The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-10-27

TX.

came to Wilkeson where are some veins of
coal of good quality, which are not worked
successfully at present. 1t is said that Henry.
Willard and associates have become own
ers of the Wilkeson mines and that it is
their intention to prosecute coal mining
here vigorously. There are also at Wilke-
son some lodges of a greyish sand stone,
which l consider very valuable in connec-
ton with the fact that, as stated in former
communications, good stone will be in very
great demand for piers and quays, as well as
for building stone, at Tacoma and other
points on the Sound and that this stone can
be readily transported, as the railroad passes
alongside the quarries, in fact directly
through them.
For few miles above and below Wilke-
son the railroad grade is very heavy and
and about 20 empty cars had to be left on a
side track the locomotive not being strong
enough to haul the whole train up the l60
foot grade. We arrived at Carbonate at 5
p. NJ. The train stopped near saw mill
operated by S. NJ. Jones in the interest of
the Coal company and saving for it at con-
tract rates. The mines and mining village
require all the lumber. and timbers that can
be manufactured here. The mill is literally
located right in the midst of the fir trees;
and such trees! The TIMBER here must be
the bean ideal of lumberman's dreams,
about 225to $50 feet high, with straight stems
running up some $50 feet to limb and for
about three quarters of the way clear from
knots and standing about as thickly as one
would suppose timber could stand, the trees
averaging perhaps about three feet or a little
less, in diameter. In fact it would be hard
to conceive finer timber. l thought the
timber between Tacoma and Mr.. Allings
| place very fine; but this is far ahead of it in
height, in thickness and in the proportion of
clear stuff.
| There is no regular hotel at Carbonate,
which is only a mining town and may be
never will he any thing else but there is a
large boarding house, where all the miners,
as well as the clerks and overseers take their
meals. There are also some furnished rooms
| for the accommodation of strangers and Wis
itors. 1t is perhaps fair to say that the
board and lodging are as good as can be ex-
pected in such new place. among multi
tude of stumps and where everything con-
sumed has to be brought from below; for
nothing in the way of agricultural produce
is raised here as vet, not even potatoes and
even the milk consumed at Carbonate is all
brought from 20 miles below by the cars; |
saw few pigs kept by Chinese but not
single cow.
| walked from the railroad station to this
boarding house, a distance of about 60 rods
and was shown to room. The village of
Carbonate consists of some 80 houses all
of one story and all but one upholstered and
implanted. They all belong to the mining
company and are rented by miners who have
families, for 81 month. There are be.
lieve So such families. The whole popula-
| ton of the place, counting women and chill
dren, of which there are not many, sums up
| about $50. The village is built on a sort Of
pateauhank on the south and west sides by
| a deep ravine with PERCEPTIONS sides, at the
bottom of which flows the Carbon river, which
| here is a mad torrent affordny great water
power. not utilized save to ventiate the
mines, everything else being done by steam.
The site of the village is ITO feet higher
than the waters of the Sound, nearly the
whole rise occurring in the last half of the
distance. On the east side, there is tim
ber-covered hill on which many strata of
coal crop out one of them having thick
ness of IL feet Altogether, there are Is or Is
ascertained coal veins of various thicknesses
| at this point. The streets are so feet wide
only and wagon is a rare thing here. The
village is only two years old; the streets are
blocked up by large stumps and log heaps
which there has not yet been time to dig up
or burn. None of the timber of the hill which
overlooks the town site has yet been cut; it
stands in stately grandeur and the effect is
altogether different from anything ever
saw before. 1t seems to look down with
wonder upon the changes that are taking
halo rha Il, L. l.. g..