The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-30
Written for The Tribune.

Written for The Tribune.
BY the courtesy Of Charles s. Fee,
General Passenger Agent of the North
ern Pacific Railway we enjoyed another
side-trip over Occur d'Alene Lake and
along the river of the sarne name,
through the Indian reservation and the
Mission of the Sacred Heart, and also
the. gold. silver and lead mines Of the
Occur d'Alene mountains. Every tour
ist who admires picturesque lake, river
and mountain scenery, and Is interested
In the development Of tie mining region
should without fail take this trip; it will
amply repay him. The sail by steamer
on Lake Occur d'Alene and also the
river Is hardly eQualed for beauty Of
natural scenery by any water Journey
OF equal length that we have yet taken.
Leaving Spokane, We ride for an hour
or more by rail o distance Of thirty-twO
miles to Occur d'Alene city-a town of
500 population, beautifully situated in
the pine forests at the foot Of Lake
Occur d'Alere. Here on its shore is To-
Gated Fort Sherman, another large and
attractive United States military post,
containing four companies of infantry
and a cavalry troop of $50 under the
command OF Colonel Hall. / doubt IL
there Is a military post in the whole
cocntry so beautifully situated. In
every direction stretch the purple noun
tains of the Bitter Root and Occur
d'A!ene ranges.
Scencr, ri Surprising Beauty.
In many places among these ranges
nature seems almost to tumble over
herself in her efforts to produce scenic
effects of the widest sort that startle
and surprise the visitor. This rock
ribbed system of ragged crags and
hristlinE p!nnacles ard gloomy gulches
Is fourd mainly In the south fork NJ
these ranges And to further captivate
the visitor in the midst of these wild
scenes Is a lake, pleasing to the eye
wno~' waters come from the remotest
defles Of these mountains, pure as
crystal. p
1t is surrounded by spurs and foot
hills, with graceful pounded slopes,
dressed in dark cooling forest green. or
covered with mountain grasses and
TOuntain flowers. often reaching To the
waters edge, and presenting a picture
when beggars description. This Is
Lake Occur d'Alene. thirty miles long
and from four to ten miles wide, whose
dark blCe-green and often fathomlesS
waters two hundred square miles
Of territory. 1t is the source of the
S%noKane river and Falls and into it
" lIC SptuI " fAltI1c anu 81. bOStsI
rivers. that drain the western water
shed of the mountain ranges for hun
dreds of miles. pouring an immense
volume into this lake. This lake. in
connection with the picturesque river.
furnishes the water highway to the rich
and prosperous mining region and to
the Mission of the Sacred Heart, on the
Occur d'Alene reservation.
An Admirable Lake Steamer, .
On this Like we found several small
craft, some fire steamers. One named
Georgia Cakes. In honor Of the daugil-
ter of President Cakes, of the Northern
Pacific. is a perfect gem. an exact
counterpart of the steamer Will S.
Hays, on which we sailed down the
Mississippi river from Vicksburg to
New Orleans. This steamer was built
on this lake and is owned by the North
ern Pacific railway and commanded by
Captain S%anborr, an experienced pilot
OF twenty years active service. The
boat is q double-decker, 40 feet long,
GOO horsepower. fiat bottom. drawing
three ard onc-half fect Of water, end
makes 1t landings often without stop
ping It's engines. Some fifteen stops
are made on the round trip in this
way, a feature In steamboat landing we
never before witnessed, and only &C.
complished by most sliillful pilots. Her
speed on the river was fifteen miles an
hour. while on the lake G, ghteen miles
Is the average. This steamer runs to
Mission ct the head of navigation,
through the Indian Reservation, which
is a rich agricultural section on both
sides of the river. lately opened to
settlers, q distance of sixty miles. It
conpaptg nlsn OF Niccipn lar5ipu y.ith