The San Francisco call., 1896-09-13
WHERE
WILD GOATS
ABOUND
Lake GhoIan Is the
Paradise for
Hunters

EEELFE1s mere LE0EL Lake ALGL2D- w GEllnC
ton, where he says the Wild goats are SO
plentiful as to almost defy the hunters.
Mr.. Davidson has been IN the goat
country for over month past. Lake
Chelan Is 3 singuIarly clear body Of water
eighty-fve miles long, crooked ike an
elbow, and starting from a point only six
or eight r2iIes from the Columbia, and
reaching far into the Cascade mountains
to the mouth Of the Stehakin River.
Near the mouth OF this river. in the
center Of the country, where many Of the
white goats range. are, as he relates. the
Rainbow Falls, where water comes down
over cliff 265 feet high.
Mr. Davidson and several friends went
up the lake II small steamer, tying up
and sleeping as night came, and every
once n while making excursions into
the mountains, where they not only got
wud goat meat TO eat but occasionally
took bear. As for fish, they were ex-
ceedIngly numerous, both IN the fresh
water lake and in the streams falling INTO
Il The finest ana most toothsome trout
are 10 De had by simply casting hook
= have seen many hne pisces for out
door sport, said Mr.. Davidson. ''bUt I
have never seen anything 70 surpass. If,
indeed, TO equal, this eIquisitely beaUti-
fuI and lonely section OF the Cascades.
There Is q little town down at the foot of
the lake that has store and q szTmiu IN
it. It sprang up at the time of boom
few years ago, but since the boom Is of
everything Is quite still there, though 3
few people remain.
"I went up IN the little steamer Cbelan,
which mas been plying on the lake for
some tine. Both myself and friends were
well equipped with rifles, shotguns and
fishing tackle, SIS well as complete camp
ing outfits
a dozen or fifteen miles up the lake
you make turn almost 81 right angles
and follow the lake II 2 straight north
west direction into the mountains When
you make the turn the little hamlet and
the noun Is ins east OF the CoIumbia River
are completely shut out snd all around
you are the high mountains Of the Cas-
csde Range proper, which rise from the
edge OF the lake ID most places Ike froWn-
ing walls
'sTo the right as We proceeded into the
heart OF the mountains was an enormous
ridge. 1 IsUpposeit must have been twenty
miles long. It was very high, and on this
We presently began to see the wild animals
whose quest We sought
A--H AAEF sGG-1-GU Ike
on the ridge. They were so faint that
they were first discovered by feId-gIass-
However, as We advanced they grew
palmer, until We could very well make
them out By the naked eye.
As We pushed along still further we be
gan 70 see the white goats, as We could see
sheep 3 few hundred yards away. They
were big, hne fellows, as large as 3 good
chunk OF a COW and with so much white
wool on them that their backs looked
square, ike big CotsEold sheep.
But they we're nothing ike sheep IN
running They were the ARREST, most
graceful creatures TO be imagined. They
scaled the cliffs as though they had wings
Oftentimes they vent straight up height
that seemed as inaccessible as the side of
g house They didn't 90 Zigzag and they
had a. much ginger IN their movements
and we're as easy and airy as though they
were eagles.
The white wild goats went N hands of
from twenty TO forty each. A. We got
near We fred into them and managed TO
kill couple OF them. Ths7 came tuu-
bling down almost 10 the edge of the
water. The rest ran away and disappeared
entirely from view. We found the goats
We had killed were very fat. The grass
was very good in the mountains and the
water from the melting snow sweet and
soft. There was 3 faint odor from the
meat when It was cut up that suggested
mutton.
But, as was going to say, We had
only proceeded past point OF rocks few
hundred rods away I'LL more OF the goats
Ioomed Up. It was this way for almost
the entire distance to the mouth Of the
to shoot the goats on the mountains. but
they were so far away that our shots fell
short In other cases our bullets struck
the rocks about them
- found that when g band OF goats were
grazing there was always big goat that
acted as q sentinel and was ready to give
the alarm to the others If we were 50
near as 10 cause danger they all took to
fight Some Of the animals were of q
slightly blush color, but most were clear
white, especially the larger ones.
I'VE killed numerous other goats as We
advanced, but none directly from the
steamer. To get them We landed ana
made derours, climbing quietly up the
sides OF the mountains, and with gun in
hand. so as to be able to shoot at once
when We saw them
OF the goats, and If We had continued 70
hunt We could have killed any number We
desired However, though 1 had done nv
part IN killing the pretty animals, it i
nevertheless ruthless sport. The goats
ought TO be left as distinguishing feat
ure Of the country and Eot be sacrificed
IS the buffaloes we're
"Only the younger goats are good for
food. Their meat IS sweet and nutritious.
bat with the old ones the meat is strong
ana inclined TO be tough, and no man
wants TO tackle Il more than once. So
there is really no need Of killing them
except for their skins The wool on them
Is from FIVE 20 eight inches long They
make magnificent rug or robe If prop
erEY cured and tanned
.sThe skins are so easily taken that they
h-frr only 81 sach Inhn Hal uhn Iiras