A Report On Washington Territory Part 21

4. The activity in the lumber business is unabated--is on the increase.

The increase of the lumber mills, that I have mentioned in the first part of this letter, indicates _that_.

The traffic on the railroad, both in logs and manufactured lumber, is much larger than had been antic.i.p.ated, and is increasing. In July the road hauled 2,843,464 feet of logs. September log haul was about ten per cent. greater. I could not get the exact figures to-day.

[Sidenote: Population and freights increasing.]

5. Spokane Falls is still growing very rapidly, and now claims 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants, and is building very substantially. Along the line of railroad on this side of the mountain the country is filling up, of course, with small ranches or home-makers, and those already on the line are making increased clearings, and will therefore have more to ship.

The following shows something of what is being done in July: "Coal freight, 2,750 tons; miscellaneous, 3,090; pa.s.senger traffic, $6,150; and the advance has been about the same as in logs, except on coal."

[Sidenote: Labor strike at Gilman Mine.]

[6. Mr. Whitworth next gives an account of certain difficulties and troubles, chiefly with miners, which ended in a "strike" that was somewhat prolonged, but he thought the men would soon go to work on the company's terms. Of course, the high hopes concerning these mines (Gilman) had not been realized. Mr. W. proceeds as follows:]

[Sidenote: Gilman coal seams.]

On the Smith, or No. 4 vein, we had just got the gangway driven far enough to turn rooms. The Andrews vein we were driving the gangway entirely in the coal, but were not yet far enough to turn rooms. Nos. 1 and 2 veins had gotten, with the gangway, well in under the hill, and was looking very fine, and turning out good coal. With the prospect of No. 4, or Smith vein, and Andrews vein, I am still well pleased. On the vein in Section 26, just across the valley, I have started in a tunnel to open it; have already driven about sixty feet through the rock, and have about seventy feet still to go. This tunnel is still going on, not having been stopped by the 'strike.'

[Sidenote: Progress of the West Coast Railroad.]

The West Coast Railroad is completed to Snohomish City, and trains run regularly, the bridge across the river being completed only about ten days ago. Both pa.s.senger and freight traffic is much larger than antic.i.p.ated. They are grading, and expect to have ready for service yet this fall, five miles beyond Snohomish. Along most of the entire line the timber is very fine and abundant, and a great deal of the land adjacent is rich agricultural.

[Sidenote: Resources of the country along the new line across Cady's Pa.s.s.]

7. Concerning the new line across Cady's Pa.s.s and down Wenatchie Valley.

[After some remarks respecting grades, etc., Mr. Whitworth proceeds as follows:]

On this [west] side of the mountain [Cascade] the timber reaches right up nearly to the summit, as in the Snoqualmie, and the reports are this region is rich in coal, and probably also in iron, with some indications of precious metals. Soon after crossing the divide the line will reach the very rich agricultural valley of the Wenatchie, which is called "the garden of Eastern Washington," and traverse its entire length. And it will pa.s.s within a comparatively short distance of the mineral districts on the northern slope of that range called Mt. Stuart.

I have heard that there were numerous indications of coal near the mouth of the Wenatchie on both sides of the Columbia. This, too, will be the nearest main line to the rich mineral district of Salmon River, or Okanogan, as well as all that northern mineral belt which extends to the Rockies, and will strike the heart of the Big Bend wheat-fields. It will also be eighty miles shorter than the other line. True, Ellensburg and the Cle-ellum district will be missed, but I think this will be more than compensated for by those I have spoken of.

8. Of the progress of the work.

[Sidenote: Progress in building the road.]

On this side of the mountains no work except surveys has been done on this line. At Spokane Falls the bridge across the river, and about forty miles of track is finished, and they are now operating, I believe, with very encouraging prospects. On the Snoqualmie line they are pushing on.

The trains now run regularly to Raging River. The bridge across that stream is not yet completed, but will probably be by the 1st of November, and it is expected that the trains will be running to the Hop Ranch by December 1st.

The branch or spur up Raging River to the Ruffner mine, on Section 16, is located, and some little work has been done, but it is not being prosecuted at present, so I do not expect we will be able to get out any coal from there before next spring or early summer.

[Sidenote: Cable Railway in Seattle.]

Another item showing the prosperity of Seattle, is the opening of a five-mile circuit of cable road to Lake Washington, which occurred last Sat.u.r.day. I will send you some papers giving some items that may be of interest.

[Sidenote: Southern Pacific Railroad supposed to be coming to Seattle Harbor.]

A syndicate of men prominent in the Southern Pacific Railroad management purchased Milton Point, the land directly west, across Seattle Bay, from the town, and are clearing it off, and say they will make extensive improvements over there in the near future. They are building a large ferry steamer, and have a franchise to run a ferry hourly between town and the front. It is to be on the route by December 1st. Report says that the Southern Pacific is coming in there.

At Smith Cove quite a little town is building up, and property is advancing all around there.

REPORT FROM E. A. ROUTHE, ESQ., CONCERNING SPOKANE FALLS, ETC.

SPOKANE FALLS, Oct. 17, 1888.

[Sidenote: Growth of Spokane Falls.]

Our city has progressed in growth splendidly since you were here. There are now fully 13,000 inhabitants. The census of July 1st showed 12,000.

About $1,500,000 have been expended in buildings this year. Eight business blocks of brick and granite have been built this season. One of these cost $150,000. Four of these blocks are three stories, three are four stories, and one five stories.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SPOKANE FALLS, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.]

Forty miles of the Seattle, Lake Sh.o.r.e & Eastern Railway will be completed between here and the Big Bend by December 1st. The iron, engines and cars are nearly all here, and the farmers in Lincoln County are greatly rejoiced at the opportunity for shipping their grain and stock to market.

[Sidenote: Prodigious development of the mining interests.]

The development in the mines this year has been greater than all the work done heretofore. The gold mines near Murray, Idaho, have yielded beyond the hopes of all interested in them. I saw four gold bricks, at the First National Bank, said to contain $37,000. These were from one mine, a South Fork mine of the Coeur d'Alene.

The Kootenai country is now reached by steamer after leaving the Northern Pacific road at Sand Point. A good deal of development work is progressing, and the ore is being shipped out daily. It is mostly silver-bearing galena. A new town just above the British line on the Kootenai Lake has been started. It is called "Nelson." I shall send you some formulated data at an early date.

The crops have been good, though not so good as last year. Emigration to the farming sections does not come in as fast as we would like--in fact, not as rapidly as to the towns. I think it will be better after the election.

REPORT FROM PAUL F. MOHR, ESQ., CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE SEATTLE, LAKE Sh.o.r.e & EASTERN RAILWAY, CONCERNING THE CADY'S Pa.s.s AND WENATCHIE ROUTE.

SPOKANE FALLS, W. T., Dec. 3, 1888.

The following is a report of the proposed line from West Coast Branch to mouth of Wenatchie River:

I. ENGINEERING FEATURES.

[Sidenote: Engineering details of the new route.]

The proposed line will leave the West Coast Branch at a point six miles south of Snohomish City, running east, crossing the Snohomish River on drawbridge at the junction of the Snoqualmie and Skykomish rivers: thence up the right bank of Skykomish on a 1 per cent. (52.8 feet per mile) grade, a distance of forty miles from point of beginning.

Thirty-five miles of 2 per cent. (105.6 feet per mile) grade carries the line to Cady's Pa.s.s and mouth of tunnel. The tunnel will be 3,500 feet long, in granite rock; probably little or no lining will be necessary.

Descending to the east by a 2 per cent. grade, following the Wenatchie River, a distance of twenty miles. Descending and level grades alternate for the next twenty-five miles, where 1,000 feet of tunneling will be required in the divide between the Wenatchie and Chumstick rivers. This tunnel saves eight miles of distance in the following eighteen miles, and avoids entering the box canon of the Wenatchie, a difficult and expensive piece of work.

The development in the Chumstick valley is especially easy. Thence into the Wenatchie valley again, on a 1 per cent. grade, a distance of twenty-seven miles, to the mouth of the Wenatchie River.

A summary of the distances and grades shows a very prettily balanced scheme for operating cheaply and effectively.

SUMMARY OF DISTANCES AND GRADES.