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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1879)
May, 1879. THE WEST SHORE. '5' would not pay by any other mothoil of haud- The Snake river drainage haa cut many can yona through thia wash, the ertHlod matter having been carried down and depoaited along that stream. Thia ia doubtless the origin ( the Hour gold found on the lower Snake, which haa afforded remunerative mining ground for a number of years. Thia great auriferous debris at the head of the river lies on I ami aand- stone rooks, The deposition waa made evi dently prior to the upheaval of the main divide, as it caps the summit at Uuiou Pass and ex tends down Wind river quito a distance. Hut it does not contain gold iu such large proHir tions as the gravela of the l'acilic slope. I would not advise miners to go to that country unless they possess sullicieut capital to open and operate hydraulic grounds. In the Teton rnniie the crystalline gold-bearing rocks abound and some auriferous ores were here found in lilu. Owing to the lateness of the scasou and the in clement weather, thorough exploration of that district ouuld not be made, but 1 intend to re turn to it and determine its value for mining purposes. The Teton is one of the most wild aud runiiod ramies on this continent. Mt. May don and Mt. Moran are the highest elevations there, the former being the keystone of the ramie. This Alpine peak culminates at an alti tude of nearly 13,000 feet, and is visildo from nearly all parte of the National park. nUtoUKI Itl. AI. OIMKKVATIONK. of them which we shot They were feeding on This lake covers an ana of over W equera the ubiquitous grasshopper. The snow iu these miles. Trout are found ill great ai.aiidano In Ji altitudes is sometimes black with these 1 near its outlet, but owiuil to the Juxtaposition ol sulieqiKHius geysers tin are uul eoiiue. Thus caught, however, at the head ol the lake, where tlis odd waters come rushing iu in the shape of mountain torrents, are good, In tin mud volcanoes we see soother wonderful freak of nature. Down in these crater the hot mud can ba seen thrown Iu many attain. After insects, which gut so thoroughly chilled alter uighliug, that they are uualile to tly away. I in- plaintive bleat of the little coney 1 1 .on... nrinrrus) was heard on all sides, above au altitude ol Iti.UWl lent, anil so lar as 1 count ascertain, this rabbit lives at a greater olevatiou duriug the wiuter than auy other animal. It waa louud in the all local ranges near llie minis of vegetation. The mouutaiii lion, wolf, coyote, lynx and a great variety of the minor carnivor ous genera inhabit this region. The chief fur- iKllirillg unimals indigenous nerv era ton Disc and silver gray fox, otter and beaver. Ilaird'a rabbit l.rim llitnli) is mot will! IU Wo liig eulnctciit sloani haa been generated, a hum mas ia tbruwu saveral lel m the air, aud, fall nig bank iuto the crater, this action is repeated. Troinllnoil among the grand views of th I'ark an th falls of th Yellowstone, which afford a truly magnillceut sight. The upper lull is 140 loel built, the uiaud falls - "' Horn, Slioahone and Snowy mouutaiua. This , (ret high, the (naming water rushing over the The following altitudes were noted in these several mountain ranges, with observations on vmotation. etc.. between latitudo 42" and 4tl north: The main elevation only is given; the difference in the extremes between the north and south slopes of the mouutaiua exceeding often 1,000 feet. Inoipient evergreens, 8,000 feet above the ocean; limits of foliaoeoua trees, 11,500 feet; gramineous vegetation, 10,000 feet (whioh is also the limit of evergreen trees); foliaceoua shrubbery, 11,000 feet; of evergreen shrubbery, 11,500 feet; limits of alpine tlowera and herbaceous vegetation, 112,000 feet; per petual froxen lakea and incipient glaciers, 1:1,000 ail neuudo-meteoric dust or red snow (jxi- nulla M.0.1 of the Knglish writers) is visible at an altitude of 13,000 feat; glaciera of vast ex tent exist between 13,000 aud 14,000 feet almve the ocean, especially in the Wiud Kiver moun tains. Close attention was uiveii to timber line in this country, and wherever notioed I found trunks ol dead trees alxivo mose 01 me iivihu nnmisUksble evidence of increasing cold, Another notable future near timlior line on the north slopes of th Wind Kiver range, waa that th. tree, instead of standinii vertically, are found Unmn tn the southeast. lieinii occasioned by the terrible winda that blow here from the northwest ZOOLOOY. The fauna of thia country doe not differ mate'ially from that of other parte of th Itocky .mi .in'. Buffalo are found in large bents through the Big Horn mountains, tmt they are being rapidly exterminated ny we Klk and mountain sheep ar v.ry pleutifu II, I, .11 th. ranife. of the Yellowstnlll- COUO b l-.o, ..,.,. .U found near the snow in the summer, wher the graaa U new and tender Th. mnnntun ! ( A uorrnu mn.iim) wai n.,t ,,l. r. ,-,1 in anv of the ranife, but ha been reported by Indians to xit in th mouutaiua ,., ,,..,ll, Oelv tWO h. llllilK of ttX mix mm sn. Deer ar v.ry plentiful, an telop being generally found around the foothills and on th plain bug hrds. also in th National park. No gasell were firtiud here, but in th. Black Hills befor populated I abut ssvaral of thia specie of deer.they ling numf ous 00 th Belt Fourth river. Bear are vry abundant in ibia region. In th Big Btft rang I hars seen a many as 20 in on. day. They an of (our kind, generally known a lb Kooky Moantein gnatly, cinnamon, black end ..I ',; Mr if It V.irniil ami iiiyse-lf ID Mir ntwwim iilU'reiLm. species waa seen in the dense forests of the evergreen soue, about H.0O0 or 0,000 feet high. The little chipmunk, as usual, waa mien arouud oamp inaieuting our pni visions. The little water ousel wo noticed along ail me mountain streams, this little bird apHiaring to have a fondn for rushing torrents, cascades aud deep canyons, ita twittering songs mingling harmoniously with the musical but thuudertug falls of water. Allan s linches (l.f.iwfiriii- nut tralu) were notioed in the Big Horn mnuutaius, uear the limit of vegetation. The dusky grouse I '.fen. owtiriM) is common, although uot a numerous as Kichanlsou's grouse. A great va riety ol aquatic fuwla is notlueable in th lake regions of the Yellowstone and Mnak river, the swan, elicau, gull, crane, loon, goo and many kinda of ducks abounding hero, whore they remain miring imiiiMtiion 111 tncaiimnier minims. The American eagle la very numerous arouud the Yellowstone lake, also it co-tenant the Hah hawk. The Alpine insect fauna ol these moun tains is similar to that found iu the ranges of dorado; but owing to the paucity ol vegeta tioii insect do not Inrive nere ai as great an altitude as they do further eouth, when lichens and tlowera are mora anuniiani. vary hw inseot life uld tie found her atiov titnUr line, tin the the highest iieaks no organic 1110 ol any description was visible. 1 really supMs the pole llsell presents nanny a morw uari aud (rigid scene of desolation than these glacial peaks. Along the cast has ol the nig Horn ramie, w e meet w ith a tine agricultural country, . I.. ...J. ,.f 11 Oflfl Imm Th. vertical falls, like a moving stream ol suuw. The mighty torrent spauued by a rainbow, descends, with a tliuiiderlug roar, thai can Iw heard afar aft Below th falls Hi grand canyon begin, oxteudiug Iheiice 20 mile down th river. The walls staud perpendicularly nearly 2,000 feet high. The Mammoth spring, near the northern Imundary of the I'ark, la also a noted place, attracting many visitor ly Me medicinal properties ot its water, tiu npeui. im u mouiitaiu some rara curloailie 111 the way of aslrifaotiniia ar to lie seen, sum of thm baing stauding treM, 111 the cavitlea of which some hrilltaiit crystalllialmiis ar found, tin siweimens of lianded and clouded agate, opal, chalcedony, carneliwi and other rare sloiios can he picked up in in on this mountain Th National park 1 destined te liecomo the moat famous watering resort of the world. Its min eral watera oousist of graal divinity, ami la In UmtMimal and ranlale. No tourist nan vr regrat a visit to the great wonderiami ami ior a few weeks nonsuit nature's sanitary domain and witness her grand and uulqils sceneries. KIHII AS BHAIN POOD. sltltlld ( It.tKMJ leet. climate is very lioallhful, and Iheoountry hie with a cool and bracing almoapher. I he upier tributanea of the Big Horn, 1 ollowston, .snake and tireen rivers, are unlit lor agricultural pur owinu to their altitude soil roughness So,,,.' swte ar. howv.r, III lor grasiug ami stock rearing. Till NATIONAL I'll.. As most of your readers are probably some what acquainted with the topography of this spot, I will conlln my deserlpllon thereof to merely a synopsis. This great wonderland lays between the Sierra MhisJinrt and the Kocky niountaiiis, l-twen ltituds 44' and 4.'' north, Ita mean altitude heiug about K.llOO feel elv the ncean It has an area of 2,."iJ0 sqnar mile, covering for the most part a very abrupt and Iwoken oounlry. auouwuoi inipreasiv vtw. of mountain soeswrjr. The minor, howsvr i vry bsaatifal, being diversille.1 with rolling hills, dsn forests of flbery top pines, "pen glsdee and park l.b. eiaers. with now and then a miniature of silverv lakes and ruihing st,ram. Ths stnv-spher is sllnnus and raniirent on as. rin ling rang last July, saw IU bear at on sight two Sin. e during th acts ol sensation and Intel I, , in.n plioephorus Is consumed In llie brain aud nervous system, there arise a neeoatlt; to restore th irtinii eo onnsums.1, or, s th laipulareipressioii Is, t uas brain loud. How, as vry on knows, it la th property of nbu ihoru te shin in th dark, and as Hah, in certeiu stage of pulrefactivs dseay, often smlt light or become phosphnrwsnl, it has been thought that this Is dus te the eliuadsno of their lUsh omtalna, ami hence they ar smineutly suitable fur the mm, ulim.nl ol tit nervous system, aud are Invaluable brain I,,... I I inter Ihsl nle many l-rsons rewvi so .lot of llsh, awl ieruail lhmslvs that thay darivs wlvntege ir..o. it in an Increased vividnses of thought - signal improvement la th raaaiHiiag wwra. But th flesh uf h.h oatilaias no es.ees of ihi,phurus, nor does It shining depend no lhl slrraent I'- ayn.g willow wood shinw vn more bnlllantl then decaying tteh. Il my somslime l discerned alar off at night Th shining in th Iwe ass I du to Mi same cause lb uildatu of erln. eoloi phosphonts, in orgsnlc ulelaaosa umtainiiig rha mH a reptibl trail uf lb Utur lament Yet safely au on fuaed his sell rising t.. a pm-tn farvuf hy lastiiig decay ing wilhiw WUO.I. Ihoegh II oghl on lh principls te be halur brain (. than meh targar quanlily " nab. -. J lt. imiwrtiug te th far off pks shrp outline ami the .,..s,a ( .I- .r"imily. The great Mt ooilrcll of nalural cunwalia of tb world has been plheriHl by nature herself In thia tionsl park, lying In Montana ami Wy.ns.lag TetTttena. The Yllowateoa Uka, a haadaom shset ol water is situated in the southeast ooraar of the park, at an .leveu.O of 7.7M feet ab.v a.a Uvef Along it amtbera aaat wli slw.rvs th. nemotaiua present aa Imprtaaiv at-o of ruteed baly, Uing very lofty sad abrupt lUii.ao.n Coaarat'iTW i l7l. - The Rnti rtnd llnitttt receally g' revsewl aal aot raeteil atatemenl lb- railway mileage of the United Stela addsd during lb year 117b, a follow tart unt (art lets W. nava a teial of M.VA4 sails hi ike In at lb beyantag of 1179. 1 m ym uSXSn at Use . I asl