, 1855-09-07
COlVilIe MineS-AnOther Route.

who have gone 10 tne- mines Is becoming
intense. 1t is now more than six weeks
since the first party left our town. AT the
time they left, we supposed someione of
them would have returned before this time,
and that we would have heard from them
o dozen times, but as yet not word has
been heard directly The first of this week
brought Us news from Oregon that miners
were digging on the Pen dOreille river
and getting only from fifty cents to three
dollars day. If this report is true, 1--WE
do not know what faith to put in it0, i'll
most probably accounts for the delay of our
first citizens who left here. They are pros
pecting for better diggings, Be that as it
may, we think those who are now at home
will not leave until they do hear report,
from some authentic source, Of good dig
gings. In fact it seems to us that there
are now a sufficient number Of our citizens
gone. Let US, who are at home, take care
Of the farms, stores, and towns. When
our friends return, we will be ready, willing
and able to receive them into improved
and comfortable homes. We will share
the pile /" with those who have them, and
share the hospitalities with those who have
been unl1cky. If there are rich diggings
on the Pen dOreille, every citizen Of
Washington and Oregon territories may
be assured he will reap goodly share of
the profits. Our whole country will be
opened its woods will be cleared away
and claims settled its rich and abundant
resources will be soon developed, >and we
will make California leap into the circle
Of the American Union 1t requires no
prophetic vision to see the truth Of these
statements. d, We need only to look around
us 10 convince the most incredulous of their
truth It is now not two months since we
received the first intelligence of gold hav-
ing been obtained on the Pen d0reille.
During that short space Of time new and
easily practicable route through the Cas-
cade range has been Observation-Disclosures
Of acres Of the most beautiful agricultural
land has been travelled Overland mag
ni6cently beautiful country has been seen
and admired by different exploring parties.
Nearly every day for the past month we
have heard Of the organization Of these
exploring parties throughout the territory.
We see from a correspondent Of the Courier,
such a party has started out from What
com, Bellingham Bay, from which point it
is supposed there viii be found good, and
the shortest route to Colville. That cor
respondent thinks ii is only ls2 miles from
Whstcom to Colville, and the route can
be Travelled all seasons Of the year without
difficulty. st.s -- .,
It should be borne in mind, however,
that from the head waters of the Missouri
river to Puget Sound the distance is, say
1900 miles. Is it not our interest to culti-
vate friendly relationship between Orc
gOn and Washington territories 7 /, The
best seamen jn the world have decided that
Puget Sound Is unparalleled one Of but
three harbors on the Pacific coast, Does
It not become Us to cultivate friendly
feeling and relationship amongst those who
have ventured out to explore those new
mines? 7ii a.f,
A question arises should those mines
prove unproductive-should they not yield
compensatory return, what will DO the
future Of this territory a.lrl.i.z9 %
Concisely, and briefly, we will answer
the interrogatory. 1t the first place we
require good wagon road leaving the
waters of the Sound, to terminate at some
point on the Columbia river. Atall events,
should the prospect Of gold finding prove
lucrative, it is indispensably necessary that
we should have railroad communication be-
tween the waters Of the Sound and the Co
lumbia river, for reasons too obvious to
mention--in order to accommodate the
carrying trade Of both territories for it is
fact, if line Of railroad communication
was opened up between this and Oregon
territory, Washington would share equally
and proportiOnally, if not to the full srtent,
the profits derived therefrom. .1
Should these gold mines prove propi-
tious, another question arises unless these
suggestions are complied with-accommo-
dating means rendered, what assurance
have we that any of the precious metal
will ever reach usH Be it remembered,
that st. Louis is within from 1000 to 1900
miles Of the COlville country-that the
Missouri river is navigable, at certain sea-
sons Of the year, to Fort Benton-that it