Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-08-20

NO. Al.
country not sdsPted 10 ee.tisssss esltivaa;sA.
There ere aboat ffty miles Il uasaltivabls
country Cascade Rapsr) betwrea ths nj.
Columbia and Puget Sound. Fssa Bsssh-
enridgs Ion tie Rsa ris~ of shs nostA1 10 IL
divide of the Rocky Mou.tsiss. he sssts
passes through strictly . ealtivabls eemszy,
capable Of eootinnoss ssttlsnsnt s1eefe fot
about $50 miles, in three several sections Il
about equal length. Thss in the vhsle dis
tancr from Breeksoridss to Seattle, die.
tancs Of l,544 miles. the route passes through
only about 320 miles Of uncultivabls country.
East Of Breckenridge. to St. Paul on Lake
Superior. the country 10 exceedingly rich and
inviting to the settler
The foregoing extract gives $40 miles Of
uncultivable country from Lake Superior 70
Seattle on Puget Sound. by way Of Snoqual-
moo Pass, a total distance of /, $50 miles; but
taking the railroad down the Columbia river.
the fifty miles crossing the Cascade Noun.
tains will be dispensed with, reducing the un-
cultivablc area to 270 miles, and at the same
time adopting more popular, profitable. easy
and servicesble route.
DR.. Evans. in his recent geological exami.
nation Of the interior country, (along the
Northern railroad route,) has demonstrated,
by repea,ed analysis Of the soil. that 1t has all
tie elements reqxired for crops. He saysthat
the parallels Of the region whose waters
dow into Clarke's Fork there is limestone on
both sides Of the Rocky Mountains. and west.
ward, nearly to the great bend Of the Oolum-
bia." But in his examination further south,
along the head waters Of Snake river. he de.
scribes the formation Of country as composed
Of trap and basalt, the soil being sterile aud
unfit for cultivation.
The reports of DR.. Evans are substantially
by the following extracts from
Lieut.. Mullan's report. In speaking of the
Flathead country 10 sayss " The valley and
slopes are well timbered with an ex.
csllent growth Of pine, which is equalin every
respect to the well known and noted pine Of
Oregon. The advantages. therefore, pos.
scssed by this section, are Of great Importance,
and offer great inducements to the settler.
Its valley is not only capable Of grazing i'm
mense bands Of stock Of every kind, but is
also capable Of supporting dense population.
The mountain slopes on either side of tho
valley and the land along the base Of the
afford at all seasons, even during
the most severe winters, grazing ground in
while the mountains are covered
with beautiful growth Of pine. The provis4
ions Of nature here are, therefore, on no small
scale, and Of no small importance. Can it be
that we should have 10 near our Pacific coast
fertile sections Of country Of hundreds Of
thousands of acres that will remain forever
untitled. uncultivated, totally neglected 1t
cannot be. But let connection, and thatthe
most direct, be made between the main chain
Of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific
and it can be done-and soon will these ad-
vantaees necessarily thrust themselves upon
public attention, and open 10 the industrious
and pcrsevering, avenues to wealth and pow
er. Again, this secaion cohhects with ahothef
Of equal, if not superior, Importance, that Of
the Ceur d'Alene country, which connects
directly, bya beautiful section, with ths
country at and near Walla Walla; thus show.
ing that from the main chain Of The Rocky
Mountains to tho mouth Of the Columbia, vi
possess rich. fertile, and productive area.
that needs but the proper means and measurep
to be put forth aud inarfally employed, to b
turned to public and private benefit. Look
ing back upon our route, We saw we had FOL:
lowed Bitter Root river to ito head. which We
found from its mOuth to Be hihcty.avs miles
long. flowing through wide and beahiifai
valley whose soil is productive; vsll timtered
with the pine and cottonwood. but whose chief
characteristic and eapability il that Of srssing
largs herds Of cattle. and aAording exeellnt
mill-sites along the numerous streams 6owiaf
from the mountains. The whole eountsy i
formed Of series ef mountainous range q
ridges. with their intervening valleys. all of
which are well dr6nsd and marked. the d.
composition and washinss Of The rocks a thS
mountains giving ehassetes to the soil q ths
valleys which nay b. s<s.sa - - gssssat
thing t&stiIe. TAse sessissiesl sss.aiisa slssg
~ JeassssA Fsrk e ssissaay u ~ Alisss:
~ saA hs rsinsiPsl tsibsssiss sss b.ssesss
ard snaslsesisss seek. fssa H. sa,eS
eaIlxd the Ssaks liver divids, seuahvasa u