The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-27
Seattle Mems Trip Throug h
Eastern Washington.
HARpsHIPs AND ADVENTURES.
Some Thrilling Incidents in the Noun
tafns-Scenes at Mining Town.
Jim Hills Cannonade.


the trip. said:
We started from here on June Is and went to
Eilensburg, where We bought our ponies and
outfit Then we rode TO wenatchee, distance
OF sixty miles, in one day. over the summit of
the mountains bounding the kittltas valley.
1his summit l. 500 feet above the and COM
Tnands q splendid view. From it We saw clear
across the main range OF the Cascades TO Monnt
Rainier, towering above. We could not see
eastward, because the trait winds around a-uong
the mountains We struck the Columbia at
Moses Coulee ferry, after riding thirty miles
across a sand and sagebrush desert, aud reached
Henatchee in the evening. We camped there
for three days waiting for n. Snowdeu Marshall
and +. Z. Loney. who were riding across by
Stevens pass. When they arrived they had
tale OF woe to tell They had much
difficulty in getting through the pass,
and their two guides shoyeled snow
for five miles on the summit Then Mr..
MARSHALL attempted to swim the Wenatchee and
to swim his horse across. but ii was high
and cold as an ice BATH being full OF snow
water, that he and his horse had TO be pulled
back with ropes They camped for three or
four days TO rest their horses. and were at that
time Joined by Rober. Mcdowell.
Mr.. LoRey stopped az Wenatchee and the rest
of US started across the Big Bend country. We
crossed the Columbia at Wenatchee and rode to
Wateryiile, passing up canyon seven miles
Il
to the top on the level Big Bend country we
were 5000 feet above the sea and as far as we
could see was great plateau. Though water
10 SO scarce that the people have to haul water
for their stock, the soil IS very fertile and grows
the finest wheat, oats and barley ever saw.
Wateryilie viii be a nice town wnen it gets
railroad and has q fine system of water-works
/ and electric lights We left Waterviile for
SeInple ferry, between the mouths of the
M"tnow and 0xanogan rivers, and reached there
after hard days ride OF forty miles, twenty five
OF (which was without water for our horses.
IL is fine country for riding, for the roads are
as hard as turnpike and almost IS level
floor We reached Semple ferry in the evening,
crossed and stayed on the other side at the
ferryman' house. Near Semple ferry l sud
denly turned an unaccountable somersault of
my ponys back. got up and found the pony
had gone up to the knees in a gopher hole. 1
was not hurt, and simply had good laugh over
1t. Then We rode up the Okanogan and Salmon
rivers to Ruby. forty miles further, through
some very fine land. On Salmon river we saw
some of the finest ranches in Washington. The
hills are covered with trees, but there is no
brush and you can ride right through-in fact.
1t is like riding through n park
AZ Ruby We were in the silver mining dis
trict. and found things fiourishng. They are
putting up some fine mills, and the place Is
more prosperous than any town we visited out
side of Wenatchee. Then we went on to Con-
couul!y, where there is some mining going on
but not much development and no mills have
been established. We passed around Conconully
lake, a beautiful body of water surrounded by
precipitous cliffs and without inlet or outlet
The road is dug out of the bank for four miles
around this lake. The Indians have a tradition
that the lake is inhabited by some vast antedi-
iuVlan animal, because some years ago SIX or
seven of their tribe disappeared there
You cannot get them To camp on il or to drink
Its water The road then runs I'D Similahekin
couiee, which is very pretty, TO Loomistou,
where the gold prospects begin. You can hear
the sound OF blasting and of the pick for fifteen
or twenty miles before you reach Johnston,
which is at the base of Mount Palmer. Lake
Palmer runs along the north side OF the mount
ain. We camped there on the night OF July
and met Mr.. Black, F. ". Dunn's brother-in-
law. and Lieutenant Governor Laughton and his
wife. LooDiston is typical mining camp,
filled with horsemen. prospectors and gamblers.
Just before we got there Indian had been
Killed in a barroom fight, and the rest of his
tribe wanted revenge. They rode through the
streets fiourishiug their reyolvers and daring
any white man 10 come out and fight. Chief
Moses quieted them, telling them to drink no
more whisky. and that they would catch the
man who killed the Indian, but if they did kill
a few whites they would suffer for ii afterwards
The man was caught next day and cleared. The
races were very fine and exciting. Chief Moses
rode around in his warpaiut with rig valued at
5000 and ian OF eagle feathers
We stayed there about week rode around
the mountains and visited various pretty lakes.
We had some fine fishing. and had trout for din
ner nearly every day. We did not locate any
good claims, ana found no placer mining But
the mosquitoes were so thick that il was almost
impossible to live along the rivers, so Mr. Man
ming aud l started back. Mr. Marshall and Mr.
Mcdowell went up Mount Chopaca and re-
IN ar atsfn ryfa -,
fan and wait Tor the opening OF the Colviile
reservation IL Is not legally opened yet aud
will not be so until the president issues proc
lamatiOn, aud II is not advisable for sett ers and
prospectors 10 enter, except 10 go through. At
Loomiston the Indians object TO prospeetors en-
terng, and in many cases have confiseatei their
horses and equipment and driven them out
We rode back light with camping outfit
slept on the ground ami turned our ponies out
ON the mountains. We rode through the Big
BEND country by moonlight, because Il was so
hot IN the daytime going in We started at II
o'clock. just "a the mooa was rising and when
we got clear OF the hills saw the northern light
shining brightly and tne moon rising over the
prairie. Occasionally owl flew between us
and the moon, casting a feeting shadow and
the stiffness was only broken by the cry OF
the coyote. At o'clock in the morning
We found ourselves OF the road on q hill over
looking the Columbia aud had beautiful
down over the bluff. we could see the river with
Lake Cheian in The distance and could hear the
roar OF the falls by which the lake empties into
the river fifteen miles away
tTom " entaehce We weat eighteen miles m
the mouth Of the Peshastiu aud saw work going
on along the Great Northern and q line of forty
teams going 10 the summit to start on The
swItchbaek. We could hear the men BLASTING
rock "a make the road out OF the mountain sides
ana II sounded ike Z continual Canaonade We
had 70 cross the mountains a difficult trail to
Feehastin, which IS rich district, but slow in
development With the exception OF the Culver
the mining IS done there with srastras. in which
You lose two-thlTds Of the mineral. We canned
there for two DAYS and passed pleasant time
except that our horses were bothered by
gnats. Then We started for Seat
tie through tho Saoquslnie mass
We passed through the Swauk country. which
Is placer district except for some hedges on
the benches o. the mountains some nj cer.
have been worked Tor fifteen or twenty wears on
asmad scale. From there We went I'D the
s~auk sud Teansway creeks, through pretty
section OF country. sui struck the Yakima river
near &c Elum. We went up TO the head of the
river rear Lake h.tthelaS. Al the entrance OF the
shoQuasmie pass. We camped at ne lake and
started next day through the pass on a rocky
road II was not very had TIL We reached the
summit sGd wss as good a. could he exnactad
IN such a place, hut the hsrtshipS are such as \
man would not want more than once There :
water and mud up to the stirrups. and We often
had 10 init our horses out OF qGagTaire by the
heads We reached the tollgate house both
PONIES snd men tired out. and spent the night
thete Next morning came to North Eend
passing TIE upper falls, and me; 4 party of
campers iFom seattle There is some r,rosrect-