The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-10-17
DIGGER HILL DESCRIBED.
Queer Experiences aad Obser-
vations of a Traveller.

/ Dear Gazette:-I send you q few observa-
tion> OH IA hunting and fishing trip through
the Aisea>. AS it seems best to mention
prominent things first will commence with
| Digger hill.
| Who has not heard of Digger hill,
w Whlch 4Al<enns cross on their way to mill;
There wIid nl>iiaps would volumes ill
| Though retuld here So biuntly.
The people referred to in the lines above
are civilized and many of them can justly
lay claim to a fair degree of culture. They
have internarried f.om time to time with
| the people living across the great mountains
| to The south and east until they appear to
1 possess but Jew of their ancient characteris-
tics. Their isolatad situation, however, to-
i gctier with the unfortunate circumstance of
the county having built road for them to
| travel, over une of the high hest mountains in
North AInericn, where they are daily sub
leceed to loss Or bereavement, must rsnder
them for all time distinct in some features of
development.
! The old settlers, and, indeed, the heads Of
families GENERALLY, betray an unusual degree
OF care and anxiety, frequently while in con-
versation pausing to listen or cast their eyes
i'll the direction OF Digger Hill, while the
younger generation have acquired and con-
stantly exhibit d kind OF daredevil ea-
preston not met with elsewhere, and which
can be explained only by the fact that their
homes are situated in the Immediate vicinity
or Digger Hill. Why such mountain
should be called a hill L am unable to ex-
plain. 1t seems to be promontory ascen-
ding from the top Of Mary's Peak II distance
of about ten miles into the sea of mountain
peaks to the southwest, cutting the Alsca
valley in twain and laying heavy tribute on
all intercourse between the sections. Its
exact height is unknown, but from the effect
upon my breathing apparatus (the only
barometrical instrument at HANDY while
crossing the summit, l should judge it to be-
about 10000 feet above the line OF the Upper
Alsea valley. The atmosphere even at this
elevation is slightly bracing and after a few
hours rest found myself partially restored
from the fatigue and shocks incident to the
ascent, and might even have felt comfortable
had it not been for an intense desire to get
down. This feeling seems to be q natural
one and 1 believe is generally felt by those
|
much above the surrounding country. How
ever much We may drsire to soar mentally
we usually keep the physical man if possible
on solid foundation.
My way up to the summit was made with
out accident as was lucky enough not to
meet anyone. Should | have done SO it is
impossible to tell what the result you'd have
l.
anyone and a desperate encounter for right
OF way, in which the ittest would have sur
vivsd. W ould have followed,
notic.l at several places the trees below
were nearly denuded Of branches and saw
sticking to the stubs of those which were
broken off such articles as wool, hair, mus
| lin, flancl and calico. These learned after
ward were the only discovered remains OF
| horses, dogs, she:p, men, women and child
rem that had madea misstep and fallen into
space below. Buzzards were sailing around
and sometimes alighted to pick at these
fragments left i'll the trees. This may sound
/ very common place to an Alsea reader who
has Ell familiar with these things from
childhood, bus l declare it made me ner-
Y'.s, di<mpaptel aud led my horse as
close as possible TO the upper b. nix, holding
! my rifle ready for instant USE in ca> e should
inset anyone, and fully determined To fight
for the right to stay on the upper side OF the
r ad. On the down grade was less forum
! ate. l met the mail carrier. | knew his
claim to right Of way was backed by the
| United States, but dire necessity knows no
law, besides gravtation was operating in my
| favor and had gun.
introduced myself to him by cooking
my gun and telling him to get out of my
way. lie WAS neither frightened nor sur
prised, but with gentle smile told me not
to shoot, that he believed we could both be
saved. He then took his horse by the tail
and led him backwards down the hill about
| threc-quarters OF II mile to where he had pre-
| pared place for such an emergency by
| digging into the bank where the road crossed
| a canyon. Into this little hole his horse was
taken and L passed i'll safety. The horse
did not seem wearied by going backward SO
far and was undoubtedly we'll trained. As
| for his master, he was the most thoroughly
obliging man ever met. He told me h.
| HAL u sCHtHle Ill view ny WHICH IaGAl acCl.
dents on the hill could be reduced t., mini
mum. 1t WAS to put telephone wire across
SO anyone could give nuticc when they were
alb ,ut to start and thus keep the road clear.
He said it was an easy matter to train horses
SO they could be led back wards, his method
being to take the horse onto ii steep hill,
then by gently pulling his tail cause him to
st-p back until he acquired tn= habit"f walk
in, in this manner. Indeed. he said it was
not unusual to SIZE hurses that had been so
trained walking backwards instead of for
wards while feeding on the hills.
He informed me that for several years
past but few of the settlers had fallen over,
such accidents being confined t., insurance
agents, photographers and pnll!ers who,
bling strangers, venturcd or the hill with
untr aimed horses. After careful study at
the whole situation believe a sure-footed
person may cross the hill in reasonable
Sat'.tv If thew or IN kut nd ts,pn Il, ha