miles on miles. Sometimes there Is neither
rift nor gorge nor scar in Their hugo sides. Then a
canon opens, and one looks beyond and beyond,
other mountains coming down TO Ink themselves in
an intending chain and'glimpses of far-oif levels or
gray fields of rock bounding the vision. Sometimes
waterfall da2zes and dances ont of the sky, it
seems; little flutterng, quivering cobweb at first
then a floating ribbon, then broad wind-blown
vail OF spray. then o cascade leaping from rock to
rock forty, sixty. hundred feet. then a swift
resistless. triumphant rush of water swirling and
whrling toward the river Of its love.
And then. my forests! have seen plenty Of
scrubby woods, and am not unfamiliar with woods
that arc not scrubby. But my Imagination had not
foreseeu any more than my wordscan tell. the salts
faction of this wilderness First there were the
pincs-if they w@e pines. They looked to me like
some celestial sort of growD-up, feathery. ground
evergreen. They rose straight and fair humid
reds of feet-wel three hundred then,
some of them, If one must be mathc-
matical-a glimpse of red-brown boIls warm
through the foliage Of the lesser trees and glory of
spreading, plumy dNrkgreOn boughs, so purely out
lined that every little tuft of them looked as If IT,.
and it alone, had been finished with the special pur-
pose Of showing how perfect q thing tree-branch
might be made for the enjoyment of the woodpeck
ers and the slugs. Then came the cotton-woods,
standing idly gracious and welcoming all along the
shore in such Gorgeousness Of golden spendor. and
in such royal easo and grace Of attitude, that
you forgot their goOd-for-nothingness and
general bad name among more virtu-
ons and useful tr6ea, and took them