The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-25
THECASCADE RIVER DISTRICT

x~sxA NJ Il miles brings one TO Hamilton.
= u<stty scwn lad aat Or the AmoltaoaS
lines OF a city. It's main street shaded oy
naples looking out On the river and across
20 me famous twin mountains OF coal ana
iron. which rsay ere long renew It's growth
Al Hamilton q change WAS made from
the buggy 10 the saddle and the horse
Gathered on over . level road, IN six miles
reaching the little town OF Bir1svisw.
Here IL swings over the fats towards the
side hin and IN eight miles more comes 70
IN. hotel on q bench 80 feet ADORE the
milky stream Of Baker river, which gath
e-s the e-ippings from beneath the glaciers
O. Noun. Baker. many miles northward
On a lower nat, upon which ons looks
.down from the hotel. IL q great stretch OF
we'll cultivated farm land Crossing Baker
river By a good span Bridge, the road sktrfD
I'D ard down the side hills, the giisseninx
slopes OF Glacier peak having now come
snso view in the far east and forming
landmark for miles onward. until near
Sank City. the foothills close In and hide
IL. TIE fats are now On the further bank
and the road Ii GU. out OF the steep sides
81 the spurs which slope down to the river
for several miles But IL soon comes down
20 the level again Ten miles from Baker
river a road branches on 70 the right 20
the free ferry established 5y Skagit county
al Sauk City.
This town s,ar.ds on the south bank Of
the Ezagit and the west bank OF the Sauk-
where the latter stream psurs In from ths
south and occupies q broad tat. which has
been transformed into . great meadow,
dotted with buildings. AZ the confluence
OF ths rivers il = great leve. stretch OF
z. 90 acres Of rich bottom land. only
awaiting settlement and the creation Of
market for the settler to become one Oh
~ h. <ase n
beautiful site and should become thriv-
ing town as the Skagit valley advances to
the rank 1; Ii entitled 20 hold among the
richest sections OF this rich land. The
road runs On up the north bank Tor 10
miles alternately along the edges Of the
hills and over the broad nats. q rocky ridge
with q broad bosom Of Ice forming dis
tant landmark between the purple ridges
10 right and left. Farms OF good size
break the uniformity OF the forest scene 1t
gradually increasing intervals until Mar
bic Mount Is reached, "a miles from Ham
iitou and 10 miles from Sank, where the
Cascade flows from the east into the SKA
git. whose course is now from north TO
south Here the county road ends and the
trail cut by the state road commission to
connect the road systems OF East
ern and Western Washington be-
gins. II Is a little town OF farm
erg who have brought under cult.va-
ton quite q tract of land on the banks OF
both rivers. and has . store and two hotels.
the last encountered on the way to the
summit The view to the east consists OF
three forest-crowned peaks with unspell-
able Indian names When one OF the resi-
dents was asked the names. he pointed to
one peak after another and uttered an In
dian word for each one. The drst name
was a grant and q gurgie. the second was
two grunts and a growi and the third was
a succession OF sounds which seemed to
come from the pit Of his stomach He
was asked how the names were spelled.
but answered:
Don't know; they never have been
spelled. You can nix that up to suit your
SELF"
Along the state Trail.
From this point the journey Is made on
the trans-Cascade trail recently completed
10y the state road commission. For the
first eight miles OF its length II Is full
width wagon road, running up the left
bank of the Cascade river, mild-man-
nsred stream near its mouth, but impeiu-
Gus as a headstrong youth when followed
upward to its several sources. Near the
confluence with the Skagit the valley Is
broad and fertile. and offers aiiuring
temptations TO the farmer TX he could only
find somebody 10 buy the abundant crops
the land viii yie.d. Though II Is less than
~ niles 10 the summit o. tAr SaSCaoS taSSs
over 5000 feet above sea level with pima
cles OF rock double that height to rightand
left. and glaciers on all sides. Marble
Mount Is only about $40 feet above tpe
sea. During the next l. miles the trail
climbs l.c0o feet. but that Is not an excess
sve grade. At first II runs through a
level. heavily timosred valley similar to
that OF the Skagit except that IL Is mar
rover. the foothills are taller and sleeper
and an ice-crowned peak ahead appears
extremely near. But II soon leaves the
level and crossing Day creek, hugs the
base OF the mountains along which IL has
been blasted and below which the river
roars rampant among great bouiders
Here thu valley has narrowed 10 canyon
and the whiie-headed peak IS hidden be-
hind the triple timDered cone OF Lookout
mountain around which sweep riffs OF
cloud. remnants Of the last nights rain
storm. The road winds around this noun
tain where IL has been blasted at great
cost. and then narrows 20 trail. bridging
the streams and puncheoned where the
| land Is boggy. Beyond Lookout mountain
| the valley again oroadens ont slightly and
az Intervals Of a mile or two cabins In the
| middle OF small clearings mark the ad-
vance OF settlement. One OF these bears
| the sign Hotel Periey'' over tire gate ard
| IL bulit on a larger scale than the others.
| with two stories. but rs owner, T. J. Per-
y.
| activity in mining began TO languish. The
| mountains continue to soar higher. but
| there are few hills TO climb until the old
| tran bridge over the north fork - crossed
| al !is confluence with the south fork, and
| Mineral Park Is reached, occupying = fat
| on the further bank.
| A Deserted Mining Town.
| This is town without any people. Dur
l ing the lively times Immediately follow
| ing the discovery OF mineral on the Cas-
| eade IL bosssed a population OF about 20
| persons ana had 8 hotel. store and saloon.
| but now all Is left 70 the chipmunks. mice
| and woo1rass. The first building passed
| after crossing the bridge IL the store.
| st-ucfar. OF shakes and split boards on
| log framework The door stands open and
| gives view ~ two hunks on each OF which
| Is spring mattress ans a Wool mattress,
/ sffeminate luxGriex for mining town. O.d
| Blankets and quilts lie In a ;snbIei heap
| on the beds. ready 30 he used by any
/ chance wsnderer. A homemade desk Of
| cedar stands az the foot OF the bed, end.
| on raising the lii. you find the Etorekeep-
| ers cid account book where he eff IL. on
| the shelves are tob,ot % Old cooking
| utensils aai the table ss Uttered with cdAs
| aa3 ensz Of croSkery ana tinwa~e. An old
| whisky barrel. a aoar barrel ani grocery
| boxes liter the foor. the scales hang on
| the wall hut the only remnant Of the
| sfock - several sacks OF salt On htgh
| shelf The traveiers and wcodrats have
| taken al the rest. In shed adjoining are
| grirdstone. h.acSSmith-s forge and few
! rusty tools, but rot human being 10 at
! hand
After leaving here. the tran esas 70 a
/ higher bench by steep g nh ana from
this point forward assenis bin after hin