The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-09-03

the Upper Soda than at other points |
along the road similarly situated, still /
can say with degree of truthfulness,
/ that on the day | was there, I saw the
Captain cooking kettle full of potatoes (I
suppose they were cooking, [ saw them
out in the sun) without aid Of fire or
wood. A bath house for the convenience
of those desiring to bathe in soda water
has been erected by Capt White, and in
ingenious simplicity is perfect model
all you have to do when you want to
bathe, is to wait until water enough runs
out of the spring to fill good sized
trough, into which it runs, carry it up
to the top of the building, (about ten feet
high) pour into another trough, and rush
down the ladder, get into another trough
inside, pull out the plug and 'let her rip );
as the soda water loses its strength by
few minutes exposure to the air, should
suppose a bath in the Santiam would be
equally as beneficial, and fellow would
have more room to wallow around in
| still there is nothing like soda water to
bathe in, and a gullible chap who had
tried it said he felt as if he had taken
decoctiou of angle worm oil and axle
grease. he was so kind timber like Just
after he came out.
I am told by old residents of the coun-
try who have lived more or less during
their whole lives in the mountains, and
no are as familiar with the country
through which the wagon road passee as
7 you are with the streets of your city, and
t who knows every canyon, gulch. creek
+ and mountain for many miles, that the
i, sight of the burning timber when the
great FIRE was raging which burned over
. hundreds of square miles was indeed aw
!, fully grand and impressive. The atmos
4 phere was filed for number cf miles
a adjoining the immediate locality of the
/ burning with a hot, sitting smoke which
a completely obscured the sun for q mum
r Der of days Hundreds of deer, Bear,
/ Elk and game of other kinds perished
j, in the flames unable to escape the de-
i vouring element. The Santiam river was
o SO nearly dried up that It ceased for a
: time to flow as a running stream, and ex-
isted only in places as pools of nearly hot
: water Fish were found afterward along
!, the shores almost by the bushel, their
= destruction having been caused by the
o intense heat, aud suffocation by smoke set
c Ting in a dense mass over the stream !;
S instances were known of great assures in
s the earth from one to 5 or d feet wide,
e caused also by heat, and generally run
ming parallel with the river, thought not
# always, and apparently very deep. give
a it to you as told to me, and you can be-
l. lioye it or not as you hke,-thou9h my
. informant was reliable and truthful man
J. as | believe.
l. Leaving Upper Soda the road crosses
d what is known as Soda Fork, and contin-
: uing down the angle between the two
rivers crosses the main stream some halt
J / n-lo -
5 tinues up the left bank for some five
j. miles and crosses the river again. We
/ have, however, lett the burnt district aud
: blacKberries behind US, and thanks be to
S whom it may concern, we arc once more
II in the cool refreshing shade, where We
: breathe freer, and our desponding spirits
are reused by the change. The face Of
is the country remains about the same as
It further down the creek, but the stream
is has now diminished to q shadow OF It's
t former size, and rushes down over the
n rocks in rather an unpretending manner
If and presents a perfect paradise to lover
II of fishing. How | did want to stop and
throw a hook in. just to see how nicely
J. could haul out a trout which was sure
would take hold at the first opportunity
% but we must make Summit Prairie tc
night or the horses go hungry for wan
of their suppers. Horse flies are more
abundant here than at any point yet pass
ed, and every time one bites horse he
a makes it count, and worries horse dread
n fully; it was impossible to keep them of
y even while trav cling, and swarm was
i. continually following US. l noticed more
$ of variety of timber along the bottom
If up here, and l saw some very large ma
.e pie trees, which was quite a relief from
: the everlasting frs. After leaving the
Santiam on the light the road in shor
d distance takes its course up the mountain
\ Tor a long stretch of seven miles, aud II
,e seems as if one will never get to the top
, Upon this mountain, the heaviest grade
,r on the road, great deal of labor has beer
a. expended and it is at this season in
splendid condition. Indeed it is the bes
section of the whole road, and pleasant
travelling being in the heavy green tim
Der, and consequently good shade is af
forded. You occasionally cross ravin,
Sc or gulley, running down the side of the
Of mountain through which water almost a:
- cold as ice runs and flows into the San
tiam. Good substantial bridges have
g been erected over most of them, and The
d grade is gradual. About one mile thi,
IN side of the summit in an open spot you
70 first see the bald mountain, apparently
:. directly in front of you, aud "iron noun
% tain" to the left, high rocky promon
J. tory towering above the heads of its
: neighbors, little Oh one side of which
10 stands rock resembling somewhat
a "chimney rock" en- the Platte, although
not so tall as chimney rock. and of diff
" ferent color. A red streak can be seer
h running around the main mountain which
is supposed to be iron ore, consequently
,e its name, iron mountain.
!. To be continued Xxx
- Financial and Commercfal.