The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-01-17
From the Skagit.
SkAGIr RIVER, Jan. sth, 1878.


Ed. INrELLIoENCER The pioneers
OF the Skagit wilderness are men and
women of education and refinement,
and every trip of the steamer IS adding
70 their number; every day home hunt
ers are made happy by the possession OF
100 acres Of Skagit's fertile soil,
and the plans of half century are
laid along with the foundation of
house, and soon the jungle will fade be-
fore the OK of industry, and a broad
field take the place Of the matted bram-
bic thicket.
One great thing lacking in this val
ley is roads. Our intelligent and in
dulgent road supervisor Mr.. John
Gates has permitted the border settlers
to do their road work on and near their
claims. The results are that ten or
twelve miles of passable roads have
been made along the bank of the river.
The road from the coal mines to the
jam is now disconnected only by about
five miles, there being q good passable
road from the coal mines, distance of
eight niles down the river. If the
supervision of the roads should remain
under such judicious management, the
Skagit Valley would not long remain
such an impenetrable wilderness as it
is A good wagon road along the bank
of the river would contribute as much
to the speedy advancement of settle
ment as the opening of the river to
navigation, aud both are most sincerely
hoped for.
Owing to the frosty weather the riv-
er is unusually low at present. Up the
river ter or twelve miles above the
jau. met considerable floating ice, and
the branches of the trees seemed fairly
breaking under the heavy load of Win
ter's silvery and crystal blossom, chang
ing the verdant mantle of hill and val
ley to the pale and spotless appearance
of the bridal robe.
Claim jumping seems to be the order
of the day in the past few weeks, but l
believe some of the jumpers have got
the worst of it. am satisfied the new
settlers are representing their claims to
the full requirements. of the law, and If
called away from their claims on bust
ness few days they do not propose to
have them jumped and submit to any
such robbery-so jumpers beware.
Several persons have recently heen
out exploring and examining what is
called and known as the Beaver Marsh,
which body Of land has a.: . u, of
about forty-ive square miles and is be-
yond doubt the best land in the Ter
ritory, but it is now lying in such q
shape that it benefits no one, simply
for the want of enterprise. All that is
necessary to make this entire body of
land arabic is to throw up levee. three
feet high. five or six miles long. This
dixie would securely shut off the over
flow from the Sksgit river. Then on
the other side. along the base of the
mountain which borders the marsh, it
would be necessary to dig canal about
eight feet wide by about three feet
deep, nine miles long, commencing
at the head of the proposed levee or
dixie. and running along the base of the
mountain 10 the SAIL wafer. lnlS canal
would cut of all the creeks and drain.
age from the mountain, which is mostly
what submerges this fiat body of land.
For the want of channel. these creeks
spread over the whole area, making it,
by the aid of the beaver. perfect bog
or morsss All that is necessary to
bring this land into utility. is for some
energetic and enterprising man to take
the lead and set the "ball rolling" He
must, of course. be supported by the CO.
operation of all the landowners, who
would be benefited by the enterprise;
and also invite all persons in search Of
land las nearly all this land is vacant)
to come here and locate, and join the
cooperative enterprise. Each settler,
doing small portion Of the work,
it would soon be accomplished, and
would prove to be much cheaper than
the dikirg of tide lands. But this great
enterprise can never be accomplished
without the union or corporation OF
the settlers and owners of these lands.
A leader and organization is the first
move to be made. Who bidsg s.