The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-18

think / would look alongside Of John
sherman, John G. Carlisle and those other
Statesmen At Washington City? Why.
would be d. little toad in d big
puddle! Well. out here I'm big toad in
. little puddle. and can tell you I'd ;
d. sight rather be big toad in little
puddle than . little toad in big puddle,
and I'm going TO stay in Montana.
One Of the best Western stories | have
heard out here was told me by Mr.. Ira
Myres. Of Great Falls. Mr.. Myres came
West way back in the sos, ana he knew
Kit Carson he said: kit Carson was
anything but the typical scout Of the stage.
He was slight y built, and was rather re-
firing than clustering IN his manner. He
was good companion. but never liked to
talk abou: himself, and he was a, modest
as girl about his adventures. He was.
remember. fond Of playing pool at $40 a
him angry were when the balls went
against him. On making bad shot he
would sometimes throw down his cue
and leave the room. He would come back
in few moments. take up the cue and re-
sumo the game - though nothing had
happened.
Myres went on. was Jim Bridger, another
famous scout of early deys. Bridger was
always telling big stories. and he would
curse like q trooper and get mad if you
pretended to doubt him. remember one
Of his stories was about the great bird of
the Rockies which he once saw. He said
it measured at least fifteen feet from wing
to wing, and when he saw 1t Tying of it
had i've buffalo in its taions.
'One Of Jim Bridger's most wonderful
stories. Mr.. Myres continued, twas about
a diamond mountain which he said existed
in Montana. heard him tell il when We
were coming with a party of miners from
the gold fields Of Colorado to those Of
trail when Jim said: i don't know
whether We will take the upper or lower
forks OF the Wind river. Ii we take the
upper trail We will strike the great Diamond
mountain
1.-The Diamond mountain p said one Of
the party. Why do you call it the Dia-
mond mountain
because that's what il is said
Bridger. It's mountain made Of one
solid diamond. It's as big as any hill in
the Rockies and it is as clear as q drop Of
Have you ever seen it?' was asked.
"'Of course have replied Bridger. L
saw it when last came this way, and I
shall never forget how it fooled me- l was
going along in an easy way like when l
saw deer browsing away about 800 feet
from me. tied my horse and got down
on my knees and crept toward it. The
ground was covered with low bushes and
l slipped along till thought was about
15O feet off. then poked up my head and
the BANKED deer was just as far of as
ever. 1t did not seem TO notice me and
crept nearer. When l thought l was
within fifty feet of it poked up my head,
and there it stood eating as coolIy as
though there was no man in the world, and
1t was just as far away as ever I then
said to myself: III sea if l can't scare
you. anyway" and 1 jumped up and ran
only to find myself thrown nat ON MY
back. with this great diamond mountain
looking down upon me and through it, on
the other side OF the mountain, / could see
that banked deer feeding away as peace
full as ever. l had never heard Of the
mountain before, and it is . wonder. It is
mile or SO high and it's one solid
diamond
'As Jim Bridger said this he looked
around over the party as though no ex-
pected US to accept his story as gospel. He
grew very angry when one OF the men
asked him If the mountain was really
diamond why he had not broken of enough
to make him rich.
You blanked fool said he, 4 had
nothing but my gun and my knife, and if
you knew anything about diamonds you
know that il takes diamond to cut a
diamond. But the mountain stands there
today, aud If We take the up trail you'll
see 1t. and perhaps you'll claw of q piece
or two with your finger nails
Here Bridger CONTEMPORARY laughed
and the conversation was dropped"
But did you take up the trailf" I
asked.
NO." replied Mr.. Myres "When We
come to the forks, Bridger, it seems, had
very good reason for taking the other. and
TO this day have never been able to sec
the great diamond mountain"
In travelling over the Northern Pacific
railroad l passed through some of the
greatest hunting and fishing grounds of
this country. Nearly all the states OF the
great Northwest are full Of game. and
there is scarcely n station west OF Mime
sofa III which the hunter or the fisherman.
cannot find good sport. The mountains
are filled with trout streams. and 1t is as
easy To catch brook trout in Montana as il
is to hook catfish in the mud lakes of Ohio
The higher up you get the better the trout
seem to be, and Yellowstone park is Just
filled with good trout streams. The Yell
lowstone river. from Livingston to its
source III the mountains Of the park, is
said to be the finest trout stream on the
American continent. Its waters are clear
and cold. and its trout are large and
gamey. Yellowstone lake, which is the
source of this river. is just about
il swacms with trout. There are
lots of fine trout in Oregon. and the
Cascade mountains of Washington are
filled with trout streams. Around about
Butte and Helena there is good hunting
and fishing, and you don't have to go far
away from civilization to get the best of
shooting. The game is OF all sorts. from
deer and mountain goats TO ducks. geese
and prairie chickens. aud it is q very poor
hunter who can't keep his camp supplied.
Thousands of sporismen go TO the North
ives: every year, and q large mum Der of
foreigners are expected here this summer
The English and Germans know our hunt
ing grounds quite as we'll as our own reo-
pie. and the hordes Of tourists who will
many sportsmen The railroads arc
making great preparations for them.
and | was told at Tacoma tina. they ex-
pected to have at least 100. coo visitors from
the East this summer. Among other ar
engagements number of tourists cars
have been built which are leased to
special parties at SIS n day. and which can
he taken over the road and leit wherever
the parties who hire them wish To sop.
Each of these cars contains sleeping ar
rangements for tweniy-tour persons and
each has cooking range In IL. The only
extra charge. IN addition TO tins $40 Is the
regular passenger fare. and any party.
from fifteen up TO twenfy-four. eau hire
one. IL IS very nice arrangement indeed
and comparatively cheap. At ncary every
haunting point YOU 4 nd cooks and packers
and guides. You can get very fair guide
FOR any Of the mountain regions for 81
day. You vii! DO well to bring your cook
with YOU from the East, but you can get
one here for about s. day. and you can
get ali the pack animals you wani Tor ~
DAY apiece.
4. e. sf 81