Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-02-05

President that it should not be post
poned.
Commissioner Sparks of the Land
Office holds the awful tenor of his
way against the land thieves out
West. He has never been in the
least perturbed by the threats of as.
sassination he has received from
persons to whom he has refused
land patents. There ia probably
more indignation against him in
Dakota than to any other locality.
The Commissioner has just expressed
his infexibility in a letter sent to
that Territory. He said; 81 do not
propose to confirm fraudulent en-
tries, and I do propose to find out
those which are honest and to sepa-
rate them from those which are
found to be otherwise. Dem.
From Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 1856.
EDITOR STANDARD:
At the time General Wool's head
quarters were "In my saddle, SIR
Rufus Ingalls, was tho popular Cap
tain and A. Q. NJ. at Vancouver.
That was before the Hon. o. B. Nc
Fadden. with bis interesting family,
resided upon little farm adjoining
the town, and before you, MIR. Edi-
tor, was conducting newspaper in
that embryo city of the Columbia.
Until the vicissitudes of the war, in
which he took so prominent and use
full part, called him East, he con-
tinued resident of and has ever
since claimed the Pacific northwest as
his home and has been it's true and
faithful friend. Although he is now
citizen of Oregon, his life with its
justly earned laurels is peculiarly
the property of Washington Terri
tory, and no act of Senator Mitchell
could be more gratifying to the old
timers of the Territory who have
watched the Generals rising fame
than the introduction of the bill to
provide for the retirement of Briga-
der General Rufus Ingalls, as o Ma.
jor General of the United States
Army. 1t was the first bill intro.
duced by the new Senator, and it's
course in Congress will be watched
with interest, although of its passage
there can be little doubt, for no
officer of the war exhibited greater
abilities in the line of his duty than
did General Ingalls, in the arduous,
difficult and responsible duties as
signed him. His military services
cover q period of over forty.four
years.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER,
Is properly the river of Washington ;
for 45O miles of its navigable waters
flow within the Territory, drain the
most magnificent wheat belt in
America and constitute q great com.
mercial artery from its grain fields to
the ships, while for 800 additional
miles it forms the common boundary
between Washington and Oregon.
The first survey of tho mouth of
this river was made in 1892, by
Capt. George Vancouver of the Eng.
lish navy. 1t then had one straight
channel to the deep sea, with abun-
dance of water in the channel and
on the bar. Clatsop spit extending
out to within mile and q half Of
Cape Disappointment, the thus con-
fined waters of the Columbia having
sufficient securing force to carry
the sand and silt far out into the
ocean. Subsequently, as observed
by Sir Edward Belcher, in 1882, q
swash across this spit gave two tor.
tuous channels and lessened the
depth of water. rendering navigation
dangerous. When, in 184l, Cap
tain, since Admiral, Wilkes made an
examination. the spit had partially
grown again and the channel was
much improved. From these and
other reasons it has been determined
by scientific engineers that by ex-
tending o jetty out to Clatsop Spit
a superior harbor entrance can be
made, and this work ought to be
prosecuted with vigor. Senator
Mitchell has also introduced q bill
appropriating 81. $3.50, 900 to continue
these improvements at the mouth,
the money to be expended between
the passage of the act and June 80,
1887, under the direction OF the Sec.
retary of War.
The Senator has also introduced
a bill providing for an additional ap.
preparation of $4,000 for continu-
ing the work on the canal and locks
at the Cascades.
1t is not the practice OF Congress
to pass these several bills for river
and harbor improvements, such ap.
propriations being made in general
river and harbor bill reported by the
Committee on Commerce of tho SEN
ate, and the Committee on Rivers
and HaYhOra of tha Houua. oc1 ,,ol,