The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-26

szzrs through TIE moisture from a stream
srickslng down the rulch ard the shade
/ OF fise pines Another climb takes one 30
the head OF the gusch ard around
TIE opposite slope, down which the eye
s-eeps over an expanse Of rich emerald
/ where sunshine and shadow play fffaEy
and where the prairie flowers show their
bright hue. al their best. It is great
OPEN forest glade set at ar angie. where
the silence ard solitude give the inszxi-
nation 1uil sway. There IS no sound but
the nuaesr of grouse scared out OF ITS
cover ar Il maybe chzttsrinx o. limb.
and shess are the oa1y signs OF life BE-
You'd the playful squirrel and ch.pm01k.
The trail on reaching the foot o< tae
noun ozsa passes through q ranch with
no occupant lhe has probably gone pros
/ pecsingt. and crossing McFarlane creek.
which io5se-s through the level land. de-
/ scends 4 short. steep grade 10 a coaaee.
where perhaps a river once flowed. but
which IS Tow but q narrow. grass-grown.
pine-ctad hollow between the hills. where
I even the magpse seems scared OF the
sound OF his own voice. for he hardly
6ares 20 chatter. Another climb brings
/ you out o. the coulee and into the valley
OF the east fork OF Gold creek. where q
coTb-ssl texEs that somebody lives near,
though his habitation Is invisible Ford
ing the creek and going down the other
bank. yen soon come 10 the main creek.
which you cross by rickety. lop-ssded
bridge Of poles. and then go along the
steep hillside on the opposite bank with
the newIy-graded road above you. So
| you wind around the benches. now with
| the wildlng course OF the MeSho@ fusl
| before you. sts serraced hills showing a
patch of unusually bright green where
irrigation has done its benehcent work.
the higher ridges clothed with pines.
seeming purple in the distance. and
streaks OF the same color marking the.
| course OF the creeks. Where the hills
through the grass and a steep cliff on the
opposite bank forces the hurrying river
| 20 wind impatiently around IL. Then the
| road. for the trail has now entered a
| road. runs over the bench and down TO
| the river bank. and crossing an lrrigating
| ditch passes a thriving farm and strikes
up the valley, the horse delIg hting 20 frot
| where his hoof-beats make music IN his
ears Here are no more pines. only bunch
| grass and its ubiquitous companions.
| sagebrush and CROSSWORD The road
| goes I'D the benches and back among the
foothills 20 cut across a bend, and after
miles OF dusty. wateriess waste reaches
stream hidden among the willows. where
the horse greedy quencheS his thirst.
| Then up again. past lake whose whit
| ened shores betray its alkaline properties.
over a saddle-backed hill. which runs 10
a high point TO the right. and down along
the benches where the Methow is in full
| view again. with the Twisp flowing
| through brush-ciad bottoms and between
bunchgrass benches and hills 10 join IL.
| At the confluence Is a bread bench on
which town has begun to grow up, this
| being the main point to cross the Methow
from the other bank in going up the
| Twisp.
| Up the Twisp for long distance there
is no change in the character OF the land.
and irrigation Is still lord, but 10 the
north and west the eye Is refreshed with
the sight OF snow ON the jagged lofty
| Cascades About seven miles up the
| state trail force was encampet On park
| like bench. A short distance beyond. the
| trail had been cut through the oatcrop or
| a great coal seam, which has been pros
| pected to some extent and has been
| uroyed by a practical test 10 be good
| h,acksrr,ith coal. Still further the trail
| rounds another rocky point and then
| strikes across park-iike benches. where
| no work except clearing was needed, ana
| a broad swath cut through the thin brush
| shows its course. Here is where the SUI
| perfority of the new state tran over the
| old miners trail stands out clearly IL -
| built throughout on wagon road grades
| and goes straight, wherever possibie.
while the old trail is crossed again and
again winding up over bluffs and around
trees and logs by circuitous route Not
| only VIII the new trail be shorter by sew
| eral miles, but horse can travel IL fast
err for ne can go at good pace, without
| continually turning TO left or right. STUN
bling over rocks or stepping over logs
| The rider. too. will not have 10 watch
against having his feet crowded against
| trees standing too close 10 the trail. or his
| hat brushed OF by overhansing boughs.
| The new trail only has TO be Travelled to
- a.. - 49, -
every person wishing TO cross the mount
aims where the railroads do not reach.
Mountain Fires.
| As one rides on up the Twisp the noun
| tains soar higher TO right and left and
/ great patches of snow lie in the hollows
| among the rocks far down the sides. They
| are a different kind OF mountains. To-.
| from those TO the east. for those feet
| hidden by dense timber and constan
th!ekening brush. while their upper siopv
| and SUBMITS are great cliffs of rock, bare
! except where hidden by snow. The bunch
grass in the canyon has given place on the
| southern slope 10 hroad-bladed pine grass
| which does not cure IN the sun, but runs
| TO seed. The broad benches stretching
| through the canyon to the mountains feet
| would make splendid range for cattle and
! sheep and the time should not be far dis
| tsnt when they viii be covered by vast
| herds. Advancing westward the canyon
becomes narrower, the timber more dense
and the brush begins to crowd out the
| grass. The pine is no longer sole lord OF
/ the forest for the FIR. halsam and hemlock
| divide honors with him, and the cotton
wood which haunts the moist places OF
] arid lands becomes rare When the traii.
| no longer the state tran. reaches Scatter
i creek. where the waters spread In numer-
/ Gus channels the land Is more rocky and
/ hou,der= project from the ground along
/ m. way In the forests ahead great clouds
/ OF smoke 70 the left tell where fires started
! by some careless prospector are raging,
/ and at one place a glimpse Is caught OF the
lurid glare OF the flames on the wrinkled
/ face of the Twisp. The air is thick Ssitn
smoke and the roar OF the flames mingies
/ with that OF the river, while Al times a
| crash is heard from where some tall giant
/ burnt of at the stump has fallen among
/ his brethren and carried the IRE 20 insna
for his whole length A little further and
1 che Of these fires Is found IN It's infancy.
/ A camp fire but lately deserted has been
| scattered ny the wind and some OF the
sharks have caught in the rosinous wood
| az the neighboring trees. which. af-sr
/ s,nousdering for hours have burst into
/ fame. soon TO burn OF, fan and spFcaf
L the flames IN the brush and carry them 20
/ other trees Thus mans wantonness &C.
| ssroys his reserves OF wealth.
| Here Is North creek. foarning white In
tis haste 20 get into lower land, and across
/ ,heys under the shade of ths trees are the
| whste tops Of tents and even the pale vel
| tow roofs Of wooden buildings. densiing
| ire first beginnings OF a town This "a
/ .sawp Gilbert. which might be called Twisp
/ addition TO Spokane. for almost .yeTy nan
! in IL comes from that city. One OF the
| wooden buildings spread through tbs trees
/ g. me log house OF Nelson Clark. with 4
e fsssr IL sfss.a IA ~