Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-05-22
INTERESTING
LETTER FROM
MRS. !. |. BEADLE
Alpine, Oregon, May 8, 1918.


Alpine, Oregon, May 9. 1918.
Mr. Fontaine:-
l have been wondering if a letter
from the Beadle ranch in the Wild
and Woolly West would be enjoyed
by your readers, ard SO this morning
thought to write a few lines, and if
you wish to pass them on you are at
liberty to do so.
While Benton county, may not be
the banner county of Oregon, it is a
very good one. 1t has as good soil
as there is in the state Water is
fine, soft and cool. As fine a stock
raising center as one could wish.
Fruits of many kinds grow here There
are several large rrune orchards neaa
here. One contains over 100 acres.
Apple orchards are plenty. Berries
of various kinds are also raised. Goose
berries and currents are lagre enougl
to use now. Lilacs are in bloom. Pre-
visions are a little dearer here than
there Stock of all kinds is high here.
We paid S175 for a four-year-o mare
but she is Well broke and kind. Horsr
es are from $50 to $225 each. Cows
from $50 to $125 each We paid $62-
so for COW and she is not pedi-
greed either but Will make ONE pound
Of butter a day, easy. Hogs and pigs
are not easy to obtain. w cam find
none for sale. so if any of the friend
have one they wish to donate let them
send it by Parcels Post. l often
think OF the waste of timber here.
1t reminds me of Wisconsin, and it
will be needed some day. the fir here
is immense Some are loo feet to the
first limbs and are from to feet
in di diameter with limbs over two feet
in diameter. Cedar grows to a large
size There are oaks over 6 feet
clusters of mistletoe growing on the
limbs. If StoWey Norton had the pret
ty shaped small firs growing here,
he could make a fortune selling X
mas trees. Mountain Laurel grows
here. You should see the Alder trsea
many of them frcm to II inches in
diameter, some Larger.
Raskberries (both red and black)
and blackberries and apples, of the
crab variety, grow wild here. I thinl
the worst feature of life here is the
rainy season, when it is very muddy,
as the soil is (whiIe not clay very
slippery; and there being SO many
mountains, We get more water in the
valleys than is desirable
. The mountains are full of springs
which give rise to many small
streams which are inhabited by trout.
There are many Chinese Pheasants
here and they are protected by law.
They are beautiful birds. Jack-rab-
bits are plentiful here, but are not
eaten. I have not seen a deer, but
ann told that there are many. There
is trout stream about one-haf mile
from here. Salmon are caught about
1i5 miles from here.
Now a word of the people. They
seem to be the most easy going peo-
pie on earth. They strive to enjoy
life, and many here can we'll afford to
So far, / have found them a very pleas
ant, friendly, people. There is a good
school here. A High school in con-
nection with large scholarship. They
is a Methodist church in Alpine, and
a Union church in Bellfountain, abou
two miles from Alpine, in which the
Methodists and Christian people WOr-
ship. Sunday schools held in both.
Base ball is raging here, the same
as there. Each school has its team,
and matches are often played. Some
of the farmers are never too busy to
go to a ball game AS a rule there
lis very little sickness. Many people
sleep out on porcheS or in tents all
the year. Comfort is not sacrificed
to style. There is no doctor nearer
than Monroe about miles from here.
Am told a doctor is thinking Of To-
eating in Alpine Am thinking he will
have to run a drug store in addition
and maybe an undertaking and monu-