Weston weekly leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 1878-189?, 1880-07-03
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For some years past it has become
.ponotanlaus ~ notice hoy the sewspap-
!!ers Of the Willapette valley at irregular
intervals call attention TO the signs of
activity observable around Mt Hood.
The observations Of these Journals, it il
unnecessary, to state, hnye alwa,vs been
made at = safe distance, and as tar from
the truth as they we're from the noun
tain. -sAlmoet every one knows that Mt.
Hood is of volcanic origin, and that it
Ray some day hreak forth with destruct
i've fury. 1t is at present ip q state of
.quiescenee, and Aas been SO for many
years. BUT although Mt. Hood now no
longer serves as an outlet to the pent up
emotions Of old Mother Earth, yet it is
iinthrscty instrumental in afording re
lief to tAe average Webfoot editor The
Portland Oregonian, Vancouver Iade-
pendent, and others of like bore, have an
annual eruption Of righteousness, some
thing like to the following: "At his
cldgtricks again-Mt. Hood smoking"
After this outburst Of Webfoot. wit and
2 generous diet.of sassafras tea, the sub
lsct is dismissed until the following year
lat which time it appears fresh and bril-
iaAt as ever. With due Difference to
the Superior intelligence which these
journals justly arrogate to themselves,
We must hulnhly doubtif any white man,
excepting, Of course, the venerable Joe
Meek, ever saw, at the distance these
papers are from Mt. Hood, any smoke or
flames issuing from it.
One day in the month of August,
1873; the editors of this paper, accom-
panied by several gentlemen fro m Port
land, made the ascent of Mt. Hood. The
weather was clear and beautiful. While
scaling its snowy sleeps, Or resting on
ats .giddy summit, we observed no pecu-
liar phenomenon that would indicate a
dangerous state of activity. There was
no smoke, no flames, nothing of an un-
usual character. 1t is true, we watched
with pleasure the feecy clouds circlins
around its hoary peak, while all thessky
beyond was bright and clear, and the
beautiful landscape beneath was bathed
in food of glorious sunlight. When
we returned from our trip, however, we
learned from the Oregoaiam that the
very day upon which we made the as.
cent, Mt. Hood had been behaving very
badly At Portland, fifty miles away,
dense columns of smoke had beed seen
arising from the mountain, issuin g from
fhs crater. These papers always place
the crater on the summit, although those
whs have been there place the crater or
the south side of the mountain, quite 9
way down. 1t is rather peculiar that
those who we're on the mountain tina,
day, and those who were camped only
eight. miles away, did not see the vol
.umes of dense smoke witnessed by the
,Oregonian. It is well-known fact thai
during certain seasons of the year, thu
atmosphere of the Willamette valley il
somewhat smoky. When looking at Mt
Hood, those learnrd persons must have
had smoke in their eyes. Preposterout
as it may seem to some. we have nc
doubt that clouds will FIR some time
to come have tendency to circle the
submits of high mountains while al
around is clear. But certain paper
will doubtless sec smoke issuing from
Mt. Hood as regularly as the sea son
come round.