The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-09-11
FIND THE OLD
INDIAN GROUND
PARTY OF MINERS Up IN THE
NACHES PASS.
MUCKLESh00T HUNTING
GROUNDS FOUND BY PARTY
T'Il of strange scenic Phenomena in
That Region in the Cascade
Mountains.

A party OF miners and ranchers
that arrived in Tacoma from the
Natchez pass region is said to have
reported the discovery in the Cas-
cade mountains, about 10 miles
southwest of the pass, of the tradi-
tional hunting grounds of the Muck
leshoot Indian tribe, and which has
been used probably for centuries,
running ba X time out of mind into
aboriginal antiquity, by both the
plain Indians from the bunchgrass
districts and the Siwashes from the
sound
The spot is a rolling district of
grass lands from eight to 10 miles
in extent, surrounded and ideally pro-
tected from the severity of weather
extremes visiting the high attitudes
of the Cascade range by lofty foot
hills and rugged peaks, says Ia
coma report The district is covered
with the wild black huckleberry, sal
mon BERRIES, and also the vining
blackberry, and this with the grass
growing upon it, makes it a paradise
for bear deer and other game.
For years the dwindling numbers
of the Muckleshoot tribe has been
regularly going off about berry sea
son time in the late summer to the
mountains With the usual Indian
secretiveness and taciturnity, they
kept their object secret. and the Old
timers would often not know they
had gone on their annual hunting
and berry outing until they had been
gone for days H. 6. Herold one
of the persons who has just return
ed from the Natchez pass region, is
authority for the statement that the
Indians pass their time in this prai-
RE region in the heart OF the Cas-
eade mountains.
The district said Mr. Herold, is
something in the way OF an oasis OF
rest, and with its level and rolling
/ formation, gives a relief to the eye,
4 especially when it is considered that
the region Immediately surrounding
ii is one Of the TWO widest regions
in the way OF rugged mountains, deep
canyons. cliffs and sharp peaks in
the Cascade range The other dis
trist that is extraordinary for its
roughness is a section in the vicinity
of Buck creek pass n the Washing
ton forestry reserve.
The grass country UP near the
Natchez pass is paradise for the
Indian at this time Of the year and
from what | can learn. has been
haunted by the Muckleshoot Indians
for unnumbered generations. The
women can pick an the berries they
want there and the men can follow
the chase to their hearts content.
Surrounding this district are a num-
Der Of featury lakes The most re-
markable of these. all OF which are
hid away in he deep Businesses Of
the mountains. is Echo lake Ii is
almost impossible to get down to the
shore of this lake, so thoroughly is
it protected by precipices and rock
walls One can stand upon a cliff
1000 feet above this lake and halo
and five distinct echoes come back,
one after another. the last one being
hurled upward from the rippleless
surface OF the lake itself The bot
tom of the lake has not been found,
and it is probably many hundreds
of feet deep The isolation of the
lake and the number of ghostly
echoes replying to every sound made.
has given rise TO many Indian tradi-
lions suggested BY their supersti-
tious fears"
With the dwindiing OF the Muck
leshoot tribe there has been but small
use for the "Muckleshoot hunting
grounds in the past decade, and the
few miners and of and on a stray
hunter that visit the district. find
only an occasional ancient Indian
camping spot to indicate that man
has ever visited the region