Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-06-04
WESTERN SCENES.
L, K. Wright Describes Country he
Has Passed Over in Oregon.

PORTLAND, May 90, 1907
FRIEND GENE:
4 have seen something of the country
since writing you last and must say |
like it.
| left Portland by boat on the even
ing of May llth. Our first stop was at
Astoria where we had to wait six hours
for the tide TO rise before crossing the
bar, at the mouth of the Columbia. /
spent some time in wandering round
Astoria, which is AN old, dilapidated
town of two or three thousand people.
From the general tough look of things
decide to use the word people" in
stead of "souls.'' For three to four
blocks back from the river the town is
built on piles. When the tide is out,
the vacant lots and holes in the plank
streets disclose filthy looking mud 20
to 80 feet below. | saw pictures of the
citizens fishing through holes in the
walks at high tide. They claim the
salt water bath twice day prevents
sickness There are large salmon can
neries here but the salmon are not run
ming yet. We saw about dozen big
four mast wind TANNERS coming up
the river. On the way out we met a
Chinese war junk, which is visiting the
coast towns and raking in harvest
from visitors at 25cts per. She had
broken her tow the night before in
crossing the bar and lost a mast.
think she is well advertised fake.
| don't think you will be interested
in the trip down the Pacific to Coos
Bay. The 'Kilbourn, 4" on which we made
the trip, is a small boat but carries go
passengers. 1t would take foilr like
her to make one of the f. & p. M boats
that cross Lake Michigan.
We steamed into Coos Bay the morn
ing of the 18th. think this is destined
to be good point. 1t mas the best
harbor between Portland and san
Francisco. The government has only
made one appropriation of, | think,
VOOtOoO W PiOtC buC ndI bOl anu Dy
putting iii one jetty got depth of q
feet at the bar aud only spent part of
the appropriation. The new river and
harbor bill carries an item for new
survey. There are villages at Empire
and North Bend and mile or two fur
thur up, the city of Marshfield, popula-
tion $500. This city covers an area
larger than Wausau, all plated and
prices way up. They need a panic bad
ly to bring real estate down where new
comers will buy and become interested
in the town. stayed over night with
Lawrence Liljeqvest VINO has shingle
hung out here in partnership with
substantial looking young fellow
named Blake. The firm has just won
a suit involving the largest verdict ever
given in Coos Co. Lawrence argued
this case. He has also just been APP
pointed u. S. Commissioners, an Office
involving matters relating to u. s. Land
Dept. in that section. The appoint
ment carries the important burden of
drawing 800 per month.
Waller Heintz, special agent of the
land office, who married Alice johnson,
was with Lawrence at the time of my
visit and Heintz and myself had to
entertain each other in the evening, as
l.. has considerable clientage among
the ladies.
AT Marshfield, G. A. Smith, of Mimi
eapolis, is building saw mill with a
capacity of 250,0O0 per day, said to
employ $50 men. The timber comes
down the Coquille river, where they
have immense holdings. The Menasha
Wooden Ware Co. and the Holways of
Lacrosse also have large holdings here
Leaving Marshfeld, | Joined forces
with Heintz and we took the lone r. r.
from Marshfield to Myrtle Point, about
80 miles of bum railroad. All these
towns are busy discussing r. r. pro
jects and they are bound to materialize
soon.
The Southern part of Coos Co. and
all saw of Curry and Douglas counties,
until came to Roseburg, is prohibition
territory, no saloons, but | saw more
jags in the two days | spent at the
Point and staging it to Roseburg than
would be seen on holiday at Wausau.
From Myrtle Point we rode horse
back for 81 miles through the noun
tains. Before reaching these we passed
many dairy ranches. The cows are
mostly high grade Jerseys and look
fine. We saw a number of good bulls |
and were told the farmers on ranches
mostly used pure blood sires. We met
many farmers coming in over the
worst of roads with from to 10, ten |
gal. cans of milk. They keep large |
herds and their barns are hardly more |
than rain shelters, as the feed is good |
about all the time.
In the mountains the cattle are Here |
ford and Short Horns and of the same |
high class as the dairy cattle. i
On the trip we saw some very fine |
BiHiDCl, tnOSti1 anu Oib OliOih
cedar. ! counted cedar and IS fir
ON third of an acre and the most / |
gave tree was 10000 feet. Hintze and |
others who have seen more timber, said |
only gave them half enough but 1
never like to figure majorities too high |
before the votes are counted
We rode down one river where the |
trail was hundreds of feet above the
river and the mountains across the
stream as much higher leaned into
the wall at first ready to jump if the
horse slipped but got over that short
j..
Placer mining claims are staked out
all along the river but as near as can
learn the miners are always just going
10 find pay dirt.
All through this country there are
lots of old Oregonions, some of whom