The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-06-09
OLD BIT OF LAND
SUBMITS of Siskiyou Mountains
Above Water Ages Ago.
Border Guardians Between California
and Oregon Were Growing Forests
When Most of Europe
Was Sea

According to biologists the SUBMITS
Of the Siskiyou mountains, the border
guardians between California and Ore
gon, constitute one OF the oldest bits Of
land in the world. They were. assert
the scientists, growing 8 forest when
the greater part OF Europe was still
beneath the water. They were the
hflIocks OF a low fiat island q hundred
miles in length when the Pacific ocean
reached eastward to the Rocky noun
tains. Gigantic saurians basked in the
shade of the islands. trees, and the
leviathan of the Scriptures swan about
its shores. Finally the Pacific slope
emerged from the ocean and the island
became the backbone OF a mountaia
range. Sishyou tunnel, at an eIeva-
ton of 1000 feet, extends through a
solid bank of ocean shells. and for It's
length of 300 feet follows the shore
line of the ancient island, as indicated
by the sandstone which once formed
its beach.
1.-Two miles east of Siskiyou tunnel"
says writer in 1.-The Sacred SUBMITS
OF the SiSkiyOu," "PiIot rock rises
from the very vertebrae of the barrier
to lift its sheer walls 600 feet in the
air. Pilot rock is a chimney that
burned out in a hotter fire than was
ever known by man. It was one of the
t1ues through which the molten lava
spOuted to form the range. So terrific
was the outburst that it left the
strange, Enthusiastically shaped chimney
standing there against the sky 1t was
TO come into use, in the due procession
fs1f ~.
towers of the western wilderness, to-
ward which, on hazelesS daA the red
hunters and warriors for a hundred
miles around would turn a watchful
eye. Besides the rock was the meet
ing place Of chiefs. They called it Sis
ki-yOu, meaning the council ground.
The result of their deliberations was
made known from this chimney top.
THE Indians used d finger of black
smoke by day and a tongue of red
flame by night. When the chief OF
the Shastas died, the word was flashed
from the mountain that bore the tribal
name, was repeated from Pilot rock.
and presently the Indians OF the Nc
LOughlin peak region, far Ia the north,
were making mourning signs.
when gold was discovered around
Yreka, in northern California, the set
tiers Of the Mazamas country in Ore
gOn wished to join the rush, but knew
no southwark trail. 1t was then that q
chieftain, whose daughter had been
| brought back TO health, led his white
benefactors to q peak and pointed
across 80 miles of shimmering valley
and hill to Pilot Rock. BY the right
/ Cfd 10 fyos1 Ill
leader said. His friends were instant
" on their way and they had picked up
fortunes at Yreka before their neigh
bOrs Of the Mazamas could break their
way through q tangled waste in which
they could find no single sign OF a
road.
''In the days of warfare with the
native tribes the whites came to know
and dread the almost incredible powers
of Pilot rock AS often as a punitive
expedition approached the barrier
range, the whites were spied by sharp
eyes, the warning was kindled upon
| the rock, and the faithful sentrfes had
vanished before the enraged soldiery
could struggle up to the red tower and
quench the signal flames. Throughout
the Modoc wars runners brought fire.
quent word to the renegade Captain
Jack from this clearing house of the
news. No wonder the Indians lighted
all the peaks around with altar fires
and called them by q name which
meant the Sacred SUBMITS OF the Sis
kiyous
Gallant General Candy knew and
! hated Pilot rock. General Fremont is
said to have included it in his explora-
lions and in his plans. Often Joaquin
Miller sought the place for inspiration
and fingered until there burst from
his lips some new song of the twin en-
pires that unrolled below his eyes. A
host of pilgrims of the adventure trail
have halted there TO rest, and TO avail
themselves of the far-reaching out
look from this vantage point"