The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-10-14
WONDERFUL JOURNEY
ALONG THE DESCHUTES
AN Rey. g. w. Kenncdpl !.

/ lby heV. u. w. Kennedy
Wild Deschutes. dashing down from
Mount Jefferson and the twin Sisters
through this awful rift insthe earth
/ opened by the titanic forces, that a
great river with its tributaries might
flow out 20 the sea, forming the con-
tour of the lands, and showing the
economy of nature! Oregon S widest
river!
This crack in the earth has been the
travellers terror: An emigrant train
was mislesd in lS45; turned from the
old road up the Mslheur across Harney
and after almost perishing they turned
northward and endeavored to get back
to the emigrant road again. They
made many attempts to cross De-
schutes, found an approach down a
tributary canyon and crossed in wagon
boxes where Shearer's bridge was
finally built.
That was the ''lost train" adventure !;
and the crossing became a permanent
trail. The bridge was built, and the
old Military Road" made it perma-
nent highway. From this place, just
over among the hills on the east side,
was fought the first battle with the In
disns in Oregon. The volunteer troops
were sent out to chastise the murderers
of De Whitman. In January, l848,
Major Lee was leading the vanguard of
the forces. He found large band of
hostiles up here among the canyons of
Deschutes. Lees forces were largely
outnumbered. They fed into this can
yon, hiding in the bushes. The Indians
CNn Nns-
upon them, but the soldiers slipped out
in the darkness of night and went for
reinforcements.
The Deschutes is a veritable canal
for commerce. 1t is the gateway for
One-third the territory of Oregon, down
waterways to the sea. Southeastern
Oregon seemed like foreign country
Strange we have been so long in seeing
how, as everywhere, the rivers Head
the way.
Two lines OF railroad traverse De-
schutes canoyn. And that presents
view most remarkable. Where else in
the world is there duplicate? These
lines fought each other in the courts
and out. But they have settled down
to be very close neighbors and to live
in peace. For $50 miles along that
river. their grades are the same, their
curves and angles the same. Never
more than hundred yards apart. At
Ox-bow bend the "Hll line" bridges
across from the west side and the two
tunnel that abrupt peninsula within 200
feet of each other; then another bridge
and the crossing back to the west side.
Fifty miles up, the river runs in
crack in the rock bed for near a mile,
in width not over 40 feet. The roar
and dash of those waters is worth much |
travel to see. At Maupin, 70 miles up
the river, there is the coming town of |
commerce. 1t hasn't rival. 1t has
the only possible approaches to the
river, from both east and west. All |
the vast wheat belt of southern Wasco |
county is tributary to it. | was sur
prised at everything | saw there. Two |
large warehouses, one on each side the
river, steel bridge spanning the river
practically bringing the two together
and within the town site. In one of
these shipping places there are over
two hundred thousand bushels of wheat
awaiting shipment.
That farming country has the best
SOIL IN the world. Sedlmentary base,
with volcanic ash covering. Maupin
is grand in situation; on a shelving |
plateau with basalt mountain back !
ground. Out of that mountain bursts
a stream of water flowing through the
town. sufficient water for 10, 900 popu-
lation. There is 1870 horse power.
Wherever it Is employed to irrigate
gardens it makes a veritable Eden.
Here | found two large stores, fine
school building, church and other mod
ern improvements.
From Maupin last year there were
shipped 49, 900 bushels of wheat, so
carloads cattle, so cars hogs, and a
very large amount of wool. Here must
be the city of destiny for central Ore
gon. Here found my old friends, Mr..
and Mrs. W. H. Stats. The old noun.
taineer, Maupin, gave name to this
place.