Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-23
WHERE UNIONS RULE
BUTTE PARADISE OF KNIGHTS OF
THE TROWEL AND HOD.
Magnificent Scenery in Idaho Viewed
Under Escort Of the Governor
Savages Entertain the Party.

ST. ANTHONY. Idaho, September IS, 1903.
Tie governor of Idaho joined the Washing
ton correspondents at Ogden and escorted
them through his state. General Passenger
Agent Burley of the Oregon Short Line also
attached his private car to the special train
and went with the party. BY this time the
special train had grown to six cars. includ-
ing the diner, which was always on tap, and
the men were given good cheer and good
company.
One of the most delightful experiences Of
the trip thus far was encountered DIT Sho-
shone. At $50 Thursday morning the men
were routed out for breakfast and then
loaded into vehicles for a sixty-mile trip
across the sage brush desert to visit the
wonderful Shoshone Falls Only the hard
lest tourists go to the Falls, as the trip is
severe upon the tenderfoot from the east.
Two big Concord stages, each drawn by
four horses, and a number of open rigs COM
prised the outfit. which crept slowly across
the desert through wide eNpanSe or sage
brush. We were on a high plateau. which
stretched away to beautiful range OF
snowy mountains. just $50 miles distant.
but which looked only two. There
was nothing to break the level expanse of
brush save at one point 10 the southwark.
where dark line seemed to cross the
prairie.
Grand ShoShone Falls.
There were no signs of falls or any stream
to make falls until you got right up to an
immense crevice in the prairie. That was
the dark line that had been noted, and was
the canyon through which rushed the
mighty Snake river. From the edge of the
level plain you looked down a sheer 800
feet TO the water below blue and streaming
in grand cascade over the falls, a drop OF
30 feet
Descending the canyon the party crossed
on a Gerry just above the head OF the falls
and viewed this masterpiece of nature from
close range. The walls Of the canyon are
of lava rock, black and forbdding, but
forming a suitable setting for the savage
river that pOurS down it The vehicles had
been left at the top and the Climb up the
canyon was something to be remembered.
But there still another treat in store
for the visitors. Climbing into the rigs the
party numbered away over the desert for
three or four miles and then dipped boldly
down into the canyon on a narrow road
that was cut ZgZag out of the sheer lava
walls. There were not six inches to spare
between the wheels and the edge of the
road, with a fall of two hundred feet be-
yond. The first sight of the precipice was
something to Stagger the tenderfeet, but
the worst was yet to come.
Half way down the second reach OF the
incline was at hand. In a space less than
ten feet square that four-horSe team and
seem as If it ever could be done, but the
driver got them around without turning a
hair although the outer lead horse put his
hind feet within an inch of the precfpice
and knocked off a stone. Coming up it was
still more scary. The stage halted
within a score of feet of the turn and the
horses allowed to blow. Then, with creek
of the whip and few suitable objurgati tons
the team was urged forward. There must
be no pause. no miscalculation of distance;
the stage must keep a-going and turn on 4
hair-trigger scale. 1t was done, and the
visitors were mighty glad when it was over.
Last week woman passenger riding on
the seat with driver tainted at that critical
point. The driver could not take his eyes
from the leaders nor relax his hands. so he
bolstered her against the seat with his hip
until the danger spot was passed.
Fairyland in the Desert.
At the bottom of the canyon the reason
for the drive was shown. 1t was bit of
fairy land, something to dream about and
hardly to be believed. There was an i'm
mense amphitheater in the lava beds,
through which flowed the Snake river in
dozen channels and riyulets. For dis
lance Of three miles up and down this can
yon grew orchard, bursting with the
richest fruits Apples, peaches, plums,
rioting grape vines. cantaloupes, water
melons and every fruit known to the tenn
perate zone.
was strewn with bouders, washed down
in prehistoric times from the lava cliffs
above. Between the rocks the orchard was
planted. Nourished by the rich loan, fruc-
tilted by the and watered from the
stream, the orchard. sheltered by the walls
of the canyon, produces some OF the finest
fruit in the world. 1t received the first
prize at the Paris exposition.
In the midst of this fairyland the owner,
|. b. Pirrine, has his comfortable cottage
on a richly sodded terrace. Small foot
rdges crossed the channels, leading the
Wayfarer onto small islands and through
bowers Of fruit trees. The water has a
wondrousiy blue tint, tender sapphire. due
TO the presence Of minerals and so clear that
the tiniest pebble could be seen at the bot
tom. AS we stood on the bridges the noun
tain trout could be seen playing in every
direction.
on the ground above this little Eden
stretched desert of sage brush and sand.
for thirty miles in every direction, without
a sign Of human habitation and no living
thing upon IL except an occasional sad-eyed
j. ok ra bpit
Eighteen years ago Mr.. Pirrine found this
place and determined to till it. There was
no hair-raising road down the canyon then.
and he lowered his lumber and implements
from the top OF the cliffs with rope and pull
ley. One would have to be a disconnected
person not to be able to live in this little
paradise now, If he had any liking for pas
toral life at all. After the dizzy climb I'D
the road which the owner has dug out of
the canyon walls the visitors numbered
back over the dessert and raised the lights
Of their Pullmans and dining car
An Indian Dance.
Friday morning they witnessed a drum
dance of the Shoshone Indians on the Fort
Hall reservation. For miles around the
bucks and their squaws came careering in
on their Indian ponies many Of the squaws
carrying pappoose strapped In its little
board against the ponys front quarter
where it wabbled and bounced up and down
with the gait of the animal.
These were all blanket Indians, painted
and decorated in barbaric splendor. The
drum dance a weird and interesting
spectacle. and when the train pulled out
the braves were still assembling to keep
up the dance.
At ST. Anthony. a quaint little city in a
rich. irrigated section, bordered on the east
by the magnificent Teton mountains, the
most glorious mountain spectacle yet wit
messed. the visitors were treated to a game
dinner. This is in the center of hunters
paradise. Grouse are unusually plentiful
this year. DIR. ]. H. Mcpherson, who was
one of the hunters for the dinner, told me
that with his bird dog, Teddy Roosevelt"
ne went out yesterday afternoon and in a
short time bagged fifteen, the limit for one