The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-06-27
Fins, Furs. and Feathers.

hHtoa tulof AtlN
Listen brother. Fishing is the ex-
cuse to take Us to the wllds where we
grow young again without knowing
how or WHY. We don't need the fish
to sustain life and beefsteak is cheaper
when 1t comes to cold dollars and
cents, but fishing gives us the excuse
we crave to 60 to the wilderness ana IL
Keeps US busy after we get there whlie
we are unconsciOusly backing up to-
ward the savagery Of the first days OF
humanity again ana by so doing we
renew our lease on life and health
which is more important than all the
business in the world.
Therefore of what use is it to try to
beat back the still small voice of in
stinet that clamOrs for a fishing trip
when the sunny days bring the scent
of the wild places to our wise nostrils
even among the smoky streets of the
city.
Listen! Can you hear the music OF
the foaming rapids yOnder-the song
of fast water drOoning back in
thousand echos from the grim canyon
walls? Can you see the beryl green
waters of the resting pool where the
ferns mirror themselves in the crystal
depths?
And the smell of the damp woodsy
earth-isn't il good? Can you pick out
the water smell the pine smell, the
earth smell and the scent of the ami
NAL trail where the little brothers of
the woods travel up and down the
brawling stream? Can you find each
of these odors on the river breeze as it
flows down from the high peaks yon-
der, ozone burdened and carrying yet
another odor, that IS the smell of melt
ing snow up there among the rock
spires?-El Comancho, in the West
erner.
Oregon's most youthful huntress
resides in Hood River Valley. The
young Diana is Miss Adrienne Epping,
the l5-year old daughtersof j. A. Ep-
ping, who last week killed with the
first shot a 3O0-pound bear on the Me-
tolius river in central Oregon, where
the Epping family had gone on fish
ing excursion.
Teddy Roosevelt was not prouder of
the tusks from the biggest elephant he
shot in Africa than Miss Epping of the
bear skin brought home as trophy
from the MetOilius excursion. On the
morning of the adventure she was ac-
companying Don Heising, on whose
ranch the party was camping, to his
bear traps. ''We approached the ra-
Kaks
Miss Epping, when we heard the
grunts of a bear. | wasn't the least
bit frightened. Don said we'd better
watch out, for the bear might not be
well fastened. He told me to approach
with him and kill the bear. | thought
it would be the best fun in the world,
and whenswe got up in firing distance,
with Mr.. Bear rearing up and roaring,
| aimed and got him the first shot.
After saw how easy it would have
been for him to have pulled out his
toenai and come after US ! was the
least bit scared.
The bruin was put across a pack
horse and taken to camp.
Dad" Epping declares that the Me
tolius for big fish is one of the finest
regions in the world. 1--WE caught all
we could eat while there, he says,
"and were all the time longing for
new peopesto come in so that we could
catch some to give to them. One
evening | went out and caught seven
for supper. The biggest one was II
inches long and the smallest IL inches.
Some fish, eh?"
Mr.. Epping states that the Heising
ranch makes an excellent location foI
campers, and for those who do not en-.
joy 'roughing" it, MIR. Heising, who
has a large ranch house, provides board
and lodging for 81. ''For summer
vacation trip, says Mr.. Epping, 81
know Of nothing that can surpass it. y
While we were there, said Mr.. Ep-
ping I'VE had the opportunity of see
ing the sun rise over the plains country
and of witnessing the glorious picture
it makes as it sets behind the western
range Of mountains, topped by Hood.
1t is glorious sight to watch the warn
ing, guess you'd call it that, of the
sun rise. The first evidence one has OF
the coming day is of a straight, broad
bolt OF slyery light, piercing the east
ern horizon.
"At evening the head of every one
of the peaks in the west is crowned by
halo of gold, the central Oregon
country nestled in the dim shadows OF
the mountains.
Not only has one, who visits the cen
| tral Oregon country, chance to fish
after the big fellows in the Metolius
but by a good automobile road, Sutter
Lake may be Preached, and here, &C
eordiug to Mr.. Epping; enough Dolly
Vardens have their homes to give sport
to many future generations.
The people of this region are inter
ested ln the completion of the Port
land-dood River road, realizing that 1t
will increase the automobile traffic in
to their region.
l.. S. and r. B. Bennett were vic
TINS Of the call to the river Sunday.
They fshed in the vicinity OF. Tucker s
bridge Although the luck was not
pEaaomena- they report the recreation
OF the day pleasant.