The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1909-10-14

Next morning started on my next
days trip to Big Springs. The region
over which / passed this day was
more. solitary than that of the day be-
fore and was glad to come in sight
of the green grass-carpeted valley
around the springs. Big Spring
gushes from large opening IN the
rock and is So large that it forms a
creek from its very source. The waters
are diverted through bitches all over
the land as broadly as possible and
moistens the soil of about a thousand
acres of land. Years ago, man
named Spencer settled here withaa
large family and as the latter became
of age, each took up quarter section
Of land, so that now all the irrigable
portion is taken up. No hospitality
can excel that Of these people living 50
/ far from contact with the rest of the
world. Every passer-by is to them as
any old friend. They are always
eager to hear the news as weeks often
pass by without their seeing any one
from the outside world. Modern inye-
tion has produced one thing which con-
tributes largely toward making 50
solitary life more tolerable, that is,
the photograph. Zach year on selling
their stock or produce, these isolated
ranchers invest in supply of new
records.
Next day, started on the most ard
uous part Of my journey. From the
Springs, the trail led up steep bluff
and upon the lava plateau. A stage
road, now disused, had been made
years ago across this region by filling
the chinks between the large rocks
with smaller ones; but in places,
streams from the melting SHOWS 81
spring had washed out the road, leay-
ing boulders as large as a washtub
1 had to get out and lead my horse oc
casionally while the cart tipped over
several times before got across. No
a spear of vegetation could be seen fol
] miles around nothing but broken Law;
rock of various shapes and all sizes
4 Such a waste and desert place hat
0 never seen before. 1t reminded me 0
e a jest which the Ohio people, proud 0
e their own fair land, sometimes max
] when polxing fun at the West Virgini
r ans on account of the roughness of thei
q land, namely, that on finishing the ere
b alton Of the world, the Lord, having
q large quantity of waste material lei
u over, just dumped it into West Virgini
I in order to get it out of the way. Owy
d hee county certainly has its share {
e ''waste material just left over" Th
IS southern side of the plateau slope
5, gently downward, and lower where til
J detritus had washed downward, tn
v road became smooth and hard. l sper
m the next night out in the open with tt
r starry sky for sheltering roof, viii
l. the horse, tetherei to the cart by Ion
IS rope, browsed the scattering stalks {
y grass among the sagebrush. did n
m sleep very soundly, for the dism
W bowling Of the coyotes is not a soothir
$ lullaby and the thoughts of hungl
ne mountain lion are not reasuring. !
er daybreak, started on my way al
O. soon the broad expanse of Duck Vail
tie opened before me. took trail lea
he ing to the nearest building but four
50 it deserted. After going a few mil
an further, approached some haystac
nd near which was tent and beyond
"a. meadow where moving machine W
'er rafting away. AS neared the tel
ay l saw some squaws and girls apparel
lg. 1y fourteen years of age preparing "
'on etables and meat for cooking.
aw "How far is it to the Agency?''
lily asked. They all looked up but ma
'ey no reply. The squaws jabbered
It's. each other and went on with tn
lite work. 1 repeated the question,
ion knowing then that it is a point Of In
ON an decorum not to have any conver
'me ton with a white man when alo
hat The girls ducked down their heads Z
mot snickered. l felt like seizing the du'
ems young imps by the shoulders and {
lere ing them a sound shaking; but rem