American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-09-11
Continued from page q

opportunity left for the homeseeker
is demonstrated by the story APP
pearsng in last weeks Idaho Repub-
lican, of Blackfoot, which re-
lates the r~ediscovery OF a rich val
ley and two lost springs In the lava
desert in the Snake river plains
north from here
On Thursday. July rs, 1913, Isaac
II. Alfred, Harvey Alfred. Orville
Alfred and William l.. Reynolds IN
dertook the old and oft repeated
task and adventure OF searching for
the long lost river and fertile val
which there has been much talk,
,umor and tradition for the past
quarter of a century.
They obtained a verbal descrip-
ton Of the valleys and supposed
river together with ancient trails
t~raversed by the red man for CEN
turtles past from old Indians who
claimed to have visited it in their
childhood and from ED and Adrain
Parsons, who had but recently IN
dertaken the same task and to a
certain extent been successful-so
much so that they had found and
~traversed the old Indian trail thru
the iavas and entered some of the
valleys in which the supposed water
was to be found. These two men
we're the first white men to ever
have been known to find living wa
Ter in the great desert anywhere an
swering the description of the old
Indian stories and traditions.
From these verbal descriptions
given by Indians and the Parsons
brothers this party drew up a
diagram of the country with its
prominent land marks and after
carefully comparing these with the
stories told and other maps drawn
of the country claimed to have been
visited, undertook the dangerous
and exciting ash Of confirming the
past discoveries and explorations of
their own.
They took their journey westward
from Blackfoot, going by way of
Sterling, and after a journey with
wagon and pack horse owe great
stretches of desert, covered with
sage brush and broken lava reached
the supposed place where they
would find the ancient Indian trail
entering the great lava beds of this
great desert. In passing over the
stretch of land lying between Sterl-
ing and the lava beds or bad lands
they passed over some of the most
fertile part of the great dry plain
Of the wonderful Snake river valley.
A great portion of this country near
he river and towns is fast being
taken up and will soon be covered
With fields of grain.
Camp was pitched in the northern
part as darkness began to settle
over the earth, yet so eager were
the members of the party to know if
they had followed correct directions
that two of them set out in search
of the coveted water. Soon a trail
was found carrying them up the
great lava bed to a greater height
than any other yet %traversed and
even more rugged and formidable
han others previously encountered.
Anxiously and far back into the
black lava bed they travelled rifle
n hand. carefully examining every
dark cavern, listening for the sound
Of hoped for running waters. only
10 meet with apparent disappoint-
ment. The search for water that
night was about to be abandoned,
when with one more lingering hope
a higher point vas mounted and
there lying just in front and far
beneath their feet was a beautiful
body of water. the SIZE and extent
Of which could not be determined
n the fast approaching darkness
yet with eager and joyful step the
descent was made. to the waters
edge. Here again thirst was
Quenched and hea made glad by
the excellent find. but this time
by the taste OF pure ice cold living
water.
Morning with its sunlight brought
to view one Of the most beautiful
valleys surrounded by an almost i'm
penetrable wall of lavas rising
abruptly from its rim to a height
of from forty to sixty feet. This val
ley is OF a gradual slope to the
south except that in the center a
large mountain rises from the base
of which the land slopes toward the
rim of the lavas in all directions