Rogue River

“ There lies east of the southern portion of Rogue River Valley a wide slope of land free from timber and ending at the rim of the mountain, and beyond and easterly from which—there is a high mountain table land—covered with fine green timber, among which sleep verdant valleys whose arms extend like the radius of a star, in every direction. ”

“ For entertaining editorial about name Rogue River, larded with poetry, ibid., May 23, 1935. Rogue River, Jackson County. Rogue River is the name of a town on Rogue River at the mouth of Evans Creek. It was for many years known as Woodville, but about 1912 the name was changed to Rogue River, presumably on account of the better advertising the community would get with that name. In the early '50s the settlers near the mouth of Evans Creek and west to Evans Ferry were served through Gold River post office, which was at the ferry about three miles from the present site of Rogue River office. ”

“ Upon descending into Rogue River valley we were met by Doctor Con Hillman and another gentleman, who informed us that the Indians of Sam’s and Joe’s tribes were gathered in arms near Table Rock, on Big Bar, on Rogue river, in large numbers, and that the citizens, under Captain Lamerick, were under arms on the opposite side of the river, and wished us to hasten on to render them help. ”

“ There is a number of bays, south of the Columbia, where it is said good pleasant situations can be had, and a harbor about 20 miles south of Rogue River that is very large with no bar, and that any sized vessel can go in, and that there is a large amount of good land on two rivers that emty into the bay, and that there is Oister beds in the bay, has been lately discovered. The country is said to be large enough to support a very large town, and that they can get a good road to the mining country on Rogue River. ”

“ In Ellicott's Puget Sound, MS., 20, he makes the mistake of confounding it with Rio San Roque or the Columbia. Grover, in Pub. Life, MS., 13–15, 18–19, mentions a map of French origin and some antiquity, whereon the Klamath and Rogue rivers are united and called 'Rouge Clamet,' or Red Klamath. The author of the map could hardly have called the Rogue River red had he ever seen it, as it is of a beautiful blue color. ”

“ En route from Medford, motorists travel through great forest areas, along the banks of rushing streams, along the edges of picturesque canyons, and through attractive mountain country. Of particular interest is the Rogue River, well known for its steelhead and cutthroat trout and salmon fishing.
Motorists entering the park by way of Medford often leave by way of the south entrance to Klamath Falls, 62 miles, or arrive that way and leave over the Medford route. ”

“ The winter of 1852-'53 was distinguished for—so far as the memory of the oldest inhabitants recalled—its unprecedented deep fall of snow.
Rogue River Valley is rimmed around on all sides by high ranges of mountains. These mountain ranges were rendered impassable for pack trains or other modes of transportation. The supply of provisions in the mines grew less and less, until it was nearly exhausted. [85] Flour and beef, the staples of the miners' diet, went up to a dollar a pound and more; salt was worth nearly its weight in gold. ”

“ But limited to these pioneer transportation facilities, the trade and population of all this region must forever stand still. There are in what is known as the "Rogue River valley," of which Jacksonville, Ashland, Talent, Medford and Gold Hill are trading points, about a million and a quarter acres of fine agricultural, timber, mineral and grazing lands, and of which in 1863, not more than one-tenth had been taken up by actual settlers. The pioneer farmers saw the necessity and the immense benefits to be gained from a railroad which should pass through their valley from ”

“ The dam will cost approximately $100 million to construct and will produce annual benefits of almost $5 million. It will be operated in coordination with the nearby Lost Creek Dam, where the control center for both dams will be located. Its "multiport" structure, which will permit discharge of water from any of five levels, makes it possible to regulate, within limits, the temperature, turbidity, [2] and volume of the downstream flow. Although primarily designed to control flooding along the Rogue River, additional project goals include enhanced fishing, irrigation, and recreation. ”

“ They seldom have horses, and if they take or kill an animal in their attacks, (which they endeavor to do as much as to take the lives of the men,) they afterwards cook and eat it, making a great feast.
South of the Rogue's River Valley is the Chesty Mountain, a single, and almost bald and barren ridge. To the right of the California trail it bears a little to the South, and interlocks with the Mountains on the coast. The Northern base is covered with timber; the summit and Southern side, in many places, with large boulders of granite. The distance across is six miles. ”

“ At the mouth of the Umpquah, which empties into the Pacific about thirty miles from where it leaves this beautiful district of country, the Hudson's Bay Company have a trading post. [164] If we except this, there is no settlement nor claim made on this river or its tributaries. Passing Rogue's River mountains, the trail enters the valley of the river of that name. This valley is quite similar to that of the Umpquah, but perhaps not quite so large. [165] This valley is bounded on the south by the Klamet mountain, which is a spur of the Cascade and Coast mountains. ”

“ The in-shore channel is good and clear, and shown by the track of the schooner Ewing. From Pelican Bay, with a breeze, take this channel.
"From Cape St. George to the Toutounis, or Rogue's river, there are no special dangers. In the summer, vessels may anchor any- where along the coast, and there are landing places south of all the rocky points. The Toutounis, or Rogue's river, has but 10 feet on the bar, is rapid, and passes between high mountains.
"Avoid the kelp, which indicates rocks under water, and do not approach the shore at night.
"Ewing harbor 12 is a safe anchorage in summer. ”

“ Down this valley Rocky River came brawling in the spring, over-fed and quarrelsome. Later in the year—its youthful appetite having caught an indigestion—it shrunk and wasted to a shadow. By August you could cross it on the stones. The uproar of its former flood was marked upon the shale and trunks of trees here and there were wedged, but now the river plays drowsy tunes upon the stones. There is scarcely enough movement of water to flick the sunlight. A leaf on its idle current is a lazy craft whose skipper nods. ”

“ At the present day the value of land in the neighbourhood of Arles that is subject to periodic inundation is three times that of the land guarded by costly embankments against the bounties of the river.
On descending the sinuous course of the lesser Rhone the hills disappear, the horizon is level as the sea, and all around is desert. Then the current of the Rhone seems to fail wholly, the waters of the river and of the lagoons on both sides of its bed mingle, and become confounded in one sheet. All nature is dead. ”

“ Again the gorge became a deep rift in the rocks, which left no margin on which one could walk. The only way to follow the windings of the stream would have been to wade or swim. Once more I had to own myself beaten by natural obstacles. The Dordogne is a river that cannot be followed throughout its savage wildernesses, except perhaps in a light flat-bottomed boat, and then not without serious difficulties. Anglers might have splendid sport here until they broke their necks, for the trout abound where the shadow of a man seldom or never falls. ”

“ Though filled with water, the boats all rode successfully and came out below crowned with success. Often a rapid is greatly augmented by enormous boulders which have been washed into the river from some side canyon, and, acting like a dam, block the water up and cause it to roar and fret tenfold more. Black and dismal is this granite gorge; sharp and terrible the rapids, whose sheeted foam becomes fairly iridescent by contrast. ”

“ The water-soaked bank shows fissures and help is implored—bells are rung, fleet horsemen arouse the neighborhood, the people assemble and try to stop the break. But the crumbling levee soon gives way, and the swollen and muddy current pours through with a roar like Niagara, the waters spreading afar over the lowlands, and thus by reducing the stream-level bringing relief to the river, but converting the adjacent region 422 for many miles into a turbid lake and ruining the crops. ”

“ It may be a long and circuitous route, but when one has lost his bearings in the forest, that is generally a safe rule to follow. Also in a lumbered country, where water is the only means of transportation for logs, all log-roads run downhill and ultimately lead to river or lake. We felt reasonably certain, therefore, that if we followed down Roaring Brook and should cross a log-road at any point, it would be quite safe to leave the brook and continue down the log-road. ”

“ He stepped to the girl's side and pointed across the rice fields to where, half a mile away, the main dike skirted the edge of the Caw Caw Swamp. "Do you see that single tree? follow this canal; it is where it stops. That is the only place within a mile where a man can leave the swamp; where the rattoons spring far enough apart to make it possible to shove a bateau between. The water is deeper than one's head. There are other places like that and there is a man with a rifle watching for me at each. Perhaps you can see that black speck; that is a man!" ”

“ Even overnight, even in a few short hours, a stream has been known to swell from sudden rains or snow, bringing the water with a rush down steep mountain sides and carrying with it the logs that were left strewn on the slopes or near the bank. Men work with feverish haste to roll the logs into the stream. The whole is swept into the dam, the trigger is released at the right moment and the rush of water with its freight of logs sweeps through the open gate with a mighty roar, carrying its cargo for miles on down to the river. ”

“ Indians have been hauling rock all winter for the dam. The canal, when completed, will be ten or fifteen miles long and will irrigate about 5,000 acres of the Milk river valley lands south of the river. These lands will grow excellent crops of grain and hay.
“A new enterprise that will be commenced this summer (1899) is a big reservoir on Warm Springs creek in the Little Rockies. This reservoir will cover 160 acres of land and will have an average depth of eighteen feet. It is designed to furnish a supply of water for irrigating purposes in the southern part of the reservation. ”

“ But the truth is that it forms a watercourse dependent at present upon floods, admitting of navigation for hundreds of miles at certain seasons, and at others being as dry as the Arno at Florence or the Manzanares at Madrid. By a series of dams and canals this river might be navigable all the year round. The same remark applies to several of its tributaries, and to rivers generally running toward the inland centres [Pg 236] and flowing into the Murray. The governments of the several colonies have long realized the importance and the necessity of a grand and comprehensive system of irrigation. ”

“ Examining the affidavits and other evidence introduced in this case, it is clear to us that the Rio Grande is not navigable within the limits of the territory of New Mexico. The mere fact that logs, poles, and rafts are floated down a stream occasionally and in times of high water does not make it a navigable river. ”

“ The alluvial matter deposited by the Rhone at its entrance into the Lake of Geneva suffers perhaps no change when it once reaches the bottom. Layer after layer accumulates tranquilly, without disturbance from surface currents or other causes, so that the renovating effects of the stream have here every advantage. It is otherwise, however, where a delta gathers at the mouth of a river upon the sea-margin. There tides and currents are ever demolishing what the stream has piled up. ”

“ The English Pilot has a sketch chart of the river, which shows, just opposite Buffalo Point, "R. Theeves," then, as we descend, the R. Rangafula, and, close below that, "Rogues" (without the word River) , and still further below, Chanell Creek or R. Jessore. Rangafula R. and Channel Creek we still have in the charts. After a careful comparison of all the notices, and of the old and modern charts, I come to the conclusion that the R. of Rogues must have been either what is now called Chingrī Khāl, entering immediately below Diamond Harbour, or Kalpī Creek, about 6 m. ”

“ If it wasn't for the trees and brush, which prevent us seeing just where every little rise is, it would be comparatively easy, but unless we know the lie of the ground, we might plan a ditch just on the wrong side of a ridge of comparatively solid earth, which would divert the entire stream. Of course, there's a pretty good fall to the river, both the Mud River and the Red Lake River, but even so, an unobserved ridge of earth a few feet high, running along for a couple of miles would throw out the value of that particular ditch and create the cause for a new drainage area. ”

“ When it has formed for itself a new mouth, it deserts its former course, which it leaves as a stagnating canal. This occasions the delta to be striped with what are locally termed Rhônes-morts, whereas a flowing branch is called a Rhône-vif.
Moreover the stagnant masses of water left by floods are called Aigues Mortes—Dead Waters; and it is precisely on such that the little fortified town I am now writing about, stands. I know of no point on the littoral of the Rhone that offers so excellent an opportunity of observing the processes of that river than at Aigues Mortes. ”