Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-29
SKAGIT.
A Letter from Two Sacramento Men Who
Tried to Get There.

A Letter from Two Sacramento Men Who
Tried to Get There.
G.. E. Bates and H. B. Ulman, who say
they are from Elk Grove, in this county,
write from Fort Hope, British Columbia,
to the RECORD UNION the following letter.
Mr.. Bates, in a private note, says the in
formation he gives concerning the mines
he has from authority which he believes to
be reliable
FoRT HOPE (B. c., May 6, 1880.
Leaving Fort Hope for Skagit, on the
18th of April, we started to sleigh to the
mines, but the snow had commenced to
break up and the trail was rough. Two
weeks found us about thirty miles from
Hope, having abandoned our sleighs about
five miles before, and commenced to pack.
This soon told on us, and we concluded to
raft down the Skagit. We built a raft
May Sd, the 4th we launched it at 9 A. NJ,
and were soon sailing at the rate of about
twelve miles an hour. We struck jam
in the river, and our raft (which was 25
feet long and 10 feet wide) was upset as if
it had been feather in the wind, and one
of us Oh. B. Ulman) was caught beneath
it, and was being carried under the raft,
when the other &c. Z. Bates, seeing
his danger, let everything go, and
called for help from others. The
raft was slowly but surely going be-
meath the jam just as T. Chadwick of San
Jose returned to where we two were in our
perilous situation, and by his help we were
saved, but without food OF any kind and II
miles from the nearest place of habitation.
Now II miles might seem short over some
of our California roads in the valleys, but
it was IS hours of the hardest travelling
we have ever travelled, and over most of the
trail we were without guide of any kind,
passed over, leaving the crust without
marks. At 10 the next day we arrived at
Lake House with one bundle of blankets
we had saved from the wreck. Here we
partook of refreshments and rested three
hours and started back for Fort Hope,
distance of IA miles, over a road
that was covered with brush and trash.
The rain and snow which fell all day, added
to the beauty ~ of the road, enabled
us to arrive at Hope almost on run. Dry
clothes were procured, and we were as
happy as sheep in clover field. Skagit
river has it head waters about twelve miles
from Fort Hope. The river one must trail
to the mines distance of about sixty
miles Ito Ruby creek). Lightning creek is
ten miles above Ruby, and Devil creek is
between the two. The trail is now almost
impossible, as the snow is melting and the
streams are all high. There will be but
little show to get to the mines before
July. The mines, so far as | can learn,
are fine. Mr.. Robinson, the discoverer of
them, is here now, and he says it will be
fully August before they can be worked.
The gold is fine on top and coarser as you
60 down, but as soon as you break through
the surface the water runs through upon
you and makes it almost impossible to
mine. Three men came in to-day who say
they have done well all winter there, and
until the snow commenced to melt and run
them out While the snow remained firm
the water was low Indians will COM
mence to pack over this trail as soon as it
is opened at 81 cents per pound from here to
the mines. The route via Seattle we know
but little of, and wish to know less, as
you sail ON steamer up to canoe travel, and
then by canoes to the packing trail, which
is Is miles up a mountain side. About
April AfVn u parry VI tWelVe HIGH slalte
down Skaglt river in canoe from the
mines. Six of the party were splendid
swimmers and six could not swim. The
boat was manned by white man of con-
siderable experience ; but experience did
not save them, as the canoe was capsized
and the six good swimmers struck bravely
for shore and were not seen again, while
the six that could not swim chung to the
canoe and were fortunately saved. This
narrative we have from one of the party by
the name of Thompson, who is now at New
Westminster. He feels very sore over the
loss of his comrades.
Fort Hope is situated on the Frazer
river, about It's miles from Victoria. 1t
has population of about 100 at present
great many Indians, and the others con-
sist of about forty miners bound to Skagit
as soon as the trail is open. There are two
hotels here. one of which is kept by G.
Galloway, an old forty miner of Sacramento
county. We hope through the columns Of
the SACRAMENTO WEEKLY UNION to write
to our people again and let them know of
our whereabouts. G. f, BATES,
Fl. B. ULMAN,
OF Elk Grove. Sacramento county,