The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-11-28

West present for the initial construc-
ton. As the states chief executive
watched the honor men" toiling away
at their great task he said to the Hood
River officials: Il would rather be
instrumental in Fastening the compile
tion of this road than to be United
States senator the rest of my life.
The older residents of bustling met
ropolitan Portland are retiring from
the active toll of life and choosing
among the many neighboring localities
spots for summer homes. Their cot
tages rise by the sea at Seaside and
Tillamook, and now those who are
seeking the most beautiful in nature
are looking longingly at the little can
yons that open into the gorge of the
Columbia, where creeks rising from
glacial sources fback in the foothills
come tumbling in cataracts over the
precipice. There are scores of them
along the route of the high way. What
drive for the motorist in twenty, ten,
aye, even five years from nowl Every
available spot will have become the
site of a villa, where in the early
morning the fortunate possessor of
such a home may view from his front
varanda the sun, red-orbed, as il
emerges from the mists of the river
which pours down to the sea its vol
umes of water from almost half con.
tinent. Those who have looked at the
Hudson and the homes along that
waterway above New York know theil
OF RFlf nf ha
Columbia is wilder, grander. more gor
geous and of a different nature. Al
the top of the big cleft of the canyon,
one may look out in the broad expanst
of surrounding territory at the SHIN.
mering white peaks of four magnificent
mountains.
The great goal of the road for Port
land will be the Turing scenery around
the north base of Mount Hood. Indeed,
as now planned, the Columbia river
highway will form a link in a granC
boulevard loup, for it is proposed tC
cut way from the south end of HooC
River valley through to the highway
that leads up the Sandy river from
Multnomah county. The federal gov.
ernment has already cut trail through
the forest reserve here, trail with &
grade that i'll no place exceeds five pei
cent. The citizens have asked congress
for an appropriation to complete the
road through the reserve, and Oregon
federal legislators are urging that the
fund be granted.
Thus road will be constructed Of
about IT'S miles in length that for the
scenic region it will open to the trav.
eler cannot be surpassed in any quarter
of the globe. The Portland motorist
will be able to leave the streets of his
city in the early morning, speed up the
slight grade leading to the foothills
and in few hours be among the grand
eursuf the witch Mountain, as HOOD
is termed in the Indian legend. The
highway will skirt the base of the
white peak for about fifty miles and
the traveller will be able to look into
the very crevasses of the wonderful
glaciers. Then the road will wind
around down through the Hood River
valley, where within a decade every
highway will be a broad avenue be-
tween the trees of thousands of acres
of orchards. Through the Valley of
Apples the way threads the country
homes of the orchardists and finds the
volcanic formations and basaltic crags
of the Columbia. The improvement OF
roads forms the chief topic of discus.
sion among the ranchers, forty per cent
of whom are owners of automobiles
for they have realized their usefulness
as vehicles of business and pleasure.
Also, the agitation for the Columbis
boulevard has imbued the central Ore.
gon rancher with enthusiasm. Hitherto
his opportunities to travel in his auto
mobile have been limited to the north
With the completion of the roadway
they will be able to tour directly to
Portland.
But the Columbia river road will not
be mere way of convenience to the
people of Portland and vicinity. II
will form the most beautiful part of a
transcontinental route. From the Hood
River valley the route will lead to The
Lalles and OIL to the east over the old