The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-07-23

pass over the main ridge of high
altitude; the journey through these
mountains is series of windings over
numerous ridges, through various tun-
nels, and around sharp curves. 1t is
also ride through valleys, some of
which are green with vegetation. Many
low peaks and intervening valleys spread
over miles of country describe the chain
which constitutes the backbone of our
continent.
But the chief reason why the trip
should be made in early Summer is that
Oregon, Washington Territory, and the
country about Puget Sound then show
to best advantage. During the whole
season, and until late in December, the
Northwest coast is most beautiful, and
has many very clear days, but in late
May and june clear sky is more to be
depended upon. Not to see the snow
capped peaks makes any trip to Oregon
unsatisfactory.
Clouds and bad weather do not inter-
fere with the tourist to any extent dur
ing the whole Summer. After the rainy
season of Winter the sky becomes clear
and sunshine pours down bountifully.
Smoke is the enemy of the tourist. It
does not come every year, nor does it
always last long, but when the season
for its presence comes one cannot tell
how long time will elapse before the
atmosphere can clear itself. Rain or
good stiff breeze from the proper point
will dissipate it, but rain cannot be
depended upon in Summer, and the
breeze does not always blow from the
right quarter. This smoke comes from
various sources. Each year new land is
opened for cultivation. The brush
cleared away and the stumss dug from
the ground are burned. This burning
for legitimate purposes makes some
smoke, but proper care is not taken to
extinguish the fires, and famed by the
breezes they often spread and consume
large portions of the forests. Other fires
made by campers for cooking meals
are carelessly left burning and communi-
cate themselves to the timbered forests.
These fires set at the height of the dry
season are apt to consume millions of
feet of timber. They occur annually
and the destruction depends entirely
upon the condition of the forests for
communicating them. In the East such
waste by fire as occurs here would be
considered criminal. The smoke is
referred to in Oregon and Washington
as Every disagreeable," but such refer
ence is made more as topic of CONVERSE
ton than as o matter in which people
are usually seriously interested. The
timber of the Northwest coast is appar-
emily inexhaustible, and the destruction
of "a few million feet concerns no one very
deeply. Back of Tacoma, on the line of
the projected Cascade Division of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, much injury
has been done the forests by fires.
There can be seen acres OF trees measur-
ing from to 10 and 10 feet in diameter,
stripped of their bark and limbs. They
rise from 100 to 200 feet in the air. and
like spcctres stand in the midst of waste
of trunks fallen thick about them. The
sight of q burned forest is not pleasant.
One cannot help contrasting the dead
and dying mass of trunks with the living
trees beyond, and blaming mankind as
whole for the destruction of forests
beauty and wanton waste of fine
material. have known people to miss
much of the beautiful and grand on the
North Pacific coast by this smoke, but
fear of meeting it should not cause any
one to hesitate about trip. But June
and even earlier is safe time to make
the trip, because then the sky is clear,
and the moisture is not so dried out of
the ground that serious fires can occur.
Such smoke does much to injure the
country in the eyes of those unfortunate
enough to meet with it. They carry
East with them IN impression of the
country very unlike what it really is.
The whole Northwest coast is filed
with scenery both grand and beautiful.
The Columbia River is famous for its
mass of water. its perpendicular cliffs,
its picturesque waterfalls, and tho many
exquisite bits of water view. Early sum-
mer shows its waters high, and plenty of
volume in Multnomah Falls. These
falls are fortunately near tho river and
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