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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1879)
September, 1879. THE WEST SHORE. A pyramid of ice. n hundred In height, stands on the verge of the glacier. It is more regular than the pyramid! of Egypt. All the tints of heaven and earth have been showered broadcast On its slippery sides. In the tremulous heat-waves, it seems just on the oint of tumbling headlong. From the foot of the glacier, a white thread issues and crawls away amid the rocky desolation. This white thread is one of the sources of the Klickitat. From it, two thousand feet helow us, floats at intervals the faintest murmur. From the summit of the mountain, St. Helen to the west, Hood to the south, and north Tacoma, the mighti est, lie glowing in the sunheains. The snow doesn't look cold where the living sunlight touches it. Rather does it seem the cast-oil' vesture of last night's sunset. The average height of the range is much greater here than around Mt. Hood. To the west and north are a dozen or more peaks spotted with snow. The Yakima and Klickitat valleys occupy the greater part of the eastward vlaWi Toward The Dalles, we see the rolling plains succeeded by the hills, and I hey again by other hills and plains, until they all merge into the sky. The park lying south of the mount ain seems to extend nearly to Mt. Si. Helen. This most lcautiful of peak has seldom been climlcd, though it is uiparentlv accessible on the south eastern side. It is said that on its southern slope is a large lake, full of lish nnd water-fowl. These lakes are one of the most attractive features of all this leautiful region. There are three on the southeastern sloc of Mt. Adams, just Ik-Iow the snow line. The reflection of the surrounding tievs within their uuiulllcd depth, is as dis tinct as 'be lues thcmselve. As we view this varied expanse, over which the sunlight play s, low hing the peaks with flame, descending into the canyons to brighten tome lonewimc c leek, ami chasing the shadow through the woods, we cannot forbear ths N (lection: by how few, after all, is ibis or any other scene of beauty and sub limity known and appreciated ! All the beauty of pine trees and lakes and waterfalls, the blood-brightening ami reanimating air of the mountains, the sublimity of ihe lot zoned, fire- hearted volcanoes, all this heritage of humanity aa freely followed ns air and water, is seldom claimed by its legatee-.. There is no danger of .1 w tangle among the hcirs-ai-hiw over the la-l will and testament of our lifc giv ci , nature, fbl it is seldom even opened, Practicality is the watchword of modern civiliza tion. These native otitgilshings of feel ing we generally throttle, or turn into a fluiM to run a saw-mill. The Gfwkl got more out of life, after all, than we. They took (heir cups direct from na ture, kissing the hand that gac. Hcaitty, health, happiness, I'm to day, letting lo-uiorrow look out for Itself, the first article in the Grecian creed, is certainly vastly more attTM ti than ours of a far-olf, feverish future dancing through the beat-waxes of a smelling-furuace, or the smoke of a locomotive. All visitors lo Mt, Ad uns should visit Ice-cave. It is about twelve miles southwest of the mountain. It MB. he it iii lied by an Indian trail by which generations of berry pickers and ih-ei slaycts have gone into (he mountains, The entire distance to the cave, and apparently for some distance beyond, is through the grassy park of which we have before spoken. Id-fore reaching the cave we pass a number of lava beds and extinct craters, These old craters aie usually nearly circul.ii in form, ihirly or forty feet in depth, and from twenty to a huuhrd m mora bat in diameter. They are pretty nearly overgrown with grass ami llowcrs and shrubbery. This whole park, now so peaceful, has evidently Urn (he ol volcanic ail ion that must have shaken the earth and inched the n k like snow. When we reach the cave, we see nothing at Ihst but a circulei opening about eighteen hit in diame ter. A chilly gust of air comes out of the oH-uing, mi commingling with Ihe but aluiosphctn niilside as lo gin- one a jierfcclly realizing idea l spring. New F.nglaud. It is afoul feufteeH feel lo Ihe floor of the cave. The ftinr is sheeted with ice varying from two to four feet in thickness. Advancing into the cave, the light of pinr Ion lies re veals a small forest of icicles. The lar ge! of these are about ten feel in length, lapering fiom the sine uf man' waisl lo a knife-like point, just touching Ifo ceiling of llic case. This part of the iavc tcrmlnalr in , rocky .!!, perforated b) one nairww nssutc too small In admit a man of ordinary size. Judging from the sounds made by dropping stone, down, there must be I deep empty) bete. Just in front of this cavity is a cluster of icicles, look ing like the pipes of an organ. Their lower pails aie OOVentd with Ihe most delicate tracery, like the lincst siUei Work, The cllivl when a pine torch is placed behind thein, is miles, t dmhiv beautiful This icc-chamfor is ibonf forty feet in length. On the oihel side of the circulai oK-ning is auothet ilia,:--her of afoul the same size, containing no ice, but plentifully supplied with magnificent sccimens of lav a. Some hang like clusters of grapes, others look like the most delicate moss. Thiscave, though so small, coinpaialivcly, is full ofbeauty and interest. The philosophy of Ihe ice-formation is still unrxplann .1. Surrounded with Ihe unite ted pines lluough which deer can often fo seen boding on the luxuriant glass, with sujierb wild slrawfotrics mid Inn LI. berries near al hand, with a tine limit lake but a few miles distant, this now silent spot will in lime attract many visitors. To them we lomiuend the task of fuitbei expatiating on its bcan ties. And so gmsl bye again lo the mount, ains, They will wait for other visits, I'oi bet of all afoul ihe mounlaiiis, they can wail. The mightv Tmouin still haunts us from afar. II its , loud divinit) 'bull someliiue coiidrscrud lo adinil us up higher than we have vet been, we prmniei in iuing down ihcncp a snow Maka and a slue or I wo of Ifo mm atmosphere Am (be ntdnnnfttp i i Show . WOMAN. Women an- mote piiidrnt than men. A a rule, Women ate iihui failhful lhan men li n limes as faithful men I never saw a man puisne hU wife into ifo ditch and dust of degradation ami lake hei in his aims, I never saw a mail tml al ihr boie where he bjtd been morally wrecked, wailing lor tfo waves lo bring folk even for mipsr to his arms; but I have seen woman, will, her while arms lift man from the mire of degradation, ami hold him In hci boiom as if fo were an angel.- ngf. Si i', do you mean to tay that 1 speak falacly " said a pctMm to a French genileiitan. u tare, I aay not dat; i -in, in , I tay you Walk tmim! about the truth very mmli,"