Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-04-03
MOUNTING THEMOUNTAINS
Rush of the Railroad to the
Iron and Coal of the
Cascades
Hamilton is Whooping Up To
Be the Pittsburg of the
Pacific
An Interesting Sketch From
the Skagit River
Country


Special Correspondence TO the HERALD,
HAMILTON, Wash, Spril 1.-The Fair
haven 4 Southern surveyors are camped
about ten miles above Hamilton and
making rapid strides for the Cascade
pass, while the Seattle & Northern crew
are bringing up the rear about five miles
behind. Both roads are making for the
pass with all possible speed. as there are
several places in the pass, and between
here and there, that viii necesstate bo tn
roads to run ON almost the same track
The two roads are already located to
this town and will both be running trains
in here before snow flies again. The OBJ
ject of the two roads coming to IIami ton
is 30 get share of the immense business
here in transporting the coal, iron and
lumber from this point, which will in IA
few more years be the commissary for the
whole northwest. in as much as our coal
and iron are almost unexhaustible, while
the supply Of timber is no less remarka-
bic
The Skagit Cumberland coal is now taxi
ina on. some Of the finest coal ever
mined west of the Rock mountains.
Ii Is called fine coal because il has been
tested by numerous mechanics and ex-
perts and pronounced by each and every
one to be equal TO the Cumberland coal
used altogether in this country for black
smithing purposes and which commands
the eXtrayagant price of S23 per ton. This
coal alone is sufficient to build up city
here and make the county one of the
wealthiest in the state, but il is only a
small factor OF the resources and wealth
producers which are deposited here by
m ri 4 ba MA ffr
the Pittsburg of the northwest. There
are live other coal veins yet to be tapped
which have been prOspectcd and found to
be frOms to IS feet in thickness and which
are A qualities of cokeing gas and semi
anthracite Goals. Nature seems to have
had liberal spell upon her when fixing
up the Skagit valley for in addition to
the great deposits Of coal. and within a
stones throw, across gulch. in what is
known as the Iron Mountain. are numer-
GUS lodges of iron ore which makes
the finest bessemer steel. Thus it will be
seen that having covered the surface with
dense growth of heavy timber, and the
interior of the mountain with coal iron
and limestone, she has rendered this
section independent Of the outside world
so far as the manufacture Of iron and
steel Is concerned.
These wealthy stores have slumbered
In their beds until lately for want of cap
ital, but now capital Is coming into the
country to develop the rich resources and
Skagit county has a smile of prosperity
all over her face. The Skagit Cumber-
land Coal Company. company composed
of San Francisco and English capitalists
with a capital stock of S5,O00.OOO, have one
vein opened up and are storing the coal
in hunkers ready for shipment. The
Conner iron mines are being worked and
iron mined for the IrOndae Iron Works
which will be shipped in scows if the
IL. Il. III.
The O'IOOle & Tinkham iron mines are
also In the course of development and are
said to be the most accessible mines in
this country owing to their loca-
ton and their proximity to a
great water course which can be utilzed in
working the mine with great saw
ing of expense. There are perhaps
more than seventy-tive iron claims To-
caeted in this immediate vicinity which
in course Of time will be developed and
become valuable SO far as guaranty is
concerned. il might almost be said to be
unlimited, for the iron mountain alone
contains enough iron TO supply the world
for century.
Railroad prospects aud the certainty of
the development Of the mines have ere
ated quite a stir in real estate in this
town during the last week. and a little
town heretofore containing forty acres.
has spread out TO "A town of almost Sec
rapidly and arrangements made for sew
eral new enterprises within the last few
DAYS, among which is a 20,OOO capacity
sawmill, which will be put in by the Sam
ish Milling and Lumber company.
Among the many investors who bought
acre property adjacent to the town, are
j. w. POmerOy. Morton Ladue aud L. T..
Ladue, of FairhaNen; II. c. Petit. of
Snohomish; c. Nhitheck. of Seattle;
Behrens-& Moody. OF Mt. Vernon; W. b.
Alversou. OF LaConner. aud other
parties whose names you correspondent
Jailed to learn.
Heretofore a great many men of means
would have invested their money In
this town if they had paid il o visit, but
on account of a long journey over bad
roads. have been discouraged and returned
without visiting this vicinity. The long
felt want of some means of transporta-
ton to the sound save through the mud.
has been supplied by the steamer Indiana,
Will h recently arrived ON the river and
which will ply three times week be-
tween Hamilton. Sedro and Mt Vernon