Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-09-26
For the Bellows Falls Times.
Crater Lake.
CRATER LAKE. Oregon,
August 25th, 1873.

August 25th, 1873. !
Were / not egotstical enough to believe that
my reputation for truth and veracity had been
pretty fairly established when boy, Ishould now
most likely pause to consider whether it were
prudent and advisable to run the risk of losing
the reputation said to have been accorded to my
most illusrious name-sake, the owner of the little
Ratchet, who never told lie."
well know that Californians are proyerbial
for telling large truths, or at least they have the
reputation ofdoing so-and am also as well aware
that we too often remark as we hold up our hands
in holy horror, "Well used to think he was u
very truthful young man, but since he went out to
California, he tells such outrageous lies F"
Be they lies or truths l leave you my dear
friend to judge; and now if you will pardon me
this time will attempt to family describe what l
saw at
CRATER LAKE,
or as it is sometimes called Mystic and by others
Magic Lake-either are synonymous and very ap-
propriate although Crater Lake" is the name
usually given it, as it is PROFESSIONALLY lake
embosomed within the crater of what once was an
enormous volcano, The lake is situated about
25 miles northeast from Fl. klamath and on the
top of very high mountain which is estimated
to be abou. 10000 feet above the level of the
sea although think its altitude has never been
calculated. The lake is very nearly round, per.
haps ten miles in diameter and the purest crys.
tai water. The reflection of all surrounding OBJ.
jects are almost perfect indeed, it is difficult to
1ptnrpnfnn pplacc 10
the land and water meet 1t apparently has no
inlet nor outlet and its depth is not known, for it
has never been sounded. 1t was first discovered
by white men some fifteen years ago, which with
its inaccessible location is undoubtedly the prin.
cipal reason why it has not acquired its merited
reputation as being one of the grandest wonders of
natural scenery in the world. Our party was
comprised of Col L., Capt H, and an
other c.. ~
Our retinue consisted of a guide and three SOL
diers and our means of transportation four mule
ambulance and two.horse spring wagon which
carried our blankets rifes provisions dglasses,
cooking utensils, and (by the way,) just the incest
little box, containing champaign, a few bottles
of whskey, port wine, and box of fragrant eli
gars, which was donated by our very considerate
post trader; provided in case we got bitten by a
rattlesnake "You know how It's yourself"
We started from the Fort at o'clock q. m
and enjoyed our drive very much along the level
plane until we began to ascend the mountain
when our travelling became more and more tedi'
GUS until we finally were compelled TO abandon
our ambuiances and pursue our journey on foot
We passed up Annie Creek Canyon where we
witnessed some most beautiful scenery, and now
it occurs to me just here, to cogtate whether this
creek and canyon were named after dusky maid
en- who might have lived and fourished in this
locality long before the white man brought his
wife and daughters into these mountain wilds-
or whether Annie was really maiden of fairer
skin and blooming cheeks,--at what particular
cicle of time marks her advent is of little impor.
lance, and her virtues flor dou bit she possessed
many are of little moment at this period, for An
ME Creek Canyon had its birth in days of yore,'
long, long ago, The marks of time, counted by
centuries are plainly discernable upon the walls
of rocks through which Annie Creek has cut its
way to the depth of 500 feet in places, and for
ten miles the average depth is more than 800 feet
True, this rock is species of sandstone or pom.
acestone, yet day after day, year after year, and
century after century has the water of Annie
Greek cut its way through its rocky bed, leaving
its almost perpendicular walls towering fal
above its present course.
| We rode along the banks of Annie Creek fol
| perhaps five miles when we turned to the righ
and begun the more abrupt ascent to the noun
! tains. We have become accustomed to riding
over rough roads, and even in places like til,
present where there is no road at all, since leav
ing the States and therefore were not very mucl
surprised this occasion to Id ourselves ridin.
oyerrocks and logs at every yard, now making
short turn to avoid huge pine, and then agail
driving mighty straight ahead to get between tw
Others equally as large. The
SNOW DRIFTS
too, were becoming too numerous along our cours
of travel for comfort or safety, some of them b.
} ing still twenty feet deep. How deep they ha
been in winter is difficult to say. Vegetation wa
just sprnging forth along our pathway and at or
place, away up the mountain side, we noticed
large number of strawberry blossoms in fu
oAOVuN OlOosUmS anu SHOW QrfJ
twenty-five feet in depth, side by side, remindir
us of Strawberries and ice cream with a vel
. geance,
About two hours by sun we reached our cam
ground, which was by the bank of beautifr
little creek of crystal water, so pure and spar
ling and even colder than ice-water, At this g
titude the trees were not so large as they wei
lower down, and here / saw some real Gree
Mountain hemlock, which done my heart good,
We found it impossible to proceed any furtht
with our ambulances, and while our men " fixe
up camp" procured hemlock boughs upon whic
to spread our blankets and cooked our suppe
we took our rifles and field glasses and started
, the mountain side, leaving our guide in cam
after receiving his directions. We had about tv
miles to walk and found the ascent quite precip
, tous and rough. After toiling up the mounta
for nearly an hour we felt certain that we hs
travelled a sufficient distance to be near the lax
but no lake was in sight although we seemed
! be very nearly on the summit We had halted
E rest and were discussing whether we would 90 O
or return to camp, as the sun was near settin
when Col. L. suggested that we look little ia
Their. We had not proceeded fifty yards whe
almost Immediately and instantaneously the
broke upon our vision sight, which, for
, GRANDEUR AND sUBLIMfTY,