Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-15
,ssEIxG TeR gold UP sooks.cK
KIyRR.

n fIX A@~B
y..Isask. have philaathropic desire
!. : ,;,e the benefit Of my experience to
..bsrs contemplating a movement in
4. ssras direction. There has been an
~, an the part of the ReUetlte to in
A.. urospectors to start out. Ii has
wan no explicit information, but, like
.,,rssass in the Beecher scandal, was
=. borsting with what it knew, if 1t
.,l, eouId or would tell it. am very
ussb Interested in the prosperity of
| M T.rritory in general and Of What
.ou county in particular, but ] do not
,bink shas Representations will be
,,oductive Of any substantial god.
The frs. excitement was up the south
,ork Of the river, and, party Of four
!, us having few days spare time,
Ss.srmined TO try the other branch. So,
.hnIdsring our packs, We Set out in the
ss,Iy morning of July 9th. The first
az took us to the mouth of the middle
~ where We crossed, but found no
isa,eatious of gold. The whole forma-
! ian il sandstone, with indications Of
aal. We prospected several gulches
nth the same results, in one of which
~ ioasd q fine vein of coal cropping
ut With every indication of immense
asds sf it, and in as fins a location as
psi mine could be. 1t is not more than
lseuty miles from Whatoom by An al
us. level grade to tho mouth of the
ssch, in whish is stream affording
sster 10 Oil two-foot pipe and with
10 10 800 feet of head, which would
sake an unlimited power for all mining
gsations.
Getting short of provisions. We made
taeks for home; bat. not fully satisfied
hat here was not goid further up the
nver, and thinking of trying il some
mere, In our way down We met an old
asssh who told US that the Indians had
band gold on the north fork, but, not
] ndsrstanding the business, had not
Zen able to get much. He made a
paQh map on the ground and showed
10 the best of his ability where IL
nad be found. We came home and
made Arrangements for longer trip,
nd once more took our way mountain
srd.
0u the third day we reached the place
vbsrs We were told by the Indian that
nld was TO be found; and, sure enough,
niound prospect, bat nothing to jus
aiJ any very extended search. As we
I aa determined TO cross the Mount Ba
4 ka range, IL possible, We pushed on
nrd. In the afternoon we struck the
\ hsof Mount Hope, and that afternoon
I'D the next forenoon we had about as
Abwious job as | ever took part In.
he river flows close along the foot of
ksfrountain in boiling torrent. The
sds Of the mountain is so preoipit0us
ihzs man can barely keep foothold
y slinxing to the young tirs, which
soc there AZ thick as the hair ON dog;
md, In addition to all this. fallen logs
hip every direction, and everywhere 70
suat Of dewberry vines. Put 80 or 81
pounds ON a mans back aud gun In
lnhAnd, aud II be don't work his pas
nRe don't know what work is. That
nRhi Ne reached the most easterly point
7 Mount Hope, little to the east Of
Mount Baker. Heie the river is con-
iaed 10 narrow canyon, and is sue
sziou Of falls and rapids. with too
aech water even at this season for
zAn 10 wade in safety.
Tbs prospects for gold were not az
pod q We had passed, and We oame to
We oonciusion that no man could carry
Foslsion enough 10 GROSS the range and
~ back; and 30, sorelY against the
Wain, on the morning of the fifth day
W turned our faces homeward. We
ssisfmIned 10 take another course back,
nwte escape, II possible, some of the
aofton OF the old burn before spoken
3oken ofi 20, taking the side of Mount
nole N slanting direction, We began
a!moing. and till the middle of the Af-
xfaotn we're working our way upward,
saen We we're very near 10 the limit of
anoef. In fact, there ia snow at the
nne Elevation on the north side. From
~ W had as grand view of rugged
seualain scenery as can be found. Due
Io Mount Baker, In an eternal man
" snow, seems but a stones throw
y. southwest ran range of timber
sSssisd foothills; ON the west lies Puget
sapo' Ike asiiver line in groundwork
= rssni 10 the east the Mount Baker
.S' S' With much Of il snow-eapped;
.sae q the north the distant view is
oa oy the towering pinnacles OF
-. nope. arising bare aud smooth
sA $50 mousand feet above us. Reluo
10y 10y We tear ourselves away from the
m S,ssno,nR scene and begin our descent.
had plunged down and down for
49, of four hours we did not realize
sRut To which We had climbed. At
n an We Supposed that We were near
s~ss ssom, and, coming to an opening,
- ourselves on the verge of a can
saose side was almost shear down
sw OF six hundred feet. We found
,sss sssss small stream trickIed down the
- . eails, and finally with great
asss 's.caed the bottom without scci-
- me Formation was a very stiff
- ssaes fall Of granite gravel, and ali
~ doxn could not help thinking
4 ksr Ase place Il was to scratch ones
ava = nes time. We hurried all we
d.ss - Get out of the gulch before
nn sos we're finally obliged to camp
:. next day we got back to where
aar.sano the gold on our way up, and
~. 70 give ita careful prospecting.
sssss. we're large boulders OF white
sssA.s sA hnd other signs OF gold. /
- = several pans Of dirt and got as
~ y one hundred celors 20 the pan,
sncs.as 49, % iine that il would not have
nthss 70 half cent, all pot to-
asv - added to this it was all in the
ln.ssu ssu and the bars were very small.
sd - the Rulch for over mile. wash.
g. 49, and always found the same
~ ss.o,a s Here found . fine vein OF
assass and dropped my gold pan in
sos.ssaiae the foot of the euloh. We
nlss our packs and once more
/ IA vt nome, fully satisfied that the
asa 'nes sns on the Nooksack are a very
l M y cept fraud. Good testimony
| hen ns nne prospects further east.
/ hu,s,t sy %. bat I advise the bows not
MN. !. cat with packs 20 reach Il and
/ essni ystematic effort en- the part Of
ls,sp ,p9,eien d taat i, csnno. e s', ss dans ans
ksss &c norsh fork. but on or ns., NJ s,s ~
1 huge nns 70 the north Of Mount
Tours, truly,
MN. II. DoRR.