The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-08-26

SO high has the discontent risen, that O
Mr.. Henry Kerrison, who wrote favorable
letters from the mines several months ago
was in danger Of his life. lie had reached
Fort Hope before the river had reached its
present height, and had found very rich dig
gings and his private letters describing
Bis gains-about fifty dollars per day
contributed somewhat TO increase the
excitement. He had been q policeman
In this city for long time, was extensively
known, and being generally considered .
good fellow, bis statements were believed.
The desperation Of those fellows on the riy-
or led to loud talk against Kerrison, and r.
nally half drunken chap, named Conroy,
attacked him and threatened TO kil him,
and Kerrison was compelled to shoot him 10
self defence. The wound proved fatal.
Kerrison, unwilling to trust himself in the
hands Of the excited miners, fled TO Fort
langley, where he offered TO be tried, and
has since gone to Victoria. Ie will not go
to the mines again till the water falls
10 Victoria there are 1000 or 5000 peo-
pie, many Of whom are in the same cOndi-
ton with the miners on the river They,
too, are desperate and indignant. They are
out Of work, short Of money, unable To 90
further, TO come back, or TO do anything
where they are An Indignation meeting
was held In Victoria last week. The Fra
ger mines were declared to be all humbugs,
and the steamship owners and Hudson bay
Company, and all who were suspected Of
having contributed TO excite the Frazer IT,
yer, were condemned in unmeasured terms.
One indiscreet fellow said the meeting were
making fools OF themselves the Frazer riv-
or was rich, for he knew il he had himself
dug $40 per day. lie Was Immediately
seized, hustled and beaten, and cries were
raised Of Bring a rope 4" hang him |"
" iIireling Of the steamship company He
managed to escape, and probably will know
better next time.
Such conduct on the part Of the disap-
pointed gold seekers may appear rather sin
gular, bat the old Californians have heard
Of the like before. Just such meetings were
held in San Francisco in lS48. The Cali.
fornia mines were voted humbugs, and all
who had inculcated reports Of their richness
were set down as knaves. So, too, in Aus
tralia.
II must be remembered that these Frazer
river adventures have no cause to blame
any one but themselves. The newspapers
Of San Francisco did no more than publish
the letters addressed to them. These letters,
almost without exception, stated that the
mining country would be inaccessible until
low water, and that the water would not
begin TO fall until the lst Of August. They
were also advised that no one should ven
ture forward ~ q pioneer, unless be were
provided with six months provisions and
money to bring him home. Similar pru-
dent advice was given in all the newspa-
pers. But no; rash men would not listen /;
they would take the chances they would
be among the first in the new dggings and
the consequence is, q great deal Of suffering
and imminent danger Of starvation.
A correspondent Of the Bulletin presents
the following bill to the new I'll Dorado, and
demands remittance, under penalty Of be.
ing declared u humbug:
FRAZER RIvER GOLD MINES IN ACCOUNT WITH
CALIFORNIA.
ls5s, June SOTO cash paid for the DEBIT.
passage Of $4,000 men TO Puget
Sound aud Vancouver's island, at
$50 each, ...............,..,... $4,000
To thirty days time Of $4,000 men.
81 per day, ...................... 1850, 900
To Il, 900 tons OF assorted merchan-
disc shipped by steamers and aid
ing vessels, ut On average cost Of
500 per ton freight paid $50. l,s00, 900
To cash Invested In lots at he llington
Bay and Victoria, ...........'.. 10000
Total, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1850, 900
cwxptr.
is5s, June 30--By gold dust said to
have been sent from Frazer River, $1,000
Balance to debt of Frazer River, 80. s3,Gls, 500
That is pretty serious array Of figures.
Perhaps tho debt was large ut the time it
bears date, but il Is now considerably below
the mark.
Up 10 the present date we have received
about $4,000 Of Frazer river dust in this
city,
The excitement was killed on the 9TH /;
since tina, time very lew persons have gone
save those who had previously engaged q
passage or made arrangements for going 1t
Is not to he supposed, however, that the
emigration is a, an end. expect that in
about q month We shall hear OF men-and
many OF them making hundreds OF dollars
per day, and when such news comes there
must b. another rush. We have not had
a particle Of unfavorable news from the
mines. No California miner would expect
to work on bar diggings 10 this State during
high water and 80 reasonable men here are
not astonished that no gold comes from the
bars OF Frazer while its water is twenty feet
above low water mark.
10 consequence Of the evulsion. the steam
ers Cortez. OrixabA and Santa Cruz have
been withdrawn from the Victoria trade !;
aud to this list may be added the Commo-