Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-09
THE P0ST-INTEllIcENcER PUB. co.
Seattle, June 10 1888.

THE OSI.lHlElliGeNtEh rop. w.
Seattle. June 10 1888.
WESTERN KAMallNCs.
fCousgspoSpYSCE PosT -IsTELLIoESCEE.
SALEM. Oregon, Nov. -, 1SS3.-iIeav
ing Vernon, Washington Territory, We
continued our ramblings by private con
vevance. Pataha Flat is a beautiful
section Of countrv. IL IL an elevated
plateau lying in close proximity to the
timber lands bordering on the foot hills
of the Blue Mountains. Old fashioned
worm fences enclose beautiful farms,
and there seems to be general thrift
about the farmers, who arc engaged
principally in wheat and barley raising
in connection with that of hogs and
cattle, and owing to the fact that level
land is rather scarce in Eastern Wash
ington, those lands sell at high prices
for a new country. Leaving the Flat
our road led us down a deep guich TO
the thriving town OF Pomeroy,t the ooun
ty seat OF Garfield county. In antici-
patton of railroad, the town and sur
rounding country has u general boom.
Lumber and carpenters are in demand
throughout that section OF country, and
the demand is greater than the supply
Carpenters wages are from three 70
four dollars per day; day laborers get
two dollars per day.
A goodly number of Cinnamon are to
be seen, especially III the towns and on
public works. Many Indians. also, are
employed in certain sections In gather
ING crops and such work As they can do.
Having travelled several miles from
P0merOy, we came to the top Of the
bluffs that loom up on each side OF a
small stream called Two Canon. Deep
Rulches are common in this country
and the descent and ascent of tho bllffs
quite laborious. Following the grade
down the steep declivity for two miles,
We came to mall place that lays claim
TO the right of being called town and
the name of Marengo. The name Of
the stream and gulch originated ~ fol
lews: At the time Of Lewis and Clxrks's
exploring expedition, many years ago.
through this section he was CLOSELY pur
sued by hostile Indians and In order to
make more rapid retreat no buried tive
cannon in this gulch, hence the name.
Having eaten our lunch sitting onths
steps of deserted and dilapidated "a
loon what blessing il all saloons
were so) We pulled out from this
town (?) where We saw only two per
sons during our stay, We had IN uphill
of about two miles and then on
and across the country. through
the rain in the evening, to the head OF
another gulch where We were most hos
pitably entertained by ono OF It Q thrifty
farmers Of that locality. In the morn
ing our generous host, Mr.. Isaac Hop
kins. gave US wife and u seats in his
hack An drove us down fertile and
thickly settled Rulch. some fourteen
miles, to Dayton. BY the way, this
gulch is the one travsrsed by Lewis Il
Clarke's expedition, and number OF
the parties names are yet to be seen on
the rocks near Dayton where they in-
scribed them II years ago. This expo
dition for exploring the then unknown
West set ont from the Misso1vi River in
the year 1905. and consisted of tho lead
'ers and thirty-iive soldiers and hun
ters to cross tho Rocky Mountains and
explore the Northwest country to the
confines of the Pacific Ocean. Two
years were spent by the daring band ex-
plOring those vast domains, wandering
among unheard of tribes OF wild Indi-
ans, encountering ferocious beasts OF
the forests, escaping dangers from for
e6ts and floods, diseases and the rlRorS
of winter, they at las. returned (all but
one) to repeat the wonders OF the West
to the world, and now after three quar-
ters of a century has past We travel the
same path: tho savage sarbarians have
lost their power; the grizzly bear no
longer roams at will, only in the depths
Of the mountain forests; the wide plains
teem with a hardy populations; yes, u
human sea has sent its waves from the
great rivers to the ocean border; the
desert, through the indefatigable ensr'
~ Of Yankee restlessness, has bcea
made to "blossom as the rose" and yet
il is only the beginning OF great fu-
ture in store for this Northwest coun-
try.
This same gulch We travelled down,
was also the pathway of many hundreds
of miners and traders on their way
from California to Idaho and Montana
in quest of new gold and silver fields.
Little did those hardy cold seekers
think that in these hills. bluff, and lev el
plains there We're hidden untold treas
ures of agricultural wealth that In t~en'
ty years would begin 10 pour its treas-
ures into the lap of the nation. Along
either side Of tho old pathway, immense
fields Of grain had been but recently
harvested, some of which produced for
ty or fifty bushels of wheat to the acre,
but the average is not more than twen-
ty-five to thirty bushels. One thing
most remarkable III the soil OF eastern
Washington western Idaho and Oregon
is its productiyeness Ia time OF "a droHth.
Everywhere We visit We are told that
there was little or no rain from May to
September, yet crops were good: the
soil becomes thoroughly flied with
water in the spring aud thea during the
ssason of drouth it seems To feed
upward" and keep vegetation growing.
DAYTON is one of the most flourishina
towns in the upper country. |; Is beau
tifslly located on level plain between
high bluffs, and surrounded by couu-
try thickly settled. The lands outside the
fats along the streams is rolling, or, as
Eastern people would SAY, hilly. vet It
IL productive and sells At from $40 To
go in the unimproved state. No mat
ter how rough and steep the land Is IT Is
all taken up, SO that farmers seeking
Government or cheap lands cannot find
in this section of country; yet for
renters or persons with means II is n
good country, The town Is buslding up
rapidly with substantial buildings. IL
N railroad terminus at present.
There are some half dozen churches In
tie town, the differen; denominations
being represented aad have good CON
eregations. Good soheoi houses and an
Opera House block are among the
buildings of note. A drive of seven
miies out toward the base of the noun
0ins, or timber lands, took us 10 sorne
q the highest lying lands surrounding
ne town It WAS up bill nearly all the
HHms. From high swell of land We
aaa grand view of the country for
many miles. The face of the country
~oked like the waves OF the sea III a
S s,orm. The greater portion Was either
~ plowed fields lately sowu TO grain or
senole fields dottea over with hogs
s nae and horses. Scarcely a house
l. luz oe seen, as they are usually built
IL HdylAe6 or pulctes in sEel tsrUd