Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-06-18
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A correspondent of the Cnfan writes
AZ foliozs from weaatchie, beautiful
valley on the eastern slope of the Cas-
cades, about seventy-fye miles from
this city:
WEsArcHIE. w. T., June 1. 1882.
Freer Il Miller have a beautiful p!aca
here located on both the Wenatchie and
Columbia rivers, where the former joius
the latter almost at right angle. The
prairie here Is entirely treeless, is Gov
cred with sage brush and has ve-y
gentle slope facing to the east. II isl
perfect paradise for fruit. particularly
Tor grapes and peaches. The fruit trees
are small, a. are also the Erape vinss.
Inns prairie, prorer, has about ten SEC
tsons OF land and Is about two miles in
width and extending down the Columbia
about ten or twelve miles. the lower end
beng rocky and gravelly, with occasional
ciumps OF rocks rising. in some in.
stances, to 20 or more feet. The rocks
here are OF . peculiar formation. being
kind OF soft sandstone. The disiute-
grafton Of this rock Is very rapid and
the soil is moro or less mixed With il.
Irrigation Is necessity. 1t is the most
difficult of soils for water to penetrate,
As consequence, the burrows have to
be made very close to each other. One
notable feature it possesses is the fact
that the locality is free from late frosts
IN the spring and early frosts In the fall.
Hitherto there have been no white
families in this valley. This spring
several families have come in to make
homes. and as soon as tho mountains
can be crossed there will be four or five
located here. Water. for irrigation, can
be taken from the Wenatohio river in
abundance. The Wenatchie Mountains
extend to within quarter Of a mile of
an egg shape, the sharp point being
down the river. Here are homes for 70
or 30 families. The country is not sur
veyed; consequently the settlers are all
squatters. This is a drawback they
hope Will be soon removed.
The l7-yeaf loCusts are here in large
numbers. Every available tree of pop
lar, OF which there is quite a number
here OF from four to eight years growth,
as also the peach and Othe. fruit trees,
are black with them. Grasshoppers,
too, are thick III places, but not on the
Freer and Miller ranch. The prospect
for grape and peach crop is very
promising, particularly on the Philip
Miller ranch some two miles below and
south of the Wenatchie. All the grapes
here are but of three years growth, but
some of the peach trees are elk and
eight years old.
The season here is backward as well
as in other parts of Yakima county.
Last year at this time straw berries were
ripe, but it will take at least two weeks
yet TO mature the present crop.
There is talk now of placing boats on
the upper Columbia. It will take at
least two boats to navigate the river above
Priest Rapids. There are several places
where strong currents will have to be
overcome; the most formidable of which
will be met at Rock Island, some fifty
miles above Priest Rapids. A little
blasting there will place the river in
navlgable condition from Priest Rapids
to Kettle Falls; at that place there is
fall of nearly 20 feet. The steamer 49,
used to run from the Little Dalles to
within % miles of tho Big Bend gold
mines. At the upper landing there are
several miles of cascades, similar to the
lower Columbia cascades, though on a
much smaller scale.
The Initial IS small stream running
parallel with the Wenatchie that joins
the Columbia some II miles above here
and on it is where tho earthquake Oc-
Cured some nine years ago. Psnt up
fires are still in existence there, with
frequent rumblings resembling the noise
of light artillery; but it il confined to a
small circuit III the immediate neigh
borhOOd. Ever since the outburst that
convulsed the whole Territory this dis
turbance has been kept up, and at times
the shocks have been felt at this place.
1t is supposed now that the rent has be-
come SO great that no heavy shock Is
again likely to occur, although an un-
conQuerabie fire still exists in the bow
els OF the mountains.