The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-08-12
THE VALLEYS of oREeox.
a Delightful Country ana Charm
ling People, With a Rrief Pre-
face OI Clam ating.

+! NUMBER y. 3t7rz5
4 l don t know which would be the mos
amusing: q gang of thirsty coons deYour
ing watermelOns or trainlOad Of ex
clrslonists from the interior eating
clans at the sea-shore for the first time
The clam is deceitful little fellow, and
while a hungry newspaper man OF
woman can get away with good many
of him, said clans have habit OF
coming up IN tho throat like charge
ofcarbonic acid gas, to be tasted over
days after and with the result of no
more clans wanted for days to come
They serve them up on the coast baked
and stewed, OF which the latter style are
delicate and more suitable to the taste.
1t is astonishing the amount OF clans a
greenhOrn will get away with the first
time he gets at them. AT Astoria they
served them stewed in the shells in four
gallon tin cans and the way some OF
the easterners waded into cans was a
caution. But served hot, with butter,
salt and pepper, right out Of the shell,
they are good, and no mistake. At the
hotels they serve the Little Neck CLANS
on the half-shell, row around the out
side Of the plata and little dish Of
melted butter in the center, into which
the clans are dipped, ant they are
delicious when SO served.
| When we were through with tho can
nlng factories at Astoria we all boarded
our train and were taken down to tho
ocean beach, to q place called Seaside.
| With every such party there are always
a large number who have seen neither
of tile oceans. Most of us looked upon
the majestic Pacific for the FIRST time
and went down ut snce and dipped our
hands in its brlny depths. Like the
Atlantic, the Pacific is big, and salty and
very wet The tide was going out and
all hands were warned against bath
ing. But this did not prevent men,
women and children from casting off
shoes and stockings and wading the
gentle surf, while 0thers took dip
in bathing suits. The beach at this
place has a very gradual slope and no
matter the condition OF the tide, safe for
bathing at all times, much more so than
the Atlantic coast, with its abrupt beach
and heavy surf. Little souvenir yials
were distributed that each visitor might
take home with them some OF the water
from the Pacific ocean and bit OF the
sand. One never tires of looking at the
ocean, it is most fascinating sight; but
we could not stay here always, aud after
a two hour loiter on the beach we waded
through the sands back to the train and
started back towards Portland. AtFlavel
a few miles up the road, we left the
train aud boarded steamer for the
short trip up the river to Astoria. giving
us the opportunity OF seeing the new
jetties recently placed by the govern
ment at the mouth Of the Columbia. On
the way I'D we passed a crew from the
| life saving station out for practice and
while the steamer lay to they gave us a
pretty exhibition Of their work, for
which they were greeted with the en-
thusiasm OF the crowd. Reaching
Astoria again at supper time there was
the usual scramble for restaurants
enough OF the party to fill all in town,
including hotels, two or three times over,
and then on to Portland, arriving there
about midnight and nearly everyone
in slumber fast, the sleep which is truly
natures sweet restorer.'
Tie pilgrim who journeys to the land
of where rolls the Oregon and across
the state from east to west, on 10 Port
land via the Columbia, has but little idea
OF the state. no more than one who
would enter South Dakota at Huron and
go on west to Pierre, across the Indian
reservation and through the Black Hills.
The valleys Of Oregon, which lie along
the coast, vary as greatly from the arid
plains OF the eastern portion of the state
as do the Cow counties OF this state
| from the lands west of the Missouri.
| The Cascade mountains extending north
and south divide tho state into two
grand divisions known, as Eastern and
Western Oregon. Western Oregon has
an average width of 15n miles and com
prises tho most thlcklY populated and
Wealthiest portion of the state at this
time. Eastern Oregon has an average
width Of 230 miles, the larger portion
of which is sparsely settled and given
over almost wholly to stock raising.
Along the coast extends range of
mountains from 5000 TO 4 900 feet nj owe
| the sea level covered with tiE,h. r.
Streams run down the tange into the
sea. along which there is soma laud cit
Tor rultiyating anll grazing. At some
points the foot bills OF these mountains
dip IN the Pacific, but for the most part
there is considerable land between tho
mountains ard the ocean. Between the
Coast range and the Cascade noun.
| tains lie the fertile Willamette, Umpqua
land Rogue river valleys. The first named
/ 40 tuo IA Apul SdlIcf uIIu CCuSlllultSG I'LL
wealthiest portion OF the state. Of {
great portion of this valley it may bs
said that no finer land exists and NJ
j moro delightful place to live. The
4 valley is drained by the river from
which 1t takes its name ANA which il
! nayigahle for q distance Of 1875 mile
from its mouth. 1t flows nor:hwart
about midway between the two range
OF mountains and empties into tn
Columbia at a point about 100 mile
from the ocean.
The Willamette valley is all old set
tied country, as much SO as Iowa: SET
tied long before Kansas and Nebraska, i
now looks more like the agriculture
! portions Of Ohio or New York than
g far western country. You see nothin
3 but rail fences there aud any amount q
9 old-fashioned farm dwellings built be
8 fore the war. We talked with men VIII
8 settled in the valley in the early filtie!