The Washington herald., 1908-01-26
OLD HUNTING GROUND FOUND.
Traditional Aboriginal Paradise OF
MucLIeshoots Discovered.

Traditional Aboriginal Paradise OF
MucIIeshOOts Discovered.
A party of miners and ranchers that
have arrived in Tacoma from the Natchez
Pass region report the discovery in the
Cascade Mountains, about ten miles
southwest of the pass, of the traditional
hunting grounds of the Muckleshoot IN
dian tribe and which has been used prob
ably for centuries, running back 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 ten miles in extent,
surrounded and ideally protected from
the severity of weather extremes visit
ing the high attitudes of the Cascade
Range by lofty foothills and rugged
peaks, SAYS the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
The district is covered with the Wild
black huckleberry, salmon berries and
also the vining blackberry, and this, with
the grass growing upon IT, makes II a
paradise for bear, deer. and other game
For years the dwindlng numbers OF the
MuCkeshoot tribe have been regularly
going off about berry season time in the
late summed 90 the mountains. With
the usual Indian secretlveness and taci-
turnity they kept their object secret and
the oldtimers would often not know
they had gone on their annual hunting
and berry outing until they had been
away for days. II. G. Herold. one of the
persons who has just returned from the
Natchez Pass region. is authority for
the statement that the Indians pass their
time IN this prairie region In the heart OF
the Cascade Mountains.
THE district" said Mr. Herold. rs
something in the way of an oasis of
rest. and with It's level and rolling forma-
tion gives a relief to the eve, especially
when it is considered that the region
Immediately surrounding it 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 district. that is extraordinary for
its roughness, Is a section in the vicinity
Of Buck Creek Pass, in the Washington
Forestry Reserve.
The grass country up near the Natchez
tl1e u Il lt.l A4lnt ftl tlIE AililtlA al tiAlD
time of the scar. and from what / can
learn has been hunted by the Muckle-
shoot Indians for unnumbeTed genera
tions. The women can pick all the ber-
ries they want there. and the men can
follow the chase 10 their hearts content
Surrounding this district are a number of
featury lakes. The most remarkable OF
these. all OF which are hid away i'm the
deep Businesses Of the mountains, is
Echo Lake. It IS almost impossible 90
get down TO the shore of this lake. so
thoroughly is e; protected by sheer preci-
pices ard rock walls. One can stand
upon a cliff 1000 feet above this lake
and halle0. and five distinct echoes come
back, one after another. the last one
being hurried upward from the ripple
less surface 81 the lake itself The bot
tom of the lake has not been found, and
il Is probably many hundreds OF feet
deep. The isolation Of the lake and the
number of ghosuy echoes replying 90
every sound made have given rise 10
many Indian traditions suggested by their
superstitious fears"
with the dwiudling Of the Muckieshoot
tribe there has been but small use for the
"Muckleshoot hunting grounds in the
last decade, and the Few miners and of
and on a stray hunter that visit the dis
trict find only an occasional ancient In
dian camping spot % Indicate that man
has ever visited the region.