Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-03-27
TnE sSoQgALnSE PASS WAGON
ROAD.
From the Yakima Record.

4
One Of the most important enterprises
yet started IN the interest Of the north
ern section of our country. is the pro-
posec wagon road from hIttitas Waller
over the Cascade mountains TO Seattle.
VIA the Sncaualmie Pass. Two years
| ago we agitatsd is Importance, aud
urged lis practieab.iity 30 the utmost.
Bat nothing was done till last. winter.
VIXEN a single taan, in the face af dout,ts
rs 10 IT'S success, fully proved It's r,ract;-
cabiiitg Wagon roads panertlfy fsra-
ceds railroads. We are .aolated. de-
size communication with tne outside
world. Capital viii not help is 10 de-
veiop cur resources unisss yze firss seek
70 help ourselves. This road, If buiit rs
proposed, viii be another ssea lii the
developments cf the northern portion o.
cur County. and will more or iess indi-
rectly benefit the southern or nl0sa re-
inots districts. It's completion VII!
create @ route Of land frave. through our
country 70 all parts of Eastern Washing
toil, and hence would be :. benefit to rs
aii. Last week, IN noticing the project,
We promised oar readers sornethinp like
a practical estimate of the cost of the
undertaking. since then we have inter-
yiswel Mr.. S. X. Geddis. resident of
kittltas Valley, and who is familiar with
the Route proposed to be established.
he informs NJ that the first twenty
eight miles of the road cut of kitii:as
Valley ~ good and but few streanss to
cross. The worst Of these Is ths IanuIu.
which by this titno nas Il substantial
bridge gCross il. This twentY eight
miles OF good road briu2s il TO Thorp's
cabin. and IN this distance numte- o.
settlers are located. From Thorp's
cabin the iifiicuit ard expensive por..oa
of the road cearIaeacsa. u great por-
tion of il will h.,vo - Ee pianked, say
one-fourth, If i4sis On tne north side OF
the Yakima. 70 do this bridge is re-
Quired ACROSS the Yakima.
The road Oh the s.nrth SIDE il SIX miles
nearer than upou the south side OF the
river, and wheye it Is proposed TO
bridge the river the banks are solid and
tne stream very narrow. The route
proposed on the south side of the
Yakima IS longer, a nnlaher of streams
are to bo bsidged, and = greater length
OF tho roSd would have 10 be pianked.
1t will be tlus geen it would be ths
part OF economy TO buiid on the
north side Of the Yakima, with
out taking into consideration the
shorter distance 10 be travelled. On
eaca side of the road there is eli the tim
Der ne cessary TO he used iii building or
planking. IL IL estimated the bridge
ACROSS the Yakima will cost from 3i2U0
to 1880. Some portions of the road
will have to be pltnked. This will cost
500 psr mills and the balance $50 per
mile. As tho distance from Ihorp's
cabin to the snmnit, the point where
King Coanty proposes to meet II,
- only tweDty-four miles, il will
be seen at glance that the
exponse of Yahirna's share of the
proposed road Is rot very great. lu-
decd by the closest figuring We cannot
see how it will cost over SIX or seven
thousand dollars. This amount is a
mere bagalslie. aud should be raised in
no time. The benefits to be derived
from its compilation will be of incal
culabie benefit to kittitas Valley. In
addition the road woald open up large
scope of desirable land suitable for set
tlement. kitcheiess Lake, near the
Summit, would make "a magnificent
place of summer resort. The scenery
surrounding it, and the ether Iumer-
Gus lakes near, Is unsurpassed in
beauty aud loyeliness. In Tho clear and
| linpid streams iish abound, from the
uSauiiIut thoutilt.A tfpul AuWu 10 tbb
despised sucker: while the forest and
uadersrowih of the mountain sides
abound iii all kinds OF game. Near 90
the road are also located a number of
rich silver and gold lodges, which, dur
ing the present summer, will be devel
oped. All these have tendency TO
create travel. The road will soon be q
necessity from these facts, and hence
we want to see the thing pushed
through.