Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-06-14
A LETTER

try; small farms are to be seen or
every hand. where many kinds of fruit
Especially blackberrries and rasp
berries are seen in great abundance
The land is very productive and is a
natural dairy country. The best herds
of dairy cows l ever saw anywhere,
are along this route.
| We crossed the Columbia River on
an immense car ferry that afforded us
good view of the scene.
| The greatest resource of this portion
of the United States is timber, and
President Hill Of the Great Northern
Railroad recently made the remark
that one acre of Oregon timber
furnished more traffic from a railroad
standpoint than one hundred and
eighty acres of wheat.
Great water powers are everywhere
TO be found. Many of these, of course,
are being partially used in manufactur-
ing, and at Oregan City. fifteen miles
from Portland, there is great water
fall, which supplies the power for
electric railway, electric lightning and
numerous mills, and at this point is
produced the paper upon which the
great papers of the Pacific Coast are
printed.
| Portland, at this season of the year.
is truly a City of roses. The cultiva-
| tion of this flower has reached even a
| higher plain than England. There
appears to be greater rivalry in the
production of these fine roses than in
the accumulation of money. The
Portlander seems to take more pride
in the fact that five million of roses
| were in bloom on the opening day of
the fair than he does that over three
million of people attended the Ex-
position.
The general thrift and prosperity of
Portland, and it's scenic attraction,
command the attention Of the stranger
the Instant Of his arrival. We took
an electric car and visited Portland
Heights, which furnishes one of the
best and grandest views of mountain
and hill and valley, Of stream and city,
in the United States.
The best view is from the Observa-
tory, 1000 feet above the river, over
looking the Willamette Valley, with
its majestic stream on one side and the
West Valley skirted by the Coast
Range Oh the other. From this point
i've snowy peaks are visible at once,
Mt. Hood in front of you, Mts. st.
Helens, Rainier and Adams to the
north, and Mt. Jefferson to the south.
From Council Crest one can also obtain
a good view of the Columbia River
from which it emerges from the gorge
to its union with the Willamette.
From this point we could see fleet
of United States gun boats laying at
anchor in the River, with the Gun
Boat Chicago as flagship, No visitor
to Portland can afford to miss this
view; it is one Of the finest to be
obtained on the Pacific Coast. In ad-
dition tC these attractions, Portland
offers the Pedestrian the unique
privileges of urying himself in the
solitude and silence of uncontaminated
nature in twenty minutes walk from
its busy streets.
The greatest attractive feature of
this section of the country from the
standpoint of scenery is the Columbia
River, and one Of the desirable things
about this to the traveller is that the
trip can be taken, both going and re-
turning to Portland In one day.
The salmon industry appeals not
only to the fisherman but to the COM
mercial man as well, and every year
adds to the value of the salmon pack.
This is not so much true from the
fact that there are more salmon, but
the fish are taken care of, and to add
to the natural increase, great hatcher
les have been established both by the
State and by the United States Govern
ment. The salmon begins ar ex-
istence up in the hills and mountains,
at the source Of various streams lead
ing into the Columbia, and those that
live through the earlier battle of life
60 out into the deep water of the
Pacific ocean and remain for four
years, then return to the Columbia
river, either to be caught and furnish
food for mankind or to go to the head
waters and spawn. Every dam that
Is put in the river or distractions Of
any kind must furnish way to allow
these returning fish to get to their
spawning ground, and they will climb
fumes that would appear to the
stranger to be impossible.
Western Oregon has innumerable
hop fields and the State produces
more hopes than any other in the
Union, while the Eastern portion Of
toe State has great herds Of sheep and
cattle.
In no part of the United States
have l found SO much of interest to
write about as here in Oregon. 1t is
not alone the great forests and fertile
fields that are attractive, and that
makes Oregon and the whole Pacific
coast prosperous, it is men; men of
broad ideas. Take as an illustration
the Business Mems Association and
the Chamber of Commerce, Of Spok-
ane and Portland, and the persons &C
customed to Eastern methods will find
them wonderful organizations. They
seem to have discovered the proper
method of working to the best in
terest of these cities, and they work
entirely in harmony. There is no
town east of the Mississippi river, Of
| from five to twenty thousand in
habitants, but what could learn a
useful lesson by sending delegate to
study the methods of these two cities.
I hope to return to this part of the