Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-09-12
Communication.


coming as it does from y former citi-
zen of this city, and 6 wing news from
the far west:
Spokane, Wash Aug. 81, l9ol.-MI.
A. Daniels, Missouri Valley, Iowa =
Remembered Friend: While visiting
my father recently he expressed u
wish that l should write you for him.
l asked him what should you and he
said, Give HIM u description of the
Columbia River country with nv
kindest regards" IL is task l feel
myself Incompetent to do, but will
endeavor to partially tell YOU Of my
trip overland to the Columbia River.
Will, sister and her little girl, Daisy,
and ], all left Spokane one night at
:55 O'Clock. We arrived at COnnel,.
a small station away out in the sage
brush, at 3::225 in the morning. There
we found awaiting us y splendid, large
carry-all, q very convenient and COM
Portable vehicle, which is used entirely
for tho transportation of land seekers
and others who may wish TO invade
the interior country where the cars do
not run. Well, from Council we had
40 miles before We reached the river.
The first 20 miles was very pleasant
ride indeed. The country, although
rough looking, was very pleasing to
the eve. They have no lain to speak
of in this part, but what is called
bunch grass grows abundantly and
every now and then you will see a
mall spot of grain growing nicely,
where some camper has stopped and
fed his horses and scattered the grain
about and 1t has grown nicely, show
lug that the soil is good, but lack of
water. We passed two or three cabins
in this 20 miles where some one had
taken up claim. hut am puzzled to
know from whence they will get their
water to irrigate with. This land is
very high and for about miles we
trayersed what seemed to have been
in some time past, q river bed. We
could plainly see where the water had
washed the shores and bottom of the
river. The driver told us that some
very fine nuggets of gold had been
found in this river bed, and as there is
no water there now, this proved that
tbora bod hooO M c,roe, tipno Eyorv
now and then a pretty co!ored sand
nil would be seen standing all alone.
reminding one of the "buttes" of
North Dakota Then would come
lodges of rock Cooking like old mother
earth had had an upheaval), which was
very scraggy looking as if they would
fall all to pieces without moments
warning. Every now and then we
would scare up hungry coyote. Such
was the first half of our ride Then
we camped at what is known as
"Skookum Springs" How wish you
could see this spot. ] never saw a
more picturesque looking place in my
life. To reach this place we drove
down very steep embankment on to
level fiat about a quarter of q mile
wide and one-half long surrounded by
high walls of rock with now and then
a cattle trail breaking its way down to
the waters edge. Beautiful trees and
green grass grow plentifully here and
right in their midst is little log cabin
known as the "halt way cabin" Near
by are numerous cattle corralls. 1t is
here the cowboys round up their cattle
twice year. While at these springs,
the water Of which flows so pure and
cool from the lodges of rock, we saw
coming over the mountain large
herd of horses, led by fine black
stallion, the handsomest horse think
l ever saw. In fact all the horses on
the range are very handsome, just as
fat and sleek You would think from
their appearance they had been well
groomed every day, but the fact is no
one can get near enough to one of
them to even touch them as they have
to be lassoed to be caught at all as
they are very wild. AS soon as the
leader of the herd am telling you of,
spied us he gave one sniff in the air
and away they sped back over the
mountain from whence they came.
Well, we fed the horses and took lunch
at Skookum Springs and it was with
regret we left this delightfully."- cool
and beautiful place to continue our
journey to the river. When we had
assembled out of this basin on to the
plateau again we passed q sign which
read, "White Bluffs 90 miles," directly
under which was written with some
kind of a heavy instrument, "Whlte
Bluffs 200 miles and all sand," and ]
can tell you we thought it was zoe
miles before we reached White Bluffs.
What such country was ever made for
l cannot tell. For 20 miles we saw
nothing but sand, sage brush and
grease weed, the latter weed which
grows something like the currant bush
and is just as intlamable as q rag sat.
urated with kerosine. One redeeming
feature, this weed IS nice for campers
along the route to kindle fire with.
Not shade tree. not anything, but as
said before sand, sage brush and
grease weed. Well, the nearer the
river the deeper the sand, until the
horses could just walk, very slow
walk at that. 1t was with gladnesa