Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-09-29

AAsVCk ASoOV s"iAcy a. thC S'OooAbS va
the St. Mary's river, 80 miles above
Stevensville can be reached by rail
over the very best class Of route by
water courses, in the short distance
from Lewiston Of 22l miles. 3he
pass is littlo south of parallel 46'
north latitude or about thirty FIVE
miles south of the parallel Of Lewiston.
The entrance to the Bitter Root valley
is about 30 miles north Of the Big
Hole pass of the Rockies. There are
several low passes leading from the
Bitter Root valley directly across the
divide to the Deer Lodge valley, any
one of which is practicable for rail
road, in case the Utah Northern near
Butte City should be desired as a
junction point of the Idaho, Clearwat-
or Il Montana company, instead of a
point further south leading from the
Big Hole pass of the Rockies. Bcall
ana party made location of the Beall
pass in behalf of The company who
sent them out by breaking ground, lay
ing wooden rails, and placing ties up
on them, erecting a monument of
stone in the center of which they cree
ted stick of timber about 8 inches in
diameter, on top Of which they secured
hat belonging to one of the party,
and posted notices signed by all of the
party present. After doing
this they explored along and
near the summit of the mountain
nor.hward and reached the Lo Lo
trail on the l4th Of September, at a
point called the Summit meadows.
Here they found tho barometrical alti-
tude above sea level to be 1907 feet.
They proceeded to the trail crossing of
the Loksa or Lo Lo fork of Clearwater
and found the elevation 1857 feet
above sea level, making difference
in elevation of the meadows above the
river at the crossing of 1850 feet
They returned on the Lo Lo trail to
Camp Lookout, the point Of leaving
the trail on their outward trip, and
made camp short distance below the
trail. The elevation Of their camp
was 1856 feet above sea level. Thence
they came home and arrived at Mt.
Idaho on the ed of September, as
before stated. While exploring north
from the Beall pass, Beall and some
OF the party visited Steversville in
the Bitter Root valley for grub, and
found that point 1857 feet above sea
level. Beall saw and conversed with
two old settlers living in the valley,
who were familiar with the Ska. ka-ho
or Beall pass, and one of them told
him he had been through it, and
that he could drive q team and
wagon from the Bitter Root valley
through this pass and to the middle
FORK Of the Clearwater, if the stand
ng and fallen timber was cut out
vide enough for q road way. He
Ilso says it was the lowest pass in the |
Bitter Root range and had formerly
been much used by the Indians in
crossing in Winter. He also said that
the proper Ska ka-ho pass, was a pass
along the Ska-ka-ho creek, through the
divide on the east side of the Bitter
Root valley leading to the Deer
Lodge valley, but that this pass
through the Bitter Root range had
received the name of Ska-ka-ho because
it was nearly opposite the mouth of
Skakaho creek. The notes of Mr.. Beall
are quite full, and observations made
show well the character of the coun-
try explored, and that portion which
lies along the line Of the railroad
from Lewiston through the Beall pass
to the Bitter Root valley, is really
much better than we had expected,
and presents far less obstacles to rail
road building than any one of tho
most sauguine Of the advocates of the
Skakaho had ever expressed. The
may DO regarded as sue
cessful triumph over all the doubts
and skepticism Of those who have so
loudly proclaimed their unbelief in
practicable railroad pass through the
Bitter Root range south of the TO Lo
which latter has been considered
impracticable till reported to be
otherwise by Major Truax
since his late exploration. But even