Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1895-03-15
OPENING THE NEZ PERCE
RESERVATION.
BY Newton Hibbs.

liar TO the Garden OF Eden IN
the history of the white race-it
is regarded as the birthplace OF
the first red men. Lewis and
Clark heard wonderful stories Of
this land. where SHOWS never
came and the grass was always
green, before they determined to
cross the Continental Divide.
These heroic explorers We're di-
rected in their wanderings
toward the Pacific by romantic
natives of the plains who recited
legends that charmed them to
forget hardships and fatigue till
their own eyes surveyed the sun
ny slopes Of the wonderland of
the West.
The Clearwater Valley is set
in the rugged mountains; it is
sheltered by timbered chains
that encircle it on the three sides
from which blasts might come,
and the southwest is open like the
fabled gates to admit the soft
winds from the warm Pacific
currents. The billiards. that
come down from the north eddy
back from the mountain
wallis the snow clouds scurry
along the cold. crests that con-
geal their vaporous loads and
catch a double winter coat while
the valley is left bare below.
The Indians think the gods part
the snow-clouds and let the sun
shine into this paradise as an
especial dispensation to the red
men on the Nez Perce Reserva-
ton. The grand river, its
tributaries, and the rami6cations
of the valley are sacred to the
heart of these patriotic natives,
and they consent to share the
land with their good white
brothers with reluctance. From
the woodlands of the mountains
to the delta of the Snake the
Clearwater Valley belongs to the
Nez Perce nation. By treaty
they agreed to give up to
the government all of this except
their individual allottments.
| This latest gift to the home
| seeker is not an untried land
like almost every other country
that is open to settlement, 1t
was in the Clearwater Valley
that the first explorers were GER
tain that fruit, vegetables and
farm crops would be certainty,
1t was here that the missionary,
| Whitman, planted the precious
seeds and fruit trees that he
brought across the plains. This
wise man of experience trusted
the soil of the Clearwater bot
toms to yield him an increse
more abundant and more certain
than any other region of the
Northwest. The Willamette
Valley, with It's rich soil and
moist climate, he knew well and
the Walla Walla garden spot
he passed by to plant in the
Clearwater Valley, where the
Sunshine was perpetual and thu
soil was perfect" The gooc
Whitman was not disappointed
the Indians with no skill as till
ers of the soil have Away
reaped bountiful crops, and nov
the white man with his scienct
is expected to make the valley
blossom like a garden of roses.
The river never freezes. 1t il
cold and clear in summer, and i
winds in it's course from side tt
side, in the valley, from on
rocky wall to the other, half en-
circling level meadows Of high
wild hay that has tangled dow
, in summer and been pastured OF
in winter for hundred years
till the soil is enriched and i
: waiting for the orchards Of frui
and the fields of grain Of civil
, lied workers. Silvery sinks CUR
gle and dance in the shade G
willow fringes around the boz
!, ders and through the wild mead
ows. There are trout in tn
streams and grouse in th
bushes and lazy cows wade. i
J. the water and blink in the SHADE
There is an extravaganza {
waste on every hand and onl
I busy workers are wanted t
4 gather wealth from the abui
d dant natural fertility There al
e little valleys with water pourin
!, down from mountain sides read
to be used for irrigation. til
high art in husbandry. II
E who has not practiced the al
|. plication OF artificial water
! growing crops has lost one
i. the greatest comforts of rur;
life; It is the poetry of farming
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