The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-21
'CHEHALIS & EASTERN
Road From Shoalwater Bay to
North Yakima.
TnaouoH THE cowLITz PASS.


Csrrsfrs. Oct 1--As stated IN . dis
match 70 the Posr-lxrxrIzG Escsx tia i'm
inst. fise organization Of . company has
been effected 20 bzild . railroad from
shosiwaser bay 90 Chshaiis, thence 20 .
forrersson With the northern Pacific at
the most practical poiat. al things consld-
srpd. 70 the eastward. thus crossing tie
Northern at chehalts snd again inter-
cspssng IL somewhere ia the region OF
North Yakima. The scheme has been
hrswing sinee lass spring, when prosperfo-s
in the interests Of sorne Eastern capitalists
discovered coal Of . rare quality on The
nasdaIs fork II the Sewaakurn. and also in
the Cowiisx valley, at the head Of what j.
kno~n ~ the Big Bottom. q large tract Of
leses. fat land. which Il the resalt Of some
obstruction In the Cowlitx r1ver. which
once made . great lake % that entire
country. Exrerts csaim that both bitnmi-
mons and anthracite coal exists IN
seysssi places tn paying quaint
tie. II transportation could ~
had. From tha. thought has srisen the
parihe. chetsiis a Easteys railroad COM
psuv. After the coal had been found 10 be
81 great value prosF~ctors wsre sent ont to
examine the country and report on the pos-
ssbsisfy OF building railroad 20 rearh u.
In the meantime Chehalis parties had
seen the great opportunity and inside many
examinations with the same end in view.
II was seen that not only was there
splendid opening for coal mining operations
ba, that the timber resources were almost
unsauaied. Both east snd west OF Che
halls are immense bodies of timber afi-
touched by an or fire that sIli remain in
these prsfneval conditions many years II
,ssirosd does not get closer 20 them 'has
the Northern Besides this fact the az
ricsiltaraI Ianss along the streams Of Lewis
county are IN extent anS richness OF great
importance N TIRE sussenanee of railroad
operations. from shoslwster bay TO the
Cascade mountains. distance OF over 80
miles. railroad fha, world tap the timber
and pass rirbt hy the coal deposits wouid
rot for mile be away from as rich aud
produetlve farm lands as ever laid ont
doors The heaviest lands have been
found 70 BE highly productive. and these
IL scarce q section ~ poor or gravelIy land
TO he foand In all the distance mentioned.
FROM the bay the road would follow mp
the wiilspa river 10 its heads waters in the
divide between that slope and the water
eHFsA W TIE IssfHlts1 Nt faAfN - Nttss
rich and capable Of the highest class 81
agricultural development. Many good
farms are here now, and the brush land il
being cleared of and suhdued to useful
purposes rapidlv. Reaching the top 81 the
divide ct an altitude Of less than 800 feet,
the read would come down some Of the
numerous small streams that have their
rise here and 9ow into the Chehalis river.
From this divide 10 Chshalis. about twenty
Iniles. there Is nothing hat the hest of soil
The mad would pass near Boisfort prairie.
one OF the eldest. best-seisied and cult
vs'ei prairies in Western Washington. a
loealitv highly productive. but backward
from she lack az transportation. Reaching
the locality Of the Chehalis river. some
ten miles east OF here. we strike a farming
country which would make the heart Of
",iown-Ea Yank" burst with home.ick-
ness. This locality was settled from
twenty to thirty years ago bv
class OF hard-working, thrifty
farmers from the Fast who thought here
20 escape the rigors Of a climate that had
nsdc their life . struggle for existence.
Here they found soil unsurpassed any
where. and believing that not always
would they he so isolated from the world
thew would settle down 20 employment
OF their time IN creating q productive and
self-sustaining home. Wonderfully have
thew succeeded. Dav after day their
wagons are coming into Chehalis loaded
with wheat. oats, hay, hops. potatoes. etc,
while many head of cattle and other
stock are being sold a, profitable prices
sueh are the localities that have built IN
Chehalis and made Lewis county the
synonym for prosperity. The local bust.
ness such az community can give To
railroad will b. enormous. This IL a mat.
ter well understood BY the promoters o, the
Pacific. Ghehalis & Eastern. They have
seen It ell ard appreciate it, importance.
Because of this they are spending Their own
money and devoting their energies to
building railroad that cannot help IN he
profitable while at the same time il will be
an inestimahie boon to Chehalis as well as
ali OF Lewis county