The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-02-17

Nearly everywhere in sight the canon
is dark at that hour in the morning,
but at two or three place the sunlight
pours through gateways in the cliffs,
and the beams fall on the foaming
Goods, silent in the distance, and gild
the blackness of granite cliffs, which
hang like walls thousand feet above
the river.
The passenger cannot look twice at
the scene. The next minute he has
passed again into the timber; then
comes curve after curve around a rocky
mountain, and after a little while the
canon which had seemed so nearly bot
tomless has been left behind The first
twelve miles of the journey brings the
traveller to the western face of Pine
Ridge, the last diff of snow disappears,
and the stately groves of sugar pine
and arbor vita begin to give place to
tangled thicket of mapzanita and chap
arral, and the starved and stunted dig
ger pines and gnarled jack oaks take
the place of the tamaracks which grow
about the reservoir at the starting
place. Climate succeeds climate as the
boat rushes from ridge to ridge. Pass
ing around the mountain at the head of
Dry Creek, Fresno city, As miles dis
kindling on the metal roofs and glanc
ing from the dome of the courthouse,
so far away that it seems only speck
of light. The sun by this time has also
risen above the ridge, and its warmth
falls gratefully upon the chilled and be-
numbed passengers in the little boat.
Although the toughest part of the
mountains are left behind after the
head of Dry Creek is reached, the flume
has still some of its steepest grades
below that point. The decline is not
uniform, varying from hardly percep-
tible grade TO as much as one foot in
eight. Down the steepest places the
boat rushes at speed which approaches
very nearly the limit of safety. With
|
sweeps round the brink of a high, bold
granite cliff, and two miles away and
1000 feet below the little village o.
Toll House bursts into view. Greer
fields surround it, even in winter, but il
has forsaken appearance, for its days
of prosperity are numbered. 1t wal
for thirty years a stopping place fol
teamsters hauling lumber from thu
mountains, but the fume will bring thu
lumber down hereafter and the team
will never return.
When the flume has passed Toll Hous
! it has entered the foot hills, and tn
excitement is over. The way leads TO
twenty miles down a narrow valley
and the passengers in the boat hav
nothing to alarm them, as they Gid
along SO peacefully and smoothly tina
, if they shut their eyes they would prot
! ably fall asleep. The speed grows les
and less as the plains are approached
J and now and then a little vineyard Q
! an orange orchard is seen, standing
pleasing contrast with the ice an
winter GOODNESS of the mountains, no'
, 1000 feet above. From the foot of tn
the hills the distance to the terminu
:, of the flume at Clovis is about twelv
; miles, and the speed lessons all tn
time. Before the end is reached tn
: fiume boat passes over fine vineyard!
in which, even so late in the season a
December, large quantities of grape
load the vines.
The end came at last, and so slowl
was the little boat moving that tn
: touch of hand was sufficient to brin
it to stop, and the romantic ride of {
: miles was done. 1t had occupied 81
: hours, and the boat in that time hs
: carried it's passengers from region {
= winter, with its ice and snow, into
: country where grapes still loaded tt
vines.
Lost His Life and His Bet.
: ON bet YOU ST. that some of Won fe