The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-04-20

and crossed. over thlS vast extent Inc cl'
may wander in vain for some green object
some evidence that in times gone by this waste
supported animal life, or will eventually il
years to come. All is dcsolatc in the extreme
the bare beds Of alkali, or wastes of grey sand
only meet the vision, except now and then {
rocky hill more barren than thcplains, if such
things can be possible.
Nothing OF any Importance i, to be seen IN
| i'll the
VALLEY OF THE HUMBOLDT
is reached, one OF the richest grazing valleys
in the entire west"
This vast pasture" extends distance OF
eighty miles in length and an average width
Of ten miles; and is only occupied by few
ranchcros The only important thing to be
seen here is the wells or springs of the Hum
boldt. These springs are about thirty in num-
Der, and nothing marks their presence except
a circle OF rank grass which grows around
them Some of them are six or seven feet across
and it is said that the bottom has never been
sounded; the suppOsition is that they are The
"Cratcrs Of volcanoes long since extinct, but
which at some time or other threw up vast
body Of Laval Of which the soil of Cedar Pass
lsomc miles Distant is largely composed The
whole face Of this section of the country bears
evidence Of some mighty change which has
been going on perhaps for centuries. Lava
in hard enough blocks, lava dccomposcd and
powdered, huge blocks Of granite and sand
stone in the foothills, broken, shattered and
thrown around IN wild confusion, are some Of
the signs indictIvc of an age when dcsolation
rcigncd supreme.
When approaching these springs the walk
ing alone fairly shakes the springs ana ground
around them, Il fact that leads some to think
that they are the opening to a lake or ocean
that has been covered over by some freak of
nature. The fact that the ground around these
springs is so elastic, and the known incidents
in history, where luXuriant vegetation has fire.
Qucntly caused islands in rivers and lakes, con
firm the opinion that there is in this basin a
covered lake. and the springs are simply open
ings to IT.
Who knows but that this entire region is the
bed of some great ocean that once existed, and
that aforementioned people nayigaed their
navlcS,' lived upon islands which now appear
as mountain peaks, and idly wondered what
might be the secrets Of the submarine territory
through which we today travel We might
surmisc also that that which we now call the
Pacific Ocean was a smiling and prosperous
land at one time, and by mere whim or con-
vulsion of nature the whole REGION was
changed 1t is hard to tell what happened in.
hose remote ages before the noble red man o..
roamcd over its vast domain.
Leaving the valley Of the Humboldt, our.
train moves onward at its usually slow speed
Noicea is passed, when we enter the namclcss
zee mile canyon, through which a clear spark
ling river runs slowly and SoIcmnIy winding.
It's way onward, ever onward Away to the.
eft the high peaks of the Ruby Range" lift.
themselves into view, oycr>h&dowing the lower.
hills around.
The scenery along this canyon can hardly.
be surpassed for its kind. The bold and var.
led panorama presented to our view at this
point is simply grand.
Close to the bluffs, as we roll along, and.
almost over our heads we see where
HE beating of ages have almost washed out the.
softer and most porous part Of the lodges, lcay-
ng turrets and peaks, CaycrnS and dOmcS stand
ng along in irregular order In one part a
group of fantastic rocks raise thcirwcrd shapes
far above. They are called the WIch's Bot
Ties, " but why they should be ,onamcd is more.
than can guess, unlcS, tits that John b. Cough
or one of the Murphy movers has been along
this way and when he found he could not
" bust the old bottle ned his "lttlc'
badge OF blue" on the pclriticd witches. High
up amidst those grand old rocks it is said the,
eagles build their nests and rear their young,
indctiancc of man, who has yctiound no means.
10 scale their sides. Let Us hope he never will
and that our bird of freedom may scream,
tlaunt an unsalted tail and bring forth her.
young unmolcStcd for centuries yet to come!
From this we pass into an open valley and
in due time cross the rather singular named
"Susan'S Creek Maggic'S Creek, Marys Creek,
and Amclia's Creek" Tradition says, in rcgard
to these names, THAT an cmigrant was cross
ing the plains with his family at an early day,
and that in this family were tour daughters in.
the order given, and as the party came TO these
streams they gave the name of each one of the
daughters to thcm'-a very appropriate thing
To do, and for their presence Of mind their
names have been pcrpctualcd in history.
We rolled into C,,96,--a town of no great
importance whatever, except lo the railroad
company-ahout eight o'clock in The morning,
and after changing our horse tor fresh Stccd
were soon laundering on down the valley,
in the far oil distance the towering.
peaks of the RUBY Range" which loom up.
before u. Onward. still on