The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-12-13
About Skagit River.
LACONNER, Nov. s, 1877.

LACONNER. Nov. s, 1877.
Ed. INTELLIGENCER:-T has been
much speculation and many theories
regarding the source of the Skasit riv-
or, but little information has been oh.
tanned otherwise than from the Indians.
The head of the Skagit river was term
ed by them . mystic we'll, from the fact
that no person or party ever ventnred
beyond the head of canoe navigation. as
such . venture required some little
courage and determination, and that
supported by physical strength and sx-
periencs in mountaineering. 1t was
not generally supposed that this won
derful river had its source east of the
Cascade mountain range, but it must
now be admitted as q fact, dividing or
running through the range as it does
near the 49th parallel. At this point
the river forks. One fork rises almost
due east from the junction and is about
40 miles in length, and Is very rapid
for about Is miles, after which the val
ley opens out two or three miles wide,
till near the head. where is q basin
surrounded by high hills covered with
bunch grass, with here and there q
scrubby pine tree. The other fork,
which is the larger, rises about fifty
miles north of the British line, running
nearly due south along the eastern base
of the Cascade range, or rather between
the Cascade range and range of low
hill, or q spur from the true range.
This hill or spur range is covered with
q heavy growth Of bunch grass. with
IN occasional growth of small tamarsc
trees The valley 10 two or three miles
wide, with very little timber excepting
mountain cottonwood near the banks Of
the river The soil seems good and the
valley we'll adapted to agricultural pur-
posea, only for its high altitude. The
valley grows gradually narrow until
near the junction of the two forks,
when it narrows down to a deep can.
yon, where the river has two perpen-
dicular falls. one about 80 feet and the
other about so feet high. the latter i'm
mediately ct the junction.
Then passing down the river, about
two miles below the forks is another
wonderful work of nature, the river
passing through tunnel about one mile
IN length. At the upper end of il is q
grand arch about two hundred feet high
BY about one hundred feet wide, fully
two thousand feet beneath the surface
of the mountain. and ON clear morn
ing it presents more the appearance of
= furnace than . subterraneous water
course. It cmits volumes of smoke or
steam 20 dense that one can scarcely
see to travel. but clearing away each
day between ten and eleven o'clock,
that 10 for the three EVENING" l saw it.
In this vicinity, around the forks and
tunnel. game abounds in great quaint
ties. Deer, elk and the black, CHINA
mon and grizzly bear all are very plen-
tiful. There is also an abundance of
grouse, the largest and finest l ever
saw; but the most numerous of all is
the bald eagle. and from the great num-
be. Of them, it may we'll DO called the
home Of the American eagle.
We viii now psss down to the head
OF canoe nAviGation. - there is nothing
worthy Of note. excepting deep. dark
canyon through which the river passes
for the distance Of about 80 miles, being
one almost continuous cascade the en-
tire distance. The lowest pass to .
tributary OF the Columbia is about sew
enty Ave- fest higher than the bed Of
the Skagit at that point-the altitude
being about fifteen hundred. or two
thousand feet above the tide.
About two miles below the mouth of
the oalon 10 the first tributary of i'm
postant sizs below the fork. Here the
valley opens out about two miles wide,
and has some good agricultural lands
and = small body Of good fir timber.
This point 10 about one hundred and
twenty miles from the mouth of the
river. The valley again nsrro~s down,
however. carrying an average width Of
about one mile, with here and there q
few acres Of land adapted to asricul-
turc. and few small bodies Of GOOD
timber for the distance of thirty miles
10 the confluence Of the Cascade river.
This beautiful little stream furnishes
about one tenth of the Skagit's crystal
waters 1t rises in . glacier field on
the summit OF the Cascade range, runs
nearly due vest, and is fifty miles long.
The valley here 10 about three miles
wide. and holds ahout the came width
Tor distance Of thirty miles, or down