The Shasta courier., 1862-05-24
From salmon River.

In the Oregon Register we find The follow
ing letter from Mr.. d. Locke, an Old resident
of Eugene City, to a personal friend:
FLoRKxcE cIrr, april 25. 1862.
FRIEND LoSo AFTER long and eventful
journey by land, over snow, and by water,
our party reached here about week ago.
We have since beer actively prospecting the
digginGp. We parted with Wood at Lewiston
fwGe - tixed0f foot padding and packing
e05hpary IN old aeS uaintance to Elk City
From Lewiston, we were compelled to walk
We got along very well until we reached the
mountain, over which we packed our things
in two trips, carrying each time from 60 to
so pounds. We found the snow here about
five feet deep. The Slate Creek mountain is
very lofty. The first day we crossed the
summit. We went with horses about ten
miles, and then for two miles were in Sc
we're snow storm. That night, we camped
on snow twelve feet deep, and the next morn
ing got lost in snow-drift.
Well, for the mines Instead of a vast
plateau, as l had fancied this country,
from reports rathered out of newspapers and
from persons, found it high summit range,
with here and there irregular raviLes run
ming in opposite directions, and putting into
two creeks, called Sand and Slate creeks,
which flow at different directions from the
diggings. The summit fiat is very limited
extent of level ground, which, with the mines
along the tributaries of the two creeks, COM
prses the diggings so far discovered,
The yield of gold as might have been APP
pretended, has boon greatly exaggerated
A very few claims have yielded richly but
the average product of gold is not large. 1t
might be deemed presumption in me to ex-
press an opinion after week S stay here,
but remember that week has been devoted
exclusively in prospecting the claims of 9TH
ers already opened, with a view to purchase;
and on my knowledge of their probable yield,
| should put the average pay at $40 or less
per day. The prospects which | have OBJ
tanned are from particle or " color, /" to one
dollar per pan, besides those from many de-
serted claims, from which | could not obtain
o color.
The miners generally have not made any
thing yet and there are more broken men
here than | ever saw in the same number of
people before When the diggings were first
discovered, from the fact of their easy access,
by prospecting the gulehes, the best claims
we're first opened, and deal of gold taken
ont for the time they were worked but when
NlHtcI scb thooC VIM eohSuiuSt
all their means in purchases at extravagant
prices Of the necessaries of life, and by loans
to their pennless friends, to save them like
wise from starvation The result is that
three fourths of the miners indebted to
the other fourth who hold the rich claims
and they remain here to work ont their in
debtedness.
The mines appear the result of a rotted or
cindcred quartz mountain, and are limited to
this particular section, so far as discovered.
Two miles will cover the paying portion of
the diggings in any direction from this point.
Those who fatter themselves that no pros
peeting has been done outside of this place, |
are mistaken. Many men have informed me
that they diligently prospected as we'll as
they could last fall and since. and have found
no claims that would pay.
Men live here like diggers, in log and |
brush shanties, stained with pine smoke so
that their faces and necks look like the neck |
of defunct chicken after it has been scorch. |
ed over a straw blaze, You can scarcely |
recognize your oldest acquaintance because |
of the smoke stain and filth. and the latter |
has begun to have its effect upon them. Men
are dying from scurvy and eongestive fevers. |
Far be it from me to discourage any one |
from doing well if he can, but have writ
ten Just as l have found matters here. and |
any who think | exaggerate can come up
here and see for themselves.