, 1889-08-15
TIETAN PARK.
One of the Most Picturesque Re-
gions on the American
Continent,
Soon to be Made More Accessible
by Road From
Yakima.

Some thirty miles west of Yakima Is
an almost hidden wonderland that
nearly equals in scenery the tar-famed
Yellowstone park. 1t is country of
of the Cascade mountains, but owing to
the difficulty of access heretofore exist
ing 1t has not been frequently explored.
What is known as Tietan park Is one
of the most picturesque regions on the
continent The Cowyche valley eN-
tending westward from Yakima rises
gently for some twenty miles and thus
forms the foothills OF the Cascade noun
tains. Travelling toward the mountain
range brings the tourist to great eleva-
ton Whore he may look back over the
vast plains and valleys of Eastern Wash
lngton, a scene of
ISDEsCRIBABLE GRANDEUR.
Entering the timber and iourneying
upward u few miles further brings him
to the precipitous verge of what is known
rs Tietan park or BASIN
Clambering up by the side of some
great towering Crag and looking down
over this wonderful region, the sight is
grand and appalling beyond description.
As far as the eye can reach, this rugged
rim on which he stands may be seen by
the tourist, circling around the basin or
park that lies many thousand feet be-
low, The whole region is heavily tim
| bered and the great moss-grown rocks,
rising here and there in wild confusion,
one above the other, suggest the castles
and towers and deserted cathedrals OF
some enc hanted fairyland,
"Where splendor falls on marble walls,
And castles old in story"
No scene on earth could surely be
fraught with more awful grandeur than
| the sunset of a summers day when
viewed from one of these towering crags.
| Winding through the great eXpanse of
woods below the Tietan river and nu-
merous smaller streams appear at such
depth like so many shining
THREADS OF SILVER
upon dark blue background, while the
| little spots of wild meadow here and
| there seem like tiny points of gold. The
| sombre shades of towering peaks fall in
deepening black across the forest wide,
and rugged rocks, ranging rudcly from
| the heights above, suggest troop OF
myriad monster shapes stealing down
the mountains side. Suspended i'll q
sea of golden clouds, the great red sun
/ hangs far away upon the other shore.
| Sinking lower and lower, he riffs with
| golden furrows the gloom that hovers
across the vale and storms tine shadcwed
haunts with thousand bursts of fire.
| Filling the over-bending skies with tints
of rosy light,
"On IN eedge of glowing heaven
hessmlles III triumph on tne nlSnt'
Such is faint description of sunset
scene upon the towering ruin of the rug
ged mountains that surround Tietan.
Climbing down toward the level
ground that stretches so far below, the
scenery is not to be described in words.
Even the painters skill would fail, so
wide the view and SO appalling is its
grandeur. Looking far oil to the west a
mountain stream, fed perhaps by
THE ETERNAL SHOWS
of Mount Ia coma, is seen to leap over
the rim and tall, as If in gathered mist,
within the forest pa rll thousands of feet
below the spot where IL makes its first
mad plunge, Following the path that
leads through the forest, the tourist has
scarely left the edge of the tall cliffs that
stand up like perpendicular walls when
he reaches an ice,cold
stream that issues from
woods towards the river. Water more
delicious and refreshing is not found.
Farther on are numerous mineral springs
that boil up from the level ground,
strongly charged with soda and iron.
The Tiotan has ever been Il sort of sacred
spot among the Indians and many
strange legends cling about the noun
tains and crags and springs and streams
within these circling mountain walls.
INDIAN TRADITIONS.
One tall mountain that stands in the
center of II group is supposed to have
been the throne or abiding place of the
Great Father. Each of the surround
ing mountains represented the meeting
place of some of the tribes of Indians.
These mountains, owing to the peculiar
tiles of composition, are of different col
ors, and these colors are believed to
have represented the different colored
blankets peculiar TO their respective
tribes. Here it was that
THE GREAT CHIEF
was wont to call the tribes of men to-
gether--each to his tribal mountain
and counsel with them sin the brave
days of old" These were perhaps the
same far-off days when the morning
stars sang together and when the Great
Spirit was accustomed to visit the
nations of the far east in pillars of fire
and on the tops of the great mountains.
| This region of natural wonders is soon
to be accessible, it is said, by road to
be constructed from Y Yakima, through a
j pass discovered the present season, thus
making Tietan park convenient resort