The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-27
THE rRANs-CAsCADE ROAD.
Skagit County People Think 1t Ought ca
Be Built south Of Mount Baker.

Skagit County People Think 1t Ought 70
Be Built south Of Mount Baker.
MOUNT VERNON. March 26-rSpeciall l.
Since the passage Of the bill providing for
the building of road across the Cascade
mountains from Whatcom to Okanogan
county, the people of the upper Skagit
valley have been wondering how it hap
pens that the proposed road is laid out to
go north of Mount Baker. 1t is a we'll
known fact that there is no pass north of
Mount Baker, while on the other hand the
Skagit valley offers at once natural road
to the heart OF the Cascade range, and,
with the Cascade creek and Thunder creek
passes makes route over the mountains
that is not to be approached in Whatcom
county. The bill seems to have been
rushed through without the knowledge of
the Skagit county members in the legisla-
ture. and the people of the county now
blame Senator Edens for letting the What
com county senators get the measure
through. But, although the act expressly
provides that the proposed road shall go
north of Mount Baker, the people of the
upper Skagit believe that they have some
prospect OF the road coming through their
way. They have just held meeting and
have appointed q committee to visit
Whatcom with the view Of inducing the
commissioners to adopt the Lyman pass
across the foothills.
From Lyman up the Skagit valley there
is splendid wagon road to Marble mount.
Q distance of forty miles. This is but a
few miles from the Cascade pass-a pass
which has already been used by stockmen
east of the mountains to bring over cattle.
and 1t also connects on the other side with
feasible route to lower land. Thunder
creek. which parallels Cascade creek few
miles north, also offers good pass across
the range. 1t is claimed by prospectors
who are thoroughly familiar with the
country that. even If the road should be
put through north of Mount Baker, the
Thunder creek pass would have to be
used. As Thunder creek is in Whatcom
county and is about due east of Mount
Baker. the use of that pass would still
comply with the law.
The people of Whatcom county have
been trying unsuccessfully for years to
find feasible route for q road across the
Cascades. Some years ago they gave Til
Sheets 81 200 and sent him out to find a
pass north of Mount Baker. He was gone
three months and made q thorough
search, but returned and declared that
not even a good trail could be made
through that section. Another difficulty
which stands in the way is tn at Mount
Baker is so near to the British line that
should the road be put north of Mount
Baker it would have to be partly built
through the queens dominions. Some of
the good people of Washington would OBJ
ject to putting state money into foreign
country for the purpose of building roads.
The Cascade, Thunder creek and Ruby
creek miners have lately become clamorous
for . good wagon road down to Marble
mount, and the new county commissioners
are inclined to make an appropriation that
will suit them. If they do extend this
road all that would be necessary for the
Whatcom people to do to get road to the
summit of the Cascade range would be to
open up the natural pass to Lyman by
way of the south fork of the Nooksack
river. The 1000 appropriated by the
state could then be used on the pass at the
summit and on the east side Of the noun
tains. Unless this is done the $50 900 will
go but few miles in the difficult work of
putting a road north of Mount Baker, and
the result will be no road at all.
Residents Of Lyman, Hamilton. Sank
and the prospectors of the upper river are
much interested in the proposed road, and
the committee which they have rejected
will 60 to Whatcom next Saturday to con-
fer with the state road commissioners on
the subject.