Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-10-05

and intelligent correspondent III the
gold regions. who thus writes from
ELK City, Bitter Root Valley, Aug,
27,h:'
ELK City is in Elk Valley, a Sec
ton of Bitter Root Valley, 60 miles in
sou,h-easterly direction from the
crossing of Clear Water. Elk Creek
runs at the foot Of the mountain slope
on which the town is being built.
Forests Of pine stretch back Of it, aud
on each hand. Before it lies the val
ley on whoee succulent bosom browse
hundreds of cattle and horses. The
city, at present. consists of one street,
on which are about twenty finished and
about an equal number of unfinished
buildings-mostly stores, saloons. etc.
The houses are built of logs, aud are
in course Of being rooted, as fast as
practicable, Of slap boards OF tamarack
(tamarisk:) cut in the mountains, and
packed in on Indian horses about eight
miles 1t is just three weeks since the
first log of the first building was laid
down. The diggings on the south fork
of Clear Water have been discovered
about ten weeks. Those in this imme-
date vicinity have been brought TO
light within the last four TO six weeks.
All that have opened out their claims
thus far. whether on Newsom creek.
American river, Red river. or the var
ious gulches. are well satistied-that is.
five dollars day to twenty and twenty
five, and still higher pay. The gold is
pronounced by many to be similar to
Feather river gold. 1t has beautiful
appearance, is Of medium bulk, neither
coarse nor fine. A man cannot pan
out anywhere without finding from the
color to goodprospects. The difficulty
at present is that it is too late to open
out claims with any probability of their
being worked this season. Hence
many have returned to Oregon and
California with the intent to come
back at the earliest possible season.
That this is gold region is certain.
That gold has been found within the
limits of very extensive scope Of
country is also certain. The vast
stretch embraced within the bounds of
the Rocky and Wind River chains on
the east-thc great basin on the south
drained by the Snake and its tributar-
les, from the head waters in the Rocky
Mountains to its junction with the
Columbia-the sweep of country on
the north drained by Clark's Fork,
from its head waters in the Rocky
Chain to its confuence with and thence.
forward the valley drained by the Co.
lumbia itsclf-together with the whole
scope watered from the Cascade Range
OH the west, are found to TEEN more or
less with the precious metal. Not
only is this the case, but it is, thus far,
found to be very equally distributed.
The mineral is Embedded in a light
gravel: at least it is so in the river beds
and in gulches. Quartz in all its var
tiles ofintermixture with mica, felspar,
tale, ETC., as well as clay slate abound on
every hand. Doubtless rich gold-bear-
ing quartz lodges are yet to be revealed
to tho searching gaze of earnest pros
pectors. The quantity and quality of
the mineral land, however, already dis
covered, render it indisputable that
these mines are not only remunerative
to these now here, but extensive enough
to insure this to be a populous and
permanent mining region.
A word as t6 the nature of the eli
mate, etc. AS Indicated by the name
of the valley, the elk is found here;
also, the moose deer, the black and
brown bear, etc. All the indications
60 to show that the winters are long
and intense. For instance, you find
the grass, even now at the latter end of
August, comparatively green, and on
the mountains decidedly so. Proving
that the snowy influences have not long
departed. The Indians, however, saw
that this has been an unusually severe
season. From all I can gather on this
head, the conclusion arrived at is that
the miners working season in the riv-
ers is from about the middle of June
to the middle or end of November.
Some feel confident, from Indian talk,
that the gulch claims will be workable
in March. A very beneficient, just and
and considerate mining law was passed
at a large miners meeting held in the
city last week, whereby the shortness
of the seasons is in great measure
remedied. BY It each man is allowed
to hold by location, river. a hill or
creek claim, together with a gulch
claim; that is. he may hold any two
claims Of different denominations:
when the one is unavoidable the other
comes in, gives continuous labor, and
thus secures reasonable long work.
ing season. As iutimated above, wa
ges ofhands are five dollars day with.
out. and four dollars n dav with hoard