Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-10-16

lux diACnllOuf 1taAeAHS ~
the faculty of exciting interest by its
graceful movement. All the streams
of southern Oregon are still rich in
wilduess. The real way to know the
Rogue river is. not to glance at it
here and there from the car window ;
you must go to its native baunts; you
must see it in its youth and freedom
you must accommodate yourselfl to its
pace and give yourself to its influence
and follow its meanderings. If yon
are good walker, take the riverside
path or make way for yourself over
the boulders, through the thicket. or
across the open meadows. If you are
business tangled, the Rogue river has
the best care killing scenery in the
state. The small streams ARE full of
brisk trout. A few days spent along
its banks will not be taken from the
sum OF your life. The LANDSCAPES OF
the river are growing more beautiful
from year to year Notwithstanding the
clearing tramtling work of ciyiliza-
tion. All through this part of Oregon
the old is giving way to the new; the
savage to the civilized; the forest to
the orchard. The dawn of new day
is breaking. The ak and saw are
intensely busy; chips are flying
thick as snowflakes. The Indian
with his stone AK could do them no
more harm than could the gnawing
beaver or browsing moose. But when
the steel AK of the white man rang
out on the startled air their doom was
sealed.
Many excellent. practical people.
whose everyday life brings them in
close touch with the stern realities
of the word, have small patience with
the fisherman, hunter and such like
free and easy characters. Possibly
those of us who fish, might be better
employed. Certainly we might
make more money, but there is a
profit in fishing outside of dollars
aud cent?. 1t is doubtful if there is
any spot In Oregon where the fisher.
man finds as keen pleasure and as
much satisfaction in fishing, as in the
neighborhood of Grants Pass.
OF course. the trout has many at.
fractions for the fisherman for he is
cunning; he is tricky, he fights by in
direction. When you catch him. 1t is
because you have caught him una
wares. He knows the spoon hook rs
we'll as the man who made it, and
there is no fly made that he does not
know from the real article, but he 10
ambitious aud always hopes that he
can show you how wise he is, with
ont danger to himself And so trout
fishing becomes a battle in. which
strategy Is the basis. and the one
most skilled in cunning comes out
best. But with the steelhead salmon
it is a battle royal from the start, and
no trickery. This heavy artillery comes
into play at the outset, and 1t is al
ways a question Of ability to fight 10
the open. When hooked, the salmon
usually comes to the surface to see
what manner of foe he Is to battle
with. The trout is crafty and cun-
ming, but the salmon is the fighter OF
the world. He comes for fight ant
only for fight, and having come, h'
does his best to make 1t an interesting
one. Incidentally, the salmon 10 alsC
one of the most proli fic sources Of in
spiration for breaking the ninth com
manGment.
Josephine county is rich in thre'
resources:
First in the fruit industry.
Second, the lumber industry.
Third in mining.
Yet the county has many other In
dustries, such as general farming
dairying, stock raising, and the can
ming of fruit and vegetables.
OF the fruit industry, the appl
easily leads all others, yet there ar
many carloads Of peaches and pear
shipped each year, besides many car
loads Of grapes.
At least 500 men are employed i
the different mines Of the county
some Of these mines have already pre-
duced over &. 900, 900 in gold. As th
part which was played by Rogu
river in the early development of tn
valley was Of prime Importance. 30
the more permanent growth of thes
latter days she is a vital factor. Th
undeveloped water power of the rive
is an inexhaustible mine OF wealt