Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-08-12
olympia WASHINGTON TERRITORY SATURDAY MORNING. AUGUST H. 1871

all the comforts OF country home; has
fifty or more acres under cultivation, the
crop consisting Of rye, oats, peas, several
varieties of garden peas, potatoes, ,rutta
baga, turnips. &C., all of which look re-
markably we'll considering the drouth,
comparing favorably with any crops on up
land that have seen. Besides the usual
garden fruit he has growing Strawberries,
blackberries, raspberries, &c. Owing to
the elevation crops are liable to injury by
late frosts, one striking the valley about
the time We arrived there, (second week
in July,) damaging in one or two instances
potatoe vines. The snow fall is much
lighter than could be supposed. Mr.. w.
informed us that during his four years So
journ he had not fed to his stock cattle a
pound of hay, yet they look we'll. His
hogs, of which he has about eighty head
are in excellent condition, their food being
lacamas and fern. The prairie portion of
the valley is all owned by actual settlers.
Five families are living there I believe,
besides the usual number of Instructions
to society and schools incident to all new
communities, yclcpt old bachelors. Va.
cant land of the finest fertility, though
covered with small brush, borders the
prairie on the south for its entire length,
and is wide enough for one tier of claims
This strip of land extends several miles
cast, widening beyond the prairie suffi-
cicntly for two tiers of claims. The clear
ing is light, many places being nearly
cleared by fires. For my own part l had
rather undertake to make farm in this
small brush than to contend with the fern
This fine valley lies on the left bank of
Cowlitz river, and about twenty miles
from Cowlitz prairie, or about seventy five
miles from Olympia, and is reached by a
passable wagon road. Although it seems
at present to be almost out of the world,
yet before many years have elapsed not
foot, in all probability, will be left unoc-
cuped, and as for its rcmotencss, there is
no farmer 50 far from market as he who
has nothing to sell. Our first camp was
pitched near spring at the eastern end
of the prairie. Cooking, eating and Sleep
ing in tho open air with nothing but the
blue, gem set vault of heaven for a canopy,
was exhilerating in the extreme, and we
enjoyed it to the fullest extent. Here the
Captain made inquiries Of the Indian con.
corning the route, size and direction of the
streams We would meet, and particularly of
the one we intended to visit. He was
strangely ignorant of any such creek or
river described to him, or the bar of black
sand alluded to above. On other points
he was clear enough. However when
morning came we packed up and plunged
into the brush at the heels of our guide,
who followed trial that to all appearance
was used by his great grandfather. A
mile and half from Klikitat we entered
a fine vine maple upland with some alder
and soft maple. This land is of the best
quality and extends in the direction trav.
cled by US about two miles to beautiful
mountain stream. Portions Of this land is
rolling and even hilly but susceptible of
cultivation. During the day we crossed
several river bottoms of considerable extent
but subject to overflow; these bottoms are
covered with ash, vine maple, salmon
brush, rushcs &C., affording superior ranges
for cattle
The distance travelled to-day was csti.
mated at ton miles. We encamped in
little valley which had tho appearance of
having been camping ground Of the In
dians time out of mind. There is no
doubt but that this country supported once
large population. Our guide pointed
out many places where villages of his pco.
pie had once stood, saying these valleys
and hillsides once teemed with red men.
He was questioned again in regard to the,
object of our trip, but he feigued entire
ignorance, declaring no such stream ex-
istcd. He evidently did not wish us to
proceed. What his motives were, was not
apparent; but he asked with much anxiety
if there was any probability that the
whites would como away up among the
mountains and dispossess the Indians Of
their homes. Being told that such thing
was not likely soon to occur, he seemed
greatly pleased. We called this camp No.
2. The next day about mile or mile
and half after starting we entered one Of
the finest bodies of upland I ever saw.
Alder, ash. maple and vine maple grow
here in perfection, taller and straghter
than ever saw them elsewhere. Though
the sun shone very warm, We were sheltered
and protected from his rays by this won.
derfully luxuriant growth. What the ex-
tent of this fine tract of land is, We could
form no just idea, as We could not see out
atany point. The Captain put it at, at
least a thousand acres. There are ccr-
tainly several hundred acres, as We were
an hour at a good brisk walk in a good
trail in crossing it. AS nearly as we could
determine, this most desirable valley is
about twelve miles from tho settlement.
A march of a couple of hours over some-
what rough country brought us to good
sized mining stream which our Indian
limited was the one we were looking for,
but the Captain very soon made him un.
derstand that he knew better. A halt was
called, and we prospected the creek little,
fuding good indications of gold and iron
but not the metals themselves. Proceed
inu ahout two m;las wa want into cop,n M