The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-11-02
On THIS SIDE AGAIN.
From the Kitsitas valley, over the
seriplion OF the Nachess Pass.--The
Tanum River PIacers.- The POr.
ter's Prairie Country, etc.
OLYMPIA. Oct. -. 1879

rFroa an .srELL;CEScEz Correspondent
OLYMPIA. Oc.. -. 1879
B-,meeu Hanging Rock and the
summit about one-third Of the way The
read is in god condition. while there
are some twenty miles Of the trail 81
blocked up by fallen timber as to
destroy almost every vestige of the
road. After leaving the corral the rise
begins that takes one by regular grades
70 the summit Here are some six
miles Of good wagon road. all graded.
free from fallen timber, and most al of
it in good condition. There are some
three miles Of nearly level road on the
summit. From there to Greenwater
down the west side the road is cut out,
but it is altogether too steep for loaded
wagons to go over. No one has an
idea how steep i! is until they go down
it. To make a wagon road here would
require five thousand dollars, for rev
grade wo1ld be necessary. From here
substantially lew road. on q new lire
between Sugarloaf aud Mud Mountains,
running north of Quartz Mountain,
should be cut Out t. Vanderbeck's place
This would cost $4,000, when it
would run over a comparatively levi
country and avoid the mud Of Mud
Mountain. Now. in less than niue
mile, the trail crosses the Greeuwatcr
fifteen times. 1t runs much of
the way lear the forth bank If Nhite
river. but does not cross it.
In 1853 the people who afterwards
settled in Pierce and Thurston counties,
among whom were nearly all the Old
settlers of the Puyal.up Wiley, cut a
wagon road over the Nacbess Pas, and
brought Ia il wagon teams, families,
&c, across the mountains to this place
At the time Of tie Indian war of 1855
and sc this Pass was adopted by the
General Government as a military road
and kept open for some tune. A good
road was made from the Yakima valley
with good grades, over which "A loaded
wagon could be hauled to the summit.
The mountain part up the summit is
still III good condition. 1t would take
$1,000 to make this a good read from
Yakima CITY Ia thgSnmnit
This route is said to be much more
dry in early summer than the Snoqual-
mic Pass. aud it would probably always
have been kept open as a wagon road
were it not tor the very steep grade
from the summit down the west side of
the mountain to Greenw alter. which is
almost impossible for wagons; yet steep
and almost impossible as the present
grade is, it is far easier than the one
first cut out and used by the early pio-
neers. who were willing to risk anything
TO secure homes on Puget Sound. 1t
does not seem possible that wagon teams
could ever have come down the grade
first used, as it is so nearly perpendicu-
lar that man or beast can hardly tind
footing
From the Green alter to Nanderbe
q person rarely sees the old road there
is SO much falle1 timber upon it. 1t
would cost $40, 900 TO cut out and pro-
perly grade this road through from
Porters Prairie to the summit. In
other words. $25, 200 on this route would
go as far towards building wagon road
over it to Yakima City as $1,000 would
on the Snoqualmie Pass 10 Ellensburs.
Much Of this route runs through coun
try where there is little rock, and ives,
of the summit there is deeprich soil.
which is a mass of mud in winter 1t
will require plank road, if one is ever
opened through this region East of
the summit, rock for III Acaiamizing can
be obtained cheaper than plank. To
macadamize or plank all the wet parts
Of this road and cut out and regrade it,
So rs to make good road at all seasons
of the year. would cost upwards If $50
600. while it would cost $50, coo to do
the same work for the Snoqualme Pass
route
The Nachess Pass is to the Yakima
valley what the Snoquslmie Pass Is to
the kittitas. There Is about ten times
as much travel over the Snoqualmie
Pass as over the Nache-s. and with good
roads the travel would b. increased at
less: a hnndreifold
Will, il wuuld cost con sid bic sums
OF money 10 open these Passes. it doe.
not follow that II woul! not b advisa-
Die II expcnd small sums each year TO
al . l..
were spent on the Nache,s Pass This
put 1t il a condition 80 that wagons
could come over. Evea il there IS no
good rnad. th.se Passes vii! be used for
wagons 10 cross rs lon. as j. is possible
10 get over them.
The N.chess Pass is used as much or
more by the people Of Pierce aud Thurs
ton counties as By those of King ooeuty.
Ia fact. the people Of Porters Prairie
complain tia, Seattle does not wish to
see that Pass opened to travel, because
it will benefit other towns more than
Seattle. This is undoubtedly an unfair
judgment.
Ten years agn. With no settlers in Kit
;itss valley and bat few In Yakima. the
chances wets slim ior keeping thess
Passes open. Should King county pc,
this road in good condition tn the sum.
NIT next summer. the people Of kitti,as
valley would complete the eastern end
Of it. AID the ciiixees Of Yakima valley
would DO the same for the Naches, route.
On the western side Of the N.chess Pass
the citizens of Pierce aud Thursson