, 1889-08-08
KO0TENAI COUNTRY.
An observant Newspaper Man
Makes a Tour Of that In
teresting Region.
Vastness and Richness of the
Mineral Belt and Some
Practical Suggestions.

the Medical Lake Ledger, was in the
city yesterday. lie has just returned
from trip to tho Kootenai country,
and had with him proof-shcets of an ac-
count Of his trip, written for his paper,
which he kindly permits the REVIEW to
publish In advance.
The proprietor of the Ledger, In COM
pany with group of friends previously
mentioned, took II trip to the kootenai
country to remain few weeks, and that
region Is of sufficient importance to de-
serve more than passing notice. To
net there YOU take the east-bound train
On the Northern Pacific railroad, which
leaves Spokane Falls shortly after mid
night, and 30 TO Kootenai station,
small town seventy five miles eastward
from the Falls. The traveller finds him.
self at that place early in the morning
and an opportunity is presented to
Inspect the place before break.
fast. The surroundings are re.
freshing, all kinds of vegetation ranks
and dense forests extend in all directions.
at the place are fine depot by the rail
road company and a spacious hotel by
Samuel Smith, who does land office
business feeding the transient popua-
tion and those who prepare TO go or ar
rive from the country to the north.
After breakfast competing stage lines
lena i Landing '' thifty.dySe1 S1 u miles
north on Kootenai river, and this
trip though somewhat tiresome
Is not devoid of many interesting fea-
lures. Shortly after leaving the railroad
the conveyance plunges into dense for
ests of fir, tamaraok, white pine, black
ash, birch and othervarieties of growths,
and at frequent intervals the tourist
finds entertainment in enjoying the
beautiful
BLENDING OF ooLoRs
of the various eyergreens or gazing at
the massive trunks Of cedars and pines
whose tops seem to frolic among
the clouds. At short distances
from one. one Lanothssr, crystal
stances filed with brook trout praying
for the appearance of hook and fly. At
noon you find yourself at what Is called
the halfway house, where good din
ner can be secured at -four bits" and
after resting an hour in the cooling
shade of some towering pines, you are
again invited to occupy the hack and
wilderness. From the halfway house
to the river the coun-
try Is more park-lilse; that is, it contains
patches where the trees do not seem to
make such IA compact mass as witnessed
during the forenoon. Occasionally "a
glimpse is attained of the mountain
range near at hand and the long ride
through level country prepares one in
excellent shape to enjoy even the sight
of those elevated manifestations of ma
ture. AT O'Clock p. NJ. you are hauled
up in front of conmodious stopping
place under the man agement of T. Tren-
cry, and the place is known as
GALESA LANDING,
pleasantly located on the bank of the
river, and against an almost perpen.
dicular cliff of high mountain. Heie
everything is made as comfortable as
possible for the traveller, and you en-
tirely forget the partial unpleasantness
of a ride of thirty-two miles through
dense forest The surroundings are AL
pine in their nature-before you camly
glides q majestic river, blue as the
Of mingled green, narrow valley ex-
tending to the foot of the mountains
which rise in successive heights un-
til their tops mingle with the clouds.
We were not little surprised when see
ing Kootenai river for the first time.
We fancied that 1t was a stream about
the size of the Spokane river ON which
small crafts under favorable conditions
might be run during the period of high
water. Instead of this we were some.
what astonished 10 see a stream nearly
half mile wide and of such great depths
as TO safely float the largest steamer in
the world. From Galena landing, the
head of navigation, extends northward q
distance Of 200 miles, one of the most
magnificent waterways in the new world
on which already ply five little steam
ers, the largest of which is the Galena,
81 feet long, screw propeller travelling
at the rate of fifteen miles per hour and
lAuIa .I.. Il,
day and Thursday morning. George
Hayward is the captain, one of the
pion GERS In the region and among the
most genial hospitable and enterprising
of the early settlers. 1t is on this boat
that our conclaVe took passage after
refreshing nights sleep at the inn and
from the time of starting WAS interesting
and delightful in the extreme.
THE RIVER
resembles liquid mirror winding like a
serpent through the narrow valley and
so clear Is the water that the reflection
of neighboring landscapes, mountain
ranges and peaks is so perfect that IL is
difficult TO tell whether the objects can
he more plainly seen in the true diroc-
tion or as reflected by the water. As the
boat swiftly glides over the tranquil
water every moment presents new
picture, at every turn of the stream a
the beholder. How vain the artists
skill To initiate those grand NANTES.
tations OF nature! In attempting q
description words seem but mockery
After passing distance of sixty.flve
miles through this International gallery
the boundary between til United States
and British Columbia is reached the
line passing over the top of boundary
mountain, one of the highest sentiuels
on the east side of the valley. At this
point the Canadian government has Il
custom house, and all merchandise ma.
chinery, cattle, provisions, ETC., are
taxed on an average about 80 per cent.
A short delay Is occasioned, and
after the examination by the
official the boat again resumes
its Journey to the north. The
scenery throughout the valley is some.
what similar, towering mountains on
each sid with esparkling streams leap
ing through narrow canyons and de-
files from the unexplored region
above. A distance of thirty miles from
the boundary line brings the traveller TO
the mouth of the river and TO the south
end of Kootenai lake. The lake like
the valley is from three to four miles
wide, and the water of an UNKNOWN
depth. Weights have been lowered 1000
feet, but SO far no bottom has been found.
The depth is not confined only to the
middleof the lake, but begins on the
shore. Standing along the edge 1t can
be observed that the descent into the
water Is as sudden as Is the ascent
toward the top OF the mountains, which
most of the distance is precipitous in
the extreme. Occasionally a pebbly