The Settlers’ Plea for the Skagit River

The Skagit river has its headwaters northeast of Fort Hope, British Columbia, and runs in a southerly direction to the boundary line; thence its course is to the mouth of Mount Baker, until it reaches Baker river, and thence flows through Whatcom county to the Sound. Its length is about 150 miles, of which 75 to 100 are naturally navigable for steamers of a hundred tons burden, its width ranging from two to four hundred yards and its depth greater than that of any other river in the Territory except the lordly Columbia. It has no cascades, falls, rapids or other obstructions to navigation beside the jams, one of which has already been removed by the hardy settlers and loggers on its banks, and the other they are now at work upon. Within the past two years has been discovered and worked a vein of the best coal yet found on the Pacific coast. With the exception of a mere pittance of six or seven hundred dollars, contributed by the mill and steamboat men, the whole of this work is being done by the unaided exertions of the dwellers along its banks—a small band of determined, hardy men. The task they have set themselves to they will do, and they do not ask or even desire any such amount—wanting nothing from the Government which they do not fully earn. It is only right, however, that they should not be at the sole expense of this improvement, which will benefit others at once as much as themselves. With this view they appeal to Congress, through Delegate Jacobs, for a small subsidy either of money or lands.