Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-08-18


tigers against the first advanc
agents of European civilization. 1
was their sacred camping ground
rich with all that went to sustain saw
age life. The rocks we're. as they are
now. alive with shrimp, clans, oysters
and mussels. At low tide the sane
breaches are full of razor-back clans
that here attainan immense size. The
rocks are full of crabs and sea birds
At nearly all seasons the waters are
alive with mackerel, herring, cod
grouper, bass and smelt, and as regu.
lar as the tides there come up the
salmon in their season out of the sea
to seek tie fresh water streams, lit
orally swarmiug out upon the land.
Such a place must have been a per.
feet heaven for lazy savages, and no
wonder they resisted John Gaunier.
BEAVER CREEK
is famous trout water. 1t must
have been a tidal stream, but the
gradually rising beaches have cut it
off, so that it isnow perfectly land
locked lake-llke sheet, winding back
into the dead timber hill country.
The Beaver is fed by countless springs
and brooks from the hills, and is
eight to ten feet deep and the banks
are level fields and meadows six inches
to a foot above the surface of the
chrystal clear water. 1t used to be
alive with trout, from the speckled
beauty of the brook to the salmon
trout, sea trout and largest chinook.
The high tides of winter and spring
sill permit the ocean salmon to run
into the Beaver and the farmers for
miles back supply themselves with
salmon to salt and smoke from this
stream. When they are running in
from the ocean they are speared in
large quantities, and the Indians are
said to have captured them as is de-
scrlbed in Walter Scott's "Red Gaunt-
let," by spearing the fish from on
horseback. We did not do this but
were satisfied to catch some fine ones
with the trOll-hook, but as usual the
finest got away.
PRIMITIVE ENJoYMENTS
are the rule here. TO see the ladies of |
Jhe Salem Four Hundred wading like
little children in the surf; to go clam
ming and dig for the nimble razorback |
rs he goes working down into the
mixture Of sand and salt water which
his home; to take rake
nd gather the rock clam, a variety
peculiar TO Seal Rock; to pick the
ock oyster and muSsels like a paddy
n the railroad; TO gather huckleber-
es, wild straw berries, now just
ipening here. is for grown people to
ecur to the delights OF childhood and
Iecome young again. At night we
lave bontires on the beach and it is
omical to behold men who never so
nuc, has PUT hand to lawnmower at
lome, and who write the final inter.
,retation Of the peoples laws and
hape public policies, here struggle
With no less weighty matters like
lriftwood logs and swing an axe to
et out good fir knots to make a blaz-
ng fire. The children play old-fash-
Oned games on the level beach, while
lder ones sit on .improvised benches
nd listen to wierd symphony COM
osed Of the dashing breakers, the
moaning nightwinds, the cracking of
he fire and shouts of the little ones.
Next morning some of the men de-
ide to go on fish and hunt in the ;
yahats country. There are early
rigging up of rods and
ifies, arrangements for weeks
amping out, speculation as to
'hether an elk, or how many deer
hall fall by the hunters hand, and
hey're off by the Alsea state line.
We return to our cottage at Newport /
where lot of mail and positive de-
lands await us, that our regular
hree columns of daily editorial mat {
er shall be forthcoming, or there will
9 no wages paid. Seal Rocks is |
lace we all regret to leave.
e. HoFER.