The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-08-26
THE VALLEYS OF OREGON.

THE VALLEYS OF OREGON.
Above which Angels Fold Their
Wings and Rest. A Land
Flowing with Milk and
Honey.
NUMBER Z.
liked the general appearance of Eu-
gene better than any other small city We
visited in Oregon or the west. Perhaps
1T was case of distance lending en-
chantment to the view," for it was only
from distance that most Of us saw it,
and birds eye view at that. But un-
like most Of the towns visited on the val
ley trip, Eugene is laid out on level
plain, while the others had not room to
expand without encroaching upon the
foothills. One could hardly conceive of
a prettier location for a town than that
of Eugene. 1t is situated cn the Villa
mette river at the head of navigation
and surrounded by beautiful mountain
scenery. The town has a population of
about five thousand, and is the leading
city of Lane county. Here is located the
University Of Oregon and the Eugene
Divinity school. The business houses
and dwellings are handsome In construc-
ton, the streets level and nicely shaded,
the city lighted with electricity and
there is q fine system of waterworks.
We reached Eugene some time in the
early morning. When the writer and
partner left the car everybody aboard
had pretty much disappeared; gone Tor
breakfast we were told; another morning
picnic it seemed. We wended our way
toward rise OF ground short distance
from the station-which as one climbed
seemed to keep on rising. They called
1t a butte--Sklnner's Butte: we thought
1t mountain before we reached the top.
But teams were at hand, and up the "z''
road pulled the gentler sex, while the
men folks puffed and climbed. On this
big knoll overlooking Eugene and the
valley was spread upon the edge OF a
grove a most tempting breakfast, with
fried trout right of the Goals holding
the most important place on the menu
fried mountain trout, mint, for every
body something like four hundred or
more guests and all they could cat OF
them.
l said in my letter of last week that
would tell you front story and here it
is. -Four men caught these trout 275
of them the day before and everyone Of
them with fly. Think Of that, OH, you
fishermen, who love to fall asleep in the
hot sun, fishing for bullheads! These
fishermen were experts, hired for the
purpose and l guess they understood
their business. Whew! but how I did
wish for my bundle of rods, so many
years unused since my life on these
prairies began. The trout ranged from
eight to eighteen inches long. An ex-
pert Rouge river angler thus describes
the sport:
Il usually take with me two rods, one
an eighteen foot cane rod for salmon,
and the other 611a ounce split bamboo
for salmon trout. just before sunset
and just before sunrise are the golden
hours for fishing with fly in these Ore
gon waters, and I use my light rod in
that time, deyoting the hours OF sun
shine to the heavier work OF taking the
salmon. And heavy work it is il they
are striking freely. / have caught as
high as eleven in one day, hardly any
below twenty pounds, and some weigh
ing as much as forty. l have chopped
and suwed wood, shcveled up bedrock,
roped Texas steers, swung the cradle in
the grain felds,-and at midnight in the
nursery-but l never put my hand to any
work that more completely tired me out
for the time being than did tussel with
a healthy, vigorous forty pound salmon
From this elevation on which we
breakfasted, the guests OF Eugene, The
view was magnificent. The valley all
about the little city is rich in farming
and fruit growing, skirted with noun.
tains and foot hills, with the beautiful
capped Three Sisters within plain
view from the east. Upon the butte is
located the reservoir for the waterworky
1t was with reluctance we took our de
parture and still more so when it was
announced that there was not time tc
look through the city across the track
We looked at big Brown bear in {
wagon which was shot the day before
back IN the country few miles, shool
hands all around, waved handkerchief!
to tho crowd at the depot, and with {
"God bless YOU to the ladies upon th,
hill clearing away the remnants, ROLLED
along towards Portland.
Salem. the capital Of the state. wa
reached q little after the noon hour
where we were billed to remain fou
hours. All the available street cars ii
the city were strung along by the sta
tlon awaiting the arrival of the specials
Through the courtesy of a special invi
tation from one Of the newspaper mel
of the city, small party Of US wer
| placed in carry-all and were taken a
once to the public park, where a fine re
ception awaited the excursionists
Meanwhile the trolley line near the sta
| tion broke, compelling a general disem
barkation from the cars, and it was a
hour or more before thu newspaper folk
were gotten to the park-all Of whic
was most annoying to the receptio
committee, who had planned everythin
to perfection. The park at Salem is Il
Gated inst off the business center an