Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-07-06
Judge Watson On
The Lake Country

AS Ashland now is beginning to
awaken to the possibilities in develop
ing the natural resources, scenic
beauties and geologic favors of south
ern Oregon, the following letter writ
ten by Judge Watson to Professor
Diller, of the United States Depart
ment of Geology, about year ago,
will be of interest to people gener-
ally:
Your suggestions about collection
of anthropological data in the Klam-
ath Lake region 1 am sure is on the
line of interesting observation and
would result in value ethnologically
and geologically.
II have been quite familiar with
the region, beginning back forty
years ago, as early as 1872. l have,
from time to time, written much of
it's history; was publisher and pro-
prietor of the first newspaper in
southern Oregon east of the Cascades
at Lakeview in 1S7S-1SS0. The
natural history aroused my intense
interest at that time. While pursu-
ing my studies of it l secured con-
tracts for government surveys and
have personally surveyed considerable
territory there, up to twenty years
ago.
Il was engaged as attorney for the
settlers in their contests over the So
called swamp land locations, and be-
came very familiar with the country
and people, extending my acquaint-
ance even among the Indians. Their
traditions were very interesting to me
and getting them first hand gave me
peep-holes into their earlier history.
81 was there during the Modoc war
and witnessed the execution of Cap
tain Jack and his confreres in Octo-
ber, 1873. At that time the history
of this interesting and warlike tribe
might have been studied with profit.
These Indians, you remember, made
their way into the lava beds south of
Tule Lake and defied Uncle Sans
forces for weary months. Starvation
alone dislodged them, so impregnable
was their stronghold of volcanic cav
erns.
"These lava beds have never been
fully explored, though miles of pas
sageways and chambers have been
traversed and a great many interest
ing relics have been recovered. For
chronological data touching the Mo-
docs and their progenitors it is vir-
gin field and in some respects an
unique one. The cliff dwellers of
Arizona and New Mexico seem to
have been fully exploited, but of the
ancient dwellers of these volcanic
caverns there Is only dim guess.
Besides the chronological Importance,
the geological readings are no less
important. Hazy tradition peoples
these caverns with the most savage
and warlike tribes of the northwest.
1t prevented the amalgamation of the
Modocs with the Klamaths, Piutes
and other neighboring tribes. and the
effort of the government to put them
together upon reservation resulted
in the war of 1928. The ill-feeling
between the Modocs and other tribes
still exists, as have reason to know
from experience while I was prose-
cutting attorney some years ago.
Lost River has its rise in Clear
Lake and after course of 80 miles
empties into Tule Lake, and yet the
two lakes are but five miles apart.
This river, in its lower course, cuts
deeply in the alluvial plain through
which 1t flows and its banks have
given up many interesting fossils.
There is every Indication that
Tule Lake is modern innovation, so
" oPOoh' Oh tho pam "heIe ~ ileS,
and the reclamation service has been
trying to devise methods of draining
it, but so far without success. So far
as II has gone, exploration has dis
closed volcanic tunnels apparently
continuous, except where obstructed
by "cave-ins" from the top. The ap-
pearance suggests that Lost river is
older than Tule Lake or the lava beds;
that the rivers course was obstructed
by the flow that built up these beds.
An effort has been made by the
reclamation service to divert Lost
into klamath River and now most Of
its flow goes into the klamath. Last