Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-06-06
A Wonderful Lake.

Twenty-Five years ago Frenchman
crossed the continent with large
band of sheep. He lost great numbers
while moving through the arid region,
and when he arrived in Washington
the sheep that still lived were covered
with various skin diseases. One even
ing as he was preparing for an encamp-
ment he got glimpse, through the
woods of beautiful lake, and lie
FASTENED forward to its shores. The
sheep rushed into the water and began
to drink copiously. He was still more
astonished when he tasted the water
and found it bitter and disagreeable,
as we'll as dissimilar to anything he
had ever tasted. Fearing the sheep
would be poisoned he drove them out
of the water, but in spite of his efforts
they returned again.
The sheep were in such condition
from the disease that he had small
hopes of their recovery, SO he ended by
allowing them to drink what he be-
lieved to be the poisonous waters as
plentifully as they would. Next day
he could not drive the sheep away
from the vicinity Of the lake, and in a
few days more he was utterly aston
ished to find that his sheep were re-
stored to wonderfully healthy con-
dition. Thcreupon the Frenchman
thought he had roamed far enough,
and he fixed himself a homestead beside
the shores of the lake. For long time
his home by the lake was solitude,
but the shores of that lake to-day are
the scenes of busy and thriving in
dustry. On the Frenchman's ranch
the town of Middlebaugh is building
up, and this pioneer Frenchman still
lives and rejoices that he was tho first
discOverer OF these wonderful waters,
which the world will hereafter know as
Medical Lake.
These waters contain salts of sod
ium, potassium, lithum, iron, carbon,
magnesium, calcium, aluminium, sill
con, sulphur and bosum. They are
either in combination with one anOth-
er or linked by oxygen. The solution
ofthese various salts in the waters of
Medical Lake produce results which a
dozen years ago would have been
deemed miraculous.
The lake covers rather more than
1000 acres, and in places is 100 faith
oms deep. It's source is the surround
ing hills and mountains, and period
ically it falls and rises. It's surround
ed on every side by low wooded hills
and forms a beautiful and picturesque
dark sheet of water, embosomed in
rolling woodlands. The waters
cleanse and feel like solution of soap.
They taste disagrecable and nauseous.
visited the lake for the first time
five months ago, says the Boston
Pilot. then procured q quantity of
the, salt obtained from the waters OF
the lake by an evaporating process.
Some of my journalist friends use
them regularly as a remedy against
dyspepsia or for purifying the blood and
they tell me that they are wonder
fully beneficial.
A syndicate has already got hold
of Medical Lake. They have erected
evaporating and drying establish
ments for the preparation of these
salts, and also factories for the max
ing of soap and bottling the water of
the lake. Hotels are being erected,
and the little town of Middlebaugh is
having q veritable boom, in the belief
that it must become one of the health
resorts Of the world. The lake is
but q dozen miles or so from Spo-
kane Falls. There is a fine. country
surrounding it, and it enjoys that
glorious summer climate with which
the States west of the Rocky Noun
tains are blest. TIE winters are
shorter and less severe than you en-
dure in New England.