The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-06


the blaze 81 golden sky a Jagged range
o. mountains.
I,gke a giant wall their s2w-edged bulk
rises. blue as indigo, ioorninE np without
detail except the sharp drawn peak Zine,
Just a shadow range thrown there across
the sunset.
You may watch the sun sink behind
tnls range a Thousand times. yet YOU VIII
never see e twice she same
There Is a bit az mystery and romantic
glamour woven about thss olympic range.
standing right In seat,les front yard.
get unknown almost
As early as the 'aez gold hunters saw
those peaks and tried 20 penetrate the
range: in g they still try it and the
range Ief.es them still.
There arc places where parties have
poue IN hunting fishing or prospecting,
but there Is no way 20 cross the range
from coast 70 coast without lighting big
odds all the way 8 trail being an IN
knG-n feature If we leave out the few
short roads 10 valley settlements and the
intcrlaeed cl. pea'.s that thread the upper
reaches Of mountain side.
As all unknown countries have their
fairy stories and legends. the Oiymp!cs
would be :. rcspftonai n IL lacked them.
Here In Seattle We hear very little OF
this. and time has brought a general feel
Ing that the range is barren in mineral
wealth. closer acquaintance reveals
other and uudrearned OF things. Nhis-
pers begin To he heard. and soon We lis
ton To the story OF lost golden treasure.
Nine years ago party brought piece
Of Whit quartz float out and an assay
gave t2.sf0 value To the ton Another
man ran "A tunnel into SO ore and aban-
.ioned it on account Of lack of transpor-
tation An old Indian while elk hunting,
found spring and picked a handful of
nuggets out or the bottom. traded them to
a atorakeeper. reynarked d. 'hiyn chicka-
mum copo yowya.s and vanished. pros
peetor found placer gold. got baking
powder can full and lost himself coming
out never could find the place again.
Last. bat not least. comes the little
Dutchn an who brought quart or So af
nuggets into Port Townsend and had for
gotten where he found them
These and many more are the lost
mine stories that are always woven
about an unknown range. aud they lure
men into the wlds Just as the stacks of
sold on q card table invite them To MOO
the tickle dame who prcsides 10 deal out
veal or woe on the turn OF card.
Now romance in lis place is all right.
hHt 70 il all lost or pack trail and cold.
hard facts force themselves forward with
Just as much regularity as do the sore
muscles and chatting of the straps that
bind a sixty-iive pound pack ON your
back until Il "stIckefh like a brother"
Tie prospector who thinks to CLEAN his
millions from the Dlynplcs shouid pause
and devote little study 20 the few facts
that | give him herewith. maybe II will
save his gruhstaie and enable him 20
reach the Eldorado that is always Just
over the divide"
oar party. three I'm number. went in ny
way of the nosewsllps river. with a So
pound pack and guns in addition for each
inau. From the landing at the river mouth
the country rises abruptly 70 200 feet
and fi.e miles mp the valley the river Itself
f. 40 fef't above tide water. \ wagon Rad
exttnsts for nine miles up hill and down
along the river and ends there. 4 pack
trail for Horses extends four miles further
and enfs IN the thick woods. From there
an Did elk .rssi narrow and craolScd fol
los's a long Tho fool of the hills. crossing
huffa slides spurs and creeks with a veck-
less aisrreaTd Ter life or limb of either elk
or man. in Ave miles Of this tran there
are five separate places which extend for
several yards each along The face Of the
cliffs q thread, or rather line OF inches
IN the rock each wt1e enough 10 hold the
rough shod foot ~ pros2cctor. wign la
y&0m io spare. liclow. two hundred. four
hundred feet PERHAPS. the river ra1rs and
foams. dash!nS against hogiiers and the
rocky canyon walls with = force that rolls
hg rocks along Ike marbles aua artnis
big fr tree to spiiuters.
\ single misstep here would cud all in
tefeSt Ia this world FOR even a proNpeCtor.
In one place the xall Is s0 smooth and