AND PACIFIC COAST GUIDE.

155

 

under the general name of the Humboldt
Mountains, intersect the country.

For portions of the distance there is fine
valley land along the stream, ranging from
one to seven miles wide, adapted to culti-
vation, but, as a body, it is inferior to either
the Main or North Fork valleys. How-
ever, the land is a/l admirably adapted for
grazing purposes.

Moleen—is a signal station, 11.8 miles
west of Elko. After leaving this station
the valley presents a changed appearance.
The meadow lands are broad and green,
extending over most of the valley; on the
right the bluffs are high and covered with
luxuriant bunch-grass. Soon the meadows
are almost entirely closed out, and we en-
ter Five Mile Canyon. Through this the
river runs quite rapidly; its clear waters
sparkling in the sunlight as they speed
along, while occasional narrow strips of
meadow land are to be seen at times.

The scenery along this canyon is hardly
surpassed by the bold and varied panorama
presented to our view along the base of the
snow-capped mountains through which the
river and railroad have forced their way.
Soon after entering the canyon we pass
several isolated towers of conglomerate
rock, towering to the height of nearly 200
feet. Leaving this canyon, we find Susan
Valley, another strip of good farming
land, about twenty miles long, by four
wide, bordering the East Fork of Maggie’s

ek. Among the foot-hills of Owyhee
Range, to the northward, are many beauti-
ful, tertile vaileys, well watered by moun-
tain streams, waiting only the advent of
the settler to transform them into produc-
tive farms. Timber is plenty in the ra-
vines and on the hill-sides—suflicient for
the wants of alarge population. Passing
on to near the next station, we cross Mag-
gie’s Creek, which empties into the Hum-
boldt from the north. This stream is
named for a beautiful Scotch girl, who,
with her parents, stayed here for atime “re-
cruiting their steck” in the old times
when the early emigrants toiled along the
river. Itrises in the Owyhee Mountains,
about 80 miles to the northward.

The valley through which the stream
flows is from three to five miles wide and
very fertile. It extends to the base of the
mountains, about 70 miles, and is now
mostly occupied by stockmen. The
stream affords excellent trout fishing, and
game of various kinds abounds on the hills
bordering the valley. Some time since,

a wagon road was surveyed and located up
this valley to Idaho Territory.

From Moleen, it is 11.6 miles to

Carlin—This is quite a busy station,
of about 600 population. Here are located
the offices of Humboldt Division, and
the division workshops. The latter are of
wood and consist of a round-house of 16

| stalls, a machine, car and blacksmith shop.

The railroad was completed to this place
Dec. 20, 1868.

To the south of Carlin, from 15 to 60
miles, are located mines rich in gold, sil-
ver, copper and iron. To the northward,
rich discoveries have been made, extend-
ing to the Owyhee country. In both these
sections new mining districts have been
located, and the attention of experienced
capitalists is being attracted thereto.

Mary’s CREEK—rises three miles north
and enters the Humboldt at Carlin. It
rises in a beautiful lakelet nestled amon
the hills and bordered by a narrow slip o:
fine valley land. The valley of the stream,
and that portion surrounding its head
waters, is occupied by settlers.

Proceeding down the river from Carlin,

 

acs agape

for some distance the green meadows con- |

tinue fair and wide; then thesloping hills
give place to lofty mountains, which close
in on either hand, shutting out the valley.
From the appearance of this mountain
range one would suppose that it had ex-
tended across the valley at one time, form-
ing a vast lake of the waters of the river,
then some mighty convulsion of nature
rent the solid wall asunder, forming a pas-
sage for the waters which wash the base of
the cliffs, which are from 500 to 1,000 feet
high. This place is generally known as
HE PALISADES — Humboldt or
Twelve Mile Canyon, although it does not
possess similar points of interest with

Echo or Weber canyons, yet in many eal
oe

ticulars the scenery is equally grand,

absence of varied coloring may be urged
1 its claims to equality with those
places, but, on the other hand, its bleak,
bare, brown walls possess a majestic and
gloomy grandeur which coloring could not

improve. In passing downthiscanyon, we |

seem to pass between two walls which
threaten to close together ere we shall gain
the outlet. Theriver rolls at our feet a rapid,
boiling current, tossed from side to side of
the gorge by the rocks, wasting its fury in
vain attempts to break away its prison
walls. The walls in places have crum-
bled, and large masses of crushed rocks