The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-23
ON THE HUMPTULIPs.
Life Among the Elk. Bears and Cougars
of ChehaIfs County.

OF ChenaIs COUnty.
Bobert Fl. Lawrence in Forest and Stream.
Since June have been buried in the forests OF
Chehalis county, on the east fork OF the Hump
tulips. Such sense of isolation doesit give one
to go into these woods, and such feeling OF
returning to man" to leave them, that people
here use the terms "going in and looming out
to describe the travelling to and from them.
There is something tremendously solemn In
their dim lights and far of, muflled noises. A
dull, booming roar from some distant falling
giant tree; the faint, faint echo of rifle shot;
the cry of bird high up in some towering mr.,
and the thumps from the flying feet OF some
hidden, startled game-these are impressive
sounds enough. But how much more impress
siye is it when the great trees bow with ma
jestic sweeps to the mighty power of heavy
gale.
remember one September, years ago, being
camped six or seven miles north OF Laramie
peak, in Wyoming. Our camp was In low
draw in the thick pine timber, but not lar from
large open park. There were three OF us-an
old ranchman, my cousin, just out from the
East, and myself. None OF US were very much
used to the thick timber. One gray, windy
morning, when spatter of rain came with
every other gust of wind, we shouldered our
rifles and each took his separate course for an
elk hunt had not been out half an hour be-
fore l found my nerves and fancies being I'M
pleasantly acted upon by the soughs and means
wind. After some hesitation / betook myself
back to camp, and there found my two COM
panions had already returned. We looked,
Quest1onlngly and with some amusement, at
one another; and after the natural reluctance,
each confessed to the same reason having
brought him back that brought the others.
On quiet days, when the wind IS not signing
nor the leaves rustling, one can hear the hun
der of the oceans SURF The mighty Pacific,
though but twenty miles of, seems at other
times to us shut down in these dense forests,
an infinite distance away. Occasionally, on q
favorable breeze comes floating mills whistle
from Aberdeen, quite a score OF miles south In
an air line. 1t is hard to realize, with all our
primitive life and wild surroundings, that
civilization is so near. There are no roads
nearer than ten or twelve miles from my cabin;
and one has to have good knowledge OF this
region-the lay of its ridges, courses of its
streams and other points-before il Is safe to
strike out on the trails without a compass. Even
with that he inexperienced often lose their
way.
AS yet the lumberman has left these forests
untouched, but 1t will not be many years before
the growth OF the lumber trade of Grays harbor
shall force the loggers to come here too. Each
year he creeps nearer. Now there Is not good
patch of timber for miles about on the unsur-
veyed lands that is not taken up by some squat
ter. doubt If 1t takes four years to exhaust all
state.
Trout are plentiful in the river, and now the
salmon are running, it Is easy to lay in a stock
OF them for winter use-a great advantage to US
settlers so far from stores.
not seen larger herds at any time than eight or
ten. Some acquaintance about two months
ago happened to stumble on to q herd of fifty or
sixty cows, bulls and calves, which leisurely
crossed the trail ahead of them.
Deer are rarely seen right here. Black bears
are now and then seen. Cougars at rare inter-
walls. We have few wolves, too, and now and
again q wildcat or lynx prowls this way. I
sometimes see their tracks in the sand of the
river banks. But all this large game Is IN the
late fall winter and spring more plentiful nearer
the coast, where the country is f1atter and more
open. Here 1t is rugged, the ridges being high
and steep, and the valleys generally very narrow
and tortuous The soil is nevertheless excellent,
which accounts for the fine timber 1t is no I'M
usual thing TO see in this vicinity quarter Sec
tions that will cut ten million feet and some
more. The timber is mostly Dir, with some pieces
OF hemlock and a scattering OF spruce and cedar
There Is an underground seen on the top of some
ridges OF vine maple, and underbrush windfalls,
except on these ridges, make travelling very hard
work without any burden. With q 40.pound pack
tits tremendous labor.