The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1865-11-23
4aiIp 4louutaIneer.


Great V Hey of the Payette, is name com.
monty given 10 large body of agricultmal
lands lying along the Lake Fork of the Pay,
elite, stream Which rises inst south of War
ren's Diggngs, and flows due south to the
Payette River, abouttwenty miles above Horse-
shoe Bend, Its geographical location is be-
tween the meridans of ll5o and ll6o west
from Greenwich, and the parallels of 44o and
45o 30/ north. On the east, running nearly
parallel TO the Lake Fork, from south to north,
is the West Fork of Salmon River and ON the
west, running from north to south, is the
Weiser River. The great valley is hemmed
in on all sides BY high mountains, having gen.
tie slopes, partially covered with growth of
pine, fir, laurel and other trees and shrubs,
with bright s,reaks Of grass intermixed but
to get out or 10 the waters OF the rivers which
bound its fowagc east and west, terribly pre-
cipitous mountains must be descended, The
valley drains through an mpassable canon
into the main stream, and at its north end
there is convenient pass over on to Little
t'"'"o"' ApS "'SiHBC Wlu'u VI lUe hFhOIe
land, from east to west, may be seven miles,
and from north to south, its length is eighty
miles. About half way of its length there is
u ridge of a hundred feet in height with open,
grassy slopes, which divide the valley into
what is called the upper and lower valleys.
Either of these has the same verdant, lake
like level and the course of the Lake Fork
through the whole length of this magnificent
stretch of lands, is marked by fringe of cot
tonwood alder and willow.
In July the landscape is ombellished with
great variety of bright colored flowers, and
the waving meadws the rustlng coitonw oods,
the dark frs and evergreen pines, with long,
quiet viS'as up grass grown slopes, or between
verdant creek bottoms. Joined to the splendid
colors with which nature loves to paint the
face of the earth, presents to the wearied eye.
blurred with looking on mans arli6cialites, a
scene which strikes upon the senses with
spring like freshness. Coming from lhe south,
the Boise and Lewiston trail runs up the val.
ley, and towards its head the mountain ridge
towards the east towers up into isolated
groups OF crags of chaky whiteness, which
present curious resemblance in shape to the
fiat fan Ike cactus, SO much used for fences in
California and Mexico. If the traveller will
ascend the mountain slopes TO the east, he
will have a view far down beneath him of the
bare, granite caiions out of which flow the
western waters of the West Fork of Salmon.
From point nearly opposite the head of the
great valley, he can look along au almost per-
pendicuar barrier of white granite, thou
sand feet Ligh, down which there is no path,
save for the ibex, and at the foot of this crag
are seen many little lakes, winch no wind
ever rufllts--fringed to the edge with dark
frs, which are mrrored in the po shed sur.
face Of the water, in their native colors.
THE CHINESE IN B0IsE.- The prejudice
against the Cninese laborers has 50 far abat.
ed in the Boise mines, that they are now al
lowed to purchase mining ground and work
it. Three years ago, Ohinaman was look
upon with abomnation in that county, but