, 1876-11-25
sNOOUALMIE FALLS

AOCt IA AC1SuIs 4Ao WoAo Va A"AA
road communication is all that has
heretofore kept them aloof from the
reach of tourists. In future years,
we shall see merchants of Portland,
side by side with those of Seattle
and Victoria, catching the speckled
trout beneath the roaring cascade OF
Snoqualmie or hunting the red deer
in the woody glens beyond the prair-
lie. From this point outward is one
vast forest in which tall frs rise like
pillars of an ancient temple. Their
tall crests are covered with moss as
they rise in hoary majesty, bearded
like the Druids of old. There is
feeling of awe prevailing the rider
as he journeys along the dark and
narrow trail from which the tall
timber almost excludes the daylight
ashe rides thirty three miles through
the forest to
THE SUMMIT.
Here is a black muck swamp, almost
belly deep except in July, August
and September. It needs to be cor
duroyed for distance of nearly
three miles and the building of a
good toll-road would be hailed with
delight by people on both sides Of
the mountains. About four or five
miles from the Summit, you strike
mountain sea known as Kitchelas
Lake, which is about six miles long
and averages three-fourths of mile
wide. Its banks are rocky and pre-
cipitous, while it's waters are as clear
as crystal. From this lake flows the
beautiful Yakima River which winds
its tortuous way through q chain Of
almost impossible mountains and
empties its waters into the lordly
Columbia, short distance below
Priests Rapids. From the moment
you cross the Summit, you expert
ence such
RADICAL CHANGE OF CLIMATE,
AS to superinduce the belief that you
are in another world. The climate
is hot and dry while the broad plains
below you are covered with succu-
lent bunch-grass. The tall frs and
cedars are gone entirely, their places
being supplied with dwarfsh yellow
pine and tamarack. From Kitchelas
Lake you journey over an expanse
of rolling country where stock
breeding is the chief pursuit, the
want of export facilities preventing
the cultivation of cereals. But
wheat and barley have grown luxu-
riantly wherever they have been
tried. These rolling plains are the
finest pastures extant, and produce
the fattest of beef. And so you Jog
along through the warm, dry eli
mate of the eastern slope for dis
tance of forty odd miles till you enter.
KITTITAs VALLEY.
The beautiful Yakima River runs
through the middle of the vale, with
a gentle slope to the water from
each side. Copious streams of water
descend from the hills, thus afford
ing plenty of water for dairy and
agricultural purposes. Here may
be grown barley. wheat, oats, pota-
toes and all sorts of roots. AS high
as seventy bushels CT wheat has been
grown on single acre, but the low
price $50 cents per bushel) causes
most of it to be fed to hogs which
are driven to the Seattle and Walla
Walla markets. Timothy grass
grows an average of four feet high,
while rye grass reaches seven feet,
and peaches, grapes and melons, dc
nearly as we'll as in California. All
that section requires is railroad com
munication with the sea and its opu-
lence becomes a fixed fact. The
principal town in the valley is
ELLENsBURG,
Which polls some 300 votes and has
two stores, two saw-miils, a black
smith shop and a grist-mill. The
people raise fine horses there and
have fine race-track, mile in
length. Gold mining is carried on
at Swauk Creek, tributary of the
Yakima, where diggings pay about
two dollars per day to the hand. A
good trade is also carried on with
the Chinese who mine at the We
nache diggings on the Columbia.
This valley is about thirty miles dis
tant from Priests Rapids, the head
of easy navigation on the upper Co
lumbia. The county seat is located at
ATTAHNUM,
Or, asst is now called, Yakima City,
which is about forty miles beyond
Ellensburg. The entire distance is
well adapted for settlement, either
for farming or grazing. The great
want, however, is cheap outlet to
the sea. This defect will be satis-
factorily supplied by the construc-
ton of the Seattle and Walla Walla
Railroad, a home enterprise, the
profits of which will be spent in the
Territory, to develope her resources.
Men of energy and economy are at
the head of it and will push it
through with oil due diligence. The
golden grain of Yakima and Walla
Walla shall go forth in a hundred