The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-02
Highest of all Leavenng Power-U s. Govt Report, Avg 1885,
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ABSOLUTELY PURE

an obstruction to navigation, for the draw is not
placed at right angles with the channel, ana
where formerly, in rough weather, the steamers
had a safe passage through the slough they are
now compelled to go through the treacherous
Deception Pass. We passed some very line
fields of oats on the Indian reservation.
1t was dark when at last we reached much
talked-of Anacortes. Friends were waiting with
a conveyance, and in few moments we were
whiried away through the darkness. our aoid-
ing place for that night was at what was once
Tades academy, Congregational school which
formerly hourished on the island, ana 70 attend
which had been the height of my youtnfui am
bitioa, but fortunately or unfortunately It's use
fitness drifted into innocuous deSuetude long
before was ready to embark on my educatonai
voyage / was curious to discover WAether
there was still an air of learning Mining the OLD
building, but we found that it had been con-
verted into a very comfortable dwelling house,
with classic tinge only in its style OF arehitec
ture. The only other thing that gave any eVi-
dence of its original purpose was the CHIMNEY,
which seemed to have rather scholarly stoop
Bright and carly the next morning we set out
for Mount Erie. We rode in blackboard behind
two diminutive ponies over one oil the rougnest
roads ever made by man. The ten-miie ride
seemed to lengthen infinitely, but at last We
reached the foot of the mountain. The horses
were secured, and after some stout stats for
climbing were prepared, we began the ascent
The day was warm and before we had climbed
to point on a level with the tops OF the trees,
began to appreciate the frequent halts In pass
ing some bleaching bones was imagining
tragedy connected with the spot and weaving
about it the halo of an Indian romance, when
they informed me that the grisly skeleton was
that OF q defunct sheep.
The mountain is over 400 feet high and it
was noon when we reached the summit Tired
and weary as we were, EXPLANATIONS OF delight
burst simultaneously from our lips as We gazed
upon the beautiful scene about and below US.
Fidalgo, thickly hedged in with trees, lay at our
feet Lake Erie sparkled and shimmered in the
distance, dazzling with its reflex OF sun
light, and the blue waters OF four other
lakes, all Fida!go, were visible
from our lofty perch. Three long
points jutted out from the end of WILDLY
island into the placid waters OF the Sound. Far
of in another direction the yellow harvest fields
of the swinomish flats shone like gold, vivid
patch of coloring in the Landscape. The smoke
of the various villages that have sprung up like
mushrooms on the island curled lazily up to
the blue sky.
The poetry and prose OF life seemed strangely
contrasted when we turned from our contempla-
ton OF the glorious scene to the very ordinary
occupation OF eating-ordinary, but neverthe-
less enjoyable with appetites keen as ours.
learned from the table conversation that q
tourist hotel was talked OF being built on the
very spot where we were eating, aud il is to be
called Hotel Erie. After lunch we took peep
at the famous iron box which contains the au-
tographs OF tho Erie climbers during the last
year, and read the names OF the patriotic young
men who on the previous Fourth OF July had
unfurled the stars and stripes to the breezes
that blow about the top of the mountain. They
have the honor of Icing the first to raise flag
there. The sun was nearing its goal for that
day when, reluctantly, we turned towards re-
gions less elevated, ami in very short time as
compared with our laborious ascent, we were
again seated in the blackboard for the homeward
journey, with the firm conviction that the
beauty of the scene had amply repaid the
trouble of climbing. Sic.