Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-07-28
FERTILE
OREGON
VALLEYS
EaHrnaI Editor Describes the
Fine Hop Yards and
Splendid Orchards
r1gaItorlal correspondence.D

Cs@st Range, July 26.-Those who
nns.s driven from Iewlsville, Polk
a1uuAy, via Peedee and Kings Valley,
qwIr Eipe coast range will not be sur.
uxsnad at the statement tnat It Is one
or utD richest and most beautiful
n4zIiing regions Of oregon. Nowhere
dEA we see as fine hop yards as at
RsEsase, and nowhere the orchardB as
xTxsm and thrifty as in Kings Valley.
Xhag seem to have had more rains In
nh5s 8ootnlll country than In the VIII.
aEns3cbs valley. Farm buildings and
ReuSs are all kept up and painted.
Rlkwsss along the roadside are fat and
fInD cattle are In the meadows. The
Arn1s ARE generally well made The
sIbHaaDce To Yaquina Bay by this route
~ sb miles by the advertised guide
muafs nj the cross road. A few miles
beyond Lewisvllle the road enters the
HeogbFlls and winds by easy grades
Coward the coast range. There Is an
s5cumshmal sharp pitch, but the roads
mrD VERY well worked. Glover fields
arm Rzeenlng well with a second crop.
AAk WE climb the gentle slope Of the
iSttawsque valley, we get the first
vshfR OF genuine sea breeze, and, al
Though the Pacific Is 30 miles away,
car faces feel IDS cooling spray ami
xailnlteslmal drops OF brlny moisture
hent In Our faces. over the rim OF
she Ereat mountains the fog-banks OF
the osan are looking down at MS.
ThE atmospheric change Is immediate.
AFsnas the willamette valley we were
part1nK with our garments. Now we
ane Ieacning for them and the horse
nz1skts a livelier gait without perspira
nksA ~ the end OF Kings Valley the
ahBEc main roads come together one
fngting to Corvallis and the other for
Yaquina Bay. A mile further and
we climb the mountain for half mile
80 Blodgett's valley The climb is not
hard for one horse with a small load,
'hut the passengers and driver better
walk. Two miles farther we come to
the Gelatby ranch, one of the largest
RnzI bent In this elevated valley. Half
a mile b'slow Is a creek and spring
Here we camp over night, buying
Sn1agh hay for the horse and to make
N bod ON the ground. The spring runs
gaf Of a cleft In the rocks, We made
a phil of hot lemonade to 20 to bed
on. and were sung to sleep by the
eunes of an aeollan harp constructed
of telephone wires, ami played upon
aE the ocean breeze. with a tenor ac,
sSHnTaniament OF the cnlrping crick.
etR Whenever we awoke during the
nAght we could hear the wind rushing
OhronEh the forests on the mountain
Eidgcs, but there was not a leaf rust
flnN In the valley. In the midst OF
nolamn mGrmuriag coming from the
hlxh hIils that sounded like the surge
% the surf on some distant ocean
beach. there would strike up tune
on the telephone wind.harp. II would
piag through a succession OF chords
&n the most perfect melody, and then
die inio silence. Il was after midnight
bstOp We had got used to the hard
ulaees under our nay and thlstles.
Then the sound sleep came that Is on.
trasd only In the open air and We
spinng out OF bed as fresh as larl1s.
asnd no rubbing OF eyes to get them
open. A wash al the spring, hot cot
rer in a tia pail, bread and butter,
ham brolled on stick before the fire,
and a little fruit made breakfast that