Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-07-30
A Day at Ashland
AS Told BY Visitor
Boston. Mass. July %. 1917


good chance I've had to redeem my
postcard promise to write you about
my day at Ashland, where / stopped
on my way to the N. e. A. conven
tion at Portland. George Goodfield
lives there, as you know, and fol
years he has been pestering me tc
come and see the wonders and beau
ties of his Oregon home. George is
a great booster, as all westerners
seem to be, but from what I saw dur
ing my short stop at the Granite City
his peans of praise seem justified.
Having been told to be on the look
out for Mt. Shasta if I came in on
the morning train, as we were climb
ing the mountains near the state line
I got out of my berth and into my
clothes and went back to the obserya-
tion platform, where I enjoyed some
splendid views of one of the worlds
greatest mountains.
AS we slid down the Siskiyous into
the beautiful Rogue River valley, at
the head of which Ashland is situ-
ated, we dropped 1000 feet in a
dozen miles. After crossing the burn
ing sands of Arizona and southern
California. the green hills of Oregon
looked mighty good to me. Here and
there we caught glimpses of the Pa
cific Highway, wonderful road
which Jackson county spent half a
million dollars to build across her
borders and the paving of which the
state is finishing.
George met me at the depot with
his auto and soon whirled me to his
home on a hillside overlooking the
city. While his wife put breakfast
on the table I went out onto the front
porch and took in the magnificent
view Of the city, valley and noun
tains beyond George says the view
alone is worth a thousand dollars,
and IL inspiration has monetary
value I am inclined to think he is
right.
After breakfast we went down.
town, stopping at the Commercial
Club to register and look at the small
but excellent exhibit of local prod
ucts. One can not imagine what real
ly first class fruit looks like until he
has seen samples of that which grows
in the Rogue River valley.
Some Of the places Of interest
which we next visited were the Chau-
tauqua building, an architectural
marvel consisting Of great, white
dome nearly ten rods across; the Vim
ing theatcr, which Is model of beau
ty and comfort; the Elks' building,
city library and high school the lat
ter looking like an old Spanish mis-
sion. Over the Boulevard a minia-
ture Of the Champs Elysees of Paris,
past the city hospital and normal
school, past orchards of peaches,
prunes and pears, we rounded the
Horn" past the Homes farm house,
which looks like an old Virginia
homestead.
Returning to the city along the rich
Bear creek bottom, past dairy and
alfalfa farms, we came to the round
up grounds, where some 10000 peo-
pie see wild west show every
Fourth Of July. AS we crossed the
railroad track heavily loaded
freight train waa just starting on its
long climb over the mountains, pro-
PEELED by four huge engines which
simultaneous putting furnished
fine exhibition of strength and pow
er, Near the depot is an immense
tank which contains enough crude oil
to supply every person in Oregon and
California with gallon of grease.
The Natatorium with its swimming
pool looked mighty inviting. At the
big cement warehouse of the fruit
association luscious sweet cherries
were being gotten ready for shipment
to less favored regions. At another
splendid plunge bath, Helman's,
George and peeled off our clothes
and for time imagined we we're once
more disporting ourselves in the "ole
swimmin' hole"
Returning to the business district,
past the beautiful, vine-clad North
school, we stopped at curio
shop to see the interesting collection
of curios, mineral specimens and
game heads.
Leaving the Plaza with its historic
fountain, we motored through lovely
Lithia park, which equals anything
found in many Of our larger cities.
Through it flows Ashland creek, a
stream of rare beauty, its crystal wa
ters foaming and dashing over mossy
boulders, shaded by giant trees
through whose lofty branches the
'shimmering sunshine softly shines on
many bosky dell. Fountains supply