Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-01-12
The Upper Columbia Gold Region.

w Z takc tile IlDcrtv VI auoptihS do Il
basis for this article, the recent inter-
csting "notes on the valley of the Up
per Columbia River" in the Altu Cali-
to,mio, with but very trivial alterations
and amendments
1--WE have been permitted to see a pri-
vate letter of Mr.. s. Mattingly, now
residing ut Clickatat Prairie, in WASH
ington Territory, near the Dalles, on
the Columbia River, to a friend here.
In this letter he gives some interesting
information about the Valley of the
Columbia, and we shall make Il couple
of articles from its substance. The
prairie lies north of the Dalles, about
two hundred miles from the ocean
along the course of the Columbia river.
The scenery is beautiful. and the valley,
covered with grass and bare of trees
except along its borders and near
streams, is gently updulating in its sur
face. The timber is mainly pine, fir
and oak. Numerous springs rise in it,
and supply water to ncvcr-tailing r!vu-
lets. The herbagc is chiefly of that
species known as "bunch grass one
of the most nutritious and palatable, to
cattle, of all the grasses. The soil is Il
warm, light sand, and will probably
produce good crops of wheat, oats, bar
lev and potatoes, but the settlers in the
valley occupy themselves chiefly With
stock-raising, and have never given the
soil an opportunity to prove what its
capabilities forfarming are. The grass,
the rivulets, the belts of trees crossing
the valley in every direction, the sur
rounding hills and the distant noun
tains, with several peaks covered with
eternal snow, make the view very
pleasant.
10 the southwest is Mount Hood, said
to be Is, 900 feet high, and higher than
any other peak in the United States.
In the northwest appears Mount adams
and Mount Rainier, in the west, Mount
St. Hclen's. all of which are rs white
as milk to their very bases, though st.
Hclcn's is still volcano-as all the
others once wcrc-but she gives no sign
of fire in her bosom, save by sending
up thin little cloud of white steam
like smoke. which the passing Traveller.
unintormcd of the character of the
peak, seeing it but once, standing, in II
clear, still day, over the mountain like
Il funnel, mi ght consider to be slngu-
lar, without supposing it to be from a
volcano.
A remarkable feature of the Upper
Columbia Valley is Chclan Lake. be-
tween the Cascade Mountains and the
Columbia River, about latitude lSo.
There is some very rich and beautiful
land about this lake, with fertile soil,
abundant grass, healthy climate. and
Just enough timber for the convenience
of settlers. The lake runs far into the
Cascade Mountains, but ut low level,
so that it nearly cuts through the
range. * X s. $ * The lake is nav
igablc throughout its length for the
largest ship that floats, but its outlet,
connecting it with the Columbia, is not
navigablc for any craft, because it falls
two hundrcdand fifty feet in two miles
The Indians say they can paddle
from the head to the foot of the lake
in three days. Lieut.. Duncan, in the
Report of the Northern Pacific II. X.
survey, estimates its length at thirty
four or thirty-fivc miles; says that the
water in it is perfectly still. We were
informed sometime ago, by an entirely
reliable gentleman, who was unable to
cross at the ferry at the southeast end,
(the point crossed in travelling to the
mines from the Dallcs,) that lie was
obliged to go all around it. Ills csti-
mate, was not to exceed thirty miles in
length. The information in regard to
its length, direction, extent &c, il
conflicting, but a bill has recently passed
our Legislature, for the establishment
of ferry there, so we hope this inn
portant feature cannot long remain
undcvc!oped. In this connection we
may state, VIC shall be happy to learn
from any Of our readers, any particu-
lars touching the topography &C., of
Lake Chelan.
"The mines of Rock Creek and Kct-
tie River, in the valley Of the Upper
columbia, are highly spoken of. Rock
Creek is about 800 miles distant from
the Dalles, in northward direction.
1t is tributary of Kettle River, which
cmpties into the Columbia near Fort
Colville. Boundary Creek is another
tributary of Kettle River, and has some
rich bara, where some miners are now
at work, but there is room for five times
as many. All the country in this vicin-
ity is anriferous, but it has not been
prospccted save along portion Of the
streams named !; but the paying bars
al.AoI.x cauxaI 1A.axo:x, xna.aoh dirt flat