, 1880-06-07
Prom the Upper Skasit.
oAUK CITY, May %, 1880

CAUk VIII, Way 80, ICOV.
EDITOR DIsPATCH:-We laid st Mount
Vernon last night, with the Josephine
alongside and fastened to US. At AN.
today the Josephine's whistle awoke me,
and | heard her getting under weigh.
That sane whistle awoke our -wstchman,
whose duty it was to have had the fires
roaring in the furnace an hour before.
So we were 45 minutes, wasting time
minute by minute-and each one seemed
AL hour or less-gctting on power enough
start up stream. But by and by We
passed the Josephine, and to crafty your
curiosity, eager no doubt by this time,
We reached This city ahead and tied up,
and irrigated all around at the Metropol
itau, with Beede AS master of ceremonies
before the Josephine's whistle startled
the sleeping siwashes who encamp hy
dozens, with their "sisters and COUSINS
and aunis, IN The suburbs. II has been
a day of unalI"ycd pleasure to me (save
Il hriet five minutes when the Josephine
ran alongside. and touching our guards
in the way the British rousta.aut USES
when Knocking IA chip off his antagonists
shoulder. challenged the swift Chehnis
t" IA trial OF speed--a challenge accepted,
fought and won 10y our gallant pioneer
b'aU. l say pleasure to me; and not
only pleasure, but surprise that this river
has be.h 50 lnng overlooked. And it is
not too superlative to say that this is
noble river, with miles of richest Nile
bottom lands on ei her sid, only await
ing the axe oi the settler to be trans
formed into homes OF plenty and content
ment. When you stop for moment and
see that the Skagit receives only insig-
mticant affiuenls from its mouth up to
this city, you can understand why 1t is
US lordly here as at its mouth. In fact !
can only liken it Is the Ohio above
Portsmouth, and unhestatingly Say it is
u"re than double the capacity "t the
Willamette, which has received 81 much
of the bounty of the general Government
a few thousands spent in palling snags
and bu"ying out the channel of approach
via Stanwnnd would lessen the strain on
our growing commerce, and al matcri-
ally III opening this country tn the set
sler-the pioneer who b, his daring and
enterprise adds more every year to the
dignity and wealth of the naii"n an do
the denisons OF cities. | do not include
the people OF Sauk City. But the cur
rent is swift, and aitentimes we can make
but twu or three miles an hour. THIS
means that boats must be constIuc cd
Tor the river traffic alone. One class
must run the route from Seattle TO some
point near the mouth of the river, then
the nver boat must pursue the journey
to this point, which is the head oi navl
CATION for steamers For This opinion |
expect deed in tee-simple absolute to
ii block of wafer front, and another block
in the rear, looking down upon the
crowded wharves. for villa purposes. &c
write little hcadachey, but it is not
to be wondered at when one takes things
into consideration.
By the way. one of the Gellerson boys
at Mount Vernon showed he ii dozen lit
tie nuggets running all the way from
dollar to five dollars, which he creviced
out OF the rocks 500 leet above the river
bed-way up the hillside. mind. Well,
you ask, what of that9 Just this: 1t this
is so, then the gold>feld is rich and ex>
tensive. The little chispas were water
worn like other placer gold, and there's
fore the croding influence must have
been deep and extended. But as have
only come up here to ''so a-hshing, AS
Dan Webster said, why it don't matter
much to me. But to you people it mat
ters good deal.
This l have picked up, ana you can
relv on it: The trail will be finished to
Goodcll's a week from to>day. But as
that is only the head OF canoe navigation.
l shall be able 10 tell you about what Is
vet to be done before Jennlngs's or
somebody else's pack train brings me my
hair mattrass up to Ruby.