The Republican journal., 1901-03-21
ON THE PACIFIC COAST.

l took the train at Dundee Tuesday
evening, Feb 18th, and reached Sheridan
in about an hour. As it is expensive to
get a team through the mud at this
season of the year, started to walk to
Woods, at the mouth of the Nestucca
river, a distance of about 40 miles.
Though the roads were quite muddy 1
reached Dolph the next noon. Here 1
took the road which the guide boards
said was the shortest road to Woods,
but had gone only short distance when
| was told the road crossed the little
Nestucca river several times in going a
few miles. Learning that there was an
old trail half way up the bluff which led
past several of the fords, / took the
trail and had no trouble following it for
mile or more. Sometimes | was 100
feet almost perpendicular above the
river. The mountains rise abruptly on
both sides of the river. They were
burned over years ago and are now
covered with stubs, logs and bushes in
places. There were deep gulches run
ming down to the river. These were
covered with bushes or trees and logs.
In the centre was a small stream of
water AS the trail had not been used
for several years l could not follow it
through this thick growth of bushes,
but would find it every time after eros
sing. Often, looking up or down the
mountain side, would see a short piece
which had been cut from log in clear
ing the trail. Many logs had fallen
since the trail was used. In one place
where the trail was plainly visible the
brush had grown up so thickly that one
could scarcely get through it. 1t was
getting late in the afternoon and begin
ming to rain. l thought l might as well
get wet by fording the river as wading
through the brush, but the sight of the
rushing torrent convinced me that the
river was rapidly increasing in size from
the branch rivulets. The road on the
opposite side of the river was in sight
most of the way, and while l was CON
sidering the ACCESSIBILITY of building a
camp fire and preparing for night in
the forest the mail carrier came along
and told me that l would reach house
by going another mile.
After going about twenty rods farther
the road crossed to my side of the river.
When l got to the next house | learned
that to avoid another ford | must cross
the river on a foot log and take trail
to the next house, where l stopped for
the night. The man lived in good
white house made of lumber split and
shaved on the place. He told me that
after the next small stream ] would
have no further trouble, as all streams
were bridged. | got him to take me
across that stream as it was only three
quarters of mile from his house. The
next stream had good foot bridge
and | noticed an old pony grazing about
the vacant buildings near There was a
large foot log across the next stream,
but about foot of water was running
over one end of it. [ have since learned
that man was drowned not far from
there. At all events, I took the pre-
caution to go back and put withe
around the old pony's neck and ride
him across. He had to swim but took
me across all right, and sent him back
with many thanks. On my right was
the river. On my left the bank was so
steep that it would be next to impossi-
BILE to climb it. Another stream had
two small logs across it, but the water
was in the road about rod before /
could get to the logs There were no
houses and no persons passing The
pony which had brought me across the
last stream had returned. There was
no other way except to go ahead. took
a stick for a cane and held myself up as
close as possible to the bank but when l
stepped on the log it rolled and let me
into water knee deep. 1t became so
stormy that 1 stopped for the night
about 2 O'Clock, and that night the
river rose feet. Roads and bridges
were under water. Mail boxes put out
for the mail carriers to leave the mail
in were apparently in the river Though
within two miles of Woods l could not
hire horse or boat to go that day and
was obliged to wait until morning.
l am now seated by a warm fire at
the hotel in Woods. l could plainly see
the Nestucca river few rods to the
north were the view not INSTRUCTED by
three grocery stores and drug store.
At the west the ceaseless roar of the
ocean is somewhat deadened by ridge
of sand several times as high as the
highest building in town. Over that
ridge of sand, about three-fourths of
mile away, they tell me is the wreck of a
vessel which was loaded with lumber up
on the Columbia and bound for San
Francisco, but lost it's rudder and was
driven ashore. The crew were dashed
to the rigging when the vessel came
ashore and they had but just got them
off when terrific gale broke the huge
maStS to SplinterS. There ia a saw mill