The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-27
A TRIP TO THE CASCADES.
What . Pittsburg Newspaper Man Saw
In the Monte Cristo Country.

In the Monte CrtstO Country.
George A. Madden in Pittsburg Dispatch
Alter reaching the Pacific coast the route OF
the expedition Of which was one was to ter
inmate on the very top OF the Cascade mountains.
This range comes down from British Columbia,
and Is the dividing line between Northwestern
and Southeastern Washington. This took our
party out of q beaten track, past dear old ham.
lets, through dense, heavily timbsred, moss.
festooued forests, beside b!ue-green, swift-run-
ming, snow-ed. ice-cod rivers, over rutty, roo.y,
rocky roads, along Indian trails, up and down
narrow, dangerous, tortuous pathways. worn by
moccasined feet into the side OF precipices
and on TO the pure, deep. coarse snow, and the
blue-caverned, bear-tracked, awe-inspiring
glacier. Part OF the journey was by rail,
a few miles by hand car through lumber
camps and Clearings, long stretch by chartered
stage coach, across deep rivers on primitive
ferries, the remain der-rSht up to . wall OF
rock over which ropes dangled on the backs OF
surs-footed little bronchos, or 'cayuses," they
are called there Tho diveRsiied picturesque
ness OF such journsy-most OF it through
virgin, unsurveyed, uninnsbited timber land
left impressions that Will last longer Than fast
colored scene on finest canvas
This perious but enchanting Journey was
booked TO end at q deposit of precious mineral.
Ii was in fact an expedition of exploration. At
its head was Mr.. John b. Parish, of Denver, the
well-known mining engineer and expert, who
had been engaged TO pass upon the proposition.
The Others OF the party were eX-SheEif Nc.
Candies and Mr.. J. p. Brown, OF Plttsburg:
William Hainswotth, IT,, late Of Pit;sburg, now
OF Seattle. gentleman representing q New
York mining syndicate; the expest's assistant,
packers and myself. At Marble Mounts
los saloon and a supply store on one
SIDE OF the swift river, ferry
leading 20 q pioneers home and a sleeping
shack for dozen people-our mounts and
pack horses were to be taken for the noun
tsins- Just rs the stars came out oye- the
huge trees this resting spot was sighted. Here
the Cascade river tumbles into the Sksgit, ris-
ing and falling with the strength of the sun on
the snow that gives Il birth up in the granite.
walled, ice-crowued halls. Here the real work
OF the journey commenced. Here We turned
our backs on scraps OF eiviliza ..ou, and with
the dawn began 10 penetrate the solitude
Only the chirp of the wild birds. the swash of
the waters, tie signing of the winds through
the trees, the neigh of the horses, tLs back
fung warning from the leader who knew the
pitfalls aud the dangers of the trail, the ex.
Carnations Of wonder at the majesty OF the
,rees, the thickness and The richness of the
parti-colored MOSES that carpeted the deep
rich soil and clothed huge standing aud pros-
trate trunks with n iern'eoyered, velvety blsn.
ket-only these made dseord in this cool and
shady roadway. No idle Jest, no senseless song.
no tnoughtless banter then and thee. Nausht
but cor temptation Of wondei working na,urs
al its very best
Thus on We pushed. First over well defined
trail that led through q level stretch of forest.
then up gra6ua. land lifts that eo TO rocky
p:omontories, then dawn to little valleys in
whose soggy SOL the ponies sank knee toen. then
across boGdered ford wEosa soap-suddy blue
waters made a Niagsrs-iike noise, then into
mountain climbing In real earnest Atnumsr-
ous places the trail was mere footholJ on the
heavy-tlms sred. iooserocked sides OF TIE foot
hills Roots of giant trees made ,reacherous
hooiholds for tho :ourfooted climbers A mis-.
step meant = fall of hundreds OF feet over roc 20
aud against tifnbes-bFoken bones, doubtless
death. AT one aide Of the PERCEPTIONS, tortuou.
iiresorns way the deep-dyed. sceltiess bowers
could be plucsed from the saddle; on the other
abyss, up from whose ho.lcvs came the sony
OF tie swift stream. Over across and seemingly
high a. the very sky black bare erags shot lar
above the timber. s3ow-eoverei and sublime
At midday shack-hke eommod;ous sirucsa,s
was reached Here red-Gosed, Jolly, yea.-car-
ryiag man acted a, cooS, hou>ekeeper and
caauhefmaid. Here We ate beans spuds suA
bacon that had been increased ii price through
freight rates levied By the pack train propulsion
Here. too, were the Grs; reai signs showing .hs,
the tran led "a q mineral zei region peeimens
spSeuisu0Ds, s1-Enises A rails he'd Inssl ~ nan
and beast and the saddle Tor the dis at station
log cabin and tented supply store Just az
tire foot Of the ntDersixsd mountain por-
lion OF tais sad Of ihs Journey wa ,hrous
yer table forests OF ierrs in the somnre green
valleys tcaversed by the x.g-gag, up and down
trail. Here the Beautifully formed aad .rsrN.
rns,tenhair grew 81 thu feet OF Others OF Its
family whose bearded Leaves shut out all view
OF the rider ahead and switched ths faces of
those 10 rode cree: through the green laby.
rlnia- Higaer and holder grew the granite
mountains. noisier the tunbi!ng waters, deeper
The solitude, heavier the snow. lost in the "a n
laden clouds, more dangerous tie footray
- vGs Tide Carefully aaS wax ~ lad suoss