The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-26

In hafs. rolling. candy MONTANA. inter
sected By gulchss without number. The
train PUSHES on past, bus still TAR above.
Cabinet rapids, which form white caps on
each sioe Of rocky ridges in the middle OF
the channel, then up the river till almost
down TO it, level. Nov it elimbe the
bluffs asxin. runs through short tunnel
m the PERCEPTIONS wall, climbs on until
the wall breaks down 70 . broad ledge on
each side. where tho channel II divided by
. line Of rocky islets. It goes On up the
bank Of mingled rock and sand through .
cleft biasted in the wall and over the great
cantilever bridge into another rock cut on
ledge on the west bank. While the
scene in the foreground 10 veritable des-
olation, only stray jack pine here and
there marking the waste of sand and
rock on the precipitous bluffs. the eye
can refresh itself with . look up to the
snow which covers the SUBMITS Of the
Wenatches mountains The road follows
the west bank Of the river for several
miles. passing rich orchard which shows
up bright green among tho bare hills.
The river. which il swollen with the melt
Ing snow, now broadens and now uarrows
and turns on edge in the confinement Of
its channel. Nature has been playing all
sorts Of freaks with her giant toys,
for at one place great points of rock jut
out from the hills, some Of them pierced
with holes like huge needles. and
at others, where the valley broadens out.
il is strewn with great masses of rock
torn from the mountains and hewn by
the weather into all manner Of fantastic
shapes. Thus We come to Wenatchee, the
new town which sprang up under the i'm
petus of the construction Of the road and
which now promises to become one of the
greatest fruit growing centers Of the state,
though now just . trihe dull. There are
really two towns. one on the rocky fats by
the Columbia, the other at the mouth Of
the Wenatchee. though the former has the
depot and II, therefore. the town recog-
nixed BY the railroad. Tho iats broaden
out between the two towns and are dotted
with orchards and gardens, which look
like Gases in the desert.
When the old town il left behind the A.
cent of the Cascades begins up the Wen
atchee valley. in which orchards and veee-
table gardens surround log or frame cabins
at intervals, with box fumes to carry
water to them and fertilizc the dry earth.
The river flows swiftly through bottom
lands fringed with thick growth of small
timber. while bare hills furrowed by gull
lies and supporting no vegetation but sage
brush trown down from each side. with
lingering patches Of snow on the higher
ridges. The scrub timber on the SUBMITS
grows thicker as We go west and the
mountains grow higher. The river be-
comes white in rapids after cutting past
gray point of rock split from ono Of the
High white peaks from the
distance form background to the
lower ridges closing in the valley.
Now the river dashes into foam
against sharp point Of a mountain
and over great boulders. The road crosses
1t and passes through a cut with broad
ening vista into meadows surrounded by
mountains, where the scattered trees
throw dark shadows over the green turf.
the suns rays bringing them into strong
relief The valley widens and the river
winds through it, doubling on itself. while
the taller mountains, with glistening
heads peep over the heads of tho lesser
ones. Then the road hugs precipitous
wall. curving round fine meadow. The
trees scatter down from the mountain
sides into the bottoms. but they are still
so far apart that each casts q distinct
shadow on the grass. The slopes to the
left grow sleeper, and white ridges shine
behind them. and the river is q succession
Of rapids. There 10 no more sagebrush
now, and the brush. and weeds arc thicker
in the bottoms. marking the change from
the arid 10 q moister climate. A great
ridge on the left rises with far sleeper
20 lob ,fA l. - E.
jagged and white, but the north.
ern ridges are neither as high nor a. steep.
Still further along. great lodges of rock
slope down to the water at sharp angle,
and the river flows now dark green, now
white. One looks ahead and sees
q snow-cap on the summit with a cascade
dashing down its face. white as the snow
from which it comes. The sides of the
are ribbed, and streaks of snow
mark the assures in the rock. Then we
turn into an almost level park. bordering
the river, and, looking westward, see
black ribs touched with white, divided by
awful gorges and frowping down on
Leaven worth, . place of which it might
have been said few months ago: "Where
every prospect pleases, and only man is
vile" Bat this is changed, and the town
is inhabited by the regular section gang,
the employees of the roundhouye and those
who have charge Of tho coal incline and
water tank. There are also several SET
tiers who are having fight in the land
Office with Messrs. Murphy. Graves and
Arthur. of Spokane. scrip ti!ers. for the
whole townsite. and . number of pros
pectors are Quitting here to 60 out into
the mountains.
On leaving Leavenworth the road be-
gins the ascent of the mountains in good
earnest. 1t leaves the Wenatchee and
cuts through great rocks into the valley
Of Mason creek, which rushes over its
bouiders in long streak of foam at the
base of rocky shoulder ending In pyra-
midal peak Thus the ROAD enters the ro-
mantle canyon of Tumwater, which rivals
the Roya! gorge IN its majestic grandeur.
Great walls o; mountains 1900 feet high,
from which giant fingers point skywaro.
shu, IN the view. their sides furrowed by
assures and trees clinging in every crew
ice. The view is confined TO q narrow slit
in the mountains. but there is plenty TO
occupy the eye. 1t looks up from the
roaring creek along the black walls until
the gaze Is lost in the azure sky pierced
by the snowy heights. Lesser peaks now
stand out from the backbone OF the ridge
and the stream flows from smooth green
pools and bols angrily in its hsadlong
Hight 20 the river. Masses of granite lie
on the bank where the giant powder has
tossed them 10 make way for the track,
and psles OF driitwood lie stranded in mid
stream. Then as far as the eye can reach
up the canyon. the water is ;nmbling.
roaring, plunging stretch of white and
green. its volume increased by tiny cata-