The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-05-04
Scenic GIOfieS Idaho
Graphically Pictured
Bv Israel C.. Russell

From a U. S. Geological Survey
book, (of 1902 by Israel c. Rus
sell. we copy the following descrip-
tion of Idaho scenic attractions. The
book. which is now ut of print, was
lent us by E. C. Kiersted of the Ida
no Power Company.
"To lovers of nature and all who
rejoice in scenes of natural wildness
unmodified, or what is too frequent
ly essentially the same thing, un-
marred by the hand of man. the
plains of southern Idaho present ex-
ceptional attractions. One must be-
come familiar with their charac-
teristics, however, and learn to
Judge them by their own standard
before their beauties are fully re-
vealed. To the traveller from hu-
mid lands, where every hillside is
clothed with verdure and every
brook flows through a shadowy
vale, they will at first seem repell-
ent deserts, on which long sojourn
would be intolerable. This, / think,
will be the first impression, especj-
ally if beheld at noontide in sum-
mer or beneath a gray wintry sky.
But to one who rides for weeks or
months across their seemingly
boundless surfaces, sleeping at night
beneath the stars, they are found to
have charms unthought of by the
casual passer-by. In he glare of
the unclouded summer sun the
plains are featureless, or perhaps
their c--pross'pn is distorted fnd
renedred rrotesrue o.. var-ie al
meaningless by the CscaDtiye MI
age. At such time the nat land van-
ishes in distant haze, and the bor-
dering mountains, If visible at all.
are but uncertain fiickerngi shaw
ows on a glowing sky. In the clear
side lights of early morning, howev-
er. all uncertainty and indefiniteness
vanish. The fiat land has details
everywhere on its surface. The
stand boldly forth as
forms OF emethyst and
sapphire, every line on their deeply
engraved slopes, although leagues
distant, clearly visible. When the
sun is high in the cloudless heavens
the plains are gray, russet brown.
and faded yellow, but with the ris-
ing of the sun and again near sun
set, they become not only brilliant
and superb in color, but pass
through innumerable variations in
one and tint When the approach
ng dawn is first perceived, the sun
a great fire beneath the
Instant edge of the plain, curtain
S quickly drawn aside, revealing
limitless picture suggestive of the
lew a mariner sometimes has on
approaching a bold coast while the
ctual shore line is still below the
lorizon The distan. mountains,
Using range above range and culmi-
ating in some far-off sun-kissed
eak, are of the most delicate blue,
7hile all below is dark and shaG
wy. AS the sun mounts higher the
olors deepen, becoming violet and
urple, of strength and purity new
r seen where rain Is frequent. Pur-
lie in all it's rich and varied shades
the prevailing color impaired TO
rid lands when the sun is low in
ne heavens. AS the dawn passes l
nd the light becomes stronger the q
ch hues fade, the mountains re-
sde and perhaps vanish in the all |
srvading haze, details become ob- t
.ure even in the immediate fore i
and the eye is panied by d
lie penetrating light. The shad- U
VS., If canyon walls are near. are o
larly outlined and appear black in C
,ntrast withthe intense light re- {
scted from the sun-bathed surfa- a
IS. n