, 1878-06-12
TIE NOOTSACK RIVER.
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION or THE
WHOLE RIVER WILEY.

Last week and the week before ac-
counts were given of IL trip over the mort
hcrn part Ot Whatcom county, with u
special description OF the upper Moot
sack settlement and the settlements
around Semn',moo Bay There remains
10 he given IL general description of the
Nootsack valley, to completely describe
that section of country.
The Nootsack river drains that pant
ot Whatcom county situate north of
Brllingham Bay and west Of Mount
Baker. The liver heads in that sublime
mountain peak. This noble mountain
peak, white with eternal snow, is to the
scenery of Whatcom county what Mt.
Rainier is to Pierce county scenery.
The snow melting IN summer from its
surface is what keeps up the volume ot
water IN the Skagit, Sainish and Moot
sack; all these rivers drain its surface.
Its eastern and southern surface are
drained by the Skagit, while The Samlsh
drains the region between the Skaglt
and the Nootsack.
The Neotsack is about as vide as the
Snoqualmie; Its current is swift and its
channel of uniform depth as compared
with other Puget Sound rivers.
Until recently the whole river was
iamed. 50 as to prevent the passage even
of canoes.
Like many other streams, the Indians
gave different names to different parts of
the river; the Lummi being the name
given to that part which emptles into
Bcllingham Bay. The river forks some
six or seven miles from its mouth; the
fork that flows into the Gulfot Georgia
retaining the name'of Noetsack.
Within the past two years subscrip
tion was raised ard the Lum'ni river
cleared ns well as tho Nootsack above
the Lummi to Clark's crossing, thenortb
fork or lower Nootsack proper, still be-
ing closed by jams so as to be impossible
Judge Plaster took out this jam. The
amount raised was less than $500. The
lam WAS about one mile long.
From Clark's crossing to the Linden
settlement the river is easily navigated
nearly all the way, with the exception
of one iam that will probably be re-
moved this summer, that is couple
hundred feet long. A canoe passage ex'
lists through it now. 1t will not cost a
great sum to remove l., whenever Il
steamer is ready to run that tar up the
river. With it removed steamer could
90 regularly to Linden the year round;
distance of 90 miles up the river. A
couple of miles or so above Linden ex-
lists very formidable jam, about one
half mile long that completely closes
navigation to the region above. j, A.
Chapman offers to cut II steamboat pas
sage around it, 80 feet wide, Tor $500,
and Mr.. Moultry offers to donate $50 vi
that amount, so there is but little doubt
this obstruction will be removed by fall
in time to ship by steamer the potatoes
and other crops raised there.
The postofliccs on the river are, Lum-
mi, on the Lummi Indian reservation
near the mouth of the river; Trudder in
the Ferudale settlement, kept by Mr.. g.
A. Rogers Mt his store at CIark'5 eros
sing; the Linden postoflice, kept by Mr.
,Judson at his house in the Linden set
Element, and the Nootsack office kept at
Mr.. Moutry's store at the upper crossing
Messrs. West and Pitchlord arc max
ing arrangements to lave large stream
Touring and saw mill in operation near
Clark's crossing this summer. The
Touring mill was formerly IL operation
on Chambers creek, near Steiacoom, in
Pierce county. The Amethyst brought
the saw mill up from San Francisco
When run to Its fullest capacity it will
be capable of cutting 10000 feet per day
At first it will be run only to supply
local orders
The people have to pay in increased
ireights each year some three or four