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. [Illustration: VIEW OF SEATTLE AND THE HARBOR, WASHINGTON TERRITORY, SHOWING DOCKS OF THE SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILWAY.] 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.