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

anu crossed. oNcr lllS vast tStcHI liiC ~
NAV wander in vain for some green object
some evidence that in times gone by this waste
supported animal life, or will eventually III
wears to come. All is desolatc in the extreme
the bare beds Of alkali, or wastes Of grey sand
only meet the vision, except now and then a
rocky hill, more barren than the plains, If such
things can be possible
Nothing OF any Importance i, To he seen IN
| til 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 lava" of which the soil of Cedar Pass
(somc 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 decomposcd 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 indictlvc of an age when Oscillation
reigned supreme.
When approaching these springs the walk
ing alone fairly shakes the springs ana ground
around them, a 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 1t.
Who knows but that this entire region is the
bed of some great ocean that once existed and
that aforementioned people "navigatcd their
navIes," lived upon islands which now appear.
as mountain peaks and idly wondered what
might be the secrets of the submarine territory
through which we to-day travel We might
surmisc also that that which we now call the.
Dn,ibg ,Iu a sD,i1iprr nd -
land at one time and by Il mere whim or con
vulsion Of nature the whole region was
changed. 1t is hard to tell what happened I'M
those 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
until finally the unprctcntious lltrlc station of
Noicea is passed, when we enter the namecss
fire mile canyon, through which a clear spark
ling river runs, slowly and solcmnIy winding
its way onward, ever onward. Away to the
left the high peaks of the Ruby Range" lift
themselves into view, overwhelming 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, rs we roll along, and
suddenly, almost over our heads, we see where
the beating of ages have almost washed out the
softer and most porous part OF the lodges leav-
mg turretS and peaks, Caverns and domcs stand .
a, Ia, irr,t,tI,r ,r,l,r L., a,
group of fantastic rocks raise their weird shapes
far above. They are called the WItch's Bot
ties, -" but why they should be Sonamcd is more
than can GUESS, unlcS, it is that John b. Cough
or one of the Murphy mover, has been along
this way and when he found he could not
" bust" the old bottle tied his "htte
badge OF blue" on the pctriticd 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 yet found no means
to scale their sides Let us hope he never will
and that our bird of freedom may scream,
haunt an unsaltcd tail and bring forth her
young unmolcstcd for centuries yet 10 come!
From this we pass into an open valley and
in due time cross the rather singular named
"Susan'S Creek, Maggic'S Creek, Mary's Creeks
and AmclaN Creek Tradition says, inrcgard
to these names that an cmgrant 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 rs 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 pcrpctuatcd in history.
We rolled into C'Hit-a town of no great
importance whatever, except ro the railroad
eight O'Clock in The morning
and after changing our horse Tor q fresh stccd
were soon laundering on down the valley,
in the lar oil distance the towering
peaks of the Ruby Range" which loom up.
before Us Onward. still on.