The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-10-23

Oct. 6, 1879.
IT, the spring Of 1879 William Elliott
di.coyerei On Negro creek. four miles
west Of the camp or feshastin. lode
OF ciupabar ore in the loadstone which
is found in the serpentine rock. This
cinnsbsr ore is two feet wide on the
surface.
On Wednesday morning. Oct. lst.
bid adieu TO tbs friends at tho Peshss-
tin whose hospi,alities l had enjoyed.
and started down the Peshastin creek
towards its mouth on the " enatchee
river, some lG miles distant. through
snow shoe-top deep.
After leaving the mines the trail twice
crosses and recrosses the stream in q
short distance. Then it goes some SIX
miles down on the east side; then it
crosses and follows the west side about
eight miles, uLti! near its mouth the
crossing is made to 60 down the We
natchec to Miller & Freer's trading post
at Millersburg, situated At its mouth
and Oh the Columbia river.
For the first few miles the snow lay
so thick CD the trail aud the brush in
the bottoms was 30 weighted down by
i: that it was almost impossible to keep
the trail and 90 swiftly. did not ex-
poet 10 go farther than Richard Thomp
sons place that day. under these cir
cumstances. and therefore went along
lei.uroly. After going half way down
tho creek the snow disappeared. and
the weather became warm and pleas.
ant.
On reaching Mr. Thompson's place. at
the mouth Of the Peshastin creek. !
found mono but Indians there. Mr. T.
was at Ellensburg, and would not re-
turn for some days. He was one Of
the first miners and prospectors. and
knew more about that section Of Coun-
try than any one else hence the de-
sire to stop with him and hear his story.
/ did no: wish to stop the rest OF the
day and over night with the Indians,
and the nearest white man's house was
at Millersburg. fifteen miles distant. !
decided to 60 there; so, after eating
large watermelon for dinner, l started
down the Wenatchee for Miller & Freer's
store. reaching there little before nine
o'clock in the evening, after travelling .
few miles more than would have been
necessary il had known the trails.
The mouth Of the Peshastin creek on
the Wenatchcc is distant some forty
miles nearly due north Of the mouth Of
Swauk creek on the Yakima. To go
from one river 10 the other the trail
passes through series Of canyons run
ming nearly north and south.
Above the mouth Of Peshas,in creek
the Wenstchee forks. one fork going
towards the Cady Pass aud the other TO
the Skagit or Wards Pass. Both of
these Passes are frequently called the
WenstChee Pass on this side.
The trading post OF Millersburg is
the farthest up the Columbia of any
store kept by white men. These gen
tlemen were both born in Ashland
county. Ohio. Mr. S Q Miller came to
California in 1853. and Mr. David Freer
This partner) in 1855. They established
this trading post in ls72.
Had the Northern Pacific Railroad
been built over the Skasit Pass, this
would have been the largest town in
Eastern Washington. The timber fol-
lows the foothills to within few miles
OF the place: then the hills aud noun
tains around it are covered ouly with
grass. Surrounded by these hills, o
thousand feet or mere in hight, pro-
tected f,om every chilling blast. is q
beautiful. finely wa'ered. nearly level
tract several miles square. on which
peaches. grapes and fruits of all kinds.
~ we'll Us all other crops. grow in per-
fiction. After crossing the Columbia
river. for one hundred miles to the east
ward stretches n vast plain south Of the
big bend Of that river. on which lives
no white man aud through which runs
no considerable stream. This is almost
an unexplored tract until the Spokan
country 10 reached.
M,llersburs is situated abou, half
way between the Dalles and the British
line. and is about tbirty.fivs miles
northe.s. Of Ellensturg. No steamers
at present run this far up the Colusabia
but it is expected that military post
above this point will cause q steamer to
run here next year.
Only eight white men now live within
thirty miles Of this place. Placer mine,
are found all the way up the Columbus
81, ,ns.l H. L., lsnn
nen,s of tho past three years, IS many
q tive hundred Cinnamon were KEEP,
constantly at work, The Indians have
driven away the Cinnamon. so that now
there are not over sixty in all at work
Moses big reservation is some thirty
miles north Of here 1t embraces re
gion larger thaa the whole State o!
Connecticut, over which lie rules su.
prsme Moses is there now. and refuses
to 90 to Court at Yakima City unles.
Uncle Sam will send q company Of sol
diers to guard him. so that the settler.
shall not kill him. His brother died
Sept. 2ith.
Some may remember the big earth.
quake OF Dec l4,h. 1874. Its center
seems 10 have been Just north Of her.
and near Lake ChelAn. There were q
severe shocks on tina, nigh, and ,h,
following morning. In the store Pill,
Of -four six feet from the stove va
shaken down. 90 that tho dour fell owe
the stove. Goods were shakea of til,
shelves. and . tank Of quicksilver wa
turned over and rolled across the door
Eighteen miles above enough ct th'
aountaiu on the west bank Of the Co
lumbia vas shaken down to dam th'