The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-05-28
SIXTY MILES UP THE SKAGIT

Some two weeks ago Mr. Harkins, o.
Belltown, left here for an extended
tour Of the far famed Sksgit river, re
turning oil Saturday like Mark Tapley
from America, we'll stocked with infor.
nation. A review of his narration oil
the trip IS related to US we herewith
submit to our readers. Being a man oil
sound practical common sense and vel
qualified to judge of the section of coun.
try in question, this will doubles:
prove interesting. He left Sksgit City
i'll q canoe on the morning of the 18th
instant with gentleman from that
place as a companion for the trip
Passing
THROUGH THE JAM,
Across which channel had Just been
opened. the great river apread out be.
fore them with width of some four or
five hundred yards, grand. clear and
majestic Along their right. and at q
convenient distance from the water, lay
a wall of high, tir-tipped bluff land
while away on their left stretched the
low swampy bottoms. brush-clad and
verdant. until they meet the distant
horizon. The general character of the
country remains the same for miles
On the right every now and then the
bold. fir-clad bluffs crop out into view,
and then recede away into the back
ground until they are lost In the dis
lance. On the right is a continuous
stretch of alder aud vine maple bot
tom. with now and then patch of fiji
and cedar. The general aspect of the
country is
ONE PRIMEvAL JUNGLE
And forest For a distance of five
miles above the jam the curling smoke
from numerous settlers cabins and little
green patches of titled Land cheers up
the prospect mostly along the left bank
of the river. They found these early
pioneers resolutely converting the
dreary bottom lands into cheerful gar.
dens and green fields. A mile further
and they reached the great Olympic
marsh. which extends down to within a
mile and half Of the river on the left
and stretches away to the north fur
Their than the eye can reach, including
within its dismal domain one or two
whole townships. 1t is covered for its
entire extent with thick growth OF
swamp grass and common heath brush
too wet and swampy to ever be re.
claimed. Further on, and seven miles
above the last settlers cabin. they found
o white man with an Indian wife occu.
plying q claim. This was the only
white settler they came across on the
river living with an Indian woman
On they went without
SIGN OF HUMAN HABITATIoN
On either side Of the river to relieve
the prospect before them, excepting
now and then an isolated and ill.cou-
structed, and generally temporarily
deserted "batche's shsnty." put up to
hold the claim on which it stood Some
ten of these were passed along the
right bank of the river. and about
fifteen miles made when they reached
Williams hop ranch. located at point
in the river where bluff on the right
comes out To the waters edge, and q
two-foot vein of coal is brought to view
No other settlers are located here, and
the voysgers proceeded another fifteen
miles, where Q settlement of five
I" patches and two families is reached.
Here Mr.. Ross is constructing q small
water power saw mill. He expects to
have 1t in operation in the course of a
few weeks. After going on 10 witbin
five miles Of the mouth of Baker river
they took up their
RETURN TRIP.
There were no other settlers above
those last mentioned. However. they
were told that a settlement of mum
Der of families was located ut the
mouth of Baker river on . very fertile
tract of land. On the way down, and
when within about three miles of the
lam, they passed the steamer Wenat on
ner way up the river. She had Just
worked through the narrow channel
across the great jam, and was the first
steamer to ever float upon the waters
of the upper Skasit. She ran up the
river twenty miles above the jam, and
returned to Skagit City before they
left. The river is very deep and clear
from all distractions for this distance.
but beyond here unnavigable for
ordinary steam craft by frequent abrupt
turns. snags. wind-jams and rapids
Our informant found but little mer'
charitable timber on the route. len
miles above the jam they came across
three mile strip of fine timber skirting
the river banks, and extending back
into the interior for miles. but this was
oil the timber they saw it for milling
purposes. There is much arabic land,
he says, on the bottoms. and deal oil
swampy waste IS we'll.