Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-29

the climate changes. 1t seems a pity
that valley seventy miles in length, and
of an average width of ten miles, with
excellent soil and natural meadows OF
hundreds of acres, cannot be utilized by
either the farmer or stock raiser.
BIG PAYETTE LAKE sss
Is situated at the north end of Long
Valley, and is well known as the haunt
of the reddish species OF salmon,
which inhabit its depths in countless
numbers. During the spawning season
they are so numerous III the small streams
that run into the lake that they can be
easily killed with cluLs or stones. The
lake is about eight miles in length by one
to four miles in width, has dense growth
of tamarac, red fir and black pine along
its borders, and is the source of the North
Fork of the Payette river. That section
is considered one of The finest game
runs in Idaho-a veritable paradise, In
fact-there being deer, bear, antelope,
geese, ducks, grouse, prairie chickens,
sage hens, and an occasional band OF elk.
On the main ridges, or back bone OF the
mountains, where the sides OF the
| mountains were too abrupt for deer to
travel, | saw where. they had worn trails
| into the solid rock over foot in depth,
by large herds constantly passing over
them. One evening | was sitting near a
deer trail, upon a very sharp ridge, max
ing rough map of the country, and was
so absorbed in my task that L did not
notice herd of deer approaching until
| thew were almost within reach Of my
hand, when to my astonishment those in
! the rear, not knowing | was there, began
! fighting those ahead of them, and there
| being no possible chance to retreat, forced
those in the lead to spring past me, giving
a shrill whistle as they went. We had
camped that day at
DESERTED INDIAN VILLAGE,
Numbering about twenty lodges, situa-
ted in a black pine park, carpeted with
pine-grass and dwarf huckleberry bushes,
and nearly enclosed by limestone walls.
The following morning a doe and three
fawns came into our camp just after day
light, and stood looking at us as We lay
in bed They did not seem TO care fol-
UP in the least, and sped across the park
and into the canyon beyond without any
perceptible signs of fear. We never
killed any of them unless we wanted the
meat, though we often saw dozens of them
during the dav. That camp pleased us SC
well that we STAYED there three days, and
had fine sport catching mountain trout
from large stream that flowed through
the canyon. Immense foeks of the
mountain wild fowl, known as blue grouse
often hundreds Of them in flock, flew
upon the topnlost branches of trees, Oh
ran off and hid in the grass, rs we ap
preached. There were also numbers Of &
smaller variety, resembling the pheasant
which are called "fool hensl' They have
received that name from their not having
the least conception of danger, being
easily killed with stick. in the hand
Should you find hen with a brood o
chickens, you can catch them With you
hands, and the hen will Sscold andfy a
your legs like domestic hen in the barr
yard. They are handsome little things
the male being black, speckled will
white and brown, with red head; tn,
female is dark blue, with black, white
and brown specks. have not seen then
anywhere outside of high, mountainou
country Their food consists of pin,
needles, fir buds and huckleberries ant
as man encroaches upon their fores
home, they retreat farther into the rock,
wilderness. Grouse are more common
much larger and wilder, and are not Gis
tinguished by any blending of rare eolors
COLD TIMER"