The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-10-21
Professor Lindgren Talks About the
Warren Trip.
THROUGH A ROUGH REGION.
canyons OF the Salmon and Snake Second
Only to the Grand Canyon of
the Colorado.

Professor W. Lindgren, the geolo-
gist who represents the United States
geological survey in this state, tells q
very interesting story of his recent
trip to Warren, Florence and the
Seven Devils. Talking about the
journey to representative of the
Statesman; he said:
''The trip northward proved to be
a most interesting one. l started
about a month ago, accompanied by
f. G. Jchrader, and since then we
have covered at least 600 miles in
blackboard, on horseback and on foot
The route taken was through Squaw
creek, High Valley up to Long Val
ley, which we then followed up to
Payette lake. Long Valley is a re-
markable feature, extending as it
does for 80 or 40 miles, almost level
up to the lake. 1t is covered by rich,
nutritious grasses and surrounded by
foothills with heavy yellow pine tim
ber. 1t is getting quite extensively
settled up, though | noticed many OF
the ranches, Especially near the cen
ter of the Valley are abandoned,
probably on account of especially
frosty locations.
"We took a side trip to the placers
of Grand fork and Paddy valley. Al
least two placer mines are being
worked steadily there, those of Mr..
Moore and Mr.. Evans. The former
last spring obtained from his dig
gings a large blush precious stone,
reported to be sapphire. The head
of Gold fork is a wild and rugged
country, many Jagged granite peaks
rising to 5000 or-9000 feet elevation
From Payette | went up to Warren
and right here let me say few words
about the roads and line of commun
ications in that part of the country
81 confess to being rather ignoran
about this subject before starting ant
my amazement was great when
learned that there was no wagon roat
worthy of the name between north
ern and southern Idaho. 1t can cas-
ilv be seen that the natural route TO
such highway should follow tn
line from Weiser through Salubri
and Meadows, then down the Littl
Salmon and along the main Salmo
for 25 miles, then up along the east
ern slope of the Salmon canyon t
Camas prairie. The highest point q
this route would be 1000 feet. AS
said nv astonishment was great upo
learning that only trail leads dow
from Meadows to Salmon river. Ii
stead a road goes up from Meadow
to Payette lake, and thence as stat
wagon road from the latter place
|
Florence and Camas Prairie, crosse
the Secesh pass with an elevation {
$500 feet, goes down to an elevatio
of 1900 feet at the Salmon river, u
again to 5000 feet at Florence, dow
again to 1000 feet or thereabouts ;
Camas Prairie. Truly wonderf
chosen route.
elf you will let me dwell upon IL
subject little more, l want to 81
in plain words that the wagon roa'
from Payette lake to Secesh Pass
a disgrace to the state. 1t meande'
from one side to the other of Il
Payette river in most primitive wa
and there are ten fords of this to
rental stream within a few mile
some of them rocky, ugly fords wi
water up to the hubs in the drye
season.
s.The mud and chuckholes in t
e Squaw Meadows just this side OF
cesh pass to Warren the road is fan
i good. From the same pass over
: Florence the road is very narrow a
steep, but passable for a buckooa
$ or light loaded horse wagon L
: rs the inhabitants of that county
gretfully remark: "They have spo'
e it for pack-trail and they have
made a decent road of it.
"The maps of this country are
. =. markably inaccurate; Warren, for