The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-11-14
rHg WEEKLY CyTEILreENCER
THE skaeIT MINES.

A few smali-potsto journals IN our
own Territc ~ are making an effort TO
tbrugt odium upon Seattle. her mer-
chants and her newspapers, for the
getting-up Of the skagit mining boom
Of last winter. This effort is childishly
malicious. and will bear no good fruit
to its authors. Our people are not
gold miners, aud they knew nothing OF
the upper Sksgit country. -Four men
spent the summer. fa'l ard winter Of
1878 searching for gold 10 that region
They found ID. aud found it as they
thought, rich. Their provisions ran
out, and it was late 10 the season, aud
cold. when they MAIDS their discovery,
aud they were compelled to come down
to the settlements for the remainder Of
the winter. These men brought the
reports that started the Sksgit mining
boom. In bringing them. and spread
ing them broadcast. they were actuated
by honest aud conscisncious eonvic
lions This has since been made evil
dent In many ways. One Of them, Q,
least. was 49er Of California, and the
others bad had more or less experience
in mining camps. So arm we're they
10 their convictions that the upper
Sksgit was q gold country, that they
have since devoted ell their time and
money to its development. The April
0s7s) following their discovery a party
Of about twenty went up the Skagit
and into the diggibgs. and later on in
the year not far from three hundred
more. The returning men brought
back small amounts Of gold and the
best OF reports. II any men spoke
falsely concerning the mines it was the
men who had been in them. Fheir re-
ports were almost Invariably Of the
most glowing character. They sought
the newspaper offices. never hesitsting
to allow the use OF their names in that
connection. Most Of the men made
second trip TO the diggings, and many
Of them third. q fourth and a fifth.
Their acts proved oonclusively that
they believed what they said and
hoped. So generally was this the ease
that the confidence of our own people
vas gsined. A company built steam.
boat here expressly for that trade.
Stocks Of goods were sent up and stores
established. Our men Of enterprise
took two thousand dollars out of their
pockets and gave it 70: the opening of
trail. Others bought making claims
and invested hundreds of dollars in
their openiog. Many Of our best eiti-
xens made the trip TO the mines. and
the reports they brought back were no
more enthusiastic. nor so IN nch so, as
those Of the miners themselves. The
same feeling prevailed among our cous.
ms north Of the boundary line. The
Provincial Government and mercantile
classes gave money To investigate the
truth Of the stories. and followed it ND
by opening trail TO Ruby Creek. put
ting on . pack train. and sendirg into
the diggings ell the men ssd goods
hey were sble TO. This has certainly
not been . money making enterprise to
anybody. Everybody. throug hout. has
acted IN an apparently Conscientious
manner. Gold Is there unqusstionably,
for 1t has been seen and got, but II has SO
far NOT been obtained In quantity suf-
fcient to pay. Men who have been
in there repeatedly. aud who assert
that they believe what they gay, still
declare their faith In tho richness Of
the mines. aud In not . few instances
announce their determination to make
another good trial In 1881. Under
such Circumstances the course Of the
Seattle newspapers was in 30 respect
remarkable or improper. Especially 10
this true Of the IsrxLLieEScER. which
from the first parsasd 9 course thor
ooghly ccnserss.ivc. Our patrons are
well aware Of the truth Of what we
ssy. and 10 them this lengthy sxplana
tion will be quite unnecessary. In
TACT. the writer Of this article has long
hesitated over the giving Of cay notice
whatever TO the slurs referred TO in the
opening "ntsnce. deeming them worthy
only OF client contempt.