Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-07-04
4 PACIFICCOAsT WATERING PLACE.
Letter from Mrs. SaxtOn.
CLATsoP BEACH, Oregon,

| ana nlSnL 8 rest at ASLOrla,-a Ilue
of twenty miles South along the coast,
brought us to the Sumner House at
Clatsop Beach. The next morning at
day break, we became dimly conscious
Of unfamiliar sounds which had been
making themselves part Of our morn
ing dreams. A loud monotone, SEEM
ing to come from a distance, recalled
the well-remembered sound of the rest
less ocean breaking on lis shores. At
intervals, a deep moan which died
away into faint wailing sigh, told
that the wakening wind was breathing
through the solemn aisles of some pine
forest near. Still little nearer, CUR
gle and dash, evidently disclosed a
musical brook close by, murmuling
over stoney bed. And at last, max
ing desperate effort our eyes opened
on the white walls Of our tent, through
which the morniog sun was shining
brightly, and we remembered We were
at Clatsop. And Clatsop is the un-
melodious name of the fashionable
watering place Of Oregon, having sew
eral rivals along the coast, but none
possessing such numerous attractions.
Indeed, several old AID observant
travellers warmly contend that no other
summer resort on this continent pcs
sesscs 50 many natural advantages.
That few artificial ones are needed,
is evident, from the fact that half Of
the visitors are encamped like ourselves
on this grassy sward near the one
storied, clap-boardcd, whitewashed
building we call "The notel," and
which never has had and never will
have, sufficient accommodations for all
who come, till it passes out Of the
hands Of its present owners Our land
lord and his wife arc half breeds
French and Indian, an+ have sufficient
Fr,uch blood to make them superb
cooks. and enough Indian to prevent
them ever improving their house,
grounds or roads, though the number
Of guests cGns'auIly increases every
year. Fortunately, We were aware Of
this before We left Portland, and arriv-
ing here before night, lad time to pitch
our tent and spread the mattrass.
Before the dew is Off The grass we
hear the br, ,ak:ast bell which the land
lord is obligingly ringing along our
line Of tents, and lifting our canvass
door, we rcaognlze before US the brook
which we forded yesterday, its waters
deep and limpid, reticcLing bending
boughs and dropping leaves, and grace
full vines clambering over the trees
and bushes which 50 densely line the
banks. 1t has its rise in some rocky ,
silent dell among those distant hills,
flows through the valley, robing these
meadows in living green, and ''goes on
forever to the sea.n 1t furnishes for
our table the finest brook and salmon
trout; the landlord taking daily, some
times thirty, sometimes eighty, from
his trap, which is set below the falls a
few steps from the hotel.
This beautiful valley or plain of Clat-
sop is on the Pacific coast, twenty miles
south Of the mouth Of the Columbia
river, the whole shore for that distance
being wide, hard and shelving, afford.
ing facilities for watering places at any
point. The plain here is quite narrow,
the base of the foot hills Of the Coast
Range mountains being but three or
four miles distant, while a spur from
them stretches across the plain on the
south, and juts out into the Pacific at
an elevation Of four or five hundred
feet. In the distance are the higher
peaks Of the Coast Range, densely
wooded from base to peak, sky mingl-
ing mountains that o'erlook the clouds.
Such country must of course
abound in game, but not always of the
desirable kind, as part who started
out for elk few days ago found bear
instead. He showed at first an evident
desire to pursue his morning walk in
an opposite dill, ction from the hunters,
but on being attacked he showed fight
He was soon killed but not until he
had hugged the largest dog so forcibly
that he has been lame ever since.
Along the borders of our creek near lts
mouth, the massive boulders strewn
thickly around, the trees, bushes and
surface of the water are alive with a
variety of birds, snipe, plover, sea-
gulls, geese, ducks, and an occasional
crane, with its legs and neck of lndef-
mite length, stalking majestically over
the sand.
The beach is but a short distance
from the hotel and we find it in per-
feet condition for driving, promenad-
ing and bathing at certain hours in the
day The undertwo is scarcely per-
ceptible at the ebb tide, and five bathe
then we ONLY refrain from Yenturing