, 1862-07-05
News from Bitter Root Valley.

Mr.. Toohill, Lieut.. Mullans Expressman, has
kindly furnished us his journal of trip to the
Bitter Root valley:
Preached Helgate Round (Higgins' store,) or
the 10th of June. Capt l. Mulan, together with
an escort of eighteen soldiers and a small party
of employees left the Helgate on the 23d of May
for Fort Benton. The steamers were expected
at that place about the first of July. Messrs
Hale Kolecki and few others are bound east
the balance of the Captain party, under the gui
dance and instruction of Mr. Williamson, have
started back, repairing and completing the road
Capt. Marsh, Quartermaster, with his command
left the Bitter Root valley on the 10Th ult reached
the Occur Alean Mission on the 25th, and will
reach Walla Wala on or about July 4th, and
Capt. Mullan with his party in few days after
The crops all through the valley look WE'LL
Using the language of the Hon. I. l. Stevens
" The beautiful st. Mary's valley, the garden OF
Washington Territory" looks brilliantly This
Territory had a father in that truly great man.
1t was he who first laid the foundation of her
building, and she is now becoming built up on
that foundation. Yet she has a son who has Just
opened the way with untiring zeal, for the ad-
vancemeut Of her improvement and for the ben
eft of her prosperity. He also deserves the
highest honors of his profession.
There was some cheering news received here
to-day, from the Deer Lodge valley which says
that there are thirty-fve men prospecting there
who are making from $40 to $12 per day to the
man, and that with the poorest kind of TOOLS
The gold found there is coarse and scay and
looks rich. 1t is believed that it will ASSAY $lS
or 500.
met party to-day June 25th) from Lewis
ton, on their way to these new gold fields dis
at oil foot hoI hut
little provisions with them. Should this item
come under the notice of any of our enterprising
miners, [ would say to them, and particularly to
such as may visit the Deer Lodge valley, to carry
with them plenty muck-a-muck, for there is none
to be had in this land of promise, although their
crops promise an abundant harvest. l left the
Hellgate on the 25th June on my way to this
place. The waters have not been known to be
as high for many years as they have been this
spring. The Bitter Root river is very high, and
yushes down between these mountains with a tre-
mendous force, carrying with it an immense guam
tty of wood, making a deposit in the Clark s
Fork
On the 25th June reached the Coeur d'Alene
Mission, which seems to be intensely forgotten.
Here an ndefatigable band of Jesuit Fathers
have established themselves for the guidance and
instruction of these savage Indians. BY the ex-
ertions of these good christian missionaries, few
of them have been compelled to abandon their
barbarous costumes and adopt the usages of a
christian life.
I started from the Mission on the 26th, and
camped on the Spokane river, distance 80 miles,
This river takes its waters from the Coeur d'Alene
lake, and glides along smoothly, confning itself
within its banks until its quiet course is disturbed
by fall, which commands an interesting view
from the military road This beautiful waterfall
is caused by point of rock on each side of the
river, formed into natural pillows, and one is so
struck with its regularity that he can hardly al
low nature the merit of such an artificial work
At short distance below the river resumes its
former course and moves on slowly until it lost
in the great Columbia.