178 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



on the peak before during my early 

 rambles, but had never thought of it as 

 a possible home. One of my pet dreams 

 had always been of a log cabin, and 

 here was an ideal one, brand new the 

 summer before, and indoors as cozy as 

 could be wished; while outdoors, all 

 outdoors, was a grander dooryard than 

 any estate in the land could boast; and, 

 oh, what a prospect of glorious freedom 

 from four walls and a time clock ! 



Klamath Peak is not really a peak in 

 the conventional sens of the word, but 

 as ' can be seen from the picture, is 

 rather the culmination of a long series 

 of ridges running up from the water- 

 sheds of the north and south forks of 

 the Salmon River. Its central location 

 in the district makes it, however, an 

 ideal spot for a station. I can think of 

 no better description of it than the 

 hub of a wheel with the lines of ridges 

 as spokes, and an unbroken rim of 

 peaks circling around it; some eternally 

 snow c:ipped, and most all of them 

 higher than itself. 



"To the east, a shoulder of snowy 

 Shasta and an unseen neighbor lookout 

 on Eagle Peak; further to the south, the 

 high jagged edge of Trinity County and, 

 just discernible with the glasses, a 

 shining new cabin on Packers Peak; in 

 the west, behind Orleans Mountain 

 with its ever watchful occupant, a faint 

 glimpse of the shining Pacific showing 

 with a favorable sunset; and all in be- 

 tween, a seeming wilderness of ridges 

 and gulches, making up what is said 

 to be one of the finest continuous views 

 in this western country. 



' ' However that may be, it was certainly 

 a never-ending pleasure to search its 

 vast acres for new beauties at every 

 changing hour, from sunrise to sunrise 

 again. 



"Added to the view was a constantly 

 spreading, gaily tinted carpet of flowers 

 to the very edges of the snow banks. 

 These all summer and then the gorgeous 

 autumn coloring on the hillsides later 

 on, when the whole country seemed one 

 vast Persian rug. 



"Bird and animal life was also very 

 plentiful, filling the air with songs and 

 chatter; coming to the doorstep for 

 food, and often invading the cabin 



itself. I positively declined owning a 

 cat on accoimt of its destructive inten- 

 tions on small life,— a pair of owls 

 proving satisfactory as mouse catchers, 

 and being amusing neighbors as well. 

 Several deer often fed around evenings; 

 there was a small bear down near the 

 spring, besides several larger ones whose 

 tracks I often saw on the trail; and a 

 couple of porcupines also helped to keep 

 from being lonesome, by using various 

 means to find a way into the cabin at 

 night. 



"All these animals being harmless, it 

 had never been my custom to carry a 

 gun in so-called western fashion, until 



%^>:i:^**^ 



The Arrival of the Very Necessary Water 

 Supply, Showing the Method by Which 

 Supplies Were Taken to the Top of 

 THE Mountain Where Miss Dag- 

 gett Was Stationed. 



one morning I discovered a big panther 

 track out on the trail, and then in 

 deference to my family's united request, 

 I buckled on the orthodox weapon, 

 which had been accumulating dust on 

 the cabin shelf, and proceeded to be 

 picturesque, but to no avail, as the 

 beast did not again return. 



"At many of the stations the question 

 of wood and water is a serious one on 

 account of the elevation; but I was 

 especially favored, as wood lies about 

 in all shapes and quantities, only wait- 



