The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-19
SNOW SIX FEET DEEP
The Novel Sight Witnessed on the
Ceur d'Alene Branch.
NO SUSPICION OF SPRING
A Word Picture of a Trip From
Missoula over the divide into
the Budding Fields of idaho
1 he reacherous ST. Regis.

that the eye cannot pierce the driving
cloud for more than 100 feet-that is
the novel sight that a Standard repor-
ter witnessed last Saturday at noon.
May 16, and only four hours ride from
this city 1t was as IL the calendar
had been suddenly turned backward
four months in the four hours ride.
There was nothing about the scene to
suggest that ii was not midwinter and
some of the passengers on the train
who had never seen the like were at a
loss to know whether or not they had
their right senses with them. But il
did not last long. In another half hour
the snow had been left behind and the
budding trees and spring flowers were
evidence that IL was not winter The
trainmen have this experience every
day and they do not mind IL but to
one who is not expecting IT, the change
is remarkable one. The scene of this
transformation is the summit of the
divide that separates Idaho and Mon
tana, at Lookout on the Occur d'Alene
branch. The place is as dreary as If
summer never smiled there. The cab
ins of the woodchoppers and the tiny
railroad station are nearly buried in
the snow that has enshrouded them
since last autumn and the wind walls
through the pines and frs as dismally
as IL 1t were December. There is not
the faintest suspicion of spring there
and yet, not many miles on either side
of the summit the trees and grass and I
flowers are budding and there is a
breath of spring.
The trip from Missoula to the divide
is always an interesting one but at this
time of year it is particularly so. The
traveller sees the change take place
from spring to midwinter as If the sea-
sons were rushing past him in a panor-
anna. In the lower valley he sees the
spring flowers in bloom and the fresh
green of the broad acres of wheat and
oats that mark the thrift and progress
of the farmers who have made the
Frenchtown valley famous. Then he
sees the lumber camps busy with their
preparations for the summers work
the mining districts and the little
mountain farms that are scattered
along the line of the road. He sees all
this and then, before he knows it, he
has been taken beyond Saltese and the
train Is running through a snowbound
forest 1t all happens so quickly that
he is hardly prepared for the change
and as he looks out of the window at
the snow he shivers, although there is
a hot fire In the car stove. High
above the cars the banks of snow rise
in some places and now and then a
woodchopper or prospector may be
seen making his way along over the
snow on his webbed shoes. 1t is indeed
novel sight and one that is worth the
trip TO witness The snow has drawn
away from Saltese in the past week
and the trainmen say that the snow
on the summit is not as deep as IL was
while ago, but IL is deep enough to
make the traveller glad that he lives
in lower altitude. There is no pleas
anter spot in this section than Saltese
in the summer, but IL is not a good
winter resort. That is certain.
II is not usual however, that this |
scene can be observed at this time of |
the year, even above Saltese The snow |
has been slow to leave there as else |
where this year and the railroad men |
and the lumbermen look doubtfully at |
the snow and wonder If they are TO /
have over again the experience of two |
years ago. There is as much snow as /
there was that year and IL has not /
started to melt as early as IL did then |
When IL does come there is apt TO be a /
mighty rush of waters In the St Regis |
that will play sad havoc with the road |
bed OF the branch and with the fields /
and farms below. IL Is no wonder that l
Roadmaster Burdett made a cool reply /
10 passenger who said to him as the
train passed along the st. Regis: THAT
is the most beautiful stream that |
ever saw" The answer surprised the
passenger. but IL was clear to one who
Is at all familiar with this stream eft
bad one" The roadmaster was think
ing Of the struggle that he had with
this same stream two years ago in
which he came out second best, and
the prospect of a repetition of the af-
fair was not at all pleasant There has
been some good work done on the road
since that time and IL Is not likely that
the water will do as much damage as
IL did at that time. but the road is so
close TO the stream. whose banks are
not good that II is impossible to pro-
tect IL absolutely from the rush of the
water. III the weather turns warm sud
denly there Will probably be some
trouble with the line.
With one exception the saw mills on
the branch are not running, the supply
of logs having been exhausted and the
low water making IL impossible for the
new logs to be brought in. There are
logs all along the river waiting for n
raise in the water. but at present there
is but little saving being done. The
lumbermen share with the railroad peo-
pie the apprehension as to the result
Of warm weather. although they can
do nothing until IL does get warm they
are alarmed lest IL get too warm when
IL starts.
The ranches in the lower Missouia
valley are looking well despite the chill
~ spring. and the grain crop, which
constitutes their principal output. is in
excellent shape. In the Frenchtown
region the grain is two or three inches
high and is growing well. The ranch
men are not complaining, although
some of them will suffer If the water
gets as high as il did in 1894. As a
whole. the lower country is in good
condition and the year promises well
for the residents of this region. The
stockmen are rejoicing over the excel
lent feed that the rain has made on
the ranges and al of the stock is In
prime form.