, 1890-10-23
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
Beauties of the Lake Che]an
Region.
AN ALMOST UNKNOWN COUNTRY
A Land of Majestic, Snow.CGpped
Mountains, Misty Waterfalls
and Beautiful Lakes.

Plume, PENN, well known through
out the Union as II scotsman ana
publisher OF Seed Time and Harvest,
has been spending few weeks III
Central Washington and gives the
REVIEW the following interesting
account of his experiences and con-
clusions:
II the reader will refer to any OF the
later maps OF the new state Of Washing
ton he will find in about The geographical
center ot the state. just west OF the great
Columbia river, AS II courses lts way
south after making Its big bend 10 the
west, encircling the central part o! the
state, a long body of fresh water lytng
at nearly right angles with the river'
called Lake Chsan.
The territory contiguous TO this, lying
between the Columbia river and the
main divide OF the Cascade range oI
mountains, 100 miles to the west, and
extending Dorthward to the BRUSH
American line, comprises about 5000
square miles. This was, until about
1887, a part of the gre at Colvilie Indian
reservation, practically unknown to the
civilized portion of the sons oil
Uncle Sam, save lew cattle
rangers who occasionally passed over
the Indian trails. This country being
much more extensive than required by
the Indians inhabiting It, they have
been moved over to the eastward lex
cepting II few quite civilized bands who
have accepted individual aliotmentsb
and the newly acquired territory is now
the county of Okanogan pronounced
0-ka-nog- AM, the newest and the largest
county in the state OF Washington, IT.
self one of the newest and the largest
states of the Union. Thus 1t Is not at
all surprising that very little is known
by the general reader about this portion
of our country, and many will no doubt
be incredulous that so wonderful u
country, or one comprising so great a
variety Of truly remarkable and inter
cstirg features could have lain SO long
within the borders of our Union prac-
tically unknown to history.
SITUATION OF THE LAKE.
The Columbia river is a deep, swift
stream, arising among the lakes away
up In British Columbia, and after max
ing its circuitous route around the Big
Bend country Of Central Washington
takes straight course westward making
the dividing line between Washington
and Oregon TO the Pacific ocean. Its
course through the state is comparatively
but little above sea level.
Lake Chelan lies but about 800 feet
higher than the Columbia river and runs
back on dead level for sixty-eight
miles, almost into the heart of the
Cascade mountains, which tower up to u
height of from 10 600 to Is, 900 feet above
the sea. mauy of it's peaks being clad
with perpetual snow and Ice. This con-
dition OF affairs makes the ranges along
the lake appear to be, If indeed they
really are not, the highest mountains
to oe found any where in the Union.
Viewing them from the waters edge,
up, up. up, to their craggy peaks,
actually from two to three miles heaven
ward, It seems TO the tourist as though
the Creator had fairly outdone Himself
in their formation, and was doubtful II
any lhuman being could ever get over
the foothills TO view their lofty heights
without His aid, and so constructed
this lake as u roadway that man might
sail in and see the mightiness oil His
hundiwork. thought | had seen
mountains in some Of the twenty-three
states in which | have previously
travelled, but | must confess they are
merely molehills when compared with
these, and now that the veil of secrecy
has been removed from this previously
hidden spot, predic, that 1t will speedily
Of D ka s,F
wonderful land, and form an attractive
resort for visitors from all parts of til,
world.
Lake Chelan itselfis
A MARVEL oT BEAUTY
and purity, formed by the thousands o
mountain streams which tumble down
the sides oil the rocks in cascades o
all heights from one foot to 700 feet
their source Of supply often being th'
melting of the ice on the mountain
peak. The water oil the lake is there
fore as clear and pure AS the finest sprin,
you ever saw In the East and so colo
that 1t Is Just fitted to the requirement,
of the trout which abound in IL. Fo
the first time In my life have | beer
able to catch all the fish ! could posi-
bly, eat Just whenever | wanted them
and finer eating no man ever saw IN
fish. They run very even In size, theii
average length being sixteen inches, and
weight one and one-hult pounds. They
take an ordinary trolling spoon very
readily, and tile popular manner OF tax
ing them is to row small boat along
near shore with about seventy five feet
of line and troll ut the end. Suddenly
you feel n jerk, and knowing your fist
is hooked, q lively time ensues. They
are quite gamy fellows, and as you
haul In the line hand over hand, you
can see them shoot to one side in tn,
clear water fifty feet or more away. Tn,
slearness and
PURITY OF THE WATER
in Chelan lake is remarkable. Its shore.
and bottom are at al! points composed
of either large pebbles and boulders o
granite, varying in size from u goose egl
to an equally symmetrical water-worI
stone of two, three or five feet in diane
ter, or clean white sand--never mud oi
other sediment being visible-and tn,
bottom can be distinctly seen at any
depth under fifteen or twenty feet.
For the first mile or two up from its
mouth the water is very shallow run.
ming steadily from one to three feet
This would make beautiful and per.
fectly safe bathing resort were it not for
the GOODNESS Of the water, but tile TEN.
perature just suited to mountain trout
Is not exactly congenial to the average
bather.
The Big Bend country, or the central
portion of the state lying between Spo-
kane Falls and the Columbia river, is n
level, or slightly rolling, treeless prairie,
covered with natural bunch grass.
and Is now being rapidly settled
and found to be particularly