, 1884-04-12
BIG BEND.
A Letter From One who Has Been
There.

EDITOR REVIEW The Big Bend
fever proves to be contagious under
proper conditions, ,as the writer knows
from actual experience. How could
the adventurous spirit Of man resist
the persuasive allurements Of a ride
on the first through stage from Spo-
kane Falls to Okanogan, the now
famous Mecca Of the weary pilgrims
who plOw and populate States
When F. J. Cummings & Co. with
cOmmendable pluck drove up to the
California House, with light spring
coach at one o'clock p. NJ. on Thurs
day, March 9th, with "HO for the
Big Bend" wreathed in smiles on
hio hopeful eountena1cc, Mr. J. w
Adams, Zone of the dauntless propri-
etOrs of Okanogan), sprang to his
side in the seat, while the writer,
with the determination not to be
left far behind, mounted the baggage
that occupied the hind seat Of the
coach. Mr.. Cummings like a true
knight Of the boot, put us over the
route with pleasant speed on the
smooth part Of the road, but with a
degree of perplexing speed on the
rough parts that caused us to in
Stinctively secure ourselves to the
coach seats. The writer's continuity
was not well enough developed for
continuous watChfulness, and the
penalty imposed was a sudden dive
down into narrow, deep draw with
some two or more feet of water and
liquid mud, and just as suddenly
the coach wheels brought up against
the ascending hank, with the attend
ing phenomena Of the writer max
ing a back sOmersault, sJuarely
alighting on his head instead Of his
pedal eXtremities, the cushion Of
the scat, "a satchel and Mr.. Adams
bale Of blankets rolling over him
and independently floating off down
the stream. As soon as the laws of
gravitatiOn could he overcome the
writer changed extremities as re-
CARDS the perpendicular, and jumped
into the icy snow water to rescue the
drifting property. A ride Of eight
miles after dark gave him abundant
opportunity to reflect on such bap-
tismal initiation to frontier life but
as such incidents are but ordinary
affairs they are only alluded to for
the benefit Of our tcnderfOot Broad
way swells who become infatuated
with the romance Of the subject.
Messrs. Adams and Cummings
had with them what they called a
rinegdr bottle to cheer their droop-
ing spirits. The bottle came through
but they lost the contents somehow
on the road. This fact may account
for the strange adventure that hap
pened subsequently. When Mr.. Cum
mings creased the aXles he neglected
to put on one Of the nuts yet VIC
rode safe and sound some three
miles, except that misfOTtunes never
come singly, for box Of cigars was
lost, to Adams and Cummings cha
grin, although the writer heard of
this loss with inner but unexpressed
satisfaction, because he was obliged
to ride on top Of powder keg with
out knowing the degree of friction
from road humping that it would
bear before eXploding-but both
came through without explosion.
The probable stations where wood
and water can be obtained on the
new route are at Deep Creek Falls,
Cottonwood, Booth Springs, Ante
lope Springs, Portuguese Joe, VIII
son Creek, Grand Coulee, Moses
COulee and OkanOgan. The new
route generally passes through a fine
prairie country. 1t follows Lieut..
SymOnd's military road through the
middle crossing Of the Grand coulee,
and leaves it just after its exit from
the Moses cOulee. We followed a
nearly direct course from this point
over the trackless prairie for sixteen
miles, until we brought up at Okan-
ogan. The landmark for the emil
| grant to head for is Pine mountain,
which is but an extension Of Bald
Timber mountain into a belt of ev-
ergreens, pines and frs.
OkanOgan is the county seat of
Douglas county, and is situated onsa
slightly undulating prairie, nine
miles from the foot Of Timber noun
tain. Three buildings are in coutse
of erection at present. Mr.. ]. II.
Middleton, from Portland, Oregon,
has bought lots for the cree
tiOn Of a hardware store 23x75
feet He has already contracted
for the lumber to be delivered on the
ground. He is to stock it up with
general hardware, agricultural inn
plements, etc. Mr.. Coil, from Aims
worth, is on the road here with his
stock Of hotel furniture, which he
proposes to place in new hotel to
be erected here at once on his arrival.
Mr.. b. L. Martin, from the East, has
also purchased lots for the erection
of general grocery store in which
he proposes to put stock Of goods
within thirty days. Parties are on
the ground (Messrs. Reed and Beam
for the erection ofa blacksmith shop.
Lots have been set apart for the cree
tion Of public school, and foTchurch
purposes, and Understand mnnge-
ments have been made by whit h a
Congregational church costing ST.
I Enn y,rF1I - .....A..sn a 4