Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-05-02


4 IS southwest OF The Big Butte IN
y stead Of south a. generally re
ported
In our travels over this regio
A. we carried 800 feet OF rope whic
We used for getting down int
the craters and crcyices and h
enough In the winter time IN
~ sao~ blows aud drifts into ihes
holes and sits down 90 yari0u
We found u at a depth of 10,
packed In beds Of ice. Some o
!. deep gather great quantities al
! away through crcSlcrs and seam.
/, parts OF The plain II leaves the
!, impression ~ springs 4 person
may find cold pure water flowing
source ~ late spring or early
summer and feel justified in claim
ing Ia have found permanent wa
Ter IN tho desert. bot returning la
Ter find everything ~ expected,
/
| pefience mas be repeated in many
OF considerable volume that fill
| dupressioDs or holows OF some
acres la extent There are places
where large drainage surface
gathers The snow water during a
sudden thaw in the latter part Of I
winter. and makes a lake Of hun /
drods 81 acres Ia extent, and this /
may be fed for weeks by springs {
along The shores. but sooner or
later and before the end OF the /
summer. all Of them will 90 dry
and the lake bcd will bake and
turn 10 dust The SEASONS vary
greatly and the crop Of springs
vary accordingly.
When We found Wet Lake ey-
erythlng seemed a. indicate that We
had permanent water but the eat
Tie company arranged for one Of
their cowboys 20 visit the place
once a month for a year 10 clear
ttp al Doubt. When he made his !
August visit he was surprised TO ,
ind everything dry and dusty and =,
he had not provided water for the :
'eiurn trip. With 10 miles be- !
.ween him and Snake river and the
august sun beating down upon him
be know Il was a hopeless task
q retrace bis steps 50 he turned
MS steed toward Wood river in
he direction OF Picabo. Becom-
ng entangied IN the rough lavas
md his horse almost crazed with l.
hifst. he abandoned the poor ami II
nal and went leaving the creVices o
md scramblng the rough broken o
avas and finally reached water ii
md food The cowboys report Of n
hat trip cancelled my chances and N
lOpes for the 5000 which | had 6
considered just as good as won. b
in all our hunting, the only n
efrit0ry whore there is any chance G
or spring 10 have been overlook a
d Is To the south from Wet Lake h
Ne did not cover the country 40 u
in that direction, but Ia
does not hold out the possible 81
les which the rOugher parts do. y
n The region Of Wet Lake and OF
Under Hill one would say almost 10
nything may exist, and water
oes not seem al all improbable h'
pr one can 20 down IN any num- NJ
er nf pot holes or craters on -
ppe and come back with clean
low or ice 20 supply the camp. Al
ul IN August The time when an
Kings dry and burn, when all an ~
nal life has vanished and only
b. indestruciible elements re-
ain the same. then the siernness
the situation grows until water M
ems O foreign thing unless YOU "
we your band on a supply your lh'
q aeems 80 uncertain that every
'nr becomes sacred, OF
y don't know how Far the par -
can 20 with cans and horses WI
)m the Snake river side. hat il Ii1
~ want to see the rare lava and IRA
scientific information they OF
ould go out from Martin 10 Gin VII
r Hill On this line they could Yer
wei only with pack horses. and .rii
~ sediOusly at that Coming So.'
'm aberdeen as suggested. they spt
~ be able Ia cover a great deal w
country IN their cars and on 9l<
rsehaek NC
The road that had the appear MI
= Of having been blasted ont. era
only one of the many puzzles cf
country ah0lmds with There vii.
many of these roads and some ovs
them very impressive They are ~
> cracks Ia the great world Of sno
q and have been filled IN BY "a,
deposits OF volcanic dust ear <,
! perhaps by the wind bat fill sho
IA 50 IL leaves a perfect road
between perpendicular walls
outline the military road
StrQighi as a gun barrel. II IA
7 connect two great level pieces Rev,
plain or II may connect an OPP maj
plain with a pOthole or a little iarr
, not big enough 10 turn a
'on around in: or 1t may run ~
allal 30 an open plain where j
ding q road would be ridicu- and
J. They are just wherever ahle
! happen 10 be and lead 70 ami
ling. any
have indicated two places on MAI
little map where men have Civ
up their lives One at Dead II.
IS flat. where skeleton was tern
al and beside u the lock OF an bloc