Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-07-03
ROGUE RIVER.
The Stream That Drains This Valley
Has Its Source in Crater Lake,
the Worlds Scenic Wonder.

Wv wa AN . ANNAAN NOANNAs
Rogue river could have had more
euphonious name, but perhaps no
more appropriate one. Excepting the
Deschutes there is not another stream
in Oregon that is by any means en-
titled to the name Rogue, as the
Southern Oregon river that possesses
it, From its source in Crater Lake
Park to the sea, the Rogue is one con-
tinual, rushing torrent, with but a
few moments pause now and then as
its waters widen to cross the valley
or pause for an instant before making
n leap over q waterfall or rush down
rapid. The scenery through which
the Rogue river passes ON its journey
from Crater lake to the sea is not sur
passed by any stream in America. 1t
is continually changing scene. The
little brook that dashes merrily over
the rocks and pebbles down Mount
Mazama quickly becomes roaring
torrent. Deep gorges, rock walled
canyons, rapids and waterfalls char
acterize the Rogue throughout its
journey.
Just how the Rogue came by its
name is matter of conjecture. One
of two things, or possibly both of
them are accountable for it. These
are the madness of its waters and the
wickedness of the Indians that dwelt
along its banks. This tribe of In
dians were called the Rogue Rivers,
but they were named from the stream
The Indians called the stream
''Trashi, (which means rogue. "
The French were the first people to
name the Rogue river; they were
trappers from the Hudson Bay
Company at Vancouver. They did not
call the stream Rogue, however, or
its equivalent i'll French, as that
would have been TIA riviere aux Co
quins. " The French called it Rouge
Riviere, " which means "red river, -
given it because of the reddish tinge
the water of the stream possesses in
the winter time on account of the
sediment it brings down from the
mountains. There is no doubt but
that the French named the stream..a ..as
many of our geogra phical names in
this state We're bestowed by the
French, such as Coquille, The Dalles,
Deschutes and Malheur.
The French called it Rouge Riv-
iere" and the Englishmen mispro-
nounced it and called it Rogue.river,
which was an easy mistake to make
when the features of the streams are
taken into consideration.
At meeting of the Territorial
legislature in 1854, it was enacted
that the name of the stream be chang
ed from Rogue river to "Gold river, "
which was considered by the pioneer
legi slators to be more euphoneous and
appropriate This name, however,
never achieved currency outside of the
halls in which it was suggested.
Rogue river it has always been and
will always be.
The upper half of Rogue river is
best known. This is the portion
along which the old Fort Klamath
road leads from Rogue river valley,
and which has been traversed for the
past 80 years. The lower half of the
stream is an unexplored wilderness of
rugged mountains and deep forests,
much Of which has never been trod by
white men.
Travelling up the Rogue from the
railroad one finds the valley growing
more narrow and the farm houses few.
er, while the river grows swifter,
the forests denser and the mountains
more rugged. At distance Of 90
miles from the valley the Rogue mar
rows 10 a width Of 10 feet and flows
with fearful rapidity between steer
and rocky walls. This long and deeI
gorge is the Rogue's road through the
Cascades. Through this the river has
an average fall Of 200 feet to the mile.
Through this gorge the water rushes
at times down "A steep declivity, then
leaping impetuouSly from rock tc
rock, lashing itself into fury and
foam, whirling in eddies or resting a
moment in some protected basin be,
fore plunging over cataract, only
to pause again and repeat the same
wild phantasies till the open valley
is reached.
Along the Rogue in these wild soil,
tudes game is plentiful Bear, deel
and elk all haunt the regions of the
Upper Rogue, and often permit them
selves to bo seen from the road. tn,
| Upper Rogue passes through Tia,
finest forests Of sugar pine in In,
world. These great trees are from j,
10 80 feet in circumference and rise /,
a height Of 25O feet They are excell
ed only by the big trees" Of Cali
fornia
Farther up the canyon and neare
Crater lake great columns or pyra
mids Of cement arise from the bottom
Of the gorge. These columns o
needles" are 40 or 30 feet througl
at the base and attain height Of 10
or more feet The presence Of thes
strange formations is easily explained
They were composed Of a harder sub
stance than that which surrounde,
them aud did not yield 80 readily 4
the action Of the water as it cuts il
way deeper and deeper into the gorge
When within " miles Of is sourc
evidences Of volcanic action are see
along the Rogue. The character o