The Pioneer Stimulus of Gold 159
Sandy and Hood rivers. The Mullan Road, between Fort Benton and Walla Walla, led prospectors and miners into Bitter Root Valley from both directions.
The growing business of the mining districts opened the way for a daily stage line, between Sacramento and Portland, in September, 1860.^ This utility was of high value to the whole North Pacific Coast. Teleg^i^ connections, between Portland, Sacramento and the Eastern states, followed in March, 1864.*^ This line was extended to Puget Sound, Victoria and New Westminster,®® and up Columbia River.* It was building toward Alaska and Siberia, for Asiatic and European service, when stopped in 1866 by the invention of the Atlantic cable.^ Lines were extended from Salt Lak6 into Idaho and Montana. The growth of the transportation business up and down the coast prepared for the Oregon- California railroad project of Ben HoUaday, who began con- struction in Willamette Valley in 1868. This was the tirst railroad of the North Pacific Coast, except for the portage railroads at Cascades and Celilo. And it may be added that the railroad progress in the West followed closely the gold activi- ties.
The horse stage was used on many local routes that con- nected with the main roads. Ben Holladay was a leading figure in the business between Salt Lake, Walla Walla, Vir- ginia City and Helena. An overland stage, with United States mail, controlled by Ben Holladay, beg^n running from Salt Lake to Fort Hall, Boise and Walla Walla in the Summer of 1864. The first mail reached Walla Walla by this route
66 The California Stage Company's schedule between Sacramento and Portland was seven days in Summer and twelve days in Winter. For history of the route, see Thi Oregonian. November i, 1865, p. i; details of the route, ibid., January 22, 1868. p^ 3; April 8, 1863, p. 3; July 30, 1869, p. 3; December 25, 1887, p. ^.
67 The first tranfldontinental through message reached San Francisco Septem- ber 24, 1862. Yreka was the terminus of a local line from Sacramento in 18^8. The aaily stage to Portland afterwards carried messages from Yrdca. The line between Portluid and Yreka was built in 186^-64.
68 Communication between Portland and Olympia besan September 4> 1864, and between Portland and Seattle, October 26, 1864. It was opened to New Westminster April 18, 1865.
69 This line was finished to Cascades May 13, 1868, to The Dalles early in June, 1868, and to Boise, in 1869.
70 The line reached the confluence of Skeena and Kispyox Rivers. See Howay*s British Columbia, pp. 195-201.
