New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-02-28
n Cloud Land.

Mount Hood stands about sixty miles
from the great Pacific, - the crow dies,
and about two hundred miles up the
Columbia River, % It u navigated.
Mount Hood stands utterly alone. And
yet he u only . brother. . bigger and
taller brother, Of Well.raised family Of
seven snow-peaks.
At any season Of the year, you can
stand on almost any little eminence
within two hundred miles Of Mount
Hood and count seven snow-cones, clad
in eternal winter, piercing the clouds.
There 10 no scene 20 sublime o. this In
all the world.
The mountains Of Europe are only
bills in comparison. Although some OF
them arc quite - high q those of Ore
gon and Warrington Territory, yet they
lie far inland. and are 40 set on the top
Of other hills that they lose much Of
their majesty. Those Of Oregon start
up sudden and solitary, and almost out
Ut the sea, - it were. So that while
they arc really much higher than the
mountain peaks Of the Alps, they seem
to be about twice - high. And being
oil in the form Of pyramids or cones.
they are much more imposing and
beautiful than those Of either Asia or
Europe.
But that which adds most Of all to the
beauty and sublimity Of the mountain
scenery Of Mount Hood and his environs
IL the marvellous cloud effects that en-
compass him.
In the FIRST place, you must UNDER
stand that I'll this region here Is one
dense black mass Of machless and mag
nificent forests. From the waters edge
up to the snow-line Chamber and cling
the dark green Of, pine, cedar, tama-
rack. yew, and juniper. Some Of the
pines are heavy with great cones a.
long ~ your arms; some Of the yew
trees arc scarlet with berries; and now
and then you SEQ burly juniper bend
ing under load Of blue and bitter
fruit And nearly oil Of these trees are
mantled In garments Of moss. This
moss trails and swings lazily in the
wind. and sometimes droops to the
length Of . hundred feet.
In these great dark forests Is . dense
underground Of vine-mapls, hazel. noun.
tain ash, marsh ash. willow. and brier
bushes. Tangled in with al this is the
rank and ever-present and imperishable
fern.
Up and through and over all this
darkness ol forests. drift and drag and
lazily creep tho most weird and wonder.
full clouds In oil this world. They move
in great Caravans. They seem literally
TO % alive. They rise with the morn
incv ann 1;kA fho ronnt1a.. u,;ll;on. -
snow-white geese, swans, and other
waterfowl that freqssnt the rivers of
Oregon. and slowly ascend the noun.
tain aides, dragging themselves through
and over the tops OF the trees. heading
straight for the sea, or lowering about
the mountain peaks. like mighty white-
winged birds, weary Of flight and
wanting to rest.
They arc white IS snow, these clouds
of Oregon. deecy. and rarely, il ever,
still; constantly moving in contrast with
the black forests. these clouds are
strangely sympathetic to one who wor-
ships nature.
OF course, in the rainy season, which
IL nearly half the year here. these cloud
effects are absent. At such times the
whole land 10 one vast rain-cloud, dark
and dreary and full Of thunder.
Toseo snow-peak In Ill its sublimity
you must sec it above the clouds II Il
not necessary that you should climb the
peak TO do this, but ascend some neigh
boring hill and have the white clouds
creep up or down tho valley, through
and over the black forest between you
I'D kk,n - Al L.