The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-08
COLUMBIA RIVER VOYAGE
MIR. w. w. THORNTON DESCRIBES
THE NATURAL BEAUTIES SEEN.
Up the Great Oregon River to "The
DaIIes" Is n Trip Long to BE Re-
membered-The Scenery.

Mr. w ". Thornton has just returned
from a pleasure trip to the Pacific coast
and interestingly describes voyage up the
Columbia river to THE Dalles." In con-
versation with a Journal reporter he said
the other day:
Portland was interesting to us. It was
the first city of any size we had seen since
the capital city. Salem. Two days and
a night we had Travelled north from San
Francisco bay first through the torrid
heat Of the Sacramento valley and then
around Mount Shasta and through the
mountains of northern California and
southern Oregon, until we reached the val
ley Of the Willamette, and Portland burst
on our view. We naturally felt that it
was a city set in the woods, although we
had passed many fine farms, the capital
of the State and the manufacturing town
OF Oregon City, with it's splendid water
power
Portland. with it's many great buildings.
its excellent streets and street-railway sys-
tenn, it's fine stores-as fine as Indianapolis
can boast-its China town, it's beautiful park
on the hillside, and palatial residences,
many of them overlooking the entire city,
had served US we'll and filled us so full of
sightseeing we were glad of an oppor-
tunity to take what considered would
be a day Of lazy boat-riding 1t is true
Mount Hood, with its companions had hid
its head in the thick clouds of smoke aris-
ing from the fires in the mountains, but we
did not much care for that loss, for the
sun was still bright and the temperature
delicious, the air being unlike the dry at
mosphere Of California.
1.-THE Bailey Gatzert left the wharf at Z
o'clock, scarce time for breakfast ashore,
and so we decided, as every other passenger
seemed to decide, to take breakfast aboard
the boat. Here We were agreeably surprised,
for we had good meals for % cents as
we had paid 81 for on a boat down the
st. Lawrence in June.
CROWDED WITH LEAGUERS.
1.-THE boat was crowded with Epworth
Leaguers, all eager for the trip making
royal travelling companions. Soon it swung
out in the Willamette river and showed us
the great shipping interests Of the city.
The three majestic bridges spanning the
river were opened for our passage, and we
were at once on our way to the Columbia
river, a dozen miles away, soon leaving
behind us the place
Where city of commerce is glowing
Like a pearl in the braid of romance
Where rolls the Oregon was a phrase
in an old song sung fifty years ago, which
was recalled to our mind as we turned out
of the Willamette into Oregon's noblest
stream of water. A most majestic river Of
clear water and great depth. Over a hun
dred miles above It's mouth the river is
said to be mile and half in width. Soon
after entering the Columbia we stopped at
Vancouver, in Washington. Fort VAN
couver is situated at this place-quite an
old place for a Western State 1t has long
been an army post, both Generals Grant
and Sheridan having served here, the
former when only a lieutenant The town
is going backward instead Of forward 1t
has boat and electric car communications
with Portland, but no steam railroad. Once
1T had its own electric railways, but they
have been taken I'D and carried away
Half square of empty store rooms IS a.
common sight The barracks were plainly
visible from our boat. and their neatness
and evident signs of prosperity were In
strange contrast with the shabby old
town.
"Our boat frequently startled wild water
| fowl, and a sportsman could have found
that morning plenty Of opportunities to
use his gun. Two young ducks swan a
| race with our boat for a quarter of a mile.
and the race was not an unevenly matched
one. Fish were frequently seen to lump
| out of the water.
Farms for the first twenty miles. be-
fore we entered the Cascade range. were
| quite frequent, often coming down to the
/ shore; but TO an eastern man the country
| had the appearance of being a wild one.
| There were very few villages there or fur
| Their up, and such as there were were quite
small. There were more on the southern
| shore than the northern because of a rail-
| road that ran between the mountains and
| the water.
ENTERED THE MOUNTAINS
'Soon We entered the mountains The
noble river cuts straight across the Cascade
range, and the mountains come down to
! the waters edge. They are mountains
| not hills. There is many a scene grander
| and nobler than those to be enjoyed from
/ the boats on the Hudson river near West
Point. 1t would be necessary to put three
| such mountains the Storm King OF the
| Hudson, piled one above the other, to
reach the height OF the mountains coming
down TO dip their shadows in the
| placid Columbia.
There is a Cape Horn on the northern
! side OF the river. The rocks rise I'D per-
/ pendicularly from the waters edge hun
| dreds Of feet, and resemble the basaltic
structure Of the Giants Causeway, Ireland.
| The resemblance is striking At places
there come trucking small streams OF
water, which spread feathery sprays over
the steep incline. Ever and anon a stream
| OF water over the mountain-side, forming
a fine waterfall. Multnomah Fails is fine
| stream of water. thirty feet wide at the