Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-10
DAYS OF FORTY-NINE.
The Trip to the Land of Gold
as Made in Wagons.
HIXSON GETS NEAR HOME.
The Company Reaches the Head
waters of the Columbia and
Starts Toward the Pacific.

-N,~
estate man, today brings the traveller t.
the head waters of the Columbia rivel
and near the end of his travels in the
land of gold, as follows:
On Wednesday, June 9th, we got ar
early start. After crossing some points
of hills that extend to the Bear river We
reach a high bottom or bench above the
bottom near the river. After travelling
some sixteen miles we reach Soda
springs, where we nooned. This is 9
great natural curiosity. There are 6
number of pools resembling the vats o.
q leather tanning establishment, with
bubbling, gurgling, muddy looking water
called soda water. The greatest curiosity
is the Steamboat spring. Tits on point
near the river and comes out of a hole in
the rock some twelve to eighteen inches
in diameter, and resembles the putting of q
high pressure steamboat at distance.
One puff it throws the water say eighteen
to twenty inches, next time a little
higher and the third time still higher,
say three to four feet, then it falls back
to the minimum; and thus it goes on,
and I suppose it has done 30 for ages.
The surrounding country sounds in trav-
cling over it as if hollow beneath. The
chalky looking rock on the surface is
barren of vegetation. The temperature
of the water at Steamboat spring
is but little or any above blood heat. We
travelled some four miles below the
springs near the river, over formation
that looked like Stag from blacksmith
forge; the rock or lava formation being
loose, and very hard on wagons as we'll
as animals.
At the point of the mountain, some
four miles below the springs, we turned
at right angles to the right, going north
up valley that looked as if it had once
been a mountain, but had been melted
down, making valley many miles long
and fifteen to twenty miles wide, the
twin mountains being left standing. We
had to travel up this valley over volcanic
boulders some six miles before we found
any grass. Then we came to a little
stream that came down from the noun
tain side from the right hand, and near
the base of the mountain, where the
stream entered the valley, was one of
the most charming spots ever beheld.
The soil had been brought down from
the mountain side and spread over the
lava formations, and the grass had taken
hold, and no meadow of redtop l ever
saw in the States was any finer. There
was not weed, and the grass was two
and half to three feet high, and as
thick as it could stand, with the seed ex.
tending one-third to half way down the
stalk.
Having plenty of wood and water and
such feed, We felt like making q home
but we were admonished that the Flat
head Indians came over this way oc-
casionally, and they we're said to have
an aversion to white people for neigh
bors. We travelled twenty-five miles to
Camp No. 81 on Thursday, June 28th.
We left camp at half-past q. M, march
ing north up the valley. There were
numerous craters, and the lava forma'
tions showed it must have been in q
liquid state at some time. AS we &c
north the valley gradually narrows, and
we encounter fat bottoms to the
streams, that come from the mountain
to the right. These bottoms were the
most swampy we had encountered. 1t
was almost pure alkali, and 30 rotten man
nor beast could not step on it with
out sinking. 1t was with great labor we
succeeded in crossing some of this. The
road, except at these small streams, was
firm and fairly good. but for the loose
lava.rocks, which made travelling tedious
and very hard on wagon tires. AS We
neared the head of the valley we came
to stream flowing from the summit,
which we called White Ash. We as
,cended this with great difficulty, the road
being along the bottom, which was very
swampy, but not alkali. There were a
great many quaking. asp thickets, and the
snow melting on the mountains sent the
water down along the mountain side,
making the road very boggy and diff
cult. Near the summit we secured a
lively level place on the mountain side,
in quaking-asp grove, where we had
two of the elements of good camping
plenty of water and wood but little grass
We had a most singular visitor today
whether a resurected mummy that had
come up through these immense craterf
or chasms in the valley, or some member
of the Aztec family, who like Eugene
Sues Wandering Jew, had been detained
on this earth beyond its proper time, We
could not determine. We had no notice
of it's coming, and did not know where
it went to. The first thing we saw o.
it was on the roadside. There wat
no sign OF habitation as far as the eyt
could see in any direction. 1t was a
least ten miles to wood or water on the
mountain to the right and no place fol
miles in the valley to the left where
one could find shelter in some of the
volcanic craters.
1t was creature some AZ feet higf
and would weigh some so to go pounds
with long white hair, the wrinkled Skin
would indicate that its weight Nigh
have been much greater few centuries
ago. Some of our company thought i
might not be over $50 years old, but the
general impression was that it would
have been called grandmother wher
Columbus discovered America. W.
tried to hold a conversation, but nothing
ineligible could be gained by Language
or sign. When we drove on, the creature
who was female, remained on the road
side as long as we could see. We have
seen no Indian or any other sign of hab
itation since we left Peg Leg Smiths
She did not have the appearance OF the
Indian, but more of the Mexican race
Where she came from, where she lived
and how she lived excited our curiosity
not little.
Friday, June 29th, we pitched Camp 55
After going into camp that evening ant
getting supper. our wild Irishman, Thos
Connington, concluded he would ascent
tho rao0uptain RI uhnro tho water hOWnC