, 1861-04-04

As VIC stated last week the road party com.
pleted their laborS before the close Of the week,
and svcral Of them returned to town on Sunday
last. They were in good health and excellent
spirits, and elated at the success they met with.
Although the weather they encountered was the
most disagreeable of any we have experienced
for years, they seem to have enjoyed the time
spent on the road. They represent the fund
subscribed as amply sufficient to deffay all ex.
penses incurred, and state that the amount of
labor required was much less than they antici.
pated. The thanks Of the public are justly due
to Messrs. McCaw, Williamson and Tidd for the
prompt and faithful manner in which they dis.
charged the duty assigned to them.
Below We give brief report Of these gentle
men, in which, it will be seen, they state, among
other things, that they found gold along White
River. They conclude by estimating the dis
lance to the summit Of the Pass at eighty five
miles. In this they differ from the actual mca.
surement Of the Typographical Engineers, who
make the distance to the summit sixty five miles
from Steilacoom. An Indian who served as
guide, and who accompanied three of the party
through TO the mines, stated, when on the sum.
init, that the Wenatchee was just two days
travel from the summit making the total time
required from Steilacoom to the mines between
four and five days. Tho following is the report
above alluded to -
STELAcoox, ". T., April Sd, 1861.
To tie Editor Of the Puget Sound Herald:
naa..sua. IA Z, A.. Al Ri ~
should be made by the commissioners appointed
to superintend the cutting and clearing of the
Nachess trail, we respectfully furnish the follow
ing short summary Of our proceedings.
Starting FROM bere at noon, March 18th, we
reached Connelrs Prairie on the evening Of the
goth. There is good wagon road about thirty
miles On the 2lst our work commenced; cut
ting to White River, u miles, and crossing at
POrter's, 0he old crossing) found it rather bad
crossing, owing to large boulders in the river.
Thence we cut on up White River, clearing the
way from day TO day, until the 27th, when, hav.
ing got TO the foot Of the snow, and completed
the trail, we prepared To return. This point is
about six miles from the summit Of the mountain
pass. Wekept on the left or north side Of White
River all the way, after crossing. On the morn
ing Of the 27th we fitted out three Of the party,
who wished 70 60 on to the minea Capt Dayton
and Mr.. Miller proposed 10 accompany them to
the summit, and report as to the snow, &c The
remainder Of the party returned TO Bois creek,
three miles above the old crossing Of White River
where We crossed at Q remarkably good Gro ssng
near Mr.. Flett's claim. Thence we cut a good
trail, this way, to South Prairie, from which there
good wagon road to Fennell's Prairie, (twenty-
Eve miles from Steilacoom) where Il intersccts
the road Travelled going out We would recon-
mend this latter route, and the crossing at BOis
creek, near Flett's as being better than the one
taken going out. 7l
We arrived here on the sOth ult., being absent
twelve days Capt. Dayton and Mr.. Miller ar.
rived two days afterwards, and report the snow
about six feet deep on the summit. They trav-
sled up without snow shoes, packing about 40
lbs each. They leit the party going over in good
spirits, about mile beyond the summit. From
Appearances, the snow Is somewhat deeper on the
east slope Of the mountain.
Incur judgment a good wagon road from here
70 the summit can be made loF the sum Of $4,000
In no instance Is there remarkably long or steep
grades Hea'
We found gold at an points on White River,
IN small quantities.
We compute the distance from Steilacoom to
tho summit at about eighty.fve miles. ~
Pif' t-ss =. McCAw,
aa3 e5s dt3n VIZ. TIDD, linl7 q
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