Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1915-02-19
STORY OF SNAKE RIVER PLAINS
(Pcper read by Mrs. J. w. Newman
before the Study Club

STORY or SNAKE RIVER PLAINS
(Pcper read by Mrs. J. w. Newman
before the study Club
Long, long ago mother earth was
troubled in these parts and she sighed
and heaved until her surface became
rough and irregular, forming high
mountains OF granite, quartz and lime
stone, but the limestone is the young
est Of the ancients Then she sighed
a sigh Of content and found long
slipping valley through which ran
large swift running river whirh had
many tributaries from the mountains
on either side. After nature had pass
ed maturity and the streams had dug
deep valleys to dwell in, the large riv-
er was damned either by lava flows
or an upward movement Of the rocks
and formed a beautiful lake along
whose shore wild animals grazed
among beautiful trees and flower.t
and one can imagine a strong bar
barCus people making their home by
its shore, and who can say "our i'm
agination has played us false" 1t has
been called by Mr.. Lingren, Lake Pay
cite and was situated in the south |
western part OF the plains.
As time went on the streams brought
down their sediment, and volcanoes
their dust until the lake was
flied tc a known depth Of 1000 feet.
Then nature began to show a dis
position like nagging old woman or
an old man that has the rheumatism
for her temper was short and I'M
certain and at almost any time she
would send forth from the tops Of the
butttes smoke and lava and ashes,
covering her beautiful land and trees.
She showed a continual spiteful char {
acter not like the wrath Of d giant
as she showed from Mt Vesuvius and
the volcanoes Of the Hawaiian Islands,
but small and numerous were her out I
bursts until she almost covered this 5
country in a deep layer of lava. How
many regrets this lava has caused in
,ur time, but, as Longfellow has said.
Who shall dare TO measure loss or !
gain this wise" for what future ages
nay not use the soil which this lava
nay make when it is decayed as the D
'eople now use the fertile soil Ct the \
Columbia River which is partly formed Il
f decayed lava. The lava bed of the +,
is ten times the size of ours il
Some years ago a noted English d
cientist rode horse back through the
cuntry and wrote lengthy article :,
tanning that the lava bed through dt
his part was not caused by volcanoes in
ut that it was just a liquid mass of tf
Dck which flowed as sluggish river -
/ a plate of candy. but our eyes would &C
eceive MS were we to believe that. for tn
hat could be more like a volcano tn
ian our Notch Butte, five miles from g. g,
'wn with its deep cut in the center ge
the top which the elements have te
ade less perfect Close to us we Sc
I'VE one of the most noted of these w.
.lcanoes called Black Butte. 1t is tn
miles from here The lava poured in
1t from its mouth down the Big Wood Of
iver and covers an area of $50 miles oe
nree miles from its source it passes ma
rough two other volcanoes of great be
age. This is just one Of many la'
hers of similar history. Some era IN
rs have many out pourings like the I'M
der buttes. which have had at least
<. the youngest of which is supposed pc
be only about 100 or $50 years old. WI WI