The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-11-02

counties would probably contribute lib
orally as individuals. even if direct aid
could no. be obtained from Pierce county
toward this enterprise
\ private toll road Is ruch better
than no read; but q public high way Is
far preferable, il it can be built. With
wha, can lie obtained from individual
donations, king county is amply able
To make assabIe road over both OF
the routes next summer. aud In two
u three years thereafter to make q per
msLeut macadamized road, passable al
all seasons Of the year. over the Sno-
qualmie Pass. and a plsna and mAcai-
ami5ed road over tie Nachess. The do
ing Of these things would increase the
wealth Of King county at least three
fold. II the matter is not initiated this
winter by petitions. which any one can
get up 40 can circulate, then il will
be almost exclusively proven that there
i tot 4 ci;,1 Of King county enough
Interested III her growth and prosperity
t. take the trouble of drawing and cir
cuiatlng such q petition. aud conse-
queu;iy her citizens do not deserve tue
prosperity they can so easily secure.
Although the present trayel over the
Nachess is so much less than over the
Snoqualmie. ". its amount can be esrl-
mated from the fac. that in two weeks
in October indians and white men took
about one hunired horses over the Pass
to Yakima valley, to say nothing OF Cat
tie, men and horses coming from there
t. the Sound. On coming over the road.
east Of the summit, / met in one day
four white men On horseback and two
parties of Indians with extra ponies,
making in all over 20 horses that day.
Another day met eight white people,
meu. women aud children. some 90 In
dians and 40 horses.
Enough has been written on these
Passes to present the subject fully to
the people Of King county.
GOLD MINES.
Another subject Of interest is the
Tauum or Dumping river gold mines.
These are situated near the summit Of
the main Cascade Range. eight miles
south of the Nachess Pass. at the head
Of the Dumping river, one Of the main
tributaries Of the Nachess river.
The account here presented is from
Mr. VIM Kelly. who worked with Ball
man in the Swauk mines and has given
a great deal Of attention to the mineral
resources Of the Cascade Range. He
is considered one of the most reliable
citizens # Pierce county. Some eight
miles above its mouth the Bumpiug
river forks. The north fork reaches to
the summit In about 80 miles, eight
miles south Of the Pass. 1t is here that
gold placer mines have been found on
the side Of the mountains 1t seems to
have be = l'tt' affect, i : inning wa
ter. The gold shows no signs Of hsv-
ing been washed from elsewhere, but
rather comes from decomposed quartz
that has ro.ted at or near where found,
although wash or float gold is found
down tho river below it the whole
length of the Nachess valley. A man
can make So per day with rocker on
the first large bar III or near the bed IF
the main Nachess river, just below Ed
gars Rock These summit plscers were
first discovered four or FIVE years
ago. For the past tnree seasons MesSrs
Robinson, Nelson. Tucker and Gibbs
have been at work here digging bitches
to bring water for hydraulic mining on
the ground, and in cutting lumber by
hand with wip saw for fumes. sluice-
boxes. &c. 1t was very difficult to get
the water SO high up in the mountains.
and they l4d to bring it from q long
distance. They have whip sawed
fifteen or twenty thousand feet of lum-
Der. and have about completed their
works. They have already taken out
considerable gold. aud it is probable
they may take out next season as much
as $4,000. In some places they find
q feet of pay dirt without reaching bed
rock.
The gold found is unwashed gold, in
creasing in coarseness with the increase
in depth; running all the way from
very fine gold up to nuggets weighing
an ounce. The bed rock is granite. full
of segregated quaetz veins. II reports
are correct. these are the most valuable
placer mines yet found in the Cascade
Range.