The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-11-23
WESTERN RAMBLINGS.
Special Correspondence to The Bulletin;


PoMERoY, Wash. Terry, Nov, 10, 1885,
Colfax, from whence We wrote cur last let
ter, is quite thriving town. 1t is the
couaty seat and principal town Of Whitman
county and is located at the forks of the
Palousc river, and is surrounded with
good agricultural region. The town is ten
years old, been burned out twice, the last
time fifty buildings being burned, entail
Ing loss of about s35O,OO0. This last FIRE
happened lulc over year ago, and now
the town is nearly built up of substantial
blocks. A new railroad will soon be IN
operation, connecting the town with direct
communication with the n. p r. X. A
college and several churches are indics.
tons OF the intelligence of the community.
Two newspapers are published in the town.
From Colfsx we took a trip by private
conveyance, seven miles into the country,
where We visited an aged mother, broth.
CT and sister that we had not met for near
twenty years, From that nelghborhood we
pursued our journey up what is called
Spring Flat. Pullman is a new town
named after the noted sleeping-ca man,
located on the south fork Of the Palouse,
up which stream a railroad is being built
The town at present has building boom,
and bids fair to be thriving place. Ten
miles further on across the country we come
to Moscow beautiful town across the
line in Idaho The railroad will also soon
be finished to this place; here it, too, is i'm.
proving rapidly; there is an academy
and several churches in the town,
the different denominations are well
represented. We had in comparison with
Ed. d. Brown, of Salem, Oregon, several
meetings in one of the churches. The sur
rounding country is somewhat rolling, with
beautiful flats" here ard there The soil
is very productive and well adapted to
wheat, oats, barley, grass and vegetables,
Returning to Spring Flat we set ont south
across the country. The descent to Snake
river, is down steep decivity, We are
told the bluffs are 1000 feet above the river
which is large stream coursing It's way
through an immense ravine or wall of bluff;
that loom up in majestic grandeur on each
side. Fruits Of all kinds do remarkably
well along the river bottoms are little plats
of land that lie along in the riches OF the
bluffs. At Almota we crossed the river on
rope ferry. Looking down the stream W,
noticed steamer coming up which on nea
approach we found to be of cOnsderab
size. The river is navigable for boats TO
some distance further up. A long, tediOu
climb brought US to the top of the bluffs OF
| the south side. We continued across tn
country for some fifteen miles further, whel
we put upfor the night. Pursued our journe'
10 the morning some ten to fifteen mile
further, when we arrived at the foot hills Q
the Blue Mountains. The lay OF the LAM
in places similar TO the pralres of kansa
and Iowa, but much of the face of tn
country aud the lands steep, all coyere
with growth of luxuriant grass when i
its native or virgin state. In the Blu
Mountains there is an abundance of tim
Der, pine, white cedar, tamarack, bircl
etc. The most of the lands are taken u
up except in the mountains, and the couI
try is rapidly settling up with a set {
hardy pioneers, many Of whom seem to b
well satisfied, believing in the old adagt
"a home is home if ever so homely," u
we find here and there, persons who Ion
for return to the old home associations
the east, or to seek the better country SOM
where else.
There are quite number of Indians "
scattered through this country, but a
seem to be in a state of semi. civilization
4
and no trouble is apprehended from the
presence. AS late as 1858 the Indians wei
quite troublesome. Col. Steptoe had quit
an experience with them in his attempt
90 from Walla Walla to Fort Colviile. Il
lost many men and was driven into pos
ton of defense near high butte, no
called Steptoe Butte. We passed alon
near this butte. Colonel G.. Wright cam
to his relief and saved his command frol
utter annihiliation. Col. Wright punishe
the Indians severely; hung quite numb'
and killed hundreds of their ponies, an
finally made peace on his own terms; sint
then the indians have been peaceable.
1865 COL Wright, with his wife and men
bers of his staff, went down to water
grave off Crescent City, Oregon, when tt
steamer Jonathan was lost.
The last Indian scare in this section W,
in 1877, when Chief Joseph's band went c