Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-08-23
MT. SHASTA AS A
LAND MARK

it is of double interest to us. Thirty
two years ago we were in the employ
of a large company located at Red
Bluff, California. and were engaged
riding on horse back to lind feed and
water for so, 900 head Of sheep frou
Shasta, east to the Nevada line, and
north to the Oregon line. For five
months Mt. Shasta acted as a land
mark to tell us our course or position
in the mountains There was scarcely
a day in this length of time but what
we could see this snow capped noun
tain even at distance of one
hundred miles and permit me to say
here that the fartheSt the human eye
ever reached SO far as known is from
the Lick Observatory to Mt. Shasta a
distance of about 240 miles. This
however, is only possible on perfectly
clear day. At this somewhat early
day in California party was made up
1 in the latter part of the summer to
treach the summit Of Mt. Shasta.
Several days were spent in the effort,
/ but so far as we could learn at the
time, they did not succeed, although
one or more parties had reached the
summit before them. While in these
mountains wandering from place to
place looking for the best feed and
cut off entirely from the civilized
world the presidential conventions
were being held. Horace Greeley was
nominated for the presidency on the
Democratic ticket and it was the last
day of August before we heard Of
this nomination. From Mt. Shasta
east for 13O miles it was an unbroken
wilderness, partially covered by
splendid pine forests. The valleys
covered with the finest feed to be
found in any country.
Our camp for the summer was at
Slate Springs close to where Susan
vile now stands. On the tenth day
of July, / was ordered TO make trip
north to Goose Lake in search of
feed. 1t was bright pleasant morn
| ing that | left the home camp with a
good saddle horse and pack horse
carrying provisions for a two weeks
trip. and this trip was one that comes
at rare intervals in any life. was
ordered to go around Goose Lake,
which I found to be impossible. The
road from Slate Springs to the nCrth
point of Goose Lake is about 12O miles
and at this time it was through a
country that hadn't the least in
dlcation that civilized man had ever
been there before me. Part of the
| journey was through a pine forest,
covered with very heavy timber and
no underb brush. In these dense
forests the stiffness was often painful
and oppressive. I would ride for
hours without hearing the sound of a
living thing, in fact the stiffness was
never broken except by the sharp cry
of a hawk or eagle off at some dis
tance For three days followed an
indian trail without seeing an indian
or dumb animal of any kind. I had
been wishing for any sound to break the
monotany, but as came close to the
south end of Goose Lake about five
Io'clock in the afternoon all this Op-
pressiye silence disappeared for l
| found this lake to be the breeding
ground of wild geese and ducks with
out number. The lake is about five
miles wide and thirty-tive miles long,
very shallow and dotted all through
with numerous brushy islands. It
was among these islands that hund-
reds of thousands if not millions of
nests were to be found. The noise
from the geese and ducks as drew
close to the lake was deafening and
confusing.
i This l thought an ideal camping
place and was not long in picketing
the horses in a little valley OF
splendid feed. l then started fire
and looked with longing eyes toward
5his great mass of wild game. I was
not long in gathering large number
of eggs among the islands and soon
had some in frying pan and doting
on good supper, but to my surprise
they tasted of wild onions and raw
fish so rank that even an excellent
appetite was not equal to the occasion
l then resolved to try the flavor Of a
half grown wild goose that was almost
large enough to fly. They were to be
found at any size or age. AS had
nothing with me but repeating
Henry rifle it proved useless for small
game, but just as it was getting dark
l armed myself with long pole and
going among the small islands I had
no trouble in very few minutes il
killing several geese and ducks. An6
was not long in getting them ready
for the frying pan, but the flavor wa:
decidedly rank and returned to the
regular diet of bacon, black coffee
and pan cakes. 1t would be impossible
to convey to the reader the number ol
geese and ducks inhabiting this lake
surrounded only by wilderness
When night came the wolves
gathered killing the geese and ducks
in large numbers. think it safe t.
say that in my immediate camping
rround fboro waS ovidonco in. fh1