The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-12
LAKES ALWAYS FROZEN.
Two Such I'm Oregon, where There
Is Perpetual Skating.


Is Perpetual Skating.
From the Portland Oregonian.
Two lakes covered with ice at all
times Of the year have just been dis
covered in Baker county. C. NJ. Sage
of this city. on Sunday. July q, crossed
two good-sized lakes in the Granite
mountains, some miles northeast of
Cornucopia, on hard frozen ice.
Mr.. Sage, with party Of friends,
went on a hunting and pleasure trip
to the almost inaccessible mountain
peaks back Of the town of Cornucopia,
in the Panhandle district. The noun
tains are high and rugged and before
passing the timber line the explorer
must find his way through a primeval
forest. A pack horse is the only means
of getting into this district, except to
trudge along on foot, which, to say the
least, is uphill business. One part of
the road is so encountered with fallen
trees that 1t is almost impossible to
get through. In order to get supplies
to their claims two prospectors were
obliged to cut a trail through this tam
gle of fallen trees, and it was by
means of this trail that Mr.. Sage and
mountains until they finally discov-
cred the two frozen lakes referred to.
The lakes are near the summit on the
north side of the mountain, and in or
der to reach them the party Travelled
over ice and snow for a distance of
five miles.
The bodies of water are small. One
is about $50 feet across and the other
is between 600 and 700 feet in diameter.
They are well-defined lakes or pools.
however, covered with thick coating
of ice, clear as crystal and as smooth
as glass, which is so thick and strong
that the exploring party did not hesi-
tate to ride across on horseback
Mr.. Sage says, so far as he is able
to Judge, the ice on the lakes never
melts, because they are so situated
behind two tall peaks that the suns
rays never strike them with sufficient
power to make any impression on the
snow and ice. This land of perpetual
snow and ice is within a days ride OF
Baker City by the present means Of
transportation, part way on a buck
board and the rest on horseback. It
would scarcely be more than a ride of
an hour and a half on an electric rail-
road. Mr.. Sage is OF the opinion that
from the lay OF the country other
larger and more picturesque lakes with
perpetual ice will be discovered.
Row the Holly Protects Itself.
From Harper,s Magazine.
To effectively appreciate the protec-
tive element of the holly ii must be
seen in it's wild state, where it's foliage
grows thick and bushy down to the
ground, its dense masses of strong and
prickly leaves protecting its stem and
bark; and 1t should be observed that
almost invariably 1t grows alone-In
fact, for some distance round about II
very little vegetation of consequence Is
seen. unless 1t is large trees. Why is
this? The closely packed Opaque and
coriaceous leaves OF the holly prevent
the sunlight reaching the ground, and
so the seeds have little or no oppor-
tunity of terminating or of growing
afterward II they should. And even
climbing plants seldom select the holly
as their host, and those that do are
usually plants that have made a mis-
take In life, because the tender green
leaves and stems with strong winds
and rain get jostled and lacerated on
the inDumerable prickles among which
they have become hopelessly involved.
AZ the holly and their own branches
have developed. And being an
eyergreep-~always on the alert--it
gives no other eDterprislng plant an
opportunity o. insrczs. Producing. foa.
- tender green leaves AZ a time when
there - abundant food Tor browsing
animals. and - the same time fhess
are exceedingly bitter IN daYor.