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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1881)
248 THE WEST SHORE. October, 1881. KITTITAS VALLEY, W. T. " Kittitas valley U some 25 mile long 5 to 15 mile In width. It is sur rounded by high ranges or pur run ning from the mountain. There is hut one easy outlet from it, and that is in the direction of the Columbia river. There U a wagon rond running outh, connecting Ellcnsburg with Yakima City. There i quite a desirable place, now leing settled, which it nearly due cost of Ellcnsburg, distant i mile, and i known by the Indian name, Tcawou. The bottom i m.-i!l and where the road crosses i on the cast aide. The ktream i clear, cold nnd a bold one, filled with trout and other dcliciou fih. There i a high prairie adjacent, which in the opinion of the writer, if town to Fall grain will pro duce an excellent crop without irriga tion. The Swnuk washes on one side while the Tcowoiih washes I lie other and the distance i oImmiI three mile between them. Timber i in abundant kupply on all ide and occasionally nice clear rivulet course down the mountain. The prairie pokcn of is tome 80 to 100 feet alove the level of the ktream. It i entirely free from rock or gravel; i covered with a heavy coat of bunch gra; i easily plowed and more than ordinarily fertile for that kind of oil. The settler num ber about seven at the present time, all of whom are located on the bottom land, which i ol the finest quality. There I room for a dozen fnmilie; immigrant hunting land would do well, if they cannot suit thcmsclve in Kittita valley, to go north, in the di rection of the mouth of the Wenachic. Four mile alwve the mouth there i the best piece of vacant land known to your corrcjondcnt, and it large enough to make home for 11 lo 16 families. Timber U abundant and convenient; is of easy access ami a road already built up to and into it. There are quite a numlsrr of springs living water break ing out in numerous place, while the Colochen itself Is icy cold and suflici rntly rapid to affurd a mill site every one-fourth of a mile. On the Colcchen i a good a place to mn a dairy a Ya kima county afli'id. There aic thousand of mcic of the lct hunch grask on hmH side of the cu-ek, extend ing from the mountain wit the west, some three or four mile to the Colum bia river. The Uluitahl for culti vation, i rolling and untrodden by the 1 hoofs of animals, save an occasional 1 camper or small running band of 1 hore of red men whilst journeying 1 through the country. At and near the ' the mouth of the Wcnachie experi ment have proven. that no part of Yakima can surpass or equal it for : fruit culture. It seem to be a natural ' home for peaches and grapes. Settlers 1 who have lived there for eight or ten year have proved this not only to their own satisfaction but that of all others who have seen the fruit which for quality and perfection in growth, is hard to beat any where. Hut. irrigation i as much of a necessity here as else- . where in the country. Several claims have been taken within the past year. . - CiihiiAi.is County. This county is one of the largest in Washington Tcirrilory and one of the richest in re sources, but it is almost entirely undc vcloK(l. It population is less than one thousand, and total property valua tion, as shown by the last tax roll, $300,000. The assessment is up to the full value of property, probably because so much land is in the hands oi non residents. Timber lands arc valued at $J cr acre. The county heat is at Montcsano, which is the nearest ap proach to a town. For judicial pur pose Chchali is attached to Thurston county, and case at law are tried at Olympia. MEDICINE MOUNTAIN. Situated on Cocur d'Alcne river and about 16 mile from it mouth in what ha been called by Capt. Sorcnson, Green Island, from the fact that from a dittance it looks as though it were en tirely surrounded by water and green meadow. Hut this mountain we have leen informed by Father (Joosic of the Hangman mission, is called by the Indian "Smokukum," or Medicine mountain. It it 300 feet high and about one mile in diameter at its base and is situated in the center of Cocur d'Alcne valley. On the side of this mountain i an old Indian cemetery 5 also two klile stone wall about 3 feet hij,h and of same length, evidently placed there by human ham!, for what pur potc we cannot imagine. The super stitious Siwash who imagines he is going to die, come there. The ill and sick alo visit it and gather the herb and dig up the roots which abound here, for medical purposes. They then erect their tepee's and remain until they are cured, or fancy so. On the summit of this mountain there is a large cross that was erected 33 years ago by a Father D. Smith, a Catholic mission ary. It is placed on a high foundation of slate rock. Some three months since Capt. Sorcnson, after having heard the facts as stated, paid a visit to the summit of the mountain and found that the cross had been blown down. On his next visit he went prepared with the necessary tools and replaced the cross as near its original position as in his judgment was correct facing east. The killikinick grows here in great abundance, and from the summit of the mountain wc have one of the finest views imaginable of the Coeur d'Alcne valley and river, both up and down. Spokane Chronicle. DAYTON. A very happy state of affairs now prevails at Dayton, and never before in its history have we seen the people generally speaking so contented and prosperous. The old peanut men who were originally such a drawback to the town have taken their departure and their places are filled by energetic, en terprising citizens, who arc fully alive to the new era which has dawned upon them since the advent of railroads. It is only within the past few months that the change has come over the people and it is attributable solely and wholly to the fact that the farmers of the vast grain-producing region which is tribu tary to Dayton, have for the first time been enabled to ship their produce to a market. Railroads have at least made the people happy in this section for not a word of complaint did wc hear during a recent visit except that the carrying capacity of the O. R. & N. Co. was entirely inadequate to the occasion, and it is calculated that at the rate of 200 tons per day it will take until next June to carry away the wheat which alone will be brought into the Dayton depot. IK W. Statesman. Tim FoLAnis. A handsome look ing 16-page paper bearing the above title has made its first appearance here. It is to be published weekly, and if each one of it mentioned contributors writes but one article in a year, it will be well worth the subscription price, which has been placed at $3.50 per annum. We wish it all possible success.