, 1861-03-08
Letter from the Yakima Country
RIcH'D LANE, Sec'y.
YAKIMA VALLEY, March ! 1861

ANNA ALLEY Marcn i, 1851
DEAR SlR:--The necessity of road con.
meeting the seaboard of Washington Terri.
tory with this section Of the country has
been apparent for number Of years; and
the recently discovered gold mines on tbe
Wenatchee, the Clearwater, and other
streams emptying into the upper Columbia
urge this subject with renewed force upon
the attention Of the people Of this Territory
We had hoped that the late Legislative
Assembly, in accordance with the recon.
pendation Of Governor McGill made in his
message, would have taken some efficient
action in the premises, but it seems that
questions of more vital Importance such AZ
the removal of the Capital, the granting Of
divorces, the election of Public Printer,
&c, took up the entire time of that august
body: and il now becomes the duty of all
those citizens who feel an interest in the
welfare Of this country, and tho develope-
ment of its resources, to take the matter in
hand themselves-and for this purpose we
beg a small space in your columns, wishinp.
to lay facts, connected with this enterprise
before the public We have here, east Of
the Cascade Mountains, vast region of
country, which for grazing and stockraising
purposes, cannot be surpassed by any on
the face of the earth The time is fast ap-
preaching when we will have an annual sur
plus Of about thirty thousand head Of
beef cattle, which number, we confidently
belive, might even be doubled or tripIed, il
market could be found for the same. The
question now arises, where can q market be
found ? Some say in the Northern mines.
True, the demand will be large, but we
know that even should the most sanguiue
expectations about these placers be realized
they will not afford market for one quar-
ter Of the cattle which will be raised in
these eastern valleys. Bnt now let
US suppose that o good practicable road
was opened between some point on the
Sound and the Upper Columbia River, and
we thereby euabled>to drive our stock to
sea port, where the vessels Of the different
nations, trading in the Northern Pacific,
might come for their outfits. Such road
would build large slaughter houses and
beef packing establishments on the Sound
afording employment for hundreds, or even
thousands of laborers, and the idea Of i'm
porting salt beef from California, would be
treated as ridiculous.
Trade 10 this upper country, for the last
six years, has been steadily on the increase
amounting now annually to no small sum.
But who receives the benefit of this trader
Certainly not our fellow citizens, on the
Sound, to whom they rightfnly belong, but
the people of neigboring State. The sup
plies for the miners and farmers, east Of the
Cascades are mostly bought in Portland,
shipped at ruinous prices by steam 10 the
Dalles and from there hauled, or packed to
their respective destinations. 1t is fact
not generally known that these goods, when
at the Dalles, are as fur and IN some H.
stances, ercT further from The mines Than
l0hen stored in Olympia, Steilacoom, or Sc
attic, or some other ports on the Sound
This road when once built will save large
sums, heretofore paid in the shape of
freights paid to Transportation Company
Of another State, will enable the poor settler
who wishes TO emgrate to the Yakama,
the Walla Walla, or any other valley east
Of the Mountains, to do so at comparatively
small expense, and will be Instrumental in
opening the country through which it runs,
for settlement.
Your readers, Mr. Editor, will say that
this is all very fine but can the thing be
lone? We say--it can. We propose to
ocate this road as follows:-From Olym-
oa, or Steilacoom up the Nisqually, or
Skookum Chuck, which latter stream heads
his side of the main ridge of the Cascade
Mountains, and runs through the Me-on-wa
gap, IA miles south Of Mount Rainier:
through this canyon or gap, and down the
Atahnam River to the Yakima, from
whence any direction can be taken.
This road we believe to be perfectly
;-the distance is about ITO
niles. The gap is low and represented as
icing free from snow nearly tho whole year
ound and therefore passabe at all seasons.
This road was explored several years ago
rom the western side up to the mouth Of
he Neon wa, and the Indians and several
1hte men, who have been through, tell me-
hat there is no obstacle Of aserious nature
n this side We intend to explore thor~
ughly the road ourselves, as soon as tho
pring opnes, when we will again trouble
ou on this subject.
Respectfully yours,
Mooh- MOOL