THE WEST SHORE.
167
SUMMIT OF THE SISK1YOUS.
THE Siakiyons are an ebrnpt and chnin of
mountains lying along the boundary line of Oregon
and California. They extend from Klamath Lake nearly
to the ocean, and form the watershed between Rogno and
Klamath rivers. The name is a peculiar one and its sig
nificance is the subject of much dispute. As in othor
canes of doubtful nomenclature, a number of theorists
have " taken a shy at it," with varied results, based upon
euphony of sound combined with a few grains of plausi
bility. Some of these gentlemen toll us that on the sum
mit of the mountain, just north of the boundary lino,
there is a beautiful lovel spot, watered by oool springs,
that overlooks tho country for miles on either side. It
was here the powerful Shasta, Rogue lUver and Klamath
tribes were accustomed to congregate, smoke their pipes
in token of amity, indulge in duncing and games, and ex.
change those friondly offices so ubuuI with neighboring
tribes living in peace. This place they oallod " 8is-ki-you,"
or the oouuoil ground. Another tells us that tho
early half-breed trappers, whose language was the patois
French spoken in certain portions of Canada, olwerved
six large stones lying near the summit, whereupon they
christened the mountnins " Sex Callonx," which has been
transformed into the present appellation by the lapse of
time and the proverbial tendency of the pioneers to round
off the corners of names without much regard to their
significance. There are, to be sure, plenty of stones to
be seen on the Siskiyou, but no one pretends to desig
nate the patriarchal six.
The most authentic account of the naming of Siskiyou
Mountain is as follows: The first party of Hudson's Bay
Company trappers to penotrate into California left Van
couver in the summer or fall of 1827, headed by Aloxan
der Roderick McLeod. As they passed along they 1x
stowed many of the names now familiar in Southern
Orogon. One of the trapjMtrs, Jean Baptists Parroult,
had an old white horse with an abbreviated caudal ap
pendage, known in English as a "bobtail" and in the
mongrel French of the trappers a "siskiyou." One
night, while encamied on tho mountain, this animal was
confiscated by the Indians. A short pursuit of the trail
in the morning revealed the body of the animal, from
which a number of neither juicy nor tender steaks had
been cut The trappers named the scene of this incident
" Siskiyou," which therefore signifies " the mountain of
the bobtail horse." By reference to 0 ill's " Dictionary
of the Chinook Jargon," which is composed of a mixture
of poor English, poorer French and Indian words of
doubtful derivation, it will be found that Siskiyou and
bobtail are synonymous. .
The scenery of the Siskiyou is grand and imposing.
Rising almost abruptly from the Klamath River on the
one side and Rogue River Valley on the other, they reach
almost to the line of perpetual snow, their side clothed
with dense foresU and seamed with deep canyons. The
view from some commanding eminonoe is indescribably
graud on the north revealing the mountains and valleys
of Oregon, including many of tho leaser suow peaks of
the Cosoados, and on the south the blended ohains of the
Sierra and Coast Eango, alwva uLLL ii lho Luly
Shasta with its dual crown, with no object to obstruct the
view from base to summit.
The point chosen by our artist is on tho road over
which run the stages of the California & Oregon Stage
Company, and near the summit, which here, however, is
m ucli lower than in tho more rugged portion of the
mountains to the westward Colo's Station, as it is
oallod, is ono of the pioneer landmarks of that region,
and has been a stage station for years. Near it runs the
State boundary lino, and not far distant is the woll-kuown
Pilot Rock. Through this region runs the proposed
route of the railroad which will connect the Oregon &
California with the Central Pacific, and uot far from this
point is the location of the groat tunnel by which it will
pierce the mountain. The stage ride from Ashland to
Delta, the two railroad terminal points, is one of but
twonty hours, passing through the grand scenery of tho
Siskiyous, Klamath Rivor and Shasta Valley in the day
time. By this routo one oau travel from Portland to San
Franoisoo in sixty hours, only a few hours more than by
water (when steamer makes good time), and be sur
rounded continually by Nature's most attractive forms.
The inconvenience of a night on the stage is fairly offset
by the disagreeable sickness of the steamer. To the lover
of Nature tho overland route needs no recommendation
in the summer time.
AN ELECTRIC SUN COLUMN.
MR. J. BOURDAIS recently presented to the Paris
Society of Civil Engineers a project that he has
been studying, and that concerns the erection of a ma
sonry tower 300 motors 08-1 feet) in height After an
examination of the different geometric profiles roalimablo,
Mr. Bourdais has adopted the column as being more apt
than any other form to satisfy the rules of Nthotics, and
also as loing the most stable. In fact, tho highest chim
ney in the world, that of 81 Rollox, Glasgow, 433 foot in
height, has Immm submitted to numerous storms without
suffering therefrom, and as othor chimneys oxxhmhI to
great wind pressure have nover given rise to any accident,
it results that a cylindrical form is tho one that should
be adopted. In short, Mr. Bourdais' structure would
consist of a base 210 foot in height, in which would be
established a permanent museum of electricity. Above
this would rise a six-story column surmounted by a roof,
forming promenade, and capable of accommodating
2,000 ponton. The central granite core, CO foot in diam
eter, would be surrounded with an ornamental frame,
work of iron faced with copper. This would lie divided
into six stories, each containing 10 rooms, designed for
aerothorapio treatment Finally at Die summit would bo
placed an enormous electric lamp that would cast a flood
of light over the entire city. Tuis lamp would have an
intensity ennal to that of 2,000,000 Carol burner. The
lamp would be surmounted by a statue representing tho
Genius of Science. This would make the eutire struc
ture 1.1H0 feet high, or more than twice the altitude of
the Washington Monument, now the highest structure in
the world.