The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-19

mile of the Pierce county line shows
that the problem of overcoming the
divide is not serious. Our camp
Thursday night at the Elizabeth Gold
Hill Mining Company's cabins and
mill was at an altitude of 4,400 feet.
There is ample room there to develop
a line to reach the crest Of the
divide on an eight or ten per cent
maximum grade with no solid rock
construction.
''The material is sandy soil and de-
| composed porphyry adapted to the
use of the road grading machinery
| now owned by the county. The three
or four miles nearest the summit re-
quires. no expensive clearing or grub
bling. The United States Geological
Survey map, Mount AK quadrangle,
shows that the descent on the Pierce
county side would be by way of Sill
yer creek and White river. Our tramp
OF five miles Thursday partly on the
Pierce county slope, shows this to be
entirely feasible The bridges neces-
sary to cross American river to Sc
cure the line of easiest construction
have already been built out of funds
| appropriated for State Road No. /.
Not Difficult of Construction
You may say from me that in the
eighteen miles from the confluence of
the Dumping and American rivers to
Bear gap, there Is no unusual or
| difficult construction and there is no
part of the line that will require over
an eight per cent gradient. The
| Elizabeth Gold Hill Mining company
miles of road to make it passable for
hauling machinery into their camp
and while it is now passible for auto
m obiles no attempt has been made to
eliminate adverse grades or keep the
maximum below ten per cent as
might be done with a proper location.
Yes, the Yakima side of the sum-
init, via the Naches and American
rivers is a perfectly feasible route for
a highway across the summit. Our
camp at the Elizabeth Gold Hill mill
was only Thirteen miles in a direct
line from the upper end of the auto
mobile road in Pierce county at the
base of Mount Rainier-Tacoma. 1t
is the link in the proposed highway
connecting the two counties that will
unite North Yakima and Tacoma and
the other Puget Sound points by one
of the most wonderful scenic roads in
the world.
Roberts to Inspect Other End
Starting Saturday, IN company
with Governor Hay and the county
commissioners of Pierce, l shall make
a trip from Tacoma, over the county
and government highways to the big
mountain after which the city on
Commencement bay was named.
There 1 shall see for the first time
that wonderful bit of scenic highway
that will soon be completed to Para
disc valley and which may be con-
nected later with the road from
North Yakima. l have enjoyed this
| trip in the company with the county
commissioners and engineer and am
not sorry that / had the opportunity
| to take it under such pleasant aus
pices Now / know the condition and
am in shape to report advisedly on
the projected highway when the time
comes for me to do So"
The party. which was composed of
twelve persons, left North Yakima
Tuesday afternoon at . o'clock in the
county automobile driven by Game
Warden Barney and in White
Steamer, with its owner. Road Su-
pervisor Ed. Case. at the wheel The
others in the party were State High
way Commissioner w. ]. Roberts, of
| Olympia, State Engineer Will H.
White, County Commissioners Lemay,
Olson and Lancaster. Frank X. Nag
| Ter. secretary Elizabeth Gold Hill
Mining company, n. j. Bartlett, rep
lresenting the White Steamer COM
pany, George n. Angel of the Repub-
lie and Chas. E. Cutter, of the Morn
ing Herald.
Fifty-twO Miles First Day
Fifty-two miles were made the first
day. the first camp being made at the
American River Camping place of
the United States Reclamation service
above the confluence of the Dumping
and American rivers The run was
made in about eight hours. camp be-
ling made in the dark beside the river.
There the party spread their blan-
kets on the ground and would have
enjoyed themselves but for the
swarms of voracious mosquitoes that
assailed them. on the way to this
point the trip was without incident
the miles of fine roads and beautiful
and rugged scenery calling forth ex-
CARNATIONS of wonder and admira-
ton. Numerous pictures were taken
EN- route by several of the party who
had cameras and who used them TO
advantage in making a record of the
scenic effects,
on the way out from North Yak
ina. numerous parties of North Yak
imans were observed camping along
the Naches river. At Nile was a
large camp, where the families of Fl.
f. Marble. the county engineer. who
Joined the party at this place, and
f. b. Cresap. DR.. A. II. Henry and E.
| b. Leckey. Before going into camp
the party stopped at the homestead
of r. V. Darlington an old newspa-