The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-08-01
OWN THE GREAT COLUMBIA.
A W1's Sightseeing on the ''Grandest
River OF the Globe"

- N.F1<A Dittl ia
ha*ever been better illustrated than
Dy<pe fact that not one of our forty.
tWy states is named after the diacoY-
ere OF America. True, there are
more than fifty Columbia counties,
townships, cities and villages in the
UWfed States, and thirty more have
ad9pted the name Columbus, while
the Gapitai of the country lies in the
Dietfict of Columbia /; hut this dis
sricteOmpriseS an area of only sixty
fotlfequare miles. and in country
wSyefe so much is thought of big
SZs..ksgtA Columbus surely ought to
have been sponsor of one of ouf Iarg-
est States. An excellent opportun-
itv was missed on the occasion of the
recent admission of Washington Ter
ritory to statehood, Of changing its
name 10 Columbia. This would not
only have prevented muchsconfusi0n
in the mails. but would have been
singularly appropriate for the reason
that Washington is bounded on the
South by the Columbia River and
on the North by British Columbia
However, even If it failed to use
It's opportunity for adopting the
name Of Columbia for one Of its
states, TIE Northwest has done more
To honor the name of Columbus than
any other part of the country, for
here is British Columbia, with its
magnificent mountain scenery, more
than eight times as large as the state
of New York ; and, better still, the
Columbia River, 5000 miles in
length, with the grandest scenery in
the world. l have repeatedly seen
the Hudson. the St. Lawrence, Mis-
sissippi, Missouri, Sacramento, the
Rhine, Elb, and Danube, and none of
these rivers impressed me as deeply
as the Columbia, which with the eX-
ceptiOnS of the castles on the Rhine,
combines the best features of all OF
them and adds to them what they all
lack--a background of lofty peaks
covered with eternal snow. Grandeur
is the WatchwOrd of the Columbia,
which, with this mountainous back
ground and the stupendOus S.ulptur-
ing of its banks, towers above other
-. .,..seas- rivers as the high Alps OF
Switzerland do above our Adiron-
dacks and Catskilis.
THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR A 'V." "
The trip down the Columbia from
Portland is interesting on account 0i
the snow peaks, the vast volumes OF
water, the salmon cannerieS, Astoria,
and the unrulv and notorious COlum-
bia River bar. But the real seniC
part of the river is the Upper or Mid
die Columbia rom Portland to the
Dalles, which cannot be seen often
enough, and which presents on the
down trip aspects of the scenery So
different from those enjoyed on go
ing up that a return ticket should be
taken by all means. Such ticket,
from Portland to DiIles and back
costs IS, for which you can spend two
whole days on the Columbia. | have
seen a great part of three continents.
but if | were asked what | considered
the best investment of a So bill had
made for combined and aesthetic en-
joyment and hygenic eXhilaration.
should name this return trip on the
Columbia River. Tourists who have
time for one trip only should go up
the river, because in that direction
the scenery is arranged most effect
lively, becoming ever grander and
wilder till the climax is reached in
the marvellous rapids above Dalles
city.
Yet these shores, which in the next
century will hold thousands of happy
farmers. are now an absolute wilder
ness, and an hour may pass before Il
farm house or village is sighted from
the steamer. Had the unreas0ning
multitudes who rushed to Oklahoma
quietedly taken up homesteads il
this region, which is so favored by
climate, soil and scenery. they would
have avoided their wholesale disap'
pointment.
HOODED WITH ETERNAL SNOW.
Two hours after leaving Portland
Mt. Hood. whose base had been pre-
viuusly concealed by the Cascade
ridges, suddenly comes into view
life.size, from top to base. Were
the banks of the Columbia as flat anG
monotonous as those of the Lower
Mississippi this sight alone would
crown it king of rivers. For full
hour the steamersai straight TOWARD
the mountain, as if intending to lane
a, its base for a supply of ice from itt
glaciers, but all at once it moves t
the left as the steamer prOvOkingly
changes it's course. Fol two hcurs
more, however, the mountain re
10 anna 1nOrf