Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-01-09
Mason Prairie ana Surrounding High
Table Land

NIdlS HlOuilUiAlll IL llcS DtlWFSu tiie
Clearwater river on the north, the
Snake on the west, the Camas prairie
valley on the east, and Salmon river
on the south. After reaching Craigs
mountain, distance of eighteen miles
from Lewiston, and following the stage
road to The top of the mountain, prob
ably two miles further, this broad
prairie lies before you. 1t is finely
wooded and abundantly watered by
springs and streams. This prairie has
about 500 square miles of undulating
and level land, partly lying in the Nez
Perez reservation. The land as
you approach within one mile Of Snake
river is abrubt with almost perpen
dicular mountain sides, forming deep,
narrow canyons, whose sides are MADE
of solid rock as you advance to the
water of the Snake. The vi ole prai
RE is interspersed with the finest tim
Der, principally pine, fur and tama-
rack The timber is not Of a dense
growth, but has clearings of from five
to one hundred acres scattered here
and there all over this prairie, and
t where the timber is thickest team
and wagon could be easily conducted
through it. The lands are rich III
dark, deep loan, and will produce
grain and roots adapted to a cool eli
: mate. 1t being so much higher than
J the other table lands adjacent to Lew
iston, that snow usually falls in De
cembcr and lasts till March, but there
j have been Winters that snow remained
a there but one week. People in the
: Northern States who are used 10 from
5 four to 81 months cold Winter weather
would think this prairie q paradise.
. There are only two dwelling houses Oh
l. the prairie, both Of which are occu-
= pied and used as hotel station houses
Tor the accommodation cf the stage
company and the travelling public
Several sheep mon have selected por
tons of this prairie for sheep ranges
and have built corrals, &c, for that
lie purpose it being so conveniently W2
~ ~ tered and waving with q sea Of nutr'
Sc tious grass and other vegetation. Or
g this prairie arc fields Of rank timothy
1t rod top and clover The banks OF th'
streams have an abundant growth o
Il berry bushes and the low ounoA whor
,e tlebarly grows abundsntly ell over tn
tt prairie. This particular part Ct th'
sy country is more especially adopted t
IN cattle raising as the Summer month
rd are generally cool, but it would b
IS. necessary to make the preparations 10
n their Winter feed, and this would b
=, very easy matter, as timothy an
clover are natural growth The tin
nd Der is, fine for rail-splitting end lar9
= quantities of it for pole fencing puI
poses, these pole trees growing to frol
twenty to sixty feet long, and can /
" utilized to good advantage for bar
Low and shed building From the apparel
tut interest that has been awakene
throughout the United States in r
zoe gard to this Eastern Washington coul
try, of which Northern | ho alwa,
OK comes in for her share of notoriet
9 during the past few months it is eI
dent that but little Of it will be uno
oer cupied when few more years ha'
ird rolled around There are sever
,ier creeks running through this pra,
ine which seem alive with fine brook trot
jn ing At the head of Willow and Mas
.ale creek we were occupied but q she
time III hooking a sufficient quaint
w. w., of these trout to make a dinner
ond four of us. 1t is customary at diff
,nie H'1e ent seasons of the year for these fi'
s,er which are about six inches in leng'
10y to seize the bait and be caught as {;
as one person can take Them from
,ase hook and cast it again to the water
ANS ssH@===z=,-=s-=zza=z11 ssH@===z=-=s-=zza=z1
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