The Unsung Pioneers Clearing the Skagit River

Mr. W. D. Moore, one of the prominent citizens of the Skagit, who is up here soliciting aid for the opening of the upper jam in that river, gives us some interesting facts concerning the inception of the undertaking and its progress. The work of cleaning out the jam was first inaugurated by the few men who were vigorously pushing the work, and who in the outset looked to it as a profitable adventure. After taking the matter up carefully with the settlers along the river, they received a great deal of encouragement in the way of promises and calculated on getting a considerable amount of merchantable lumber from the logs. In this they were partly disappointed. They commenced on the first jam about the first of last March and did not complete the work wholly until about six weeks ago. During this time they worked continuously and took out only about 1,000,000 feet of logs. Aside from the logs, they only received small contributions from the farmers, consisting of a few bushels of potatoes, etc. The farmers had promised to do a great deal, but they really did very little toward assisting. Mr. Moore, the Skagit merchant, however, did all in his power to help them. The total of the assistance they received during the time they were at work the jam they returned to the value of the tools they had in use. The price they received for the logs, therefore, had little more than overpaid this. Thus the fear of although the contributions of the farmers went but a little way toward paying their hotel bills. It is well known that the men who began the enterprise, and who have conferred a blessing upon the country, have come out behind in their accounts. Receiving nothing in the way of interest in the time the work was commenced, and believing in the generosity of the feeling that in conferring such a lasting favor upon the country they would in some measure be rewarded, they decided to commence operations on the upper jam. A channel 100 feet wide and 150 in length has already been cut into the solid mass of logs and brush. They intend now to have the work completed by the first of May next. Mr. Moore is of the opinion that they will not get more than logs enough out of the upper jam to pay for their tools, and for anything in the way of compensation they can only look to outside assistance. So far he has only got $400 subscribed toward it. Captain Ellinwood is one. Our merchants have subscribed most of the balance. He says they need at least $1,000 and he hopes to raise near that amount.