Surveying the Glaciers and Gold of the Cascades
A local explorer returns from a trek near the summit of the Cascade range, scouting mineral wealth and future rail routes.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Captain B. S. Ingraham returned yesterday from an extended trip through the Cascade mountains in Okanogan county, highly pleased with the mineral outlook. He traveled by train to Hamilton and by stage to Sauk City. From Marble Mount, they followed the trail to Gilbert’s cabin near the summit. The summit is a wild, picturesque spot where mountains form a watershed for the Cascade and Pierce rivers. There is an excellent chance to study glaciers in this section. In this vicinity is the famous Boston mine, where Denver and Pittsburgh parties are considering a purchase for $150,000. Further on at Bridge creek, several other mining claims are located. The outlet to this section is Lake Chelan, a body of water seventy miles long. Railroad surveys have been made, and as the grade is easy, it is only a matter of time when the iron horse makes its appearance.
“The wealth is visible, and only needs development.”
This captures the peak of the late 19th-century 'booster' mentality in Washington, where prospectors viewed the rugged Cascades as a giant storehouse of capital waiting for the railroad to unlock it. It highlights a time when the wilderness was measured primarily in mining claims and potential transit routes.
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