Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-07
NORTHERN DELIGHTS.
A PICTURE OF COUNTRY LIFE IN JORDAN
VALLEY, OREGON.
Summer Joys-close to the Mountains
The Willamette valley-A Deer
embarrassing
PORTLAND. August /. 1880.

PORTLAND, August l, 1880.
So far our summer has gone along with
equable temperament, save one caloric
interval of three days when the mercury
went up and physical effort went down in
the inverse ratio. To have reached August
with only one brief heated term shows well
for the climate. During those three days
we slept with but one blanket, and that
only the latter part of the nights, while
since that there have been cool days and
actually cold nights, as | found when
{ eamped under fir tree close in among the
, Cascade ranges, on an expedition after
trout and good, restful time. There are
hundred streams that pour down into the
Willamette Valley, any one of which is at
tractive at this season. The particular one
which we visited came down out of wood
ed gorges into as charming valley as the
sun shines upon, bursting out upon fields
and meadows and delightful homes that
rival those we dream of when our slumbers
have Arcadian hues.
CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAINS.
! The most charming portions of what is
known as the Willamette valley are come
upon when you leave the main valley and
get lost among the spurs, that like Titan
arms reach out from the frowning ranges to
clasp in their embrace some hill-framed
vale, that bursts upon your vision like a
thing of beauty as you begin to think you
have left the sordid world behind This
| lixy 10 oil
valley, but we did not find the Jordan a
hard road to travel until we left che last
field and meadow behind, and went up the
in search of trout. There were two big
farm wagons in company, piled full Of
families, making rather jolly crowd. We
had trout enough to feast upon, and came
near to having yenison.
DEER HUNT.
! We camped ON the pre- emption of
pioneer who had left his good farm, a few
miles below, to the care of his son, while
he made new home so far up that he and
his hounds could have room to move about
in and good chance for game. 1t comes
hard on the old original webfoot who emf
grated from Missouri in the '40s to have
the civilized world hem him in, and our
friend was one who wanted to be nearer to
the deer than to the settlements. He had
two lads who boasted that when mere chill
dren they had slain their venison, and told
of brother who had proved an embryo |
Nimrod at 9 years of age. OF old-say
twenty-five years ago-word used to be |
passed down the valley that the hell
roarin' Thomases" had broken out and |
raised Cain. They lived in the forks"
and whenever they came to town there |
were lively times. But as the years went |
on and civilization crept into i" the forks"
the " Thomases settled down to be work |
ing citizens and seemed to lose their hell |
roarin proclivities. Our friend was one
of the remaining remnant, and despite the |
terrible reputation his tribe had about the
middle of the present century, he proved |
hospitable and neighborly to the
last degree. One morning we &C.
cepted with thanks his proposition to
turn out at daylight with the hounds
and drive in a deer Our men were sta.
toned on the creek with assurance that the
dogs would certainly End deer and drive
him down the stream Sure enough. at
dawn we were walked by the sounding horn
and baying dogs, and soon the stands were
occupied and the dogs sent off to the
mountains. Time passed, and the dogs,
all but one, came back; the old man and
the boys took the homeward road, and our
men came home to breakfast on trout, but
it SO happened that the hound that did not
come back was the Nestor of the pack. 1t
was business with him, every time. He
was one of those really remarkable hounds
that seem endowed with unusual intelli-
gence, and after while he was heard COM
ing in with his deer, baying away among
the mountains to let US know what he was
about; but our men had come in ten min.
utes too soon, for the deer went past the
deserted stands in just that time after they
left We came that near to having yeni-
son as well as trout.
suMmERISo AND HARVESTING.
Just before harvest our farmers like to
enjoy trip either to the mountains or the {
shore, and harvest with US has but just
begun the baying is not yet over Just
now some wheat is ripe enough to cut and
from this time out, for month or six
weeks to come, there viii be hurry and ,
chatter of sickle and separator to save the ,
splendid crop. Meantime, they have
haunted the seashore or hunted the noun
tains, or visited the numerous soda springs |
or trout streams to get rest and recreation / !
to recruit them for the hard work of har- :
vest, which is, after all, nothing to COM !
pare with the laboriousness with which
we Graded and bound by hand twenty-five Q
years ago, and tramped out the grain be- Il
fore there was q harvester or thresher in !
the country. {
PICTURE OF COUNTRY LIFE
Away up in the distant valley l spoke
Of awhile ago, l met one Sunday with a
that was leaving the church t
building to go to spot in the young river
near by, where there was to be bap-
tizirg." Such an occurrence is a notable
event in the country, and it seemed to be
appreciated by the good people n
IF Jordan valley, who turned out in great \
numbers to attend the services. | ac-
,epted the situation as one favorable to az
ord fair glimpse of countrylife in Oregon
= in fact, of Oregon and its people .;
Iiemmed in by enriching hills was the -
beautiful valley, all fenced-in fields, and r
The greater part in splendid cultivation. / -
nave not seen in the world finer meadows
md more promising wheat fields than here.
The beauty of the picture was enhanced
~ sno ChdIillnS hoiIies tnat uOttSu Ihe n
landscape so frequently as to be strong
contrast with many portions of your State, G
md by each bright home was thriving or.
hard and bountiful garden, with all the y,
loihestic races OF animals represented in
he fields and pastures. 1t was picture
# agricultural and pastoral life such as
atisfies as well as pleases, and was made >,
more satisfactory when one knew that this y
vidently prosperous community had just i;
passed through trying ordeal of blighted =
rops and many ruined hopes We passed 8.
{ least two dozen vehicles loaded with - -
antilles, constituting in the aggregate u u
community of which any country may well la
'e proud. There were many neat turn ~
uts and good teams, and the people them :"
elves had well to. do and intelligent APP
that correspondent with the scene =,
nd was an honor to the country =: