, 1881-09-16
LETTER FROM DAVID NEWS0ME.
NEW TACOMA THE TERMINUS.


Ep. PUGEr SOUND ARGUs:-Per-
NIT your old friend To occupy a
space i'll yoar excellent paper. l
had thought that my tour i'll ives.
tern w. L. was about ended; and |
wrote out my farewell letter in the
Seattle "IntelIigencer," and left
there on the lst inst. for New Ia
coma, intending to remain there two
days, and then depart for Webfoot.
Having an Introduction to Genl. j.
w. Spragree, head superintendent
of the Pacific Division of The n. p.
II. Il. Co., he requested that should
visit those coal mines, on free pass,
| and return and write them up for
publication. Three public measures
are greatly exercising the people !;
and from the General and his super
intendent at those mines, | received
full confirmation of those matters.
The Green River pass route is
adopted for the n. p. r. r. from
| Wallula to the Sound, and 100000
OF the ties for this road are now
ready. That road will connect with
the broad guage II. r. to those
mines at South Pairie, % miles East
of New Tacoma. And the great
question of the terminal point is
fully settled. 1t is New TACOMA.
The third matter is also settled. The
Central 2. Il. II. Co have bought,
and now own and run the Carbonate
coal mines. As this is the only de-
veloped coal mine - except New
Castle-in western w. L. and as
am now posted up in this matter, !
will give you short outline of those
mines.
About 20 months ago, coal was
discovered 1t this point in satisfac
tory quantities, and quality, to in,
duce eight gentlemen, mostly, OF
the n. P. Il. X. Co. to purchase two
sections-No and 81 of the u. S.
at $50 per acre as mineral lands.
About IA months ago they opened
up those mines, and the N. p. Co
built first class broad guage r. r.
to those mines, 81 miles, with 800
coal and coach cars. The coal veins
crop out on each side of Carbon
River, which runs here to the West.
lt is rapid mountain stream, about
75 feet wide and feet deep. 1t
rises at the West base of Mount Raj.
neir, 20 miles East. AS the glaciers
descend from the Mount, they crush
and grind the rotten granite rocks;
and the debris is precipitated into
the canon through which this stream
passes. Hence the river water is
nearly white. Along each bluff of
this stream in sec. 4, the coal veins
crop out; beginning near the water,
and showing nearly to the top, dif.
fereIt strata. Four tunnels are run
IN; and railroad tracks run into all
parts; and the cars are drawn by
nand till loaded, and then brought
to the main track by mules. On top
of the north bluff, 500 feet elevation
on a handsome plateau, the mining
town of Carhonado is built. There
are about so houses. including dwell.
lings, hotel, store, P. D. office, en-
jine house and saw mill. On an in
clined plane on an angle of 45. deg,
runs down, on a car track to the tun-
nels below, the empty cars, and up
the loaded cars, by steam power.
The coal is dumped into the large
coal cars that run daily from here
to New Tacoma. The daily supply
from here has been about 325 tons
for IA months past. This coal is
bituminous, and is of the very best
quality. 1t is superior coal for gas
and for forges. 1t makes no cinders
in burning, hut leaves only a few
ashes. 1t is good for fuel as well.
The fine and the coarse coal go to-
gether, no screening required. What
[ ar about to state, may seem to
be 'fish story"
But am on the ground; went in
to those mines; saw the veins OF
coal, and KNOW what state to be
true. The veins are numbered thus:
No, /, 4 feet 4 inches; no, 2, win.
gate) 4 feet n inches; no, 3, 5 feet
u inches; no, 4, 6 feet 6 inches; no,
5, 8 feet; no, 6, feet; no, z, 5 feet;
no. s, 5 feet. no, 8, 6 feet; no, 10,
s feet; no, IL, (Wellington) feet;
no, -, IA feet; no, 13, IL feet; no,
IL, 6 feet; no, 10, (Pacifc) 3 feet;
(Cumberland) no, l6, (Pacifc) 8 feet;
(Cumberland) no, II, 4 feet inches;
40, Is, Henry 13 feet; total, 116
feet IL inches.
The Central P. Co. had been buys
ing of Mr.. Willard for perhaps a year
past, $4,000 tons of Ignite coal at
Seattle, per month. That coal Is
good for fuel, but not for forges nor
gas-hence it did not answer for
general purposes. The fame of this
bituminous ccal reached TO a dis.
tance; it was tried aud found TO be
very superior; hence Messrs. Crocker
and Hamilton, on behalf of the Cen
trail p. Co., were here two weeks
ago; and after examining every vein
of the coal, and all the improvements
here, gave upwards of half million
dollars for the whole. The first
owners made we'll out of their in.
vestments. The N. P. r. r. Co.
retain the railroad from Tacoma
bo.o onI al 1ba .oil;.-- s1ooI- ar -