56 
THE SPORTSMAN’S AND TOURIST’S GUIDE. 
IN OREGON, 
In a great State like Oregon hay- 
ing the smallest population of any 
Commonwealth in the Union, and 
embracing nearly 5,800 square miles 
more than New York and Pennsyi- 
vania combined, where game and fish 
are so abundant in almost every sec- 
tion, it seems somewhat needless to 
designate the various hunting and 
fishing localities. Better sports may 
perhaps be had in Idaho and Wash- 
ington Territories adjoining, but if 
such be the ease, we have no knowl- 
edge of the fact. Mountain sheep, 
elk, deer, antelope, black and grizzly 
bears, panthers, wild cats, and other 
four-footed game are found in the 
greatest abundance through the Cas- 
cade range of mountains, extending 
from California on the south to the 
Columbia River on the north, run- 
ning nearly through the centre of the 
State, and forming, in connection 
with the Coast Range, the William- 
ette Valley, through which it is con- 
templated to build the California & 
Oregon Railroad. This road is now 
running from Portland to Roseburg, 
and the balance is in course of con- 
struction from Roseburg to Redding, 
and when completed will give direct 
communication with San Francisco, 
and afford easy access to the excellent 
hunting and grounds ou the route. 
Besides the four-footed game already 
mentioned, feathered game is also 
found in the greatest abundance, in- 
cluding swans, geese, ducks, brandt, 
and all other known varieties of wild- 
fowl, grouse, quail, and other game- 
birds. Every lake, river, and stream, 
teem with choice fish—salmon, brook 
trout, halibut cod, smelts, &e. The 
salmon fisheries of Columbia River 
are the most valuable in the world, 
yielding a revenue of several millions 
of dollars annually. Trout streams 
are interspersed through the State in 
all directions, being most abundant 
in the mountain districts. As to the 
wild-fowl, we have a letter now be- 
fore us, the writer of which lives a 
few miles from Salem, which informs 
us that ‘the ducks and geese are an 
intolerable nuisance, as they destroy 
yearly nearly one-half the grain crop. 
In the Fall and Spring the corn and 
wheat fields are fairly covered with 
them, and from their incessant honk- 
ing and quacking, one would suppose 
that they were discussing some grave 
and important political subject or in- 
vestigating ‘ciphers.’ What the le- 
gislature ever afforded them protec- 
tion for is past the comprehensiou of 
anyone outside the insane asylum. 
These depredations are not confined 
to this section, but will apply to the 
whole State where a farm is under 
cultivation. If some of the sports- 
men of the East would only come out 
here they would not only enjoy the 
very best of sport, but would render 
the granges of this “duck-ridden ” 
State an ever-lasting favor.” 
The writer also tells us that “ in 
the mountains and forests elk and 
deer abound, and bear meat can be 
had in abundance by those who like 
to undertake that rather hazardous 
task of pursuing it.” 
Among the many localities where 
excellent sport can be enjoyed men- 
tion is made of Astoria, Rainer, and 
Columbia, situated on the Columbia 
River, in the northwest part of the 
State; Hillsboro’ and Gaston, on the 
Oregon Central, a short ride from 
Portland; Harrisburg, Comstock,Oak 
