Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-07-30

of Ashland canyon, crossing and re-
crossing the beautiful stream swiftly
flowing DER its rocky bed. Here is
one of the city reservoirs and a mile
or two farther the municipal electric
plant. Just beyond we come to the
heart of the canyon, the Shutin,
where the precipitous, rocky walls
approach so close together that there
is barely room for narrow roadway
beside the brawling stream.
At Watsons falls, miniature Min
nehaha, we stop beneath a great fir
tree and unpack our hamper, being
in condition TO do full justice to its
contents. A long siesta, with the
music of the roaring, rushing waters
ever in our ears, and we start home,
regretting that we haven't time to 60
on to the top of Mt. Ashland, only
thirteen miles from the city, yet more
than mile higher.
Shortly before reaching Ashland
we enter Glenview Drive, a scenic
street cut in the east wall of the can
yon Although the road is practical
ly level, we soon find ourselves above
the city, of which we obtain a mag
nificent view, range of the Cascade
mountains forming mighty pan
Drama in the background.
Again leaving town. this time by
way of North Main street, my COM
panion pointed out some Of the fine
residences we were passing. In all
my travels have never seen larger
percentage of pretty homes than
there is in Ashland, which has no
slums and where nearly everybody
appears to take pride in the appear
ance OF his house and grounds. AL
most all kinds of trees, shrubs and
flowers grow there to perfection, in
Guiding fan palms and magno1ias.
Crossing Bear creek, we pass a
pretty country school house named
Valley View and obtain a good view
of Van Dyke cliffs; tens of thousands
of apple and pear trees whose serried
ranks stretch away in the distance a
sturdy army prepared to do their
share in repelling the universal en-
emy, hunger, by firing an annual vol
ley Of big balls Of fine fruit into the
consumers camp.
Near Talent we visited the Sum
crest orchard. big fruit factory COW ]
ering 400 acres. We next passed the
county farm and hospital and the
Southern Oregon experiment station.
The latter contains the worlds larg-
est collection Of pear trees, over 500
including one that is abso- I
lutely blight-proof. Leaving Talent,
we pass through Wagner Creek val
ley, which contains some of the fin
est farms in the county. A short dis
tance above the school house the val
ley almost pinches out, while fertile
fields and comfortable country resi-
dences give place to rude cabins and !
tiny garden patches on the hillsides. /
The inhabitants are sturdy noun
taineers, miners and woodcutters, J.
whose lives of primitive simplicity re-
mind one of the Cumberlands of Ken
lucky "befo' de wah." On our way
back to Ashland we passed Jackson's
hot springs, a real swimming hole
where several small boys were bath
ing in the altogether. /
In the cool of the evening we were
taken for spin through the streets,
beautifully illuminated with cluster
lights, into the park where the lights
gleam through the branches Of big
evergreen, like a gigantic Christmas
tree, past the Chautauqua campers
tents, a ghostly army in the gather
ing darkness. The band is giving one
Of their semi-weekIy concerts and for
a while we listen to enchanting music
amid ideal surroundings. An exam
nation of the program Of the Chau
tauqua, then in session, convinced me
that Ashland gets some of the best
talent in the country. However, we
decided to go home and spend the
rest of the evening in visiting, since
we knew not when we should meet
again.
Now, then, where else could you
see as many beautiful and interesting