The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-10-18
From an IsrzLLIoEscxE Cores Jnientl
ELLESsBURG, kITTITAs VALLEY.
Yakima county. w. T.. +

Yakima county. W. l..
Oct. 6, 1879.
Next 10 railroad over the mountains,
the question Of perhaps the most vital
Importance 70 Seattle is q wagon ROAD
from that place over this pass to the
Kittiras valley. Although this matter
ha, been ID ore or less agitsted for years.
il is Il very long time since any descrip-
ton has appeared in print of the route
or the cost Of making the present cattle
trail o wagon road. Therefore. in cross.
ing. / took considerable pains to note
the various features Of the route and to
consult with persons who had used the
trail the most frequently as to the cost
Of making i. q wagon road. There ex-
lists a good wagon road via Ronton and
Cedar river to Squak valley. 1t is pre-
sumed that but little more will be
needed. besides what is being done this
fall. to make q wagon road from SQuak
valley to Falls City. From there to
the crossing Of Snoqualmie river. oppo.
sta Mrs Lucinda Gordon's place on the
prairie. is q passablr wagon road so
that this wagon road may be said to be
substantially completed for a distance
of AZ miles from Seattle to this point
This crossing Of the Snoqualmie should
be bridged. 1t will cost from three to
five hundred dollars to bridge it here.
From this crossing the road runs
through q level country. with only One
small hill for six miles. Here the road
needs no work done. unless to ditch on
each side and throw tho dirt into the
middle Of the road in some OF the low.
est places. This would cost but triAe;
SO that by bridging the SnoqHalmie the
road is substantially completed for
nearly fifty miles from Seattle. Here
comes ono Of the most formidable obsta
cles on the west side Of the summit. 1t
is a mountain q thousand or fifteen hun
dreh feet high aud quite steep. The
present cattle trail is too steep for q
wagon road. A practicable route ex.
lists where the ascent can be made in
about four miles, and tho present road
along the Hog's-back regained on the
summit. 1t will cost not to exceed five
hun ired dollars to cut out and grade
this new road to the summit of this first
mountain.
The Hog y back is about two miles
long whore the road runs along the top
of narrow crest. which slopes down
each side Of tho road for hundreds Of
feet as steep as railroad embankment
Fifty dollars spent in breaking up
boulders with sleige hammer and in
grading would put these two miles in
excellent condition.
From here to the first crossing Of the
SnOqualm,o it would cost about two
hundred and fifty dollars to fill up
msrshy places. to drain and raise the
rOadbed in wet places. and to break tho
big boulders in rocky places. This
would make what is now the worst part
Of the road substantially good macad-
anixed road.
This would DO completing tue road
half way to the main summit Of the
Snoqualmie Pass, including q bridge
across tho SnoIuAlmie at Gordon's for
thirteen hundred dollars. Here, half
way to the summit. is quite o tract OF
bottom land on tho Snoqualmie river.
that would produce good pastursgc il
cleared. and might raise hay. although
it is 50 elevated. Hero the trail, in
distance Of three miles, used to cross
the Snoquslmie river thirteen times
now it crosses it eleven times. A new
trail 10 cut out around these bends three
miles long that avoids oil these crOssings
but one. This new trail eau be made o
wagon road for Ave hanared dollars, at
most.
From where tho road leaves the river
here to the main summit 1t is some ten
miles. 1t runs along the western slope
Of tho mountain for eight aud half
miles. Hero there are few trees in
the main trail and boulders in some
places. with places where the roadbed
is mashed quite baily, bu, the road i,
on quite u good grade; many small
bridges exist, and It would be but .
small job to clear out what l,t,lo fallen
timber is in the trail. From fifty "a
seventy dollars per mile would be sufii-
cicut TO clear on, tho trail, drain the
roadbed, break the bouldcrs, fill up the
mashed places. aud make . practicable
wagon road to the crossings OF the Sno-
qualmie high up in the mountains,
almos, to the summit. Here the river
il too small 10 need bridging. For
merly, in one mile the trail crossed the
river five times; now II crosses bu,
twice These crossings can be improved
by breaking or rolling out of the way
the larger bonlders III the bed Of ths
stream. Oae hundred dollars ought &c
put this part of the roai in god con.
di,ion.
From the last crossing of the S;.o.
Qualmis il is two ard q half miles tC
the summit of he Pass. Here are
great many boulders in the roadbed; II
some places ell the earth is washes
from around them. while on the summit
the road is wet and needs draining
Four hundred dollars would DC ampl,
TO drain tho wet places. mash the boul.
dsrs and put this part Of the read il
good condition. That is to say, the ex
pendi,urc Of twensy-eish. hundred (,
three thousand dollars would cotapiet.
good wagon road from Seattle to tn,
summit of the Snoqualmie Pass. a dis
lance Of something like IS miles.
On the eastern slope Of the Pass i
would not require over five hundres
dollars TO grade anew the worss portion
Of thu road and put il 10 good condi,io,
to Lake Kitchelas, . distance Of fv'
miles. This lake Is some I've mile
long. Ia coming from the Sound tn