Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-09-02
A THOUSAND mile TRIP
over GRAND COAST RANGE
AND ALONG OCEAN BEACH
Journal Editor Tells OF Delightful Journey by Buggy and Boat
Of FortyMe aunt on Foot Along the Beach From Coos
Bay 10 the SusIaW and o the Happy Prosperous and
HoSptable People He Met by the Wayside.

have yet to visit the Curry county
beaches and would have done so this
year If that old dead game sport r. d.
Hume were sill alive
Up TO Winchester Bay.
OF all the interesting tramps |
ever took on the Oregon beaches, the
one last Wednesday from Winchester
bay to the sluslaw was the most de-
lightful. We left North Bend at 7:1O.
took the mail boat down the bay
seven miles TO the landing on the
sandspit. tramped across the sands
and up the beach until the stage
overlook us. about seven miles, then
rode to the Umpqua. The little
steamer Eva transferred us to Bar
retts on the south side. Here we
were served with one OF the best
meals we have had on the whole trip.
cooked by Mrs. Barrett, mother of
the boys. an Indian woman. She
wrapped up several slices of the best
bread I have eaten in years. Perhaps
he fact that It was 3 D. m. had
something 10 do with Il. We started
off across the shifting sand dunes
from Barrett's 70 the beach on the
most perfect afternoon imaginable
The sun was warm. the wind gentle
the water as smooth as the polished
top OF an ebony table, the breakers
snowy white. a sllvery mist hanging
over II all. The beach was hard and
strewn with fragments of shells. as
though Mother Careys crockery cup
board had been smased to flinders.
Our Fcathcred Escorts.
Ahead Of us, bathing their feet In
the sllvery ripples, were hundreds of
snipe and gulls. IS we marched
along they flew ahead few hundred
yards and lighted again At the end
OF ten miles the flocks had grown 10
thousands, and when they arose TO
wheel off to the north on our ap-
proaoh the sinking sun would light
up the flashing silver on the under
side OF their pinions like snow
storm OF silver dollars fresh from
the mint.
As the sun went down we passed
the wrecked lumber schooner Alpha
OF San Francisco Her three main
masts We're over two feet in diameter
one was broken off In ragged splint-
ers. another chopped off and one
sawed off.
Wierd Night ON the Beach.
A wreck, marine or human, is not
cheerful sight. and all the bright
ness OF the day disappeared as fog
blew in and soon Il was drizzling.
We were at Ten Mile creek, and Il
was growing dark fast. The tide was
too far in to cross the creek. We
were forced TO camp on a desolate
beach, without blankets or overcoats.
a few slices OF bread for supper and
nothing to drink. But we soon got
20 the dry and windward of big
beach log, built shelter OF drift
wood. had a roaring fire going with
the smoke blowing away from us.
We sank 10 sound slumber. There
were few items on the debit side
of comforts ledger. An occasional
drop OF water on the back OF your
head, beach fleas prospecting up your
legs, your head burrowing in the sand
and the sand seems so soft and yet
proves so hard. Five O'Clock brought
daylight The creek had gone down.
Our footbath was ready The mists
still blew up from the ocean and we
were soaked from head to foot. As
we neared the wrecked Della OF Flor
ence the sun broke through and by
O'Clock were opposite the town and
were soon across the bay to our des-
tination.