The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-30
The Independent.
FRIDAY, MARCH 80, 1877.
Waysidc Notes.
SPRING DRAWINGS.

Its advent fully month earlier than
is usual in this rainy latitude. The
larks sing merrily, the grass is grow
ing and covers the ground with a
green mantle of velvet, beautiful be-
meath the riffs of sunlight and soft to
the foot as the yielding turf by the
gurgling brook in the copse or the
denser shades of the forest giants.
The johnny-jump-ups lift their tiny
faces and vie with the grass blades
for supremacy in the hooks among
the dankish and messy logs, and the
heecy clouds above cast their ever
changing shadows over the miniature
worlds where dwell the millions of
the floral kingdom. Blackbirds chirp
on the staked and ridered fence, and
the tiny squirrels come from their
nests, three or four together, and play
"hide and go seek" along the panels
and in the corners. The wren has
begun chirping to his mate, and the
little home for the prospective bird
lings is already being planned in its
accustomed place under the caves of
the old kitchen or woodhouse. The
snowy blossoms of the plum and APP
pie trees and the pink ones of the
peach exhale delicious fragrance as
they promise bountiful yield of
fruit for the autumn season. Joy is
abroad in this verdant land because
spring has awakened from her slum-
bers, and, smiling upon her subjects,
has caused new birth of beauty and
innocence whose presence shall fill
the eyes of men with gladness and
turn to soft and tender cadences the
requium to natures dead. The skel-
eton leaves and the broken fern stalks,
reminders of last years beauty, are
warnings that all must fade and die;
that all these joyous manifestations
of nature must be resolved to earth
again, from thence in the future to
appear in their original glory.
1t was thus that we fell to thinking
the other day, when on the way to the
Lake River section of the county.
The clouds threatened rain, but occa-
sionally the sun shone bright. We
carried rubber blanket to make sure
against wetting. We carried it 40
miles and it never rained drop while
we were on the road The roads are
very muddy, but ''skookum" little
pony wallowed successfully through
the whole distance and made good
time. AT Salmon Creek we found
BRAN NEW SCHOOL HOUSE,
lately completed by the enterprising
citizens of that district. 1t is COM
Portable building, large and we'll light
ed, and Is at present occupied by
Walter Sparks and his twenty pupils,
who are improving the time in their
new quarters. Church services are
conducted every Sunday in this build
ing. Reys. Reese, Alexander, Allen
and O'Flaherty officiating in turn. A
flourishing literary society meets ev-
cry Friday evening in this house.
Last Friday the society debated the
question, ''Resolved that FIRE has done
more damage than water" The ques-
ton was decided in favor of the af-
firmative. This evening they will
discuss the question, 'Resolved that
intemperance is more destructive than
war. The society has a paper, en-
titled "The Star of the West" where
of Walter Sparks is editor.
AMONG THE FRS.
Going on north through the dense
forest we are surprised to find new
bridge, about one mile north of Ten
ny's farm. This is over the gulch on
one of the worst hills on the road, and
is . fine improvement. Two new
hou I'll l.