The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-17
rur ooLD WIVES ON fnAzEns RIVER


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From Franeisco papcrl
The following full distinct and reliable information
In regard TO the Frazer river mines has been given by
MIR Charles Hannah, who is well known in this city.
He intends returning with his wife TO his cilns on Hills
bar Frazer river Fort Yale where his partners are
at work building cabins and preparing for mining
the river falls
Mr. Hannah one of party Of twenty -one left this
city the 10th Of April the steamer Commodore,
carrying with them whale boat four rocker irons tools
and pros sons and left the steamer Port Townsend
where to accommodate their party and carry up their
tools apd provisions they purchased another whale
and started the Sound touching ut Point Roberts
They arrived In Frazer river all SAFE and immediately
employed two Indians with their to assist them In
ascending the river the current in many places Is
tremely rapid and worry dangerous
In company with other boats they assembled the river
to Fort Langley which IL fifty miles from the sea- About
twenty-five miles above the fort they to bar,
which, from its appearance, Of their party who
old California miners, determined to prospect when
they found from six to twenty-five cents to the pan
About every quarter to half mile they to bars
each OF which they propeoted and found less
gold, but not enough to satisfy them They pushed on
still prospecting the bars, until they reached Fort Hope,
the eighth day from entering the river. Up to this
point they had not found any parties working any OF the
bars.
After passing Fort Hope they pushed on to Fort Yale
some fifteen miles above, where by the of
HILL In prospecting, got about ninety cents to the pan
This bar, which was named after Mr.. Hill, thor
Of the deposits and Immediately commenced preparations
for working The company divided into four divis
IONS each taking rocker ofand equal share of the
provisions.
1t may be remarked here that long before reaching this
point several of the company had become disleartened
and felt like turning back account of the labor and
risk of being lost in struggling with their heavily laden
boats against the rapid current, and over-dangerous
rocks
Now that they had found the gold they were all anx
ous to got to work and with the aid of split timber
they constructed their rockers. In the mean time they
made law on the bar, giving to each man twenty five
feet front the river the claims running back into the
bank
About the ninth Of May work was commenced with
rockers and average made for the first week Of
from $50 to SIS per day to the man. Some of the com
pas lower down the bar struck better dggings
than these, and of made per day Finding
these dggiDgs rich enough they commenced fixing up
cabins to live in The party TO which Mr. II. belonged
worked some two weeks when from the melting SHOWS
and rain the river raised Them and compelled them
to knock off working.
The companies below them continued work four days
after the upper company quit, still making from $40
and upwards to the man. At this time the rising
water drove them from their claims and all work had to
stop The rise in the river very rapid, and would
undoubtedly stop work all the bars far above and be-
low them.
Some fifteen miles above Fort Yale some one hundred
men mining ut place called Sailors bar, or Dig
gng. Some of the miners from that place reported at
Fort Yale that they were making from ten to fifteen dol
lars Inc rising water stopped work these
dggngs Wherever good diggings had been struck and
the rising water stopped work. the miners were going
into camp.
On returning to Bellingham bay Mr. H. came down
from Fort Langley in 'plunger,' In company with
three men who had several thousand dollars in dust
with them In conversation with them he learned that
they had gone up the river about the first of March, and
had prospected the river forty fifty miles above
the forks, making their way ap Thompson river Here
they stated they struck side hill diggngs and packed
the dirt to the river where they washed it. making from
sixteen to twenty and much larger wages per day
to the The gold in the upper river they stated
became and heavy After exhausting their pro-
visions they had to retire.
The officers of the different forts on the river are not
disposed to look upon Americans with any friendship
rather looking upon them nterlopers This exhibit
ton of feeling is not acceptable to the California miner
who is rather independent, and matter Of course
does not feel particularly pleasant to these people Most
of the provisions purchased of miners coming up
the river rather than buy of tho Hudson Bay Company
posts
1t will be recoectcd in the foregoing statement that
the work the river had been suspended account of
the rising water flooding the bars 1t will be ALSO noted
that the only way yet of getting provisions above
Fort Yale, ut least twenty miles above that
point, by personally packing the same, horses
not having been pressed into such services yet.
Another passenger who down the Panama,
stated that about twenty five miles above Fort Yale
there was a fall in the river Of about fifteen feet
which, together with the bluff banks either side pre-
vented canoes from being carried above these falls Du-
ring high water this was the head Of river navigation
This passenger stated that he heard that the provisions
the upper streams brought from the Covile
gions on the headwatcrs Of the Columbia river, In
Washington Territory He also states that during the
coming six weeks the high water will prevent work in
not fall enough to allow work the bars until August
and consequently that parties going up must take
enough provisions to last three or four months.
Y