, 1862-09-27
The Mountain Thoroughfare.

habit of travelling over it. None but those
settled along the road, and more or less de-
pendent upon the travelling public for their
support, profess to entertain any doubts as
to the truthfulness of these representations.
A recent trip over the road with light
spring wagon, impressed upon us a most
painful realization of the fact that, like the
celebrated road over Jordan, it is hard
one to travel. The ascent of the mountain
on this side commences within about mile
of the intersection of the Umatilla river with
the valley, leading over steep, very rocky
and high divide; the mountain being so
difficult of ascension as to compel teamsters
to travel together and double up" even
with moderate loads. This system being
generally adopted in the onset, it must be
continued all the way over the mountain,
distance of about forty-fve miles, as the
occasions for mutual assistance frequently
occur before reaching the Grand Ronde val
ley. 1t is singular and notable fact that
from the Umatilla across to the valley the
road is located over the very highest ranges
of the mountains thus making the ascents
and descents from mountain to mountain
much greater than would otherwise result.
This popularity is no doubt attributable tc
the fact that the route was never laid out
with view 10 a wagon road, but simply &c
an Indian trail, over which the red mon Of
the forest rode and drove tr,eir wil1 stock
IN their mgrations from valley to valley.
Thus employed the road answers very
good purpose. At what is called the sum-
init OF TIE mountain, the traveller looks in
VAN to see any point on either side of him
that rises to anything like the same height
of the one over which he is proceeding with
snail-like pace and exhausted animals and
the same is true of the general location of
the road. Considering the unquestionable
fact that an infinitely better road could be
selected for a wagon thoroughfare to con-
meet the two valleys, the present road can
scarcely be denominated fair pack trail /;
for although by this process of freighting
the wagon is dispensed with, good pack
trail for loaded animals is matter of some
Importance. The road nearly all the way
over is extremely rocky, and especially so
on the hills. We saw several of the heav-
lest style of freight wagons broken down
on the road-scme witch iron axle-trees
broken, and others with wheels literally
crushed-while their freight was heaped in
piles along the road, awaiting the arrival
of other means of conveyance.
We think we may safely risk the opinion
that this road can never become profitable
thoroughfare for freighting into the mines,
the teaming over it at present being justi-
fed only by the enormously high prices
charged for every pound of freight that
finds its way into the mines by this route.
Some have been expecting that the road
would be measurably improved through the
agency of the government, and it is true
that money enough has been expended by
the government to ensure in private hands
the construction of a much better road /;
but it is notable fact that so much of the
government road as we travelled, intersect-
ing as it does the old read is VIGOROUSLY
and undeniably the worst part of the road
over the entire mountain. We passed oyer
that portion of it which has been recently
worked aud pretended to be finished, and
we failed to detect any evidences of an ex-
penditure beyond few dollars in the way
of clearing out rock, and but very little of
this has been done. We were informed by
those who know the facts, that ten men
were employed for the term of twenty days
on the road This service should have in
CURED but small expense; but whatever
amount was expended, it was so much
money thrown away, as the road as at pre-
sent located can never become practicable
thoroughfare for loaded wagons