Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-10-09
DICK KIRk'S
HUNTING TRIP

While in Salem during the state
tair party of friends were discus
sing the merits of various towns in
the valley and when the phenomenal
growth of Eugene was mentioned
there were many skeptical glances
passed. r. A. Kirk (better known
as Dick) said he was thinking of pay
2 ing a visit to that town and would
like also to take haunting and Ash
Ing trip up the Mckenzie at Il had
become so famous In the last few
years. AS a hunt had been planned
by some of the Eugene members of
the party, he was asked to go along
and you may be sure the invitation
was eagerly accepted.
We left Salem Saturday evening
and on our way up he said he could
hardly believe that so large a crowd
as 5000 had been to the train TO
hear Debs, the Socialist candidate
for President, speak. He had read
of 1t in the different papers, he said,
1t was explained to him as being a
case OF circumstances. On that date
the merchants were giving what was
called Expansion Dav" and needles.
thread and buttons were placed on
the bargain counters so that Il would
enable Eugene citizens to expand and
keep apace with the enlargement and
growth of our wonderful city and
that the crowd was simply an over
flow from Bill Waddle's dining room
In the Gross hotel. or coarse he
grinned and spoke of Jokes, etc.,
etc, but when we reached Eugene
and saw the crowded streets and the
crush on our streetcars he began to
sit up and take notice. Says he, 81
have heard of your clever plan of
ringing the fire bell just before each
train comes in but you can't work
that on me-" protested, and told
him that was rot manufactured in
small towns like Albany and Salem,
etc, and as we were slowly picking
our way down Willamette street the
alarm was sounded Just as we were
In front OF Hampton Bros large
store the Jam became so great we
were unable to move only by swaylng
with the' mass OF excited people. II
proved TO be only burning fue.
They dispersed so solwly that Il took
ms one hour and thirty minutes to
reach Eleventh street, a distance or
a little over two blocks. lie now
began to see things as we see them.
We finally reached home afoot not
being able to yet onto the many
crowded cars which passed us. When
entering the house my wife called
down TO us to be very quiet as there
was man and wife and eight chill
dren sleeping on the back porch, she
said she had insisted on them COM
Ing inside and sleeping but they
said they had been sleeping in the
outdoors ever since coming to Eu-
gene three months before and that |
they enjoyed sleeping out as the cl!-
mate was so mild and delightful lie |
said he was promised a house In ten |
days and that also had an option on
a brick block but there were two op-
tions ahead OF him on this same
property. Dick now stuck a pin n
himself to see II he was alive or not,
he was. The next morning we start
ed for the Mckenzie and were just
drawing beyond Falrmount and near
Judkin's point when we discovered
between 40 and so men sleeping on
a vacant lot. Dick said, "is that
your police patrol outpost" IL be-
Ing something new to me we called
10 one OF the men and asked why
they were sleeping there. They had
been told that some Albany aud Sa-
lem capitalists were going TO erect
a rooming-house and that they had
decided to stay there so that they '
might have the first refusal OF the
room for themselves and family. {
Dick right then and there vowed his d
allegiance TO Eugene and sent for !
ais wife and 10 children and said z
i want to raise them In an up-to-date '
'ity amongst energetic and prosper u
'us people where there will be 7
ireat future for them" 4
The Beautiful Mckenzie. 90
The next two days were sent IN c
'oing up the river and TO say that a
Ie was charmed Is putting II mildly. q
We established camp at Jeffries fam j.
nus hunting ground on the south r
ork Of the Mckenzie 7
Dicks Filtration. a
The next morning we took d
II innhnn In -. ..-a..-.-..lL..--- | "a