Chapter V: BUILDING GROUNDS.--The city is built and building on both sides of

the river, and stands on a level, dry, gravelly plain, a mile or more in width, rising into wooded hills. In other words, it has all that can be desired for situation.

[Sidenote: Sprague, Colfax, and Lewiston.]

Sprague, Colfax, and Lewiston claim attention as indicating the points in a proposed branch line of railroad, leaving the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway somewhere in the Great Bend country.

Shops of the Northern Pacific Railroad are in Sprague, which fact is an endorsement of the locality. Its population is over 1,500. The town standing in a coulée, there are no indications of fertility of soil in sight. Here the timber belts seem to end, and no trees are seen for 100 miles eastward. It occupies an intermediate position between the great wheat areas of Whitman County on the south and of Lincoln on the north. Stage lines leave here for Colfax (south) and for Davenport and other towns in the Great Bend (north), and also for the Okanogan mines.

Colfax is about forty miles southwest from Sprague. It is on the Palouse River, in a narrow valley where there is scarcely room for a town. The bordering hills are steep; the surrounding country is some 400 or 500 feet higher than the town. It is claimed, however, that there are good grades to be had for railroads going in any direction. The town has a population of 1,800 to 2,000, and is evidently prosperous. It has water-power and wheat-mills. The railroad agent in the town says that his cash receipts for freight average $1,200 a day. Knapp, Burrell & Co. told me that they brought in 672 carloads of freight annually in the regular course of their business. I felt surprised at the statement. This firm does a farmers' business in barbed wire, wagons, all sorts of agricultural machinery and implements, grain-bags, etc., etc.

Mr. Hamilton imports groceries to the amount of $75,000. Coal is $12.00 a ton. Lumber is scarce and high, and freights enormous. A citizen told me that he had paid $64.30 freight from Portland on a lot of lumber that cost $34.90 in that city. Another marvelous story was that a citizen paid $5.00 a ton for coal in St. Paul and $20.00 a ton to bring it to Colfax.

[Sidenote: Notes on the Colfax country.]

In asking about the surrounding country, I made the following notes: One-half the country is arable. The non-arable land is grazed by horses, sheep and cattle. Wool, an important item. Of the arable land, one-tenth is under the plough; of this, three-fourths is put in wheat, and one-fourth in oats and barley--more barley than oats. Very fine root crops. Average of wheat, 30 bushels per acre; oats, 50 to 60 bushels. Price of wheat, 45 cents; freight to Portland, 20 cents, making $6.60 a ton. Peaches mature. Can raise corn, but it does not pay to shuck it. There is a continuous wheat area of 70 townships, equal to 2,520 square miles, taking in a little of Idaho.

[Sidenote: Lewiston.]

Lewiston, in Idaho, came into being during the days of placer mining, and now depends on agricultural business. It has about 1,000 people, and may become important by reason of its location at the junction of the Clearwater and Snake rivers. The transcontinental line that may some day be built through Wyoming might pass through Lewiston.

[Sidenote: Walla Walla.]

Walla Walla is the oldest, and was long regarded the best of all the towns of East Washington. It is beautifully situated in a fertile country; has about 5,000 inhabitants; is well laid off and built, and has a more staid and settled population than any other town there. This is true, also, of the farming population around Walla Walla, many of whom have comfortable homes. The town has some water-mills; and an astonishing amount of "truck" is raised and shipped in this neighborhood. The city has not grown much of late, and, except its agricultural surroundings, there is nothing especially to give it prosperity.

BRANCHES AND ROUTES FOR THE SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILWAY.

[Sidenote: Railroad branches.]

The building of the West Coast Railroad will be a happy circumstance for the Lake Shore road. Skagit County, and especially Whatcom County, have large resources, and the preoccupation of this ground may discourage other parties from any attempt to build up a commercial city on Bellingham Bay. A branch from the Northern Pacific at the Common Point to Salal Prairie would not hurt, and might help the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern road.

Besides the short spurs to the mines on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, there may be needed branches up Cle-ellum, and other rivers, to mines. I cannot see the wisdom of a branch to the Walla Walla country, which could be reached only by paralleling the Northern Pacific down the Yakima River, or else by striking off in the Great Bend, and crossing the Northern Pacific and its Palouse branch, and then Snake River, to reach a country already occupied by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, and lying over 100 miles nearer to the tidal market along a down grade, than by the Seattle road with its mountain crossing.

[Sidenote: The Palouse country.]

A branch into the Palouse country would have more to recommend it. It is nearer, and competition will be on more equal terms. There are now three railroads in the Palouse country: namely, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company's road from Palouse Junction to Moscow, Idaho, passing through Colfax; the Farmington branch of this road, from Colfax to Farmington, and the Spokane and Palouse, which runs from Marshall, on the Northern Pacific, to Genesee. But a road passing through Sprague and Colfax to Lewiston would cross some rich, unoccupied territory, and everywhere would compete for business on fair terms.

Whilst I was in Colfax, at my suggestion, the town was canvassed as to the annual amount of its freight. The aggregate amount paid by fifteen firms reached $200,000, and the balance was estimated at $25,000, making $225,000. Five firms claimed to handle annually 2,075,000 bushels of wheat, making 62,250 tons. These figures seem large for so small a place as Colfax.

The length of this branch would, of course, be affected by the location of the main line across Great Bend. If the main line should take the route preferred by Mr. Mohr, Wheatland would probably be the nearest starting-point. This would be all the better for Spokane Falls; but for the long haul to Puget Sound, it would seem to be more desirable for the junction to be farther west.

[Sidenote: Arguments for the Polouse branch.]

To my mind, the chief arguments for building this branch are, first, that it would be a start for the transcontinental road across Wyoming and Nebraska, and then, so to speak, it would be stretching out one wing of the bat with a view to catching the Manitoba bug.

The other wing of the bat would be the Colville branch. The eccentric bug would inevitably hit one or other of these wings, and when once caught, would be held.

[Sidenote: Manitoba railroad.]

Concerning these Manitoba people, we may assume that they will think with regard to the routes according to the facts of nature. The direct line across the Kootenai country would strike the Colville branch, but in the opinion of able engineers the difficulties are so nearly insurmountable, that this is least likely to be chosen of all the routes. The cut-off from Missoula to Spokane Falls by way of Lake Coeur d'Alene, seems manifestly the best route for this road, that is, if it be not already pre-empted by the Northern Pacific; but strong reasons are given to show that the Northern Pacific will not, and cannot, make this cross line; in which case, we might almost conclude that the Manitoba will cross here, and inevitably join the Seattle road.

The only other crossing left would be the Lolo Pass, which would be still more out of their direction, and would give them no better chance for an independent line to tide-water than the more northern routes. The fact is, that the late strategic movement of the Seattle railway in seizing upon the key to the Great Bend country made it master of the situation.

SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER, GIVING LATEST INFORMATION.

[Sidenote: Rapid growth of Seattle and Spokane Falls.]

It is now just one year since I left Washington Territory, and I am glad to be able to report, on the best authority, that the great interests heretofore described have progressed, some of them with accelerating speed. The city of Seattle has added 10,000 to her population, and Spokane Falls 5,000 to hers.

Mining has spread its area, multiplied its diggings, and gone forward at every point amazingly. Agriculture during the past year has not advanced with equal rapidity. This is easily accounted for by the influences of the mines and cities. The crops were fair, but not as large as in some former years; but no fears need be entertained with regard to this great interest.

[Sidenote: Change in the location of the railroad.]

The trunk line of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway will cross the Cascade Mountains at Cady's Pass instead of at Snoqualmie Pass as originally designed, and reach the Columbia River by the Wenatchie Valley. Crossing the great river near the mouth of the Wenatchie, where it is thought that a city will be developed, and passing along the northern limb of the Great Bend country, it will connect with the other end of the road which is now under construction to Wheatland.

A report from Paul F. Mohr, chief engineer, in regard to this new line, is embraced in this chapter. Something is said about the Wenatchie Valley, also, by Mr. Whitworth.

But the original line is by no means abandoned. It has probably reached Hop Ranch before this time, and will be continued through the great timber belt, passing Salal Prairie, at least as far as the iron and marble beds on Mt. Logan. No doubt in time the road will cross Snoqualmie Pass, and continue to the mineral beds on the Cle-ellum and elsewhere.

I have obtained the following interesting and valuable reports from Mr. Whitworth, who has been frequently mentioned in this report, Mr. Routhe, president of the Board of Trade of the city of Spokane Falls, and Paul F. Mohr, Esq., chief engineer.

REPORT FROM F. H. WHITWORTH, ESQ., CIVIL AND MINING ENGINEER ON SEATTLE, ETC.

SEATTLE, W. T., Oct. 2, 1888.

I now proceed to answer your questions.

1. Present population of Seattle, and commercial growth?

[Sidenote: Population of Seattle.]

[Sidenote: New manufacturing establishments.]

A census was taken in June of this year, and the total enrolled was 19,700. I presume it was safe to say that the population then was 20,000, and that now it is from 22,000 to 25,000, for although houses have been built very rapidly, there is not a house, or a room hardly, that is not occupied. There are now seven brick-yards in operation, each manufacturing from 10,000 to 50,000 per day. Two boiler-works have been added to the manufacturing interests since you were here. Three saw-mills, besides four on the line of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway between here and Gilman, have been built, and all have more than they can do.

A new fish-canning establishment has been started, and is in successful operation. A pile-creosoting works, an extensive shipyard works, a shingle mill, and a timber-preserving works and saw-mill are all under way on the north side of Salmon Bay.

[Sidenote: New steamers.]

The _Alaskan_ and the _T. J. Potter_, two magnificent steel steamers, and the _Harry Bailey_ and _Hassalo_, good-sized passenger steamers, besides three or four tugs, and an extra steamer on the Alaska route, as well as an extra steamer every second or third week for freight from San Francisco, have been added to the Seattle fleet since you were here.

2. The Moss Bay Company.

[Sidenote: The iron company at work.]

There seems to be no question but that the location on the eastern shore of Lake Washington is definite. A contract has been made with Denny, and with those holding with Guy, but not with Guy himself. I understand that no contract has been made with, or for, any other one, although Mr. Kirk has been and is still examining all other places.

Mr. Kirk, and Mr. Williams, another of the firm, are living on the grounds at Kirkland, and have a force of men preparing the grounds, the position of the different buildings having all been located. Brick and other material is being placed on the ground.

They have entered into contract to roll for the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway 30,000 tons steel at Kirkland, to be delivered within the next twelve months. They, however, will bring the blooms from Moss Bay for this.

[Sidenote: Coking coals.]

Coke is the fuel Mr. Kirk wants, and thinks he will have. But I do not think that the question of coke supply is settled yet. Mr. Kirk's property that we visited (Section 2) is, so far, not developing as they had hoped. Mr. Kirk has disposed of his interest there. The Smith coking ovens that we visited at Wilkeson are still producing a small amount of coke. One or two other veins have been opened at Wilkeson recently, and the company opening are proposing to put up ovens, and work and coke their coal. It probably will make about the same quality of coke as the Smith mine. The only coal that has been analyzed and stands that test for coke, is Section 34, near Kirk's Section 2. We got some samples of it, you remember.

The Snoqualmie coal has been taken possession of by a Mr. Niblock, who talks now of going to work to open. That, you know, cokes well in the open air.

The following is the cross-section of our best veins at Ruffner, or Raging River, Section 16. Roof, sandstone:

FT. INS.
Mixed Coal and Slate 1 2
Coal (clean) 3 1
Rock 3
Coal 6
Rock 6
Coal 1 3

Total, coal, 4 ft. 10 in., rock, 9 in.; which seems to be very strong coking coal. This bench can be worked to advantage, I think.

We have another, also, of about three feet of coal, clean, and it is underlaid with three feet of fire-clay, which probably will be as valuable as coal. I have burned some of the brick, and sent some away to be tested.

No further discovery has been made in the neighborhood of the Denny or Guy mines. At the "Chair Peak" Iron Mines, owned by Mr. Wilson, Kelly, _et al._, as they have examined further, the deposit has shown itself much larger than at first supposed. It is about two and a half miles from the Guy lode, on Mt. Logan.

[Sidenote: New discoveries of iron ore.]

Some quite extensive iron deposits have been discovered on the west side of the Sound, nearly due west from Seattle. They have not yet been analyzed.

What is thought to be a very rich deposit of iron has just recently been found on one of the islands in the San Juan group, within the territory of the United States, said to equal the Texada deposit in British Columbia, which the iron works at Irondale, near Point Townsend, use. The Irondale furnace commenced work again about a month since.

In regard to the precious metals: there have been no developments of importance on this side of the mountain.

The Okanogan, Salmon River, Coeur d'Alene and Colville mines promise richer and richer as they are more developed.

[Sidenote: Lumber business growing.]

4. The activity in the lumber business is unabated--is on the increase. The increase of the lumber mills, that I have mentioned in the first part of this letter, indicates _that_.

The traffic on the railroad, both in logs and manufactured lumber, is much larger than had been anticipated, and is increasing. In July the road hauled 2,843,464 feet of logs. September log haul was about ten per cent. greater. I could not get the exact figures to-day.

[Sidenote: Population and freights increasing.]

5. Spokane Falls is still growing very rapidly, and now claims 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants, and is building very substantially. Along the line of railroad on this side of the mountain the country is filling up, of course, with small ranches or home-makers, and those already on the line are making increased clearings, and will therefore have more to ship.

The following shows something of what is being done in July: "Coal freight, 2,750 tons; miscellaneous, 3,090; passenger traffic, $6,150; and the advance has been about the same as in logs, except on coal."

[Sidenote: Labor strike at Gilman Mine.]

[6. Mr. Whitworth next gives an account of certain difficulties and troubles, chiefly with miners, which ended in a "strike" that was somewhat prolonged, but he thought the men would soon go to work on the company's terms. Of course, the high hopes concerning these mines (Gilman) had not been realized. Mr. W. proceeds as follows:]

[Sidenote: Gilman coal seams.]

On the Smith, or No. 4 vein, we had just got the gangway driven far enough to turn rooms. The Andrews vein we were driving the gangway entirely in the coal, but were not yet far enough to turn rooms. Nos. 1 and 2 veins had gotten, with the gangway, well in under the hill, and was looking very fine, and turning out good coal. With the prospect of No. 4, or Smith vein, and Andrews vein, I am still well pleased. On the vein in Section 26, just across the valley, I have started in a tunnel to open it; have already driven about sixty feet through the rock, and have about seventy feet still to go. This tunnel is still going on, not having been stopped by the 'strike.'

[Sidenote: Progress of the West Coast Railroad.]

The West Coast Railroad is completed to Snohomish City, and trains run regularly, the bridge across the river being completed only about ten days ago. Both passenger and freight traffic is much larger than anticipated. They are grading, and expect to have ready for service yet this fall, five miles beyond Snohomish. Along most of the entire line the timber is very fine and abundant, and a great deal of the land adjacent is rich agricultural.

[Sidenote: Resources of the country along the new line across Cady's
Pass.]

7. Concerning the new line across Cady's Pass and down Wenatchie Valley.

[After some remarks respecting grades, etc., Mr. Whitworth proceeds as follows:]

On this [west] side of the mountain [Cascade] the timber reaches right up nearly to the summit, as in the Snoqualmie, and the reports are this region is rich in coal, and probably also in iron, with some indications of precious metals. Soon after crossing the divide the line will reach the very rich agricultural valley of the Wenatchie, which is called "the garden of Eastern Washington," and traverse its entire length. And it will pass within a comparatively short distance of the mineral districts on the northern slope of that range called Mt. Stuart.

I have heard that there were numerous indications of coal near the mouth of the Wenatchie on both sides of the Columbia. This, too, will be the nearest main line to the rich mineral district of Salmon River, or Okanogan, as well as all that northern mineral belt which extends to the Rockies, and will strike the heart of the Big Bend wheat-fields. It will also be eighty miles shorter than the other line. True, Ellensburg and the Cle-ellum district will be missed, but I think this will be more than compensated for by those I have spoken of.

8. Of the progress of the work.

[Sidenote: Progress in building the road.]

On this side of the mountains no work except surveys has been done on this line. At Spokane Falls the bridge across the river, and about forty miles of track is finished, and they are now operating, I believe, with very encouraging prospects. On the Snoqualmie line they are pushing on. The trains now run regularly to Raging River. The bridge across that stream is not yet completed, but will probably be by the 1st of November, and it is expected that the trains will be running to the Hop Ranch by December 1st.

The branch or spur up Raging River to the Ruffner mine, on Section 16, is located, and some little work has been done, but it is not being prosecuted at present, so I do not expect we will be able to get out any coal from there before next spring or early summer.

[Sidenote: Cable Railway in Seattle.]

Another item showing the prosperity of Seattle, is the opening of a five-mile circuit of cable road to Lake Washington, which occurred last Saturday. I will send you some papers giving some items that may be of interest.

[Sidenote: Southern Pacific Railroad supposed to be coming to Seattle
Harbor.]

A syndicate of men prominent in the Southern Pacific Railroad management purchased Milton Point, the land directly west, across Seattle Bay, from the town, and are clearing it off, and say they will make extensive improvements over there in the near future. They are building a large ferry steamer, and have a franchise to run a ferry hourly between town and the front. It is to be on the route by December 1st. Report says that the Southern Pacific is coming in there.

At Smith Cove quite a little town is building up, and property is advancing all around there.

REPORT FROM E. A. ROUTHE, ESQ., CONCERNING SPOKANE FALLS, ETC.

SPOKANE FALLS, Oct. 17, 1888.

[Sidenote: Growth of Spokane Falls.]

Our city has progressed in growth splendidly since you were here. There are now fully 13,000 inhabitants. The census of July 1st showed 12,000. About $1,500,000 have been expended in buildings this year. Eight business blocks of brick and granite have been built this season. One of these cost $150,000. Four of these blocks are three stories, three are four stories, and one five stories.

Forty miles of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway will be completed between here and the Big Bend by December 1st. The iron, engines and cars are nearly all here, and the farmers in Lincoln County are greatly rejoiced at the opportunity for shipping their grain and stock to market.

[Sidenote: Prodigious development of the mining interests.]

The development in the mines this year has been greater than all the work done heretofore. The gold mines near Murray, Idaho, have yielded beyond the hopes of all interested in them. I saw four gold bricks, at the First National Bank, said to contain $37,000. These were from one mine, a South Fork mine of the Coeur d'Alene.

The Kootenai country is now reached by steamer after leaving the Northern Pacific road at Sand Point. A good deal of development work is progressing, and the ore is being shipped out daily. It is mostly silver-bearing galena. A new town just above the British line on the Kootenai Lake has been started. It is called "Nelson." I shall send you some formulated data at an early date.

The crops have been good, though not so good as last year. Emigration to the farming sections does not come in as fast as we would like--in fact, not as rapidly as to the towns. I think it will be better after the election.

REPORT FROM PAUL F. MOHR, ESQ., CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE & EASTERN RAILWAY, CONCERNING THE CADY'S PASS AND WENATCHIE ROUTE.

SPOKANE FALLS, W. T., Dec. 3, 1888.

The following is a report of the proposed line from West Coast Branch to mouth of Wenatchie River: