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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1889)
THE "WEST SHORE. five varieties of trout, and splendid specimen, from eighteen to twenty-four inches in length, may be caught by the score in a few hours' fishing. In the near future, when a railroad has crossed the Columbia at the mouth of the Okanogan, Chelan and its neighboring glaciers will attract the attention of the tourist world, and another great resort will be added to the at tractions of Washington Territory. As Idaho Cavk. Last fall two Idaho cowboys, while on a round up, discovered a wonderful cave in the great lava plains on Snake river. A short time ago a small party of gentlemen eiplored the cave, which is twelve miles northwest of Sho shone, and is located in the heart of the great lava beds which cover that country for miles. A team was taken at Shoshone and the party started on a trip along a good road until a point five miles from their destination was reached, which was over the lava and sounded hollow when the horses' hoofs came down upon it. There is not a hill or mountain in sight for miles of where the cave is located. The place reached, the party came to an opening in the lava bed as of a shaft right on a level with the ground. On descending on a ladder ten feet long the party landed in a large arch shaped room. The en trance was about fifteen feet in width. The glare of the lam which the party carried with them revealed a magnificent sight. The walls are lined with a stalagmite formation, which glistened in places like crystal. This lime substance is very hard and hollow and full of holes. At the roof of this room were hung great clusters of bats, which had sought this place as a winter resort. The party took out four of these blind bats and when on the surface turned them loose. They immediately flew into the cave again by instinct. After leaving this won derful sight the gentlemen proceeded to explore the cave, and from their description of the path, it was by no means strewn with roses. They walked along over sharp rocks at places, while most of the path was of sand, slightly moist, and water courses could be seen all through. At other jwinU they had to crawl on their hands and knees through small crevices. This cave was traversed for over a quarter of a mile, until they were brought out to the surface. Immediately beyond the first care a concave of lava had formed for a distance of three hundred feet. At this point, by den-ending a natural stairway about thirty feet, they were UBhered into another cave, grander and larger than the first one. Here they were in a mammoth room, fully fifty feet square, with the same formation, where a sub stance resembling soap-suds lined the walls, and could be pulled down in large sheets. This cave had many of theie large rooms, and while exploring it the party walked on a dow n ward incline all the way, until at one jwint they were about a hundred feet below the surface. Great piles of ro k were k at tered around in many of the large rooms. The full length of the second cave waa not ascertained, but the men had through it for over three fourths of a mile, and were only j vented from going farther by the fall of rock at this pint, w hkh left a crevice too small to pass through, but by looking through by the light of their lamps they could are that the raveeitenl 1 much farther. There Is not a drop of water In the place, but water courses are plentiful, which inspires the Wi thal the cave was at one time the course of the !'.if Hats were seen in great numbers. The gentlemen were Ligniy elated with their trip, and describe it as bring a. math a rori osity as anything In the .National 1'ark. Kux u Washwoto Tsaarroav.-Tbe W7 f wj ingtoa Territory for the production of tnni uot w build up a prospermia community Is apparently boundlesa. Iay by day rwourree are Wing developed that were once hard ly dreamed of. Now cornea flax, which has ln tried and proved successful beyond the wildest and most sanguine ex pec tations of the experimenters. While In Scotland in IM7, the proprietor of the Stataman learned many new things regarding this great article of commerce, and upon his return pot some of his knowledge Into practice. learning that flax was only grown in this part of the lVifte coast for the ami, which la crushed solely for the oil it contains, we sent to Professor I III gard, of the Itcrkeley university, In California, for seed to be sowed, with the principal Idea In view of making It grow as tall as possible. Several packages came and were duly distrib uted to various parties, In m many different jmrts of the terri tory, with instructions as to sowing, etc. Among them was one to Governor Semple, who turned It over to lion. Georgw P. Shannon, of Otympla. The proceeds of this sample has raus a sensation In lhindce, Scotland. Possibly poultices were male from Ute other samples, for not a word have we received for all the trouble taken. Hut this one la enough, and Mr. Shannon not only ran congratulate himself with having revived a gram! silver medal at the Portland Mechanics' fair, tmt also of having raised a quality of flax that will possibly make of Washington the greatest flax-growing country In the world. In a letter written to us by Mr. Pavld II. Saunders, of Iunde, Scotland, apars the following paragraph : TU fisi pm Mot bjf Mr. It II McXmiI U UuM ll l )wl t toy I evr la lU ini Fmh dtrtriru. He f la silly, Its U(U Is strung, and will iU UU iU tttmi ltrsI rUt. I pwitali Us fist ; rinlr If j oof mill ta IU MriNt ui. ft v.ll ku (io MHKifb of It fr etsay a Ut )r ( otwitiw i (U sit. Mr. Saunders, In his tetter, ssys a tint mill ran I obtained for Xl'JO, or about '00 .00, and advisee the formalin of a run any with 1 1,00 .00 capital. This amount would Imlu-U the (fringing out of an experienced man to run the m hlne, who would need simply a reasonable prospul for employment. Tlius It will be sren that a new Industry and a profitable one ran be Insugurated at a trifling expense. The inert " ntrh ing" of the flax after Wing Is all that la required to fit it for market. All that Is recrsAry at first la Ui lndm a hun dred fanners to raise two or three) eyres. Then, upon finding how It psys, they csn Incrraie their emage yar by year. Tte subject of using the holla, or sla, f feed Is a rl and it has been j-roved to l famous fredlng n horare snd cattle. As the flax alluded to was ralsd rwer Olymple, f haps the pwj le over thrre will take an Interrsl In the tf.at'er, and encourage their iuuu-tt to sow some errre this yrr. We willse about the nl will suUrt l')Wot :t)(t) to the company thy may form. Wntlt S'll Hutittrntn, Oat" Ca ante. Ily arte of U rot legislature of Ore gon, two new rounltee wtre mated, making a total d thirty one in the state. About three twrtha of Grant roonty, sov bracing ail south of the line l(wn bwnahlpe eighteen and niortM-n, and Including all of the oil Malheur tmntlUjtt, hare bwo set off lrl a new ciytty, ap-fujUuly na'Ml Ha' ney, slnr it CiOtains the gret llarry s!y sft-I Uke. A nnyMrj tuitAj srat has Urn laloi e tU taea of lutj, hot a prrmaAT.t Paik wIl U darlftsv at the ril gn eral rUrtka. Ifarty f-rta an asttd4y ih'.ut with Grt&t, & a anaturiaJdji4Wt with Grant an-I M rvw. tUtvunb 1)4 na' ti a cwuly matel tA U tU tvortUast tAtt A Wso( and emtf artog tlat portv ly ing Ui wm n the l htttre txd John I'y ris. arl tiVrU lrva the tVoUa nU to the Va Uteeea towuhije two arJ three. IU Ututuj