The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-10-15
ROGERS A BOOSTER
FOR SCENIC ASSETS

EUl DOElNlO hOJClU
(The following article, accompanied
BY photographs Of scenic points on
Mount Hood and picture of Homer A.
Rogers, was recently written by Claude
L. Simpson for the Portland Journall.
A young pioneer Of Mount Hood re-
Gently came down from his mountain
home to recall to the people of Port
land the real scenic grandeur Of the
lordly peak.
Poets have long sung of the majesty
of this white Tobed sentinel of the
west; artists have sketched its frown-
ing ersgs and yawning canyons. But
pen and brush have only conveyed a
fieeting picture of the matehless pano-
rama of snow and ice, verdant woods
and singing streams Of that favored
spot. says this ardent son of nature.
He wants the whole world to know
and feel as he does-that here, within
easy reach Of rail and motor is one of
the most sublime and inspiring.retreats
on earth.
He would impress upon the minds of
tourists that the Old World holds no
beauties that cannot be duplicated at
the very door Of Portland.
I He would hsveythe people of all
climes come and view with him the
endless variety of natural attractions
that please the eye and stimulate the
imagination.
He would extend a welcome hand TO
tired city folk to come and rest be-
neath,stately frs.
He would hasten the day when a
great public highway will have been
built from Portland to the base of the
mountain thoroughfare that would
rival the Appian Way. He would see
the fame of the Monarch of the Cas-
cades carried to every part of the
world.
Homer A. Rogers, boniface and
guide, is the man.
Mine host, Mr.. Rogers, has already
gained an enviable reputation. Hun
dreds of tourists have found welcome
under the hospitable roof of his sylvan
inn. He is proprietor of the Mount
Hood Lodge, and his abode, winter and
summer, is among the fir clad hills at
the base of the towering peak. The
lodge is $500 feet above the level of
| the sea.
The outlook from this unique lodge is
unsurpassed. Rising above are the
snowy slopes Of Mount Hood, and in
the distance looms the mystic beauty
of Mount Adams, Mount Rainier and
Mount St. Helens. Here this doughty
| trail blazer has made his home. The
selection of .kthis favored place was
made after an extended travel to most
of the scenic sections of the earth.
Here, surrounded by his wife and three
year old daughter, Sally Ann, and the
guests who happen to be under his
care, Mr.. Rogers is happy and content
to remain.
81 have covered a great part of the
globe and scaled mountain peaks as
traveller and guide; | have spent five
years in the Alps and have seen'the
wonderful gorge Of the Yangtse, but
nowhere have | found the realization
of the ideal as have right here beside
this silent mountain, said Mr. Rogers
~ left Yale imbued with burning
desire to see natures splendors. have
found them in Oregon, and will roam
no more. Where can you duplicate the
gorge of the Columbia? Where cast
eyes on another peak like Mount Hood?
Here, in the midst of phaanxed frs
can sit and look out of my window at
winter time on fantastic shapes of
snow laden trees; | canscatch the first
warm rays of the morning sun, and |
can behold the swinging orb quench its
rays in the heaving ocean. Crags and
canyons lure me with their varying
tints and the glacial formations and
deep crevases each seems to whisper
strange tales of mysteries of centuries
agone.
what sleep more refreshing than
beneath the evergreen bough of fir,
spruce and hemlock? What perfume
more delightful than that cast to the
winds by every summer breeze that
blows? When | tire of books, and
thoughts of the best authors no longer
interest me | am free to sally forth to
commune with nature and study the
lessons of rock and cave and stream.
"Then, when | would put aside my
musings and seek some real strenuous
exercise 60 skiing. What an exhlar-
atng Sports sport that has edited
hundreds in these retreats since the
people really began to appreciate what
was in store for them here. And don t
forget the log fire. Here, before 1.-The
great open fireplace, spend many a
cozy evening safe from winters
storms.
The forest rangers trails which wind
about the heavily wooded sections are
declared to be superb, in themselves.
These paths are slashed eight feet
wide. They swing ard dip and leap
over hill and valley, passing canyons,
dense underground and inspiring wa
terfalls. These trails are travelled ex-
tensively by tourists, and MIR. Rogers
declares that horseback riding over
these paths is one of the pleasures of
an outing at Mount Hood. The Long
Prairie and Brooks Meadows trips by
horseback cover distance of % miles
and the view along the entire route is
constantly unfolding new attractions.
Portland must awake from her
slumber and capitalize these unparal-
leled scenic wonders, =. declares MIR.
| Rogers. IA commendable start has
already been begun. The new Colum-
bia highway is destined to be one of
the most justly famous driveways in
the entire world. The proposed high
way from Portland to Mount Hood
would rebound to the everlasting credit
/ tsEn n 3