, 1882-11-04
A Very y2luahla PuhEessto.

~
I,s-,,2lh'a, to the chief engineer Of tire am,
has been iaSs3sd BY the department. At wasi
ington, and WI he c6lisslerea by every on
interested II the upper country, as a yer,
valuable piece ii WORK. In transmitting th,
rePoT. Lieut.. Synons says:
The report embraces description Of n
portion Of the river examined and TIE land
an Us vicinity, and also OF the C;her poraoa
ct the Urper Columbia and the country
draIned By l. and is t-1butarieS, derive
from my observations aad travels du5.ar h,
past sGr years, and :gosa a careful staGT u
the reports AMI writings of otEe-s.
1 have sought l. snow the sc1al liicll rs,S
tons OF tire Columbia 70 the suTruaudiu.
country, and the importance Il making rhar
portion OF II lylng within the territory Of ti-
United States navlcable As iag as practice
bic, and have suggested a Plan for 50 Dong.
have added t. tals i historical and .-u.-
oSicai accpnnt Of tie Colambia. aud Esvs
endeavrre,i TO gave cl.ar idea Of the iertil.
and extensive great plam composing the
northern PORTION ot ,he interior E4siu o; thc
Columbia.
1t is believed that the maps AL jfiar,as-
ton contaJEed N this report Wii bg of vAlcg
In the nayiSS,ira - the Columbia. N any
questions which may arse III connect with
the Improvement q tae rive-, tC al persons
VINO take al interest N th= asye!o1meut
and prosperity OF tAe E0rtn~es-, aud u |
the eiSil and military srouts oi TIE govern
meut whose dunes refGne Of tAcm ! kaowl-
edge OF the country embraced.
Of the Kootenai country, which IS jgss
now attracting much attention from Pogt-
land merchants, Iicns. Symors says:
About twenty five mites above lie bouu-
dary there cOnes INTO the Co'umh:l from the
east the hootrnaI river. The lower psr: ui
this rIver Is UaIt for navigation Ua accoau;
Of rapids and falls, but i 4 short portage Is
made around this hai portion Of the ri,,a. 4
navigable portion Is reached which is p-oua-
bly, atoat 800 mics IN extent. Is course is
generally through mouctaiV 1aS ;iHte-ed
country, but WITH belts and scct.ru5 OF Tich
agriculture! and grazing ind. THiS country
Is known 10 he very rieh IN the precious
metals, tor the hooteuay and uv5r,y all the
streams flowing It are gold-bzaring, some OF
them being very rich.
Lack OF public means Il transpJ-tIiian
and the difficulties add eXpease Of prospect
ing have for many years deferred prospect rs
and miners from carrying IN tApIr wo!i. N
these regions. With easy and cheap lIues
Of transportation INTO tie country / believe
that gold and silver rn'u.n: would, aud
sh9nlI, revive and become 4 matt,. oi great
rmp0rtInce.
Lieut.. Symons siv.s 4 very vi'ii and
graphic description ei his TRIP dosn the CO.
lambia in batean Writing Of the riv,r
scenery below Rogers Bar. he says:
Throughout this portion. the mills. bottom
lands, aud mountains are wrl! covered aI,h
fine open tiu.ber and very Little uaI,rtruss.
Except where 1t breaks through the Cascade
mountains, this Is the most beautiful PORTION
oi the COla:n.is within or tsr.;tnry.
Many beautiful and pleasant Lonoz are
certain at 10 very distant Gay t. aio-. rs
hanks, ami the demands Of advancing c.vIii-
z,tion vii! certainly require that WI;hln 4
lew years steamers should navigate is wa
tiers, communicating With railways reaching
IL near the months Of the CglC.lle aud $40
kane rivers Il Is to b. kcPri :lct. IL years
10 come. this portion may n.comt a part OF .
naVigih!e r!Ver from GrzHt
kA?ifs 20 the Sea.
Further away from TIE river .Ae cauttry
rises into hlGtis and great terraces and pil-
teaus, which gives the promise Of b,IHg aue
productive laai Trcr- Is great ds1l q:
cool land along the Gkiuakauc Tiycr aEd IN
It's vicinity, AMI sori m.ncs ar- known :"
exist Some miIeS were G'seoyeFsd. ard
wers CLAIMED ani rket. reloTe the Tfs-r-
yation a'onr the river sas sgt apart Tor tn-ci
Moses and hIs people. p-qst-= have ari-.t
between the miners and the Indians ~ rr-'a.a
ID the right 81 the former tU YGrsar them
work. THIS h7s been 'bc - jrct of a recent
decision At Washog:ra, that thnzs El.-es
which were discovered bai8-. the r-s--ya-
ton was ST apart heilrs 10 he dizc'.erer5
and owners. who n,Ist uss ae lIt,riereJ
with in working them.
l.. SyG.oas gives Us - interesting ta",e
Of distances. 1t Is 3aj mills from the 'a'rth
Of the river to Aiusworth; 40 % Priest
i:apids; Ca miles to spokane rirer: -.
miles to the mouth % Colyille riyer, sHJ -
TO the baaal.ry !iae. S.eaklns Of tie Nay
igation of che Urpar Co!umtil, he says;
If Priest Rlp;ls could be Improved It
wonid give navigation theuca t" ttnI;c;
RapiAs, few uAias h.iOw Rock ls.aHt
Rapids. The consequence oi throwing this
portion Of the river INTO the eFru5Pcctsve cor
tinuou-Iy navissh!e river blow SIll be ry..i-
ily seen by a study Of the map. The sllsno-
dii valley Of the hIttitas .Gd Upper ah'-
ma would have au easy and short oai.et %
the nayigabie river.
He says that once Priest Rapids and CAB
ine. Rapids, IG3 miles from the noath oi
the river, are iunpToved, ab0at :, $50 s4Ta-s
miles Of choice agricultural and grazing
lands abou. Lake Chelan, Mstho", Okira-
kane and Great Plan would come III habit
able condition. tie advocates the use % a
railway around Ps;ess Rapids, oa which %
eo.v4y boats Steamers c2u 20 dI%a fsic7t
Rapids. hut not against TIE caneat- He
estimates the expense o. &oat sailS-ys above
Priest, Rosk Island, Foster Cr-rk, kat.eisan
and Mankin Rapids It S2,.52, $50, and tho
improvement os The same At a total Of 81
GG0 coo. The afol, work before U', :fUm
which We extract, reject, great credit uPoh
It's author. and #, as W. believe, Congress
shall take acton fr.m Il, the people o: TINS
country. w.n aT- a Geht q rTa-t'Ida To
Lieut.. Syu0ns difficult % rsv.