THE SUMPTER MINER
Wednesday, Aug. 21 , 1901
SOME OF NATURE'S
STRANGE FREAKS.
"Rim Rocks' Moving Lake
And Dead Sea in
Oregon.
Fow w(ilu ruallxo tho Iwauty anil
Ifrnndaurof tliu rini'roclcH of oiiHturn
Oregon, rikI IjiIco comity I inn her Hliuro
of thorn). In fact, many xoplo do not
know what thoy look like, anil nomo do
not ovoti know what tho word nioaiiH.
A corroMpomient to a loading paiwr of
tho Htato wan horriflud to mm tho natno
of tliomi rockit, whuro ho had referred to
thoni, changed to "rnund-rockH" by the
managing editor.
Throughout oaHtern Oregon, and oh
ecially what Ih known hh thu "deHert"
country, thiMo riin-rockH are prominent
foaturoH. The country Ih a HiiccoHHlon of
lovel plaiiiH, varying in width and length
from a few miltm to more than a hun
dred. TheHe plaiiiH are often Hjioken of
an platoaiiH, from their high elevation
above wta level ; In fact they are nothing
more nor Iumh than u huccuhnIoii of hu
hIiih, in many cuhoh rcHomhling cra
ter IhnIh, for thoy lie hiiioiiie the
nioiintain topH, only lower thuii tho
hiiow-cpnmI huiIch Unit have to lie iih
cendod from aluioHt every tolnt to roach
ilium, and tho till I rim-rockH that tower
immediately uhovo them. TIioho pin
teaiiH or IhihIiih uro Hoparatod hy thu
rlm-rockH aul uloug one Hide or thu
other of the large taken towor from u
few foot to hundriilH of feet in thu air.
Thu wiiIIh of thcKti rockn are orftctly
Htriendiciilar, often mhhuhhIii( the u
IH'iirance of having Ih'uii coiiHtructed hy
Hkillod human IiiiihIh. Ijiyor Hmmi lay
er of HiuiHith rockn lie uimmi onu tin-
other with thu jointn broken uh carefully
iin modern maminry work, with pillum
now and then many feet tall to nuxtrt
them on broader tuhloH of roolcM. Thuco
pillarn, however, are clone together, and
although NHncHHiug varloun tdden, from
a triangle to an octagon, they Ht ier
fectly together. At the top of these
walln broad, level rockn lie, jutting out
Uiaeveral foot above the nlden of the
wall like the leaf of a table or the rim of
a hat. It in iaiMnniblo to dencend from
the top of thin rim down tho wall or to
anceuil from below to the top of the rim
rock, except where thu wall in broken by
crovaaneH or gulchon or canyonn. Many
of the nmall plalnn tlntn aurroundeil
have Ihhiii tho nceneof wholonalu nlaugh
tor in the pant. Iudiann uihhI to And
deer and antelope browning in thuno ba
ninn, and placing a guard at the only
entrance or entrance, go among tho mil
main and nlaugh Ut the entire baud.
The deadly way in which they lined to
Uro ujtou immigrant traiun from thenu
rim-rock la jwrt of thu hintory of thu
country.
A two duyn drive from Silver luke,
the entrance way to the muiu "denert,"
bringn one to the grentent wonder on thu
1'ucitlc iHiant, Ktitnibly thegreutcnt in the ,
Unitetl SihIoh. Here in u rich IohhII
field covering huiitlretln of acren, in thu
midM of uhlch In the wonderful "mov
ing" lake. One doen not nee it move in
Kint, niul what little rainfall there in in
thin Kuctlon doen not oven dampen tho
dry naudn, much lens inolHten tho earth.
At thin Miint the wind blown a gale mont
of the time, and ciirrieH with it clouds ot
the mind. In a fow dayn timo tho wind
Rhiftn the mind until a oint that wan
high lant week in a deep hole or pit this
week. Then the wind changes and
blown from another direction for a few
dayn, and thtin nhiftn tho nurface of tho
earth at thin point again. The lake,
which Hon in theno nand bodn, in neccn
mirily compelled to chungo itn bed con
tinually. An a wind nweoin out a hole
on the north Hide tho water munt follow ;
then it chaugen to tho eant, then south
and then to tho went, no that one can
noo where it ban traveled about tho des
ert for yearn, never getting far from
home, it Ih truo, but ntill it travels con
nndoruble dintancen for a lake. It is a
mvntery to all who vinit thin section
why tho lake never dries up in hucIi a
place. Thoro ncemn to Ira no springs
and there in no ntreum to feed it, and
the rainfall Tn light, and being constant
1 y on the move, onu would think it
would he abnorlwd by the dry nandn, but,
within the knowledge of tho flrnt set
tlors of the country, thin lake has never
been dry mid bus neither grown larger
nor muullcr.
Hut thu greatont object of interent to
the nclentint in thin nection in the fonnil
bedn.
The entire mind'covered nection in n
fonnil Held. Animaln for ugun have come
to thin luke for water, and tin the uged
and nick onen have died, they have been
covered by the dry naudn and their bod-
ien prenorved in nucli it ntute no long that
they have Imh'oiiio completely fonnilixed.
And uh they have followed the luke in
itn truveln, the councquonco in that tho
Held in a large one. The inexperienced
who have picked up tho potriilcd bonen
of theneiiiiimiiln, Hud many, the nocien
of which in uiikuovu to thorn, and it is
nuid that nieclcn have licou found here
that puzxle and interent thu fow nciou-
tintn who have neon them. They have
been hauled away by tho occanional vin
Horn, and adorn many of thu yardn of
dintuut ruuehern, but tho field is ntill
full of thoni, aud the scientist may find
work hero for years to come.
Abort lake, commonly called the
"Modern Dead sua," is uetter known.
It is 90 miles long, with an average width
of from 1 to 10 miles, and has a depth of
from 1 foot to IH feet. It lies in the
deaert proper, with tall rim-rocks tower
ing abruptly above Us eastern shore,
while its western shore is at the foot of
a long range of rock and sagebrush-covered
hills. Its walls are so Impregnated
with alkali aud other minerals that
nothing can live in It. It is fed by a
small stream, called theChewaucan riv,er
aud a few other smallor streams, and has
no outlet. Its waters stand and evan-
orate until it becomes thick and takes
on a dark color, and is death to every
living thing. Cliewaucan river, its prin
cipal feeder, in filled with fish. At the
mouth of this stream there is a fall
where thu waters enter thu lake. The
unwary ttnh that have ventured or fallen
over thin full are there in evidence to
nhow that nothing can live in Abort
lake. The shores of the luko at this
iHiint are componcd of dead Huh and Hnh
Ihmich. Toiih of thenu bonen could bo
gathered up, and at certain Hoanoun of
me year tue nuoren are iineu Willi linn
in all ntuiten ot decomiKMitioii. When
the HhIi ttrnt ntrlken thu water of tho
hike it makes for the whore and trien to
Gentlemen!!!
If you want a good suit of clothes,
cheap or dear, made right to your
satisfaction, go to.....
pi.rnn the only taylor in this part
I 1 V I H I of Oregon. Big selection of
Fall and Winter Goods now on hand
TSKnltntrtttKn!
Flrtt Bank ot Sumpttr
SUMPTER, (5reT
tlouuder out. anil if it fuiln. hum the
nhore un clonely un xnxille, with itn head
f.n.t Itttt tint jtt.Iililtki Ikl llliira lit ulliltl . " .
...... ..... ........... ." ..... . -....., una uuokh, una other water owl Unit
that it moven, anil there uro men living uUmnd in this section, do not even light
in Uike county who can verify tho fact' inm thu hike, except at the mouth of
thaMt In coiiMantlv on the move. Not freHli-waterntroainn.
', i . ii i i There In a mynteryulno connected with
only the water moven, but tho luku'.j WUKon whlcll lien at the bottom of thin
chuugen United from time to time, mid hike. At the foot of the rim-rocks, ut
in the course of u few decuden truvemen a point where they are several hundred
.iiMi,l..r,il.l.. inrritorv foot "'" ,,"H WUK Nw 'verul feet
coini.lerahleterrltorj. W(Ucr ,mi) Uvn wnj fof n
In thin region there Uu continuous ex- m,r((i u j,, tho XtoM thut ,ho ImliH
jMuuireof mind betls. Thenaiidinof thu inunloitil iiiimigruntn near this point in
finest grain and in of unknown depth. wrly days anil throw the wagon from
It ix.iln.ivH.lrv uh It MH-ins to uuver tn "lK,, above to conceal their
ItlHMluHtir, un it svLiw to no ur, tfrlllc. iui ik, UlIl.y in Portland
ruin to uuiount to uiiythiiig ut thin viegrum.
Golden Eagle Hotel
Rates $1.25 to $2.00 Per Diy
T. T. DANILSON, PROPRIETOR
Sample Rooms for Commercial Men. SUMPTER, OREGON
If
A. P. GOSS, President
GEO. H. TRACY, Cashier
& Bank of Sumpter 3
TriMltU fitMrtl likklkf iImii
Interest Allowed on Time Deposits
Drafts drawn on all parts of the world. Special attention to collections.
Safety Deposit boxes for rent.
SUMPTER, OREGON
,'iiiiWi&iia
....The Elite Cigar Store....
L. HARRIS, Proprietor
Newly remodeled and refitted. Smokers'
resort. We are daily receiving fresh cigars
of the leading brands. No stale goods in
steck:
Hialy Block.
Cor. Granite and Center Sta.
Eureka Feed & Livery Company
H. K. BROWN, Proprietor
Horses Boarded by the day or Month. First
class turn-outs and saddle horses. Our spec
ialty is the quick and safe delivery of freight
and passengers to any and all points.
HAY AND GRAIN FOR SALEHB
THE
Sumpter Forwarding Co.
E. H. HORNER, Proprietor.
General Storage, Commission and Forwarding.
WHOLESALE HAY, FEED'AND GRAIN
Warehouse and office, S. V. Track SUMPTER, OREGON.
DO YOU WANT
Artistic Printing?
THE MINER DOES IT
il