Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-04

TuR cB11ARss n1vEa.
Al mesh intersse b noV bsine mani
fsstsd in IL Chshniia, - rive beaou
an ofle6al report. made IN 1854. Il ths
ehasaeeeristics OF that strssm. The
survey and report we're made By knef
neer habessham. q the instance OF the
United States Government.
e. 8. Ex0rxxxH's OYYIcI,
PoRrLAxp, Or, Nov. II. 1881.
The Chehalis River rises on the north
eastern slope of the mountain range
which separates tbs western extremity
of the Columbia River Valley from the
Puget Sand hasin, flowing eastward
for 30 miles, then northwest for 20
miles, thsn westward 30 miles b its
mouth at the head of Grsy's Harbor. Is
miles from tbs ocean
Its principal tributaries are. in the Of
der Of their entrance into the main
stream, the Nevaukum and the Skoo-
kumchuck from the lover spurs OF the
Cascade Range, Black River from the
lake of the same name, and the Satsop.
wynoochie and Hoquiam from the
southern foothills of the Olympic Range,
a lofty line of snow peaks lying between
Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean.
ClaQuato. 70 miles above It's mouth
and miles above the entrance OF the
Nsvaukum. Is the head of navigation.
| The river here 10 I29 feet wide, the
width gradually increasing TO 600 feet
at its entrance INTO Gray's Harbor; and
the current has a speed of from TO 3
miles Ger hour. The banks are from
70 10 feet high at log water. and consist
principally of stiff loan, not easily
eroded. Consequently. the trough of
the river changes very little. The bot
tom Lands extend level With the banks
for from half a miie to 2 miles on each
side, terminating at the foot of q higher
b. nch more or lees lsvel. which reaches
60 the foothills of the mountain range.
FROM which as intervals of several
milss, long, Low spurs extend TO she
margin of she river.
The basin of the CLehalis lies almost
wholly below the line of heavy SNOW.
Its water In supplied by the gentle and
frequent winter rains on the mountain
ranges, where the dense vegetation pre-
vents iss reaching the rIver rapidly.
Consequently violent floods are I'M
known. The hight above low water
during winter and spring ranges FROM 8
TO 10 feet the highest food on record
rose Is feet above log water.
The lowest stage occura in August
and September. During seven or eight
| icable to steamboats, drawing 8 feet,
from its mouth TO Claquato. Boats of
this drauQht can ascend Black River 15
.,,itco 60 ~ rarlaa fpnsvn
Olympia. at the head Of Puget SJund,
during ordinary winter stages. The
lower Chehalis, for % miles above its
mouth, carries II feet through the year
at ordinary high tide. Ssts0p River
has capacity for 4f0ot craft for 10
miles.
The Chehalis drains an area OF 1000
square miles, about half OF which is
good AGRICULTURAL land, level enough to
admit of easy cultivation. The remain
der, a. yet unsurveyed, 10 mountainous
anu generally heavy timber, with, how
ever, strips Of good farming land along
the small water courses. On the river
bottom the timber 10 comparatively
light, and there are considerable tracts
Of light thicket aud grassy prairie.
The fertility Of She soil is renewed year
ly by the deposit from the winter fresh
cts, and there are no summer floods.
The higher bench contains more sand
and gravel. and tracts, many miles In
extent, OF gsAssy prairie. Is generally
better adapted TO grazing than farming.
The best lands have been surveyed and
sro open 10 sntFy under the homestead
and pre- emption laws, or may be bought
ON very reasonable terms from the N.
p. IL. R.
| Extensive tracts of fine timber, prin-
cipally ff, cedar and spruce, with COT
tonwood and maple ON the low lands,
are AZ yet virgin. Iron is found in the
Black hills, coal on the Sa.sop and
Wishkah, and copper ON the Wynoo-
chic, thirty miles from its mouth. The
finest quarry Of sandstone which have
seen on the coast ia q cliff from $50 to
30 fest Eigh aud 10 miies long, ON the
south aide of the Chehalis, ~ miles
from Gray's Harbor,
The population Of the valley il about
1000. The principal places are ClsQua-
10, at the head Of navigation; Center
VILE, Chehalis and Nswaukum, stations
on the Northern Paclfc Railroad; Elma,
ON the north side Of the Chehalis, 30
miles from its mouth and Montesano,
the county ssat, Is miles from the head
of Gray's Harbor. The two last named
are stations on the mail road from Asto-
ria to OlymI II. There are about 500
farmers in the valley, along tho river.
The products are cereals, vegetables,
fruit, cattle. sheep, dairy produce and
lumber. There 10 q -four mill on the
Chehalis. II miles above Msntesano, q
saw and planning mill. operated by water
short distance below. Messrs. A. M
Simpson d Company, of San Francis
co. have purchased several thousand
acres of timber lands on the Hoquiam.
and have erected a steam lumber mill
there.
The run Of salmon begins in the fall
With the first rains, aud continues until
January. Messrs. Hume, of Astoria
have a cannery at the mouth of the
Wishkah.
The yield of the soil is large. From
Is to GO bushels of wheat. and from 20
to 30 of oats per acre, 10 not uncom-
mon. The root crop, consisting of po-
tatoes. turnips, beats and carrots ia very
fine. From one weighing 20 pounds, a
farmer extracted pint of excellent
rnolasses.
About twelve years ago a stern
wheeled steamer, drawing three fee,
loaded. was built and navigated the
Chehalis and Black rivers during higher
stages. Tho country was at that tune
thinly settled. and the enterprise
proved Improbable. A year after, she
vas carried around by sea to Puget
Sound.
| DISTRACTIONS TO NAVIGATION.
These consist Of two RATS. situated
three miles above the mouth OF Black
river, which are, respectively, $50 and
go yards long, and third 15 miles
above Montesauo 80 yards long; be-
sides snags. These last are not nu-
merouss 40 the river carries but little
drift. The gravel bars being covered
BY several feet Of water az boating
stage, are not considered obstructioss.
The RATS and sna0a can be removed a
= cost Of 5000, With the aid of steam-
boat provided With stsam capstan.
This done, the Chshalia and its tribu-