The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-11-25
THE SKACIT MINES.
MOUNT VERNON, w. T..

OF some interest to your many readers.
Nine Of us left Ruby Creek for Good
ellis. Nov. 10. being the last party out.
There was q inches of snow from
Pierce's Landing On Skagit river to
Ruby Creek, distance of seven miles,
and nearly four feet of snow on the
nertheast slope Of Sour Dough noun
tains. and still showing very hard. At
Goodell's it showed terribly for four
days and nights. but melted nearly a.
fast as It fell. am quite sure had 1t re-
nsined on the ground it would have
been fully Eve feet deep The noun
tains and foothills are perfectly white
~ far Is We could see on every side,
and the trail in those most dangerous
places can be imagined only by those
who have travelled them in the summer
On the 18th of November five new
comers arrived. and we engaged the
Indians who brought them up. to take
Us 70 Mount Verann We started on
the 10th, and on the way down met
twelve men with canoes aud Iadians,
but / think it will bs next to impos.
sibls for them to reach Ruby Creek,
certainly they can do no pro.pec'ing
and unless they pack two or three
weeks supplies with them they are
liable to be showed in any day. and
may be hemmsd in for one or more
weeks. 1t is surely piece Of folly for
men to undertake such trips now. II
men start from Goodel's by the mid
die of February or the first of March
they will find oil the snow and ice they
want, but humans are never satisfied to
take others advice. but have to learn
only by experience themselves. If any
naturalist or lover Of wild, romantic or
beautiful scenery can take the trip
from Ruby Creek to Goodells. over the
snow, and then down the river in a
canoe, over the rushing, foa,ning rap
ids. gliding along through the deep
blue water or just scathing the im.
mense rocks, whose much worn sides
protrude above the roaring water. and
not feel that the scenery is grand.
glorious, he surely should be sent to
Steilscoon-I mean Switzerland. 1t
is one OF the grsndest trips l ever took.
Far away on either side. ahead and
behind us. great mountain peaks.
towering thousands Of feet high. cover
ed with their new mantle Of purest
snow, glisteniug, sparkling. silent mon
archs, milestOnes on the road Of time.
Silent. yet speaking in the most audi
BILE voice the power of Him. the Design
or Of Chsos. the Architect Of Time. the
Builder of Eternity. As the tombstone
marks the resting place Of earths de
parted one.. so the snow capped peak
points. 40 silently. but truthfully, to
the scenes Of earth's conyulsions. as it
were agony and pain. and as walk
over them IN leisure hours. u feeling |
cannot express comes over me- l feel
as if treading on tho tombs of Natures
dead. and ~ raise my eyes to scan
their rugged sides, a feeling Of awe,
mingled with delight. prompts mo to
say, How beautiful Thy work" 1t is
q picture never wearying. to me at
least. The river, dashing itself into
spray against the rugged mountain
sides. or 80 peacefully winding around
some more even point of land, aud
gliding costly. si!outly. for . few hum
dred yards. anl then seeing the rapids
below, as if frightened at its own peace
fulness, it hurls itself among the rocks
and is lost in clouds Of foam and
spray; the mountains on either side as
If circl,ng near to watch the war be-
tween the water and the rocks. their
foothills covered with evergreens peep
ing through the snow. with here aud
there blacksned rock protruding. the
snow Of pursst whiteness. sparkling
with its gems OF frost crystals; and Ms
round each bend III the river new
picture, just as picturesque and grand
as the last. but Of an entirely different
shape, bursts into view. whose gran
dure entirely numbs our sense OF feel.
ing cold. hunger or weariness,
until our canoe CRATES upon the gravelly
bar and we find we are ct the mouth OF
Sachk river where we must camp for
the night. But one or two more glorious
views ere in store for us-todays sun
set on "Annis's Castle" and moon
light scene. both of which must bs seen
to be fully appreciated. Early the
next morning We started. aud arrived
safely at Mount Vernon 1t sundown.
rvady for supper: Il was too bad to
impose upon Mr. McNamara with as
wolfish sppetitss IS we possessed, but
part Of ~ ste 1t the first aud part ct
the second table. 50 they could not
Judge a. we'll how much We required to
I'll that "aching void" Every one
seems to be oil on edge about the
mines; but my advice would be 1t you
have besn there. you had better Judge
for yourself. il you have never been
there Just wait until February loth
ANYWAY. or the 1st Of March. for
mans life is not worth six bits If he
gem caught in the snow up there, or II
he fall. aud tries to slide down Sour
Dough. If it is good weather. this
month would be . good time for men
coi,g in this way to get their supplies
canoed to Goodell's and build caches to
keep it safely until spring, but IN all
proosbility the first supplies IN on
Rubv Creek will be packed from Fort
Hone. ss the old northern traders un-
,iers,sud this business. aud attend to It
when they once begin. There !. one
good place for town site on K"cs ts.
Creek. and it is the moot central TOT
Rnhv and Canyon. It 10 on the bench
around by Duncan M"Donald ana
ps.eh's Several buildings will be put
M there early in the spring ready 10,