, 1876-04-29
Ths Aurthtrn Star.
Canoe Trip to sknrIt River.
SATURDAY, APRIL 80, 1876,

6tk 10 90 aCrOeS tne trall 10 9luKllteO, lntcnu'
ing to there catch the steamer Lib5N 90 to
Utsalady on her. and thence by row boat
carrying the mails, would 90 to Centreville,
and transact my business in time TO return
by the same route. Reached Lowell early
enough TO have time to 60 over the trail
before the Libby would be At Muklteo, were
It not that Mr.. 4. d. Smith had been get
ting ont spars near the end of his logging
road blocking up the end Of the trail, 80
much so that after some time spent in search
ing I concluded It vould not be best to
venture.
Therefore, returned TO Lowell as the
Fanny Lake came in sight, going down river.
Would have been in time for the Libby
then, only the steamer had business that de-
tanned her until noon on the river. Seeing
that she would be too late, put my canoe
aboard reached Priest Point about noon.
Started, as captain of own craft, for the
Stillsguamish reaching Runnel's camp be-
fore dark where l stepped over night.
should have reached the Stillaguamish that
night, only the sea was very rough, canoe
very small and the spray made quite
wet; so stopped couple of hours on the
beach after passing the heaviest seas to
warm and dry beside large fire built on
the beach.
Tuesday morning was very pleasant
reached HATS Slough early in the forenoon
visited Follansbee's and Longs logging
camps, and T. 8. Adams place; returning
to the Slough just after noon. From here
I went up the Slough to Perkins Portage
Two Indians took my canoe on their shoul
tiers, carried it somewhat less than quarter
of mile across the Portage to the stilla-
guamish river. The Slough being branch
of the main river. reached the river about
tour or five miles from its mouth, and about
a mile below tho Jam. l stopped at the
residences of Messrs. Neville, Marvin, Per.
kins, Sly and Goodrich, and reached Cen
treville, near the mouth of river, just before
dark, and transacting the business for which
Icame to the river on my way down.
The next morning concluded to go to
the Skagit There is quite large Slough
reaching from the Stilaguamish to the chan
mel of the Skagit, running just outside of
the dikes, but saving quite a long distance
rs the other route down the river and adjoin-
ing Camano's Island is around an Island form
ed by the Slough on one side, and the main
channel on the other | reached Skagit City
without any accident IN time 10 visit the
Jam. where found some $50 II. had been re-
moved in the past three weeks, or some $50
#. in all, since they began work this spring ;
and returned to skagit City the same even
ing. The next morning Messrs. Gage, Mad
dox, Cochran and myself started down the
North fork of Skagit, i'll row boat, to La
Conner After seeing the people there, find
ing the ranchers very busy putting in grain
ETC., we went over to the telegraph station
across the slough. Here I made the &C..
quaintance of the telegraph operator Mr.. J.,
II. Gilliland, and L. L. Andrews, the store
keeper at the Swinomish Reservation. Mr..
Gililaud was former resident of this coun.
ty, leaving the river for his present business
rs telegraph operator in the employ of the
Western Union Telegraph Co. some 12 years
ago. During oil this time he has been STA
toned at Tulalip, Hatt's Landing and at
his present Office.
There are about one third as many Indi'
ans at this Reservation, opposite La Conner,
as at Tualip. The average number at the
Swinomish Reservation, being about 100 in
charge of supt. John McGlynn. We had
previously met him, and were sorry not to
find him at home. He left short time be-
fore our arrival, for the upper skagit, to
which point he had been ordered by Faith
er Chirouse. TO investigate complaints made
by settlers that the Indians near mouth Of
Baker River, we're very troublesome to the
settlers at Kullom, q settlement some so
above the Jam.
We were very favorabIy impressed with
Mr. Andrews. He is looked upon by all as
truly representative man for that region.
The Indian trade is but small part of his
trade. as he divides with the Caches Bros.
and Mr.. Martin. the trade Of La Conner and
the Swinomish Flats.
We did not succeed in leaving La Conner
before 0 p. NJ. Thursday evening. The tide
was out, so we were long time in getting
over the fats and into the river.
About midnight we reached the residence
of Joseph Maddox, or Esq Maddox as he is
called. We awoke him, obtained lantern,
and walked to the forks of the skagit, stop
ping at D. E. Cages store. Mr. Maddox
is Justice for, the Skagit River Precinct,
Has filed the position for long time Was
one of the first settlers on the river. The
first on the North fork. The Libby and the
Utsalsdy steamer have each assembled the
North fork to his place. Friday | spent on
the South fork until Ilate in the afternoon,
when I started for the Stillaguamish, missed
the North entrance to the slough, between
the two rivers. Went up a blind slough as
for as my canoe would go on the island
outside of the main slough, slipped, fell into
the slough after leaving my canoe; found
siwashes who took me across the main