Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1890)
WEST SHORE. 19 ON BEAUTY BAY. LAEI OlEUS D'ALKH, IDAHO. A mystery of ahiftiog shore; A tuIod wrought in ohanging iimd, Sm whore along the dark cliff i brow, Th wild pink phloi ablueh U iu. The ttately pints upon the brink Frown at their mirrowed forme alway, And silvery white the diatauoe gleams, On Beauty Bey. A oool, eweet preeenoe fills the lir, Above the wood ite pate hair sweeps, And dimpling all the eleeping lake The epirit of the mountain weepe. In freeher tints the slopes ehine forth, The far peaks den their mantlee fray, A rpell surround me like a prayer, OaBeantyBay. Ferhape, beyond the dreamirf billa. The nation'a heart throba on apaoe i Sorrow and trouble, tean and pain Flow on through old Earth't matket place. To-morrow I may 'midit them be I know no', care not for to-day For me the lotue bloeaom b'owi, On Beauty Bay, Maodi Buttos. CiEVR D'ALENE CITY AND FORT SHERMAN, IDAHO. There la no mining region in the west more widely known than that in the Our d'Alene mountaina, in Northern Idaho. It has been but little more thau half a decade since precious metal was discovered in the Occur d'Alenes, bat a great deal of development work hag been done, and the product of the mines la both large in volnme and rich in quality. Two great railways traverse the mining region, and two subsidiary line to tap some of the richest districts are now nnder construction. Lake Caaur d'Alene is a famous body of water in the mountains that give it its name, remarkable for its great depth, its fish and the beauty of its shores. It is about thirty miles long, north and south, bnt Is quite narrow and its shore lines are very irregular. The Coeur d'Alene Indian reservation surrounds the lake and extends a considerable distance to the south. The city of Coeur d'Alene lies at Die foot of the lake, at the head of the Spokane val ley, and on account of its charm as a summer resort it is visited by lare numbers of people at this time of the year. So the Cceur d'Alenes moun tains, mines, lakes, river, reservation and city are heard of far and near, and every year they are becoming better known. The tree-embowered city on the sloping bank at the foot of Lake Ca'ur d'Alene promises to become a commercial town of considerable importance with the development of the country around it. The Spokane & Idaho branch of the Northern Pacific railway now has its eastern terminus in the city and mtk.ee connections there with the Cuur d'Alene Navigation Com pany's steamers, which ply on the lake and river to Old Mission, there con necting with a narrow gauge railway that penetrates the mining country. The transfer of freights at Coeur d'Alene City constitutes an Important item of business. The Northern Pacific is building cut-off from Missoula, Montana, to Hauser Junction, Idaho, to escape the long and expensive detour around Pend d'Oreille lake, and at the same time open a country that will yield a more profitable traffic. This will place Cu'ur d'Alene City on the Northern Pacific main line and materially aid its advancement. Then the city will be an excellent location for the erection of a smelting rr OKI'S! D AI.INI CITY, IDAHO. FOOT 8IIKHMAN, IDAHO. plant to reduce the Cur d'Alene ores, such an enterprise having already been suggested. Though the Industrial prospect of Coeur d'Alene Is in every way encour aging, one of the most Important features of the town is the attraction it has as a place of residence. This attraction Is especially strong at this season of the year, when Inland cities are generally sweltering in the heat. Cceur d'Alene has what Is rare in new western towns shade trees In abun dance. The beauty of its surroundings is unquestioned. The lake, that extends away to the south in its setting of timbered hills and rugged moun tains, appears like a sheet of silver, It is cool In summer and rarely encum bered with ice In winter. On every side but the north mountains rise to a considerable height from the shores of the lake, the outlet of which is the Spokane river flowing in a westerly direction, The lake la of great depth, soundings of 1,700 feet being reported, though there are many shallow spots about the edges. The water is clear and pure. Several kinds of trout are found In great abundance, and hooking the finny beauties Is sport that ia extensively engaged in. One of the curious features of this lake Is that the one visible outlet carries only about half the volume of water that Is dis charged Into It by streams flowing from the mountains about Its head. The fact that it is almost Impossible to reach water by sinking wella right along side the shore seems to indicate that none of the water eacapea by percola tion through the soil, and the evaporation from ite surface la not great. The bottom ia very irregular. The woods, coming down to the water's edge, are filled with game. The facilities for boating are of the beat. Fishing excur sions to the streams flowing into the head of the lake are of dally occur rence, and the stories told of the great luck of fishermen indicate that the narrators are more than usually well qualified In that branch of the sport, The shores of this lovely body of water furnish Innumerable, seductive camping spots, but many pleasure seekers make headquarters in town, from which point the various attractions are accessible. Tne city has three good hotels. The view of the town shown in the engraving was taken from a bill just east of It, rising abruptly from the lake shore. Fort Sherman Is situated about a quarter of mile west from the Orur d'Alene City limits, in the angle lormed by the lake shore on the south and the Spokane river on the west. The illustration Is a view taken from the opposite side of the river, looking east, the town appear ing dimly In the distance. The post was established In 1878, at the end of the Nea Perce war. There are now in the garrison Troop G of the Fourth Cavalry and Com panies 1), E, Q and II of the Fourth Infantry, the whole comprising nearly 300 men, under command of M, William C. Carlln. The government has a saw mill here, which is the bane of the soldiers' existence. However brave and efficient a soldier may be In Die discharge of hie military duty, it breaks his spirit to have to toil at ordinary labor, and the poet saw mill at Fort Sherman has been the subject of many fervid remarks on the part of the high privates whose call to duty lay In that direc tion. In the foreground of the plclifre are the saw mill, the library and theatre, the commissary and cavalry quarters. Oh the left Is officers' row. lleyond the parade ground are the company qnarters, church, school, head quarters and sundry other buildings. The government (arm is a mile away. Fort Sherman Is accounted one of the moat pleasant and healthful posts In the United States. It was formerly called Fort Out d'Alene, but the name waa changed to Fort Sherman a few years ago, upon the occasion of an inspection visit from General Sherman. "1