The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-17

II weighed an ounce and was ragged and
nattened. The judge was able to 20 about
the house after the bullet was extracted.
THE KLICKITAr PRAIRIE.
Chief Characteristics OF . Rich District
In Lewis County.
Messy Rock, Lewis County. Feb. 15.-
10 those readers who may not be familiar
with the geography of Western Washing
ton, it may be explained that what are
called prairies dot a large portion Of the
surface OF Lewis county. These, however,
are very different from the prairies of Iowa
or Illinois, since they are much less in ex-
tent. and instead of covering regions hun
dreds Of miles square are rarely more than
ten miles long by four or five wide. The
only points common to the two are tree
lessness, and the nature of the soil. which
last is generally a black, exceedingly rich
loan, varying in depth from six to ten
feet.
The region between the Cascade range,
Willapa harbor and Gray's harbor. is q
diversified one and well worthy of descrip-
ton. Beginning at the east. it is, ofcourse,
mountainous, but the valleys trend gener-
ally west. Small streams take their rise at
various points on the western slopes of the
Cascades, the principal one at this point
being the Cowlitx which, having its origin
in the glaciers of Mount Rainier. flows
west nearly s~eventy-fve miles, bending at
last to the south and helping to swell the
waters Of the great Columbia which rises
on the other side Of the mountains. Nearly
all the small streams before spoken of
empty into the Cowlitz, and are the cause
of numberless fertile little valleys, all well
timbered and watered. now very rapidly
settling up and destined at q day not far
distant to support q large and thrifty popu-
lation. The region spoken Of is therefore
n large valley. that of the Cowlitz, and
the numerous small tributary valleys.
The COwlltz river at one time evidently
has been a much wider stream than at
present. At numerous points and for
miles it now flows through narrow can
yons from 100 to 200 feet in depth and
sometimes not over eighty feet from edge
to edge.
At other points, notably the Kllckitat
prairie, the country opens out into bench
land, the descent from it to the present bed
of the river being exceedingly steep, and
forming the canyons before spoken of.
klickitat prairie is from five to six miles
long and from two to three wide, t~reeless,
except along the bases of the hills with
which it is hemmed in, where vine maple,
alder and cottonwood gradually give place
to fir and cedar, as the altitude increases.
The prairie evidently at one time has been
depth Of sixty-five feet have resulted in the
discovery of pieces of wood which bear
marks Of having been water-soaked. Then,
too, at the northeastern extremity the
land suddenly pitches down to the river
bottom proper, and here the formation of
the different layers of the soil can be ac-
curately observed. First we have the black
$hSoo - AvA fonf srv1o~rr4n&k hso
lies a dark brown clay loan of about the
same depth; then appears a bed Of gravel
from forty to fifty feet in thickness, under
meath which We come to clay again. The
prairie extends east and west, narrowing
at the east into the valley of the Klickitat
creek, q tributary of the Cowlitz, and at
the west where it slopes more or less grad
Between the Cowlitz and the prairie lies q
range of hills from 100 to 900 feet in height.
These rise abruptly from it and slope grad
ually to the north down to the river.
There are gaps in this range OF hills to the
northwest and northeast.
A spur of the ridge dividing Klickitat
creek from the Cowlitz river projects into
the prairie at the east, forming. Messy
Rock, the most conspicuous point in the
landscape here, and also the point from
which the most beautiful view may be had
of the surrounding country. The rock is
covered in winter with a beautiful green
moss, whence it derives its name.
At the south lies a range of hills covered
with a dense growth of fir and cedar, on
the north slopes of which is some of the
finest of fruit land.
Standing on Messy Rock and looking
eastward we may see Mt. st. Helens and
Mt. Adams some forty miles away to the
southeast. Between lies a broken and gen.
orally densely wooded country. Turning
to the west, we see the prairie lying at our
feet, laid out in cultivated fields and ORCH
ards, their boundaries being plainly visi-
BILE, together with the main road, which
passes directly east and west through the
middle of the prairie. The view is nnally
shut in by the range of hr-clad hills at the
west.
All the country hereabouts Is rapidly
settling up. and considering the advantage
of soil and climate, a more favored spot
for the enterprising farmer would be hard
to find. 1t is adapted to every agricultural
ent raised justify the assertion that no
more fertile. land lies under the sun.
A little town is forming at Messy Rock,
and at adistance of three miles h~ereahouts
are now some SIX hundred people. There
seems no reason why there should not be
a thriving little community.
A project is agitating for the building OF
a kldithIOdd IL tllC tOQijtN SNatf
some thirty miles distant; this done, the
people would be practically independent of
a railroad, although, of course this is sure
to come in the near future, the supply of
coal, gelena and graphite being SO good
and so large that a good profit will belong
to those who have the enterprise to develop.
The coal is semi-anthracite in quality.
and for heating purposes, is very nearly, If
not quite, the equal of Pennsylvania an
thracite, which it very much resembles.
The mineral and coal supplies lie from
twenty-five to fifty miles to the east Of
Messy Rock, in the region of whati IS
known as the Big Bottom. Here a fine
town is bound to be established when the
mining industries are well developed. The
Big Bottom country is bottom and proper,
lying from twelve 10 fifteen feet onIy above
the level of the Cowlitz river. 1t is covered
with a heavy growth of vine maple, alder
and other small woods, and the soil has I'll
the good qualities of the best in the state.
All the country spoken of is rapidly filling
up with settlers, and vacant government
land is becoming scarce. There Is, how
ever, ample room for e~nterprisIng men
who are willing to endure some temporary
present inconvenience for the sake of the
rich reward which awaits perseverance in
the near future. The Cowlitz pass, in the
Cascade range to the east. will surely be a
principal connecting link with Eastern
Washington within a very short time. and
all the volume of trade thence will grow
and be largely increased by the produce of
the Cowlitz valley, to find its outlet at last
in the harbors and seaports Of Wllapa
harbor and Gray's harbor, whence other
less favored countries may be cheaply and
bountifully supplied.
Wolves Ate Murderer Padlewski.
SorIa, Feb. 16.-The body Of Padlewski,
charged with the murder of General