The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-16
I'm the Wonderland
OF North America.
Fourteenth Paper of Northwestern Travel-The
Journey from Msseula to Border of Puget Sound.

portant stations. The charcter Of the
valley Is such that the significance of
this name wlu be well understood, for
these valleys are the only spots on the
line of the railroad for over $50 miles
that invite cultivation. Situated in the
midst of very wild scenery, with high
mountains, whose sides are always COW
cred with snow. these valleys produce
everything desired in q northern lati-
tude. especially under irrigation. These
valleys are celebrated among the In
dams as watering places for the ponies.
They summer them in the mountains
and winter them in the valleys where
snow seldom falls over four feet deep.
Leaving Horse Plains, the road me-
anders through an unbroken mountain
region with mountains towering on
either side and room is not always
found for the track, which is often
blasted from their grim sides, a dis
tance of 81 miles. when we reach
Thompson's Falls. the most remark
able water power yet seen, which has
not been in some way utilized. This
noisy, turbulent river on it's way to the
Columbia cuts it's way with tremend-
Gus force through mountain gorges,
whose vertical walls rise to enormous
heights.
For the next thirty-six miles, after
ihclipSoi. fdllS, we pass I'VE
small stations of not sufficient import
ance for description, when we enter the
state or Idaho. The Northern Pacific
passes over only very narrow strip
or th!s state, scarcely degree OF longi-
tude.
Teaching Cabinet Landing after a
run OF several miles, hugging mountain
ana river closely, we find the torrents
OF thls river again hemmed in by bold
pillars OF rock. while the train passes
through, far above the rushing. tumb-
ling stream below. In eight miles we
reach Clark's Fork Station. and in ten
miles the town of Hope, on the Strand
of Lake Pend d'Oreille, l453 miles from
st. Paul and 4S2 miles from Puget
Sound.
The Town Of Hopc.
Hope is strangely built town, a sort
or "clim dweller' place, the streets ris-
ing In terraces up the cliff-side One
house overlooks another, and at night
each terrace represents line of modern
forti!ications brilliantly lighted. One
calls it IAN embryo watering resort of
the far northwest" Here is the june
tion of the Rocky Mountain and Idaho
divisions of the Northern Pacific rail-
road, and here we change our time one
hour, from Mountain to Pacific time
fords the best possible view of that
handsome. glistening sheet Of water.
Lake Pend d'Oreille.
This lake will vie with pretty much
anything in the category of lakes and
far surpasSeS many that have q wider
reputation. It's length is fifty-five miles
and from three to twelve mile wide.
with shore line of $50 miles and an ele-
walton of 2,o69 feet above sea level, with
water as clear as crystal. The coun-
try around it is mountainous and heav-
lily timbered. All manner of game is
found here, also, 1t contains salmon,
trout, lake trout, and white fish in
abundance. 1t is dotted with various
little crafts, sail boats, etc, also, sew
cral small steamers for the use of the
regular guests of the hotel, and tourists
who stop over en- route. In some re-
spects a. Is n more desirable place for
recreation and rest than the group
we visited at Detroit. MINI. Only a
short distance southwark lies the
Sister Lake. Occur dAlene, a
description of which we will
give later Our short stay here,
ana delightful experience in perambu-
lating on the sandy beach, beside the
track, caused q pang of regret
that we could not remain longer and be-
come better acquainted with the deep
slumbering little sea.
SkirtinG the Northern shore.
On leaving Hope we skirt the north
ern shore for upwards of twenty miles.
The circuit Is full of surprises, the
mountains are grouped together and
never become monOtonous. The forest
is interminable The railroad crosses
the lake at the mouth of Pack river
on trestle a mile and q half long.
The view from the car windows, with
its beautiful islands and inlets reach
irg into surrounding ranges, Is superb
The Northern Pacific railroad reaches
its farthest northern limit at Pen
d'Oreille, and thence turns southwar,l
to Spokane. which is eighty-four miles
distant. During the eighty-four miles
run we pass ten stations. the most
important being Kootenai and Cocolalla,
bearing musical Indian names, repre-
senting fur-trading and gold mining in
terests. At Kootenai Is an old fur
trading and mining trail, which leads
to the large veins of galena silver ore,
found on the shores of Kootenai Lake
and river in the British possessions,
near the Canadian Pacific railway.
At Cocolalla Is bright sheet of water
several miles long. Here the scenery
changes, and we get a charming view
OF wave-woodland and receding noun
tains no longer overtoD us, and the
train sweeps on towards the southwest.
following a natural pass Between the
| ranges: presently entering a valley a
few miles wide of continuous woods.
the forests breaking away at times for
open country. There is no settlement
nor cultivation, the only improvements
we see are the railroad stations every
few miles, and the pioneers of civilian
tion (an occasional saw mild until we
enter the northeastern verge of the
great Spokane Plain. and at Hauser
Junction. nineteen miles from Spokane
we enter the great state of Washing
ton, an account of the resources of
which I will give in my next letter.
J. T.. Richmond.