The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-03-07
Fins, Fars, and Feathers.

The belt has passed again. The
story that now stands at the pinnacle
was told by j. H, Fredrlcy and that
gentleman now bears the champion
ship. The story is of friend, who
was hunting in the vicinity OF the
Death Valley. 1t is said that he was
looking for the band of camels that
were liberated near Yuma several
years ago and which were lost and
never found again. At least this friend
never found them. However, the
Angel of Death found him and but for
his peculiar mechanical genius he
would have been born away from this
little terrestrial ball.
The bold camel hunter wandered
away from all beaten trails and drink
| ing the last drop of water from his
canteen and the last drop of cheering
liquid from his flask realized that he
was lost upon the great American
Desert. lie wept, he tore his hair and
swore at horned toad that mocked
at him from the shadow of grease
wood bush. The simmer of the sun
light was agonizing. The buzz of
| rattlesnakes at intervals toreboded tor
ments. Little earth owls arose from
their burrows and more silently thar
their brethren of the night flew tC
more distant mounds where they
! blinked their little eyes and SLOWLY
turned their heads in an idiotic gaze.
The man became desperate as his
throat became swollen and his eyes
hleared and grew red.
Ii was death that he saw. Indeed
the Angel was lowering closely over
him, when like flash of lightning
something rolled by him He thought
at first il was the imps of torment
Then a second shadow fitted past. He
saw then it was a hoop snake. lie
saw dozens of them Then the idea
struck.
Stealthily he sneaked up behind
couple of these freak reptiles anC
seized them. With bits of wires anC
strings about his clothing and by the
aid of stronger pieces of desert wooC
and the horns of a long dead steer, he
constructed bicycle. He realized
that he must ride swiftly for water
and mounting the most peculiar vehicle
that man ever sat astride, he set out
for Deadwood city. At a sixty mile
gait he passed a herd of Gila monsters
! Their poisonous breath scorched hIs
trousers legs. But Just in time e
save his life he fell from the impro
vised bicycle at the swinging doors OF
the chief bar of that little desert town
Cowboys tenderly bathed his lips and
he was saved.
lie made the boys care for the snakes
and he now has them in his private
museum.
Fishermen are oiling up their reel,
and hunting for favorite rods. The
sunshlny weather is bringing them all
out. But the fishing here is nothing
compared to olden days, declares f. c.
Rogers, resident of the Heights por.
tion of the city. 'Johu Dive" saws
| Mr.. Rogers, FUSED to frequently cal
on me to bring down my team to helE
carry home one of his catch. One.
mind y0n, ! said They were stur.
geons The Columbia teemed with
them hereabouts then. remember
one day he speared one of the big fel-
lows that weighed COO pounds. He had
two spears through its body and was
unable to land it. Finally he succeeded
in hauling it alongside of the boat.
where it was knocked on the head with
an axe.
Il used TO haul these big fish around
the Valley to the different families.
and sell big chunks of them at six and
ten cents pound.