The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-10-11
DIR. Riley and the Olympics.

In the OlymplcS IMAM the parry vi
which John McClelland was member,
when he became lost and lived for
three days on huckleberries.
The party which just returned start
ed ON the 18th of September and were
gone just three weeks and one day.
They took four pack horses and carried
enough "grub" to last them for two
months. This was in order to be pre-
pared in case of an accident or upon
the advent of such weather as would
prevent them from getting out OF the
mountains. They crossed the range
and made a permanent camp four
miles beyond where Captain Reinhart
and party were camped, as mentioned
in last Saturdays Olympian. They
descended the north side of the range
and camped on the head waters OF the
Quinault river, having, according to
DR.. Riley's story, very little trouble in
getting the horses over the range. They
followed elk trails which were not diff
cult to follow. The doctor says that
horses can be taken across that country
in almost any direction by keeping on
the bench land which is comparatively
open. The ridges are very Jagged and
steep, and the river banks and beds are
very precipltous. The streams that
far up in the mountains contain no
trout, as they cannot get up the water
falls, but further down the Quinault
grow the largest trout in the world.
Specimens have been caught weighing
ten pounds, and the ordinary size OF
the large variety is from five to seven
pounds. The doctor says: "They are
terrOrs when you get them mad. |
can't get them out; they broke all of
my tackle, took every hook and snapp-
ed all the leaders"
ave brought out some specimens OF
iron," continued the doctor, "and a
peculiar rock which | think will be
found to contain zinc. Yes, we were
looking for that other party when they
found us. l don't see how they got
out, as they went mile off the trail
the first thing. We didn't stay
around where they camped because
they had been making too much noise
and we went four miles further. A
mile counts for good deal in that
country-it is two miles up and mile
and half down. George went down
to where they shot their two cows, and
they must have wounded some others
because there were number OF buzz
yards hanging around there.
ave shot two fine bulls, aged, 7
think, 10 and Ii years, and could have
shot number of COWS, but could do
nothing with them. One fine bull
with better antlers than those we got,
succeeded in getting away from US.
One of those we killed was in a herd
and the other was vagabond These
travelling elk are whipped out of the
herd and wander around by themselves
like prodigal sons. We saw one bear
but didn't get shot at him, and big
timber wolf the size of New Found
land dog, insisted on serenading us
every night. He came regularly, but
we couldn't get shot at him.
owe came out much earlier than We
had intended. The boys feared an APP
preaching storm, which would raise
the Skokomish river so that we couldn't
travel in the bed of it, so we came out
giving away our provisions to family
up there in the woods. We had nc
accident except that hurt my back
some carrying out an elk head, and
feel it little yet. One thing peculiar
we discovered, and that is a flowing
spring of petroleum, similar to those
have seen in the east. 1t possessed
the characteristic odor, and was a light
fine grade of OIL There was enough OF
it to lead a person to believe that
petroleum exists in quantities up there
What would strengthen this belief is
the fact that the main body of the
range is of slate and sandstone. The
black sands of petroleum exist in ali
the streams and are often mistaken
for the black sands of gold.
"There are seven varieties of buckle
berries growing up there in great guam
titles. We had huckleberry pie and
cobbler every day for dinner
eyes, see that the other party had
enough of the country. / have been
in the Olympics every summer for
thirteen years now, and haven't got
enough yet. If wasn't SO confound-
al al - 4