The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-01-23
TmE sxAGIr nrxEs.

knowing that many OF our readers
contemplate n trip to tho Skagit Div-
or mines in Washington Territory as
soon aa spring opens, we herewith
publish communication to the Ore
0oniaa, written by gentleman who
has prospectcd That country:
SEATTLE, W. r., Jan. 8, 1880.
have been to tho new mines, and
have trayersed the creeks from their
mouths to the highest claim ut pres
ent located. / will give my story,
what / found, saw and know to be
tho facts, as am well aware that
the columns OF your valuable paper
are perused by all classes Of men,
business men. miners, farmers and
all. ] had read tho reports of differ
ent miners OF tho dangerous river
trip up the Slagit to Goodell's land
Ing, aud then the frIghtful mountain
trail on TO Ruby. found the river
easy travelling, compared with the
idea had formed Of IT, There are
several swift rifles below the portage
which will he the head Of steam nav
igation, and is six miles below Good.
ellis. Four men, who can handle n
canoe In swift water, can pole canoe
with fifteen hundred pounds ol
freight In II from Mt. Vernon, on
the Skaglt, 10 Goodell's in six days.
Many canoes 80 loaded, with two In
dians and two white men, have made
the trip In four or four and half
days. One portage has 10 be made
Of about two hundred yards, while
the empty canoes are hauled with
cords through The swift water. when
the freight Il again loaded and taken
to Goodell's, the head o. c1noc nayi-
gallon. The river from hero Is full
Of tremendous bowlders. rapids, can
yons and falls, until we pass tho
mouth OF Ruby creek. The present
trail from Goodeli's TO Ruby creek is
bad, dangerous In many places; yet
men last summer packed IS, so, 90
and some 100 pounds OH their backs
over the trail. taking three days to
the center OF the campA A trail can
be put from the Portage TO Ruby
creek tor $4,000 fit for pach trains,
and the distance will not exceed %
miles.
q Ruby creek properly skouidInelude
Canyon creek, but now IL Is called
Euby only from the junction OF Can
yoa and Granite creeks, making It
about ten miles lodg. Granite creek
has never beeu prospected, and no
one has yet been 20 the head OF Can
yon. Claims are iot ated about four
miles up Canyon, ana nuggets weigh
ing 81, So and 80 arc found. with
good prospects for fincr gold. From
the mouth of Ruby 10 the last claim
on Canyon. probably fourteen or fif-
teen miles, the prospects are first
class. From one cent b. - have been
taken to tho pan out of the gravel,
while $50, $40 and Sos do.iars have
been found In small crevices on the
bedrock. The bills arc covered with
quartz, wastcland colors have been
found almost on tho summit. The
whole country is covered with quartz
OF fine appearance. It would pay
men who understand this BUSINESS &c
prospect for lodges, rs rocks hos beer
found hero with small pieces of gold
and silver In them. Many pieces o
platinum have been found in tn,
slulces
-Four men rocked ont over A
ounces in five weeks and packed theii
provisions. a company of six clean
ed up at the rate of $II 20 she mar
per day, working under great diSad
: vantages. They think from the pros
, peets their claim will be ut leas
, ounce diggiBgs. Bus little Of In,
surrounding county has been pros
pected. Some good creeks hav,
been discovered, but will not be open
J ed until summer.
There will be two aud perhap
three steamers on the upper rive
this spring, connecting at MI. Yer
non.
/ A company has located townslt
, Mt the portage, tho head OF naviga
tion, and packers arc waiting 70
the trail to be completed so they caI
put on animals to pack TO Ruby creek
Steamers will reach the portage from
A Seattle in two days, and when th
. trail Is finished man can walk from
there in one and half days. Thi
route Is not half the distance the For
> Hope trail will be, and can be travel
: ell two months earlier in the spring
{ There will be great rush by th
, Skagit in February and March.
JAMES Z. WESTON.