A Report On Washington Territory Part 1

A Report on Washington Territory.

by William Henry Ruffner.

PREFACE.

The matter of this Report on Washington Territory is so arranged that the reader, by referring to the table of contents, can turn at once to any particular topic. The report is divided into six chapters, to wit:

_First_, Itinerary, which mentions briefly the places I visited, and the dates.

_Second_, A General Account of Washington Territory, which includes something of its History, its Location, and its great Pacific Market.

Under the last of these heads is given a large body of facts which will surprise any one who has not studied the peculiar commercial advantages of our Pacific States, and above all, of Puget Sound. There is also given some account of the topography, climate, soils and natural vegetation, with special stress upon the great forests of the Puget Sound basin. The lumber industry is next described, followed by a somewhat full account of agricultural products, especially those of the Great Plain of the Columbia River. Finally, in this division, something is said of the available labor of the country.

_Third_, Geology of Washington Territory. In one division I endeavor to give the Historical and Structural Geology of the Territory, and in another division I give the Economic Geology. In the latter I describe the beds of coal, iron ore, granite, limestone and marble, and also the ores of the precious and base metals as they have been discovered in all parts of the Territory.

_Fourth_, the special interests of the Seattle, Lake Sh.o.r.e and Eastern Railway are discussed. I begin with Seattle, to show its advantages as a terminus. I then say something of the terminal property owned by this Company, and of the suburban interests of many kinds, such as residences, parks, gardens and industrial works which are likely to grow up along the first twenty miles of this railway. I then take up the great timber interest along the line, which, in its magnitude and value, will give this road pre-eminence over all others. The agricultural products along the line are next spoken of. I then take up the great coal interest which will minister so largely to the road--an interest whose magnitude can be readily inferred from the fact that this railway will pa.s.s through, or near, five and perhaps six distinct coal fields between Puget Sound and the Columbia River. I next show the advantages which this road will have in the development of the great magnetic iron-ore beds on both sides of the Cascade Mountains, and also the remarkable juxtaposition of ore, flux and fuel, which are found in the Snoqualmie Valley. Attention is also called to the business which is likely to arise from the limestones, marble and granite for building and monumental purposes. Finally, I call attention to the great advantage which this road will have, or, at least, may have, in controlling the large and increasing business connected with the mines of precious and base metals, which are being opened north and east of this line.

_Fifth_, Cities and Towns are briefly noticed which will, or may, bear an important relation to the Seattle Road.

_Sixth_, a supplementary chapter, giving latest information.

W. H. RUFFNER.

LEXINGTON, VA.

ITINERARY.

[Sidenote: Great Plain.]

[Sidenote: Cascade Mountains.]

[Sidenote: Hop Ranch.]

I entered Washington Territory, by way of the Northern Pacific Railroad, on the morning of October 27, 1887, coming first to the valley of the Spokane River, and spending the entire day in traversing the plains of Eastern Washington, reaching Pasco Junction a little after nightfall. I crossed the Cascade Mountains on the Switchback, and arrived at Tacoma about noon of the 28th, at which point I took a Puget Sound steamer, and landed at Seattle about four P.M. the same day. The next morning, accompanied by Mr. F. H. Whitworth, engineer, and Mr. F. M. Guye, I went out on the Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad to the end of the road, near Newcastle, where we took horses, and reached Hop Ranch, on the Snoqualmie River, the same night.

October 30.--Proceeded up the south fork of the Snoqualmie River, and reached the engineers' camp near the top of Cascade Mountain, at Snoqualmie Pa.s.s. Distances by rail and by wagon road: Seattle to Coal Creek, near Newcastle, twenty miles; Coal Creek to Squak Valley, five miles; Squak to Falls City, ten miles; Falls City to Hop Ranch (or Snoqualmie) six miles; Hop Ranch to Engineers' Camp, twenty-six miles; Camp to Summit, five miles.

[Sidenote: Snoqualmie Pa.s.s.]

The railroad on which I left Seattle is a narrow-gauge coal road.

Between its terminus and Squak Valley is a high mountain spur. The proportion of cleared land along this whole line is not large in comparison with the forests of evergreen timber, but there are many farms of great fertility, some of them large. The timber increases in quant.i.ty and size nearly to the top of the mountain. On these points I shall speak fully hereafter. My object in thus hastening to the Cascade Mountains was to make my observations first at the point where I was most likely to be interrupted by bad weather. I found the engineers, headed by Mr. Thompson, busily engaged in making the location of the railroad, beginning at Snoqualmie Pa.s.s (the summit), and working westward and downward, so as to connect with their finished work in the neighborhood of Hop Ranch.

[Sidenote: Guye Mines.]

[Sidenote: Mt. Logan.]

Spending the night of October 30 at the camp, I went next morning to the Guye Iron Mines, which were one mile from the line of the railroad. The outcrops of ore and limestone lie high on a mountain, which I named Mount Logan, in honor of General T. M. Logan, who seems to have been among the first of the Eastern men to put faith in the resources of this remarkable region. I returned in the evening to the engineers' camp.

[Sidenote: Denny Mine.]

The next day, November 1, I spent visiting the Denny Mine, two miles from the railroad line, and also high on a mountain, and again returned to camp. The Chair Peak Mine (also called the Kelley Mine), thirteen miles distant from the railroad, and Guye's Mine on Middle Fork Mountain, six miles distant, I did not visit, owing to want of time.

[Sidenote: Salal Prairie.]

[Sidenote: Moss Bay Co.]

November 2.--First rain. We returned down the mountain, and stopped for an hour at Salal Prairie, where we found a large camp occupied by the employees of the Moss Bay Iron and Steel Company, of England, who expected to build iron furnaces on this admirable location.[A] This night we spent at Hop Ranch, a description of which is given hereafter.

[A] This wealthy company has since determined to establish its works on Lake Washington, at Kirkland.

November 3.--Spent the most of this day in examining the c.o.king coal beds on Snoqualmie Mountain, three miles from Hop Ranch, and reached Falls City that night, pausing by the way to look upon that wonderful sight, the Snoqualmie River Falls, 267 feet high.

[Sidenote: Raging River.]

November 4.--Left the line of the railroad and went up Raging River ten miles, where I visited the coal openings, and spent the night at the miners' camp. The Raging River valley and mountain-sides are covered with large timber.

[Sidenote: Gilman Mines.]

November 5.--Descended Raging River valley six miles to the line of the railroad, which we followed to the Gilman Coal Mines, on Squak, pa.s.sing a bed of ochreous earth, which might have value for paint, and may lead to a bed of iron-ore.

At Camp Gilman I looked at all the openings which were accessible, and observed the preparations making for large mining. Spent the night at Tibbett's in Squak Valley, two miles distant.

November 6.--Returned to Seattle.

November 7.--In Seattle.

[Sidenote: Blakeley Mills.]

November 8.--Crossed Puget Sound to the great Blakeley Lumber Mills, and also examined Mrs. Guye's large collection of the minerals of Washington Territory.

November 9.--Made short excursions in and around Seattle, including a trip on the Seattle, Lake Sh.o.r.e and Eastern Railway, fourteen miles out.

[Sidenote: Wilkeson Mines.]

November 10.--Went to the Wilkeson Coal Mines, where I found the only c.o.ke ovens I saw in the Territory.

November 11.--Returned to Seattle by way of Tacoma, where I met Mr.

Peter Kirke, the partner and agent of the Moss Bay Company, who is preparing to erect a steel plant; but whether he intended to build at Salal Prairie or at Cle-ellum, I could not ascertain. In fact, I am not sure that he had then determined in his own mind.

November 12.--Excursions around Seattle, especially around the borders of the lakes.

November 13.--The first Sunday I have been able to observe like a Christian.