The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-07-01

the trall that leads almost peTpendicu
larry to the niche, have found thi
white, ghost like column TO be the tai
stump of petrilied tree.
Edgar Locke, rancher who has al
orchard place just east of Michel
Point, has flock of white goats tha
have run wild and now make the eyri,
crags their home. Strangers, unac
quainted with the region. have Otter
taken these animals for wild goats.
BY following rough trails that leaC
around the base of the big point to tn,
wooded ranges that lie back of Mitchell
Point, the explorer may in an hour'l
time reach spots as virgin and unmo
Tested as though they were a hundred
miles from an habitation. Deer hunt.
ers ma this a tavorite shooting grounC
IN the fall. However, the small bushe!
on the places not overgrown with Iarg.
er forest trees, render much of thi.
country almost impossible. This dis
triet along the top of the great gorg,
is known as the brakes of the Colum
bia. "
Cougars often come down to the Co
lumbia from these wilds. A year age
one was seen swimming the Columbls
Just west of Mitchell Point. A boat.
man made an effort to lasso the bic
cat, but was afraid to put his plans in.
to effect, when the cougar began tC
swim toward his boat. Bobcats NAV
be found there by the score. In the
fall of 1913 Judge Derby and F. E.
Newly were returning from grouse
hunting down the sides of the larger
crag, when they were startled by a
bleat and scurrying of feet above
them: Looking toward the summit of
Big Mitchell, they saw a bobcat in
full flight, pursued by one of Locke s
wild goats. The cat took to a stunted
pine, while the goat paved ferociously
and vented his anger on bushes around
the roots of the tree.
The five mile stretches of Columbia
highway portion located between
Cascade Locks and the Multnomah
county line and the remainder between
Wyeth and Viento, are just about COM
pleted. In fact, 1t is now possible for
an automobile to travel from Hood
River to Portland The rough places,
however, will make the journey un.
comfortable for time.
These sections of the great scenic
wagon and automobile road have been
built by the Newport Land 4 Con.
struction Co. from the proceeds of a
S1t 900 bond issue sold by Hood River
county last year. This .$75, 900 for
hve miles of construction as compared
with the $50, GOO for the three quarters
OF a mile around Mitchell Point, shows
the extreme high cost of the latter.
With 30 per cent or more of the SIS, 600
expended on a third of mile. where
the road will pass through solid rock,
cuts or tunnel, this construction work
is expensive as railroad work. The
lines built up the DeschutesgriVer are
SAID TO have been as expensive as any
ever constructed in this portion of the
United States, and the average cost
per mile of the heavy rock excavation
work there ranged around $50, 600.
One of the most expensive points in
Hood River county, leaving aside the
Mitchell Point work, was at what the
engineers have termed "the gateway. ,"
where just west of Lindsay creek,
passage was blown through fairly solid
rock. Formerly the rocky cliffs OBJ
structed the view. But since the road
has been opened, a large slice has been
taken out of the gorge side, and one
IS enabled to see for long distance up
the Columbia, and thus the name.
Fairly heavy work was also encount-
cred west of Cascade Locks as we'll as
at Shell Rock mounain east of Wyeth.
At both points the sides of the gorge
are slowly sliding in toward the river.
The trees just this side of the Multno.
nah county line, the fir trunks bowed,
show the effects of the moving earth.
At Shell Rock the initial work on
The Columbia highway was done IN
1912. when Ex-Governor West, a fund
Of $40, 600 having been donated by s.
Benson, detailed party of honor men
10 construct the highway around the
ilthcult point. The work of the con-
vets for the most part has been aban-
ioned. The retaining walls constructed
)y these unskllled men in many cases
rave already fallen. The dry masonry
If the new work is entiIley of differ
mt construction and will stand the on
.
The Standlfer-Clarkson Co., with
frank Wilson in charge, now has
rev of 81 men at work at Mitchell |
Point, and the work will be practically |
by August /. 1--WE may not
ave everything smoothed up by that
ime," says Mr.. Wilson, but we will
e able to allow machines to pass
through"
"The entire highway will be fairly
asasbe by this date, says }. A. Eli |
tt, state engineer in charge of the
york. Numbers of persons who have
ecently gone over the scenes of con-
truction have advanced opinions that
o motor cars could very well travel
he rough surface this year. However,
he road to them probably looked like
house just before the carpenters left
/. 1t no doubt seemed pretty badly |
lussed up, but the clearing away pro-
ess will make a change in appear
nces.
W. ]. Eddy, of Hood River, has been
ontinu0usly on the Mitchell Point
york, having been transit man for the
tate engineering crew.
Hood River people are anXiously |
waiting the date when the great
Genie boulevard will be an actual re-
lity, and when the scores of long
Doked for automobiles will begin to
ass through the orchard districts.
cores visit the Mitchell Point work,
nd invariably they return hundred
old more enthusiastic than before the
Ourney.
The expressions lOf gratitude for the
hilanthropy of S. Benson are un-
ounded, and discussions are often par
icipsted in as to what may be done to
vidence most this respect and honor