The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-08-08
An Excursion to the mountains.

last Monday from q two weeks trip TO the
Cascade Mountains, pia w. V. and O. M. w.
Road. Our party consisted of Capt. N. b.
Humphrey, X. r. Humphrey, Taylor Hill,
Miss j. Humphrey, our better halt, our pony
and as, besides q supply Of commissary
stores too copious to mention--all loaded into
a strong two.horsc wagon Except tho pony).
We also provided ourselves with guns, am
munition, fshing.tackles, and two or three
bottles filled with water, as we we're inform.
cd that IL was dry season In the mountains.
Well, wc started off in high glee, tho writer
mounted on Cayuse charger and the remain
der Of the party in wagon. Tho following
are some Abbreviated notes taken by the way !:
First Day-Noonod on creek by Dutch.
mans, seven miles above Lebanon watcr
warm and "yaller" and hogs wallowing in
it after dinner hitchod up horses and went
on, leaving horses halters lying beside the
road. In the afternoon driver took wrong road
which in the course Of three or four miles
''fetched up" against an unprctendiug look.
ing mansion with fair.haircd damsel into
1t, evidently of Tcutonic persuasion, of whom
we inquired the road to tho toll. gate. Dam.
scl looked as though she thought we were
attempting to go round that, and graciously
informed US that we "had orter had more
sonse n to undertake it ;--ifwo would shust
take tho back track, turn dior corner oy her
bastur fOnce round, to pridgo over, und to
prook up sthrcam, wo would COON to to toll.
gate init to road across him." Lifting our
hat cayalierly aud replying, "Yaw, das ish
dhrue, shenemittle I" we turned about and
following her directions found the road just
in time to make lato camp on Ames' creek,
about 80 miles from Albany, in Sweet Home
Valley.
Second Ddy-Passed over Wiley Mountain
and nooned ut Lower Soda Springs. Here,
as soon as we had ''turncd out" NIL rushed
furiously down the hill to get taste Of the
famous "Elixer Of Life" which gushcs out
from the rocky banks of the classic Santiam.
First one and then another Of the party took
the cup, dipped up the water, took mouth.
ful, elevated their proboscises ut an angle Of
45', rolled their optical orbs in wild frenzy,
twisted their frontispieces into horrible con-
tortions, and with a desperate gulp that al.
most seemed TO burst their guzzles-spit it
ont The ''truck" has q sort of taste Of sal
soda, twang Of tartaric. acid, mixed with
coal oil and bad gin, and favored with sage.
hen syrup and onion. sauce. We expect it
is healthful drink--we didn't patroniZe il
sufficiently long to determine. That night
we cncamped FIVE miles above the "Elixcr," +"
on the shores Of tho murmuring SantiAm.- -
In the night saw bear, or thought wo did /,
but as hunting bear wasn't our mission we
let 'er rip. IN. B.-Thia boar may have
been . black stump, as tho next morning wo
observed one standing where Bruin stood the
night before,l
Third Day-After passing Upper Soda,
where is situated some more "Elixer," and
coming TO a steep descent in the read, pro.
ceedcd to rough.lock wagon, when discovered
that the tire was of the wheel which the
lock-chain went on two Of tho party started
beck the road in search Of tire, which they
found four miles back, at one Of tho cross.
ings Of the river, cut apart by rock. Took
it up to wagon, laid il on tho grannd, built
log heap fire over the broken place and at
tempted to get ''welding.heap on it.
Il was midday, and sun was awful hot /;
piled on wood till thought we had tho tire
hot enough, so took it out, put it on q rock
and two persons held it in position while q
third pounded on the supposed hot place with
the axe il didn't seem to stick, so thought
it wasn't hot enough and put il back in fire /;
piled on more wood sun getting hotter and
trying TO favor us all it could with It's heat /;
perspired tried tire again fire so hot had
to scrape it out with long pole; held ii on
rock with oil tho rags and old clothes we
could find; FOUNDER pounded broken place /;
tire wouldn't weld, so thought it required a
little moro heat, and put it into the log. heap
again. Piled on more wood fire blazed and
Old Sol blazcd sweat. Was sure we would
make it now, SO carried water up steep hill
to cool tire after ii should be welded pulled
tire out Of FIRE with pole, held it on rock
with sticks, and pounded red place; nearly
stuck, when spark few in our eye, let our
side of tire wiggle and it broke its grip
three or four voices muttered some rather
impatient language which sounded to US
something like ''d-n it," (but our ears may
have deceived us, and we don't think they
did, and the tire was thrown aside in dis.
gust. Wrapped the felloes Of the wheel with
canvas and ropes, to strengthen it and pre-
vent its wearing off, and went on with the
wagon, arriving at "Summit Prairie" after
dark, our wheel doing about as well as if the
tire was on il. This afternoon we had come
up ''seyen mile hill," which we suppose
means that it is about seven miles between
resting places along on the hill; there are
four resting places.
Fourth Ddy-Arrived at Fish Lake, and
as this was our destination, we took posses
sion of vacant cabin which we found on
the margin of the Lake, and this we made
headquarters during our stay in that locali-
ty. Fish Lake is situated about rs miles
east of Albany, near the summit of the Cas-
cade range, surrounded by dense forest OF
tall, stately hemlock trees, The Lake is
about two miles long and a half mile wide.
On the north Of it is lava field of great ex.