[or-roots] Smelt run in the Sandy River

[Eugene Barnes]

  I can recall one holiday afternoon circa 1935, when all the stores in
Sandy were closed.  We were waiting for my mother
  who worked in the local eatery.  My father
  and I were walking near the local drugstore
  when we heard a scraping crash.  Up the
  street a model A had lost a front wheel.
  We hear a funny sound and looking closer,
  there was the wheel head for us.  My dad
  grabbed me and we managed to get out of
  the way.  The wheel jumbed the curb and
  went through the drugstore door.  My dad
  waved at the driver and pointed to the
  store.

  Fourth of July at the old mill on the Sandy
  was an event one would not forget.

  Gene Barnes
  Costa Mesa, Ca


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: <Magbatt at aol.com>
  To: <or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us>
  Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 10:09 AM
  Subject: Re: [or-roots] Smelt run in the Sandy River


  > Hi Dorothy,
  >
  > Somehow missed your posting until just now, but oh the memories it
brought
  > back!
  > My dad used to come and get me and my younger brother out of school
(third
  > grade  Portland, about 1949) and drive us up to the Sandy in our old
Studebaker.
  >  People were lined up cheek to jowl, and it seems that it was always
POURING
  > down rain.  (What - smelt don't like sunshine?)
  >
  > The only new towels my mom ever had were from some little "general
store" in
  > Sandy.  Daddy would buy a couple to dry us off with and wrap us in for
the
  > trip home.  I can remember my mother being upset because he had taken us
out of
  > school, until the teacher said we'd learn a lot more going for the smelt
than
  > sitting in the classroom all day.
  >
  > Another time he took us out of school and up to some lake and fishing
lodge
  > near Sauvies Island (sp?)   There was a great big wide deck/dock that
wrapped
  > around the lake side of the lodge.  We walked through the big wide
double
  > doors, and my brother was looking off to the side, or behind him, or and
just kept
  > walking right off the deck and into the lake.  Only about six and
couldn't
  > swim, so my dad had to fish him out.  Oh well, we caught fish and had
fun, so
  > what the heck.
  >
  > I wonder what the smelt runs in the Sandy are like now.  It seemed the
river
  > used to be a solid moving mass of them fifty years ago.    MIdge
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