Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-11-12
THROUGH A ROUGH REGION
Professor Lindgren Talks About
the Warrens Trip.

Professor w. Lindgren, the
geologist who represents the Uni
ted States geological survey in this
state, tells a very interesting
story of his recent trip to War
rens, Florence and the Seven Dew
ills. Talking about the journey
yesterday to representative of
the Statesman, he said:
"The trip northward proved to
be most interesting one. ! start
ed about a month ago, accompan-
led by f. G. Schrader, and since
then we haye covered at least 600
miles in blackboard, on horseback
and ON foot. The route taken was
through Squaw creek, High Val
ley up to Long Valley, which we
then followed up to Payette lake.
Long Valley is remarkable feat
ure, extending as it does for 80 or
40 miles, almost level up to the
lakes. 1t is covered by rich, nu-
tritious grasses and surrounded by
foothills with heavy yellow pine
timber. 1t is getting quite ex-
tensively settled up, though ] no
ticed many of the ranches, (espec-
tally near the center of the Valley
are abandoned, probably on ac-
count of especially frosty locations.
"We took a side trip to the pla-
GERS of Gold fork and Paddy
valley. At least two placer mines
are being worked steadily there,
those Of Mr.. Moore and Mr..
Evans. The former last spring
obtained from his diggings a large
blush precious stone, reported to
be a sapphire. The head of Gold
fork is a wild and rugged country,
many jagged and granite peaks
rising to 5000 or 5000 feet eleva-
ton. From Payette went up to
Warrens; and right here let me
say a few words about the road
and line of communication in that
part of the country.
II confess to being rather igno-
rant about this subject before start
ing and my amazement was great
when l learned that there was no
wagon road worthy of the name
between northern and southern
Idaho. 1t can easily be seen that
the natural route for such a high
way should follow the line from
Weiser through Salubria and
Meadows, then down the Little
Salmon and along the main Sal
mon for 25 miles, then up along
the eastern slope of the Salmon
canyon to Camas prairie. The
highest point of this route would
be 1000 feet. AS / said my aston
ishment was great upon learning
that only a trail leads down from
Meadows to Salmon river. In
stead a road goes up from Mead
ows to Payette lake, and thence as
a state wagon road from the latter
place to Florence and Camas
prairie, crosses the Secesh pass
with an elevation Of $500 feet, goes
down to an elevation of 1900 feet
at the Salmon river, up again to
500 feet at Florence, down again
to 5000 feet or thereabouts ut
Camas Prairie. Truly a wonder
fully chosen route.
"If you will let me dwell on the
subject a little more, l want to
say in plain words that the wagon
road from Payette lake to Secesh
pass is a disgrace to the state.
Who is to blame for that is none
Of my business to ascertain but the
fact Of it's incredible condition re-
mains. 1t meanders from one side
to the other of the Payette river in
a most primitive way, and there
are ten fords of this torrential
stream within a few miles, some of
them rocky, ugly fords with water
up to the hubs in the dryest part
of the season.
1.-THE mud and chuckholes in
the Squaw Meadows just this side
of Secesh pass battles description.
From Secesh pass to Warrens the
road is fairly good. From the
same pass over to Florence the
road is very narrow and steep, but
passable for a blackboard or light
loaded two-horse wagon. But rs
the inhabitants of that county re-
gretfully remark: "They have
spoiled it for a pack-trail and they
have not made decent road of it.
"The maps of this country are
remarkably inaccurate; Warrens,
for instance, on all maps which l
have seen is indicated about 20
miles too far south, and the drain
age running in opposite direction
to the way nature has made it.
In fact, for an old mining county
known for 30 years, anything quite
equal to it is rarely seen.
considerable activity prevails
in Warrens, which with its undu-
lating hills andbroad expanse of
tailings somewhat recalls Idaho
City. Nothing but rich rock goes
in Warrens and it must be pretty
we'll towards 500 to be looked at
with favor. We spent two days