The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-28
After Wading Through the "Dia-
mOnd Dust" and Gazing at the
''Flood of Lace"
The Poetic Reporter.

via Livingston, Mont, 25.-The white
frost was still thick on the blades Of
grass, on the leaves, on the shrubs and
plants, glisteniDR in the mornings sur.
light like diamond dust and the mists
and Vspors rested close TO the surface of
the river IS the presidential party
mounted ct g. 45 8. m. and started out for
the days march. Last night was the
coolest we have experienced, being
twenty degrees st 6. q. m. and in the
mess tent the water which had bsen
served a few moments before the pa, ty
sat down for breakfast formed net work
of ice on the inner surface OF the glasses.
The trail was very crooked to-day
and led over low range of mountains,
covered with pine crests. At intervals
were found open grassy parks, but the
most Of them were only few scres in
area. About twelve miles out we came
upon the lower falls of Leur's or Luke
fork, dark grey gorge cut through the
solid walls Of volcanic rock, its. sides
nearly perpendicular. About 800 feet
below US the stream rushed and tumbled
over its dark bed, broken white By its
fretting. The upper falls, some six miles
from the lower, are seen at q distance
through an opening in the evergreen
trees. It seemed to drop from out of the
dsrk foliage behind it like a food of
lace. Five miles further on we went
into camp in lonely open park at the
north end of Leur's Lake, the only spot
on the shore line which Is not denseIy
timbered. The camp has beer named
Logan in honor Of the Senator who was
to have been one Of our party, and whose
unavoidable absence we have all re-
GREETED. Our tents look out upon this
beautiful sheet of water, and the sound
OF the beach mingles pleasantly with it's
twin sister. the sound Of the Sougbing Of
the winds in the trees near by. Along
our line of march we saw large quantities
Of Indian tee, diminutive species of
evergreen. Whortleberrieg to 10 inches
high were found only in the timber and
g. an latitude of from 5000 to 10000
feet. The Indians are fond Of
the tea made from the dried leaves
and stems Of this plant, and l have been
told by those who have drunk it that it
forms pleasant substitute for our own.
Yesterday We remained at Camp Strong,
and its surroundings were worthy Of
more than q passing notice. It is a grassy
bottom surrounded by mountains COW
cred with eve-greens, trees Of all sizeR,
from the young Seeding up to mature
age, scattered siHgly and grouped in
clusters, or massed into dark forests. Our
tents we're pitched on the banks of Snake
river, which here possesses all the at
tributes of frst.class trout stream
clear pure water ripping over 'pebbly
bottoms, with here and there swift cur
rents, eddies and deep holes. The Pres
ident and Senator Vest, our two most
expert fisherman, made the best of
the stay and scored the greatest
victory yet achieved over the fnny tribe.
At one cast the. President landed three
trout, weighing in the aggregate four and
q quarter pounds, and at each of some
six other casts took some fine specimens.
The President secured the grestest
weight, the Senator the largest number,
tbs total weight being 105 pounds. The
sport Is now about over. Tue largest ne
weighed three and one half pounds.
Looking back over our course from Fort
Washable, where we first mounted our
horses and abandoned wheeled vehicles
and took the Indian trail, which has led
US through some fertile valleys, across
some bad lands aud over rugged noun
talns, there are many memories which
linger pleasantly in the minds
of every member of the
party. The hailstorm at Camp Cros-
By, the dust which aifted into our tent at
Camp Teton, the trails Of the fallen tim.
bers are lost and forgotten in the pleasant
associations Of the rest Of the journey.
Pictures of Camp Lincoln with its
banks of snow lying placidly and slowly
melting near the trail, and near the
snow, flowers and grass which had ell
the freshness Of early spring, tender for
get me- note, wild astors, huttercups,
eolun bines, the latter with q delicate
and scarcely pereeptible shade of blue in
its rich white, and for which many deem
it the most beautiful of all the wild flow
Ell found in the Rocky Mountains: and
q Competing of scarlet and blue and gold:
added to this the white mountain.
fax nesting close to mother
earth and in such profu-
sioa as to suggest the idea that the
hand of nature had grasped some of her
myriads Of stars and scattered them in
wanton pFofusion in the grassy slopes of
this romantic spot. Camp Arthur ia
grand, beyond the power OF pen to de.
scribe. 1t is located in bend OF the
eros ' entire river, and from the crest of
which the trail led. Looking down upon
it we also got the first good view of the
Royal Tetons, or Titsns as they should
be called, to the west forest of pine and
spruce mantling the mountains, TO the
south and east, clay and sandstone rising
high in the sky, and rich red, from its
iron coloring masked here and there by
dark green foliage. The short thick
grass Of the little valley furnished splen-
did grazing for our animals, and the
trout stream within twenty feet OF the
tents made the immediate surrounding
most delightful; then the Teton basin, as
large as the State Of Rhode Island, and
covered at this season OF the year with
nutritious grasses, and profuse IN evi
dence Of being the winter grazing grounds
of antelope, deer and elk. The near
future must practically determine its
value for stock purposes; then Jsckson's
lake, as we saw it from the crest of
high bluff on our line of march, a pigan-
tic sapphire, its surface fretted and
blown into white caps by the winds which
swept down over Mount Moran, and
moaning, lost themselves in the gloomy
forests beyond. Nature has indeed Civ
en- royal setting to this jewel twelve
miles in length and three in width; on
The east and north fringe of quaking asp
and willow brush, on the west and
south spruce and pine clothing the feet
of the Grand Tetous and scrambling up
their sides until vegetation dies cut, and