The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-12
TO AID SURVEYORS.
Senator Allen Asks Increase in
Rate of Pay.
CUSTOMS DISTRICT CHANGES.
Adverse Report OF Major Handbury on
improvements for Deep, Skamo-
kawa and Crooked Rivers.

In the sundry civil bill of last session the
rates allowed for the survey OF lands
heavily timbered, mountainous or covered
with dense underground, in Washington
and Oregon, were fixed at not exceeding
SIS mile for standard and meander lines,
SIS for township, and $l2 for section lines.
AS is known, these prices have not
proved sufficient. In consequence, SEN
ator Allen has induced the committee on
public lands to recommend the amend
ment of the law so as TO provide as
follows:
That the commissioner of the general
land Office may allow for the survey OF
land heavily timbered, mountainous or
covered with dense underground, In the
states of Oregon and Washington, rates
not exceeding S25 per linear mile Tor
standard and meander lines, $23 Tor town.
ship, and $40 for section lines.
The committee on commerce of the SEN
ate have under consideration measure TO
amend the law made last session to re-
organize and establish the customs coilec-
ton district of Puget sound. This amend,
ment transfers from the Puget sound
district all of that portion OF the state
of Washington lying south OF 1orty-slA
and three-fourths degrees OF northern
latitude, and west OF the Junction Oh tns
Columbia and Willamette rivers, ana
places the same in the customs collection
district of Oregon.
Major Handbury has sent in the follow
ing reports on the examinations mace OF
Deep, Skamokawa and Crooked MYERS, IN
which he gives his reasons for !eporting
against any improvements thereon oy the
government:
On personal examination / find that Deep
river is slough that extends back into the h. lis
from Gray's bay, on the Columbia river, about
SIX miles. There is no stream OF any impor-
lance emptying into il from the hills.
Inside the bar at the mouth and up as Tar as
the forks the water is deep, varying from ten to
twenty feet. On neither one OF the forks Is
there room for boat OF any respectable SIZE 70
turn round The rise of the tide Ia this slough
is about six feet. Up to the forks, which is as
far as navigation can extend, l could see no
Snags trees or other objects that would interiors
with navigation in the slough. There are few
clearings scattered along the bank and evidences
OF some attempts at farming; some hay is raised,
logs, stave-folts, shingles, cordwood and slmilar
forest products are taken out, but no consider
able commerce is developed, or likely TO be IN
the near future. could see nothing that the
government could 90 to beneht Navigation mere,
even were there sufficient commerce to justify
report that the stream was worthy OF improve.
mcnt by the general government. In view OF
the above facts cannot recommend that this
river is worthy of Improvement.
Crooked river is another slough that extends
back from Gray's bay. At low water the bar at
its mouth is bare. l assembled the stream IN o
skiff about one-half mile, with tide about half
food. At this distance found Ii about thirty
feet wide and three feet deep At extreme low
tide there is very little water to be found in this
slough. This stream is so Insignificant that
have been unable to find it by name on any OF
the published maps OF this vicinity. There are
a few clearings along the banks, and on high
tides logs and other forest products are taken
out. There is no commerce of any Importance
to be subseryed by the expenditure OF money on
this stream In view of the above facts can
not report that it is worthy of improvement by
the general government.
Skamokawa river is another slough that puts
back from the Columbia river about thirty miles
from its mouth, into the hills on the Washing
ton side. l entered it in a skif when the tide
was out about two feet above low water. After
rowing about twenty minutes came to where
between 80 and go feet, the depth about six
feet and the distance from the mouth about
mile and hal. ok the east fork, which
contained the most water, and pulled up ten
minutes longer, a distance of probably hall
mile. On account of the shallowness of the
water it was not without some difficulty that
this point was reached. At low tide there is
practically no water in this vicinity. am told
that there are some farms back in the woods
from the forks, and that hay is sometimes
shipped out. Logs are also brought down the
streams. There does not seem TO be any consid-
cradle amount of commerce dependent upon
the stream. In view of the above facts cannot
report that the Skamokawa river is worthy OF
improvement By the general government.
Alle tneSe reports OF the engineer are
unfavorable to the governments under
taking the improvement of these and other
local rivers, they are not by any means
final. It frequently happens that even
after adverse reports from the engineers,
the committee on rivers and harbors, at
the instance of the members interested,
authorize the commencement of work, and
of course make appropriations therefor.
This, however, it must be said, is not the
m q d.
verse report goes a great way in determin-
ing the action of congress. Those inter
ested in the navigation of the streams
mentioned above, should keep heart, as
congress may yet make them an exception
to the general rule.
Senator Allen has asked the committee
raar ions rer,nrt hill granting a raera=