, 1890-11-27
LIFE IN The WEST
SIX Varieties of Trees Grow.
ing on One Stump.
AN ANTIQUE TOTEM POLE
The Rough Experience of Two
Young Men Lost in tho
Mountains.

The Cathlamet Gazette says: Just
abreast of Charlie Eaton's house on
Puget island, in the Westport chan
mel, lies an old stump of n tree, about
four feet In diameter. 1t Is situated
200 wards from the shore and at low
tide the ground that surrounds 1t is
bare. There would be nothing re-
markable about this common occur
renee save the fact that six distinct
varieties Of young trees are now
growing on the remains of the forest
monster. A Gazette reporter who
recently examined the curiosity
found cedar, chittim, crab apple,
spruce, willow, and alder tree grow
ing thriftily on the stump IL Is
supposed that the birds had dropped
the different seeds at intervals, and
taking root, like "Topsyn of old, in
"Uncle Toms Cubin,n had Just
growed," and there they stand to-
day, giving evidence of i'm time be-
coming forest monsters. j. III. Ash
ley has an old spruce stump on his
place ut Brookfleld. The tree is long
since dead and away far up In the
eternal heights are growing an alder
and salmon berry bush, AZ COM
placently as II on terra frma, 200
feet below.
The steamship Danube, on her
last trip from the north, says the
Colonist, brought totem pole
of considerable proportions and in IA
good state of preservation from
Skidegate. II measures forty feet in
height. Is five feet across at the base,
and Is elaborately carved and col
ored. 1t seems that, after recent
disturbance on portion of the
Queen Charlotte islands, the Indians
abandoned their old houses, leaving
behind the totem In question. 1t is
supposed to be of considerable an
tiqulty, and Is sufficiently peculiar
and grotesque in its appearance to
constitute very great curiosity,
although even such remains of the
prehistoric Indian are familiar to
those who have made the subject of
the Indian races and their antiqui-
ties their special study. No doubt
the specimen will have many visit
ors. What will be done with 1t has
not yet been decided by it's owner
Mr.. j. j. Hart, of the curlo store on
johnson street. There Is also eX-
pected by Mr.. Hart, from the same
locality, u large and artistically
worked stone table of black marble,
inlaid with ivory and shells. The
articles here referred to are indeed
curiosities not to be met with In Vic
torie every day.
A rather tough joke on George
Adams and John Jordan, young
men of Pilot Rock, has just leaked
out, says the East Oregonian. They
where out In the mountains along
Ensign canyon, hunting sheep, and
one day were enconpassed by a
thick fog. Although both are con-
sidered expert woodsmen, they be-
came lost and wandered about
three days, travelling, as is usual, IN
n circle, before finding the road.
They had nothing to eat except
grouse during the time, and
quenchcd their thirst with melted
snow The cold nights they spent
beside campfire with saddle
blankets and gunny-sacks for COW
ering, and altogether had an eN-
perience which neither cares to re-
peat.
They were nearly exhausted when
they at last found their way out
of the forest, and in n few days
more both might have been sleep
ing peacefully 'under the snow"
p. Jacobina returned the first of
the week. says the Hamilton Herald,
from n trip up Baker river, having
gone up within six miles of Mount
Baker, where he picked up some
nice samples of ofsulphur-charged lava
that has been bleached from the
mouth of tho now extinct crater.
Mr.. Jacobina is enthusiastic in his
descriptions of the country. He
says the timber Is excellent, tho fin
est he has seen, and the farming
country far better than he expected
to find. The Baker river country
abounds In game, such as bear, deer,
etc, which seemed to delight the
heart of Mr.. Jacobina. He located
n claim in the unsurveyed lands,
where he has more than twenty
neighbors. The Baker river lands
are, according to Mr.. Jacobina's
Judgment, the best farming lands
among the Skagit tributaries, and
TO secure 1850 acres of that choice
land is enough to inspire him with
pride.
The Sedro Press says: The Skaglt
valley still continues to unfold
its treasure stores of wealth.
The asbestos mine lately discovered
between Sedro and Lyman have
been slightly developed, revealing
what Is said to be n siNty-foot ledge
of asbestos of as fine a quality as has
ever been discovered, of either the
foreign or domestic article.
The Lewiston Teller gives the fol-
lowing description of Lake Waha,
lying near that city: AS you ap-
proach the lake the increased alti-
tude gives one a magnificent view
of the surrounding country. The
broken billowy plateau is dotted
with ranches, and the wheat lands