The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-07-15
The Climate Of the Gsesst Plain O)
the Columbia.
Elaborated from Notes taken BY Mr.. wilkeeou during
Reconnaissance Of the proposed route OF TIN
Northern PaciAc Railroad, In 1859.

Dew does not fall ON the Great Plain Of
the Columbia ..-
All over /, salmon will dry in the shade.
1t Is not possible to dry salmon in Cslifor.
MIA. or in Oregon, or in Washington west of
the Cascade range. Goldfish is dried there
because sslted when cleaned aboard ship.
But all around Puget Sound, salmon to be
preserved must he canned, or sailed. or smO.
ked: On the Spokane. you can dry them
% dry ~ gnnpowdcr, in the shade, before
the flies can injure them They who have
studied climate will understand that this is
IN immense fact
Oh the Great Plain. as IN California, the
growing seasOn begins and ends early. It
10 compressed In the convenient interval be.
tween the first week of March and the last
week Of Junc. As have elsewhere said,
there 10 Fail growth of grass utter the first
ut October, especially upon ground that has
been burned over. Hence the recurring
Summer fires 50 fatal to the growth Of
y"ung trees. In November, the hills near
Okanagan, and about Walla Walla, are an
nually civered with the richest green. On
the Spokane Plain the grass is springing up
plen,ifully in February, while the forests
North and East are 06etructed with snow.
In elevation the Great Plain of the Co.
lambda occupies an intermediate place he
tween the lvwlands aud the mountain for.
esta
The lowest points where trees afe found
In abundance are 1000 feet above the sea
level
All the tributaries of the Columbia have
"terraces." These vary in height from 200
tN 500 feet above the streams. The soils of
these short geological staircnses all vary, and
are adapted 10 various crUps. The bottoms"
are heavily covered with long grass. The
wise location of q farm runs the lateral
boundaries up hill tO the ridge.
The growth Of timber in this region, espe.
cially under irrigation, is marve'0usly rapid.
The shade and fruit trees seen at Walla
Walla, were rs large at four years of age as
are the eight year old trees in Massaclll.
setts. And the irrigation is really a simple
matter. The formation of the country ev.
erywhcre favors the construction of reser-
vOirs. Such work as the Humphrey
Brothers have made to take water from the
east side to the west side of the Rocky
Mountains. for the use of the Silver Bow
and Deer Lodge miners, seems an ordinary
effort Of enterprise u the blonde Samsons
Of the pick and pan. A short, strong dam
thrown across the mouth of cove in the
mountain, created . reservoir five miles in
AbNuussVs sVUSO Wuu OVVP. u0 uuSCu
appurtenant. which is to carry 1,50O inches,
10 twenty miles long. A part of the work
u tunnel of C.OOO feet. The altitude of
the main reservoir is 6,40O feet above the
sca-Of the distributing reservoir. Q. 100 feet
There is the means for turning the desert of
Sahara into = garden of Eden. And tho
three brothers WHO have created this benet
iccnt agency arc far from beng capitalists
-lamentabiy fur from it. May their ditch
enrich thsn hsyosa sheir widest dcsircsl
The mighty river which has given its
name to the Great Plain Is as peculiar as it
~ grand. No river scenery in the worll
will compare with that Of the Columbia
In the grandeur of its palisades-in the
height Of the mountains through which it
fOws-in the number of snow clad peaks
which eternally glitter silver upon the mir.
ror Of its watcrs-in the variety and colum.
mar majesty of the basaltic formation thrO'
which it has hewn its deep channel in the
volume, GOODNESS, and crystal clesrness of
its waters in its mighty ''rise" in the
Spring and early Sumlner-in the variety.
force and beauty of its falls, rapids, and
cascades. the Columbia is enthrOncd above
comparison with oil the rivers of the world.
In distance Of seven hundred miles the
Columbia has three falls which interrupt
navigation. aud two rapids which obstruct
only at low water. On high water steamers
surinount them. The first fall Is the Cas-.
Gales, 165 miles from the sea- They are six
miles long. A first class railroad with loco.
motives OvercOmcs this break on the north
side. On the south side is . wooden tram.
way, strapped with iron and worked with
mule. power. The second fall is the Dslles.
2O5 miles from the sea. This interruption
to navigation upward is fourteen miles long,
and the remedy 10 another first. t.class railroad
with locomotive power. The third fall is
Chaudicre, nastily called ''Kettle." 724 miles
from the sea. That 10 long highway for
commerce by steam-but above these last
falls the Oregon Steam Navigation Compa.
ny's boat. 10" runs ESQ miles, going way
above latitude 40, and beyond the line Of
latitude between British Columbia and the
United States How's that for high! f'