New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-03
IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

h RIDE THROUGH DESERT AND FOkESl'
kHr KLAMATH wIIDERNEss-GLoMES OF MOUNT
Observation-Disclosures CALIFORNIAN RANCHES
ADVENTURES OF THE sTAGERS AND
FREIGHTERs
,,no, occ,s1oNAI CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNE.l
PrppING CAL July 22.-School maps of Oregon
and California represent the Coast and Cascade
Mountains as running parallel to each other all the
way from the Columbia River 10 the Bay OF san
Francisco. the Cascades taking the name OF tue
Sierras in California. Between the two ranges
nppears broad valley. This arrangement looms
very pretty upon the maps. and is toleraby accu-
rate FOR the one hundred miles of the Willamette
country in Oregon and for about hundred anu
Fifty Of the lower Sacramento Valley; out al vi
Southern Oregon and Northern California Is co",
fusing mass of mountain ridges ana peaks c'o"ue"
la without any regard to the regular chains oi no
yeocranhjes. What valleys there are mainly trend
east and west. and tho streams 60 stIaignV on ="
The Pacific. cutting deep caNons through the noun
tains. Even the high Sierras do not furnish true
backbone and watershed for the Klamath River
breaks through them. carrying off the waters of
the big lakes in Eastern Oregon. and further south
McCloud's River coming from the eastern side OF
Mount Shasta. ughtiest of the Sierra peaks IONS
The Sacramento which starts from the giants west
ern base.
In a former letter described portion of the
Journey between the southern terminus oil INC
Oregon railway system and the northern end OF 'He
California system-a distance of nearly three nun
dred miles That letter left me at the foot OF the
Siskvou Mountains. The SiskyOus are the natural
boundary between the two States though the line
rms little south of them where the road crosses
L. They ale high enough to show some patches OF
snow on their tops in July but are wel-wooded All
the way up their sides and not at All dltncult 10
cross. Getting them is only n matter OF three
hours driving-the horses toiling up the zgzag road
on one side and trOttng swiftly down the long
steep slopes OIL the ether. The mountains seem To
form a climatic we'll as State boundary Inc
laurel tree and the manysnita bush appear on their
southern slope, and once down into the valley OF
the Klamath, the landscape is brown, dusty anu III
nil respects Enthusiastically Californian. Dusty
roads dusty hills dusty saSe-bush and weeds grass
sere and yellow.-where there was any "A reddish
soil bare low mountains, hot plains, the glare of
fierce sur in cioudless sky. few farms IN llttle
sreaks of valleys bordering small streams are what
/ chiefly remember of the evening OF the 1ourth
DAYS journey and the morning of the hfth. But
far of on the southern horizon luminous and
sublime the summit of Shasta doomed up against
the blue heavens. A heecy bank OF clouds hid Its
base and il looked the spectre of mountain
floating in mid air. 1t was my guide ana goal All
cne day. Steer for the butte said the farmer
i Il
Ferry giving me directions about the road, and
you'll not 60 astray" The country people call this
monarch of the California mountains the butte"
There are buttes by the score but this is the butte
When | first saw its two white SUBMITS from the
Klamath plains il did not seem possible that they
had any connection with the solid earth Ihey
looked like cloud effect, until ten miles nearer
the rock ridges between the snow fields, when
earlier in the day were of dark blue color. began
TO assume a brown lava hue. and the snow became
real snow instead OF vague white clouds. Shasta
appears much higher than Mont Blanc; 1t Is III
reality about LOCO feet lover, It's elevation being
14.4lO feet but in approaching 1t from the north
your first point of view in the KlamathValey, isnot
much above the level of the sea- then II stands out
individual and alone while Mont Blanc is only the
highest peak of a long white chain think Shasta
and the two highest peaks of the Cascade Range,
Hood and Rainier each impressive than cay
Summit of the Alps.
The Klamath is a narrow cold blue IlNer. Ihere
ore few farms on its banks, but the country for
the most part is "A desert uPheaved into hills and
nolluws and covered with sinking bushes and I'M
wholesome weeds. Along the creeks running into
the river are some green belts of settlement with
grain fields, grass and willow trees. little gold
mining is still done in this region ! saw thee
grave-faced plodding Cinnamon washing red dirt
in a suce-way They had dug ont a hole in the
ground ten feet deep and about two acres in ex-
tent No doubt tney had been at work for years
In other places / saw dggings abandoned in tie
summer for wait of water. There is nothing at
tractve about placer mining. IL Is hard work III
dirt and muddy water, under the brollIng sun OF
California su.nmer or in the winter rains and
winds. and it rarely yields the miners mOIe golden
particles than amount TO the of day labOrer
Toward noon of the fifth days drive | came upon
IN excellent example of what can be accomplished
with little work and little water in California
desert For two hours the road had led over
sandy waste, sparsey covered by growth OF dwarf
cedars. Here and there were patches strewn with
lava rock reminders of Mount Shastas former vol
canic activity. The sand itself looked like ashes,
and the whole region seemed absolutely hopeless
for any agricultural purpose. As the hot hours
dragged on and the horses tOled more and more
YEARLY through the sand the question OF a dinner
and MONDAY rest began to grow serious. cabin
came IN sight and. strangely enough, right in the
desert beside it was a big pond covering perhaps
five acres CT ground, that one immense long
spring of cold water AL Irish bachelor lived in tho
cabin in as rude fashion any of his bog-trotting
kindred in the Green Isle. There no thought |
of asking hospitality in his dirty loOrless hut, but
be gave the cheering information that the f0nest
place We liver saw only 20 miles further on ;
aud sure enough, there in the sandy waste soon
opened VISION of trees, grain fields and meadows |
md of pretty white house with wide piazzas and
a flower garden in front 1t was like the shadow of
great rock in weary land TO get out of the glare
of the sun into pretty sitting room q neat rag |
rarpet on the floor pictures on the walls volumes
Of history and poetry on the table-and rest in |
big rocking char, while a friendly, ray-haired |
lady made good her hospitable offer of dinner If
you will put up with what have" What they |
had proved to be an excellent meal of vensOn |
~, s.nh nf