Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-01-09
AN INTERESTING LEGEND.
An Earthquake doubtless Affords
Groundwork for the Story.

Very few OF our leading men possess
the ability to write romance and
reality in preparing report to 50
among the usually dry and prosy Pub
Docs. printed 10y the government.
That Ex-Governor Scmple possessed
this rare gift is shown 10y the follow
ing extract taken from his report to
the Secretary OF the Interior for 1883
"On the west side of Washington
Territory, facing the restless ocean and
defying its angry waves with a rock
bound coast, stands the Olympic range
of mountains. To the east of them is
that magnificent spread OF inland
waters, comprising Hoods canal and
Puget Sound, that has been called the
Mediterranean of the Pacific. These
mountains, during nearly all the year,
present continuous array OF snow
clad peaks for hundred miles south
ward from the Strait Of San Juan de
Fuca, which washes their northern
end. They stand on the peninsula
all in line, like soldiers for inspection,
while the mightier SUBMITS of Rainier
and Baker in the Cascade range, in
majestic isolation, appear in front like
officers of high rank reviewing the
parade. The space between Hoods
canal and the ocean is almost entirely
occupied by the Olympic range and
its foothills. The mountains seems to
rise from the edge of the water, on
both sides, in steep ascent to the line
OF perpetual SNOW, as though nature
had designed to shut up this spot for
her safe retreat forever. Here she is
introduced behind frowning walls of
basalt, in front of which is Hoods
canal, deep, silent, dark and eternal,
constituting the moat. Down in its
unfathomable water lurke the giant
squid, and on its shores the cinnamon
bear and cougar wander in the solitude
of the primeval forest. 1t is land Of
mystery, aweinspiring in its mighty
constituents and wonder-making in
its unknown expanse Of canyon and
ridge.
al can see these mountains from
my window, and often look at them.
In the winter time they are lost to
my sight, sometimes for weeks, be-
hind the rain clouds, until l get home
sick for them, and sigh for them to
bless my vision again. But know
that in the spring they will come
forth bright and serene. One day they
will look languid in the sunshine, and
the next they may present savage
aspect as they breast raging storm,
born of themselves. On the third,
sunshine and cloud-shadows may
chase each other along their black
sides, alternately awakening hope and
fear. When they are behind the
laden clouds one who loves them as 1
do will look in their direction and
wish for the clouds to 60 away. When
this occurs, as it often does, and the
long line comes out in the clear, cold
winter air, with it's new-made coat of
snow, and its CLINT Of freshness and
its undoubted purity, it seems like
realization of dream of the resurrec-
tion-as if they had been in the grave
and come forth clothed in the robes
of innocence, in obedience to a COM
mand Of Jehovah.
"When the air is clear they seem
only a little way off. At the distance
of fifty miles their angles are sharp
cut and their forests are defined al
most tree by tree. If it is still, you
can imagine them to be the walls of
paradise, inclosing scenes of bliss, but
when awful clouds fly before the wind
along their expanse, you can well be-
lieve that the homes of restless evil
spirits are there. In autumn, when
the air is filled with delightful hazi-
ness, the mountains seemed to have
receded until the outlines are dim and
uncertain. Everything is delightfully."-
suggestive of rest and luxury. One
can imagine that he has found the
home of the epicurean and think that
he can join Alciphron over there and
sing and dream as long as he shall
live. l have watched their shadowy
outlines on a still autumn evening,
and as the stars sank one by one be-
hind the great western ridge, l could
fancy they were fixed in the diadems
of celestial beings, whose fleecy forms
l could descry as they went down in
groups, to sit at some feast or listen
to the songs of the blessed.
"Looking at the Olympic range
from the eastern shore of Puget Sound,
one can easily perceive how supersti-
tious ideas could be fostered by them,
in the minds Of trappers and Indians
who have to contend with the ele-
ments as we'll as fanged and muscled
beasts of prey that glare in their path
and menace their advance, Red men
and white men have gone all around
this section, as bushmen go all around
a Jungle in which man-eating tiger
is concealed, but the interior is incog-
nito. In tradition alone has man
penetrated its Businesses and trOd the
aisles OF its continuous woods. Super
stition lends its aid to the natural OBJ
stacles in preserving the integrity OF
this grand wilderness. The Indians
have traditions in regard to happen
ings therein, ages ago, which were so
terrible that the memory Of them has
endured until this day, with a vivid
ness that controls the actions of men.
In those remote times, say the abo-
rigines, an open valley existed on the
Upper Wynoosai, above the canyon,
Al h4