The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1891-09-19
MAnsnrIrLp Or, Sept. ls. 1890.

MARsHFIELD Or, Sept. IL. 1890
EDITOR GLACIER:
, We arrived At this place yesterday at
3 O'Clock p. m, and will give you a
brlefacc0unt OfOur exceedingly inter
ercsting trip, on which, believe, we
experienced all the modes of travel Of
the day.
We left Portland at O'Clock We'd
nesday morning Oh the Southern
Pacllic, and arrived ut Drain ut p. IN.
just one day too late for the stage,
which did not go out again until Fri
day. A short delay was not unpleas-
ant, being In strange place | was
anxious 10 see all there was 10 be seen.
Thursday afternoon ! walked to the
Snowdcn Mineral Springs, two and n
half miles sOut Of Drain. This place IL
quite popular summer resort In this
part Of the country. | drank some Of
the winter from the spring but can not
say that am particularly fond OF it.
But was told that the baths were very
refreshing. Left Drain Friday morn
Ing at o'clock on the stage for Scots
burg, n distance Of 30 miles. The first
sixteen miles was down Elk creek
canyon, which afforded some very
beautiful scenery. There are also
some fine farms on Elk creek, but
Judging from their appearance, the
farmers are not very thrifty lot. The
largest farm we passed contained 1920
acres.
We reached Elkton at II o'clock and
after dinner resumed our journey down
the Umpqua river. This is very
pretty river, the waters are deep and
clear and flows very gently, being bro
Ken occasionally by short rapids.
The stage follows the river all the
way and is no where more than q few
rods distant from it. Two years ago
there were a great many avalanches
along the Umpqua, number of
which we saw from the road. At one
place on the bank of the river about 80
acres had started to slide and settled
100 feet. We were told by the driver
that II farm was situated OH the place,
and that 1t started to slide at II o'clock
at night with family in the house.
Notwithstanding this freak of nature
making his place 100 feet lower, and
easier Of access, the man concluded to
move.
Wild game Is plentiful along the
river. Had | had gun could have
killed IA quantity Of grouse, quail,
phcasants and ducks, along the road.
At 4 p. III. we reached Scottsburg, and
after delicious supper at the Farmer
hotel, we boarded the steamer Juno, for
Ia twenty mile ride down the Ump-
qua to Gardiner. This ride is one
long to be remembered. We left
Scottsburg shortly before sundown, and
AS the sun was setting it made beau
tiful picture. The river thickly
fringed with maple and alder trees,
with the sun casting bright tint on
the clear waters, made picture indeed.
We arrived at Gardiner ut $50 p. m.,
where we stopped for the night. Gar
diner Is very pretty town, and seems
to he very lively. | like this place bet
ter than any on the route with one eX-
ceptiOn, that being hotel accommoda-
tiOns which could not be recommended.
We took the steamer Juno, again at 8
a. H., Saturday, and proceeded to the
mouth of the Umpqua. The steamer
can not land here, so all of the freight
and passengers are Handed in small
boat. Here we take stage again, the
wagon is backed into the water and
the passengers transferred into it. The
breakers are but II few rods from the
landing, consequently we had quite an
exciting time. We were the only pass
engers for the Bay, until we reached
Gardiner, where Mrs. Reynolds, son
and daughter, of San Francisco joined
us.
The road from the mouth of the
Umpqua, to Coos Bay, is along the
beach and is only travelled at low tide,
and the distance is twenty miles. The
ride along the beach would have been
delightful had it not been for the cold
wind blowing off the ocean. The man
in charge takes two teams and depends
upon the passengers driving one, while
he drives the other with express and
baggage. So it fell to the writers lot to
drive the passenger team. The ladies
Were very much interested in shells
and other curiosities on the beach, we
went slowly and admired them. When
within six miles of where the road
leaves the beach, we became conscious
that the tide was coming in, Whip
ping up the horses we left the water
without getting into it more than Il
few waves washing the wagon. One
more mile across the sand hills brought |