The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-01-30
DECEIVED BY A MIRAGE.
The Experience of a Thirsty Traveller ON
q Western Desert.

InS experience Oh u 1hlTSty hEANcAoE YIN
q Western Desert.
John Wickersham of Los Angeles,
who for some months past has been rid
ing an Indian pony in the northwest,
partly for his health and partly while
prospecting for gold, has returned here
on his way home. He says there is a
stretch of desert lying between the Co
lumbia river and what is known as
Coulee City, in the Moses Coulee Of tho
Big Bend country in Washington, that
enormously surpasses in dreariness any
thing that he has ever before seen. Mr..
Wickersham carried pick and pan with
him on this trip. He vas also provided
with a roll Of blanket and a lariat for
roping his pony. His provisions consist
ed chiefly of a piece of bacon. some pre-
pared coffee, some -four, sugar and salt.
The culinary outfit was as light as il
was possible to make it. In this way,
with only a single 40 caliber pistol to
defend him, he moved about, camping
each night wherever he might be.
81 have seen and heard a great deal
about dreary stretches Of country, |" said
Mr. Wickersham. II have been on the
plains of Colorado and Arizona. and on
the Mohave and Colorado deserts in
California. l have also been in the dry
regions about the Humboldt sink in
Nevada. They are fearful in their desc.
lation. However, l passed over a region
in the Big Bend country that Is, if pos.
sible, more frightful than any Of these.
l came near furnishing there for want OF
water, my pony was completely tagged
out, and it was only with the greatest
exertion that l managed finally to gel
through to Coulee City. This dreary
stretch Of desert extends for a distance
of 40 miles along Foster creek, from
the mouth Of the creek to a point near,
ly on the high tableland on the south.
1t must have been merely In derisior
that the broken gulch was called 6
creek, for during no year from the
time of which the memory Of man rum
was there eve any water in its bed, ex
cept at the lower portion during fresh
cts. Into this CHASTITY region. not know
ing that there vas really no water there,
I went on my exploring trip. Foste,
creek winds by some chalk white cliffs
for several miles south Of the Columbia,
and finally, when the trail made by the
Indians leaves this gorge, you traverse
an almost level stretch of sandy desert,
On either side are great bare places, al
white as the chalky cliffs. These mari
places that are poisoned by alkali, 81
that even if there was water nothing
could grow there.
"In traversing all this long distance
l saw no living thing except a few
horned toads and some curious brown
birds that had no tails. What the bird
lived on l cannot tell. Aside from these
there was no bird, no animal, nothing
in the air or ON the earth. The sun bea
down frightfully with a baleful glare
1t was SO hot that presently l was 81
overcome ! could scarcely sit on m.
horse. Riding over this desert, Il be
comes desperate. What he Vas been be
comes a memory, and overcome by thu
thirst and heat you feel as if you hat
been projected into "a new and strang
world. In trying to reach the hamlet o
Coulee City, which is on a branch rail
road from Spokane, / took the wrong
trail at a point on the desert, and for
time l wa lost.
at was while l was lost on this des
ert that | saw a beautiful lake befor
me. 1t could not have been more than
mile away and cana suddenly into view
/ wondered that l had no. seen it be
fore. AS I rode toward it I saw tina
some willows were growing on the op
posite side of it, and to my right wa
some waving green grass. At the sam
time a refreshing breeze swept over m.
face. / thought l would soon have plen
ty of water, and 1 pushed forward q
fast as l could toward it.
"Strange to say, my pony showed Il
energy, and l was surprised at this, 70
you know that a horse half famished q
mine was can scent water even If it
ten miles away, and as this was in flu.
sight l could not make out what tn
trouble was. I urged the pony forwar
and must have ridden q mile III thi
way, and still the lake drew no nearer
/ had thought that in the distance l sa'
wild fowl on the lake, and my perple,
ity was increased. Suddenly it dawne
upon me that this was no lake, but tn,
it was a mirage, which in truth it wa
Then 1 made all possible haste to retrae
my steps; but the pony was nearly fa,
ged out.
"By dint of great exertion I manage
to get him back over the plains, and
last, after two days of struggling.
reached a little house about five mill
from Coulee City, where a lonely rancho
had inclosed a little piece of ground an
dug a we'll. There l got water, was ell
abled to recuperate and at length pushe
Oh to the railroad. Talk about frightfl
stretches Of country-that is the mo
grewsome and weirdly fearful of an.
thing that l ever saw. l want nj me
experience like the one l have just ha'
Even gold would not tempt me to
again into a country like that. "-Ss
Francisco Call.
1R