The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-05-28
LrrTrp FROM WASHINGTON.

us as the previous winter, but not
equal to winter they had here few
years ago, when it showed % days IN
succession and they had to s feet OF
snow. The best hay regions of this To-
cality were exhausted during the past
winter and hay was shipped from Port
land. Oregon, during large part OF the
winter. 1t cost $12 per ton there and
could not be delivered at our homes for
much less than $40, and now it is some
what higher. 1t has been hard win
ter on bees, more than half Of them
dying. Those who fed plenty OF sugar
lost as heavily as others.
Now is the time to care for the ap-
pie trees, which are the most valuable
property we have, good orchard yield
ing an income of $500 to $1,000 per
acre, even trees or 6 years old yield
ing $500. But they must be cared for
continually. They must be protected
from borers or they will be killed be-
fore they come to bearing. Trees must
be sprayed or the apples will be too
wormy for market. If the orchard is
not well cultivated to hold moisture
during our long dry summer the'trees
will not make much growth. So the
spontaneous production of the country
is very limited. But by cultivation
and care apples are produced whose di-
. fhat of silver
dollar
Hundreds of settlers have located
upon government land in this locality
within the last year or two: and nun
dreds of pleasure seekers have come to
view our river gorges and mountain
SUBMITS. A 4-horse load of land-se *
ers, or pleasure seekers, is no uncom-
mon sight. Land-seekers come most
any time of the year. A foot OF mud
or 3 feet of snow does not seem to de-
tain them. But the pleasure seekers
come in midsummer, when clouds of
dust are almost sitting. They are will
ing to endure long hot, dusty ride for
tie pleasure of slide on our snow
fields.
About the middle of last July more
than 60 Mazamas assembled Mt. Adams.
The wagon road ends at Trout Lake, %
miles from the Columbia. From there
pack horses take supplies 10 or IS miles
to timber line. The Mazamas were II
hours on this trail through open pine
timber free from underbrusb, where
thousands of sheep crop the luxuriant
heritage. From timber line to the sum-
NIT requires about u hours, SO an early
start is desirable. The descent is easily
made in IA to hours owing to the
amount of sliding a person does. The
slide is only about ,, 800 feet, though one
taking the trip for the first time might
think it longer. The Mazamas found
the summit enveloped in fog but the
sun soon broke through and revealed
Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, the Three
Sisters and Diamond Peak in the south,
and St. Helens, with its deep gorge run
ming from summit to timber line, and
Mt. Rainier in the northwest. The
upper surface of the fog cloud, smooth
as lake. lowered until peak after peak
of the evergreen mountains raised their
naughty heads above its surface. The
sea of fog was black in shaded places !
but milky white in sunlight. Soon its |
surface was ruffled by the wind and it f. |
nally dispersed.
Logging is the most profitable bust
ness here at present, as good men get
81 50 per day. Fruit growing may pay
more in the end but the pay is some
years in the future. Some find sport i'll
hunting. | have been within a few rods
of deer twice, and one bear has been
killed in the neighborhood since | came
here. They were SO plentiful a few
years ago that men worked for wages
hunting, the same as at any other en-
plOyment Some amusing anecdotes are
told by the hunters. On one occasion
a lean old bear was caught IN trap
and it was thought best to take her
home to fatten. So after removing the |
trap one man started out to lead the
bear and another was to follow behind
and hold her back with rope. But as
he gave the bear too much rope she got
close enough to the forward man to fix
her claws firmly in his pants, one on
each side. The forward man screamed |
to the other edo not shoot" while he
quietly extricated himself from his
pants leaving them in the possession
of the bear. He was evidently more
afraid to trust his companions shooting
than he was of the bear. One man in
the neighborhood had horse shot from
under him while out hunting and sew
eral have come near getting shot by
being taken for a deer in the excite
ment of the moment.
GEO. NJ. COLE.