Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-08-09
THE SALMON RIVER MINES.

lOiiOWlng private lelterS from citizen OF
Sacramento, now gold,hunting in the new
placer, to his wiser friend who staid at
home. They seem to give fairly the pro
and con Of the new Dorado:
MouNrAIS HOUSE, SALMON RIVER, W.T..
Nav 26, 1862.
Thinking few lines will be acceptable,
embrace this opportunity of posting you
in regard to the diggings and matters ip.
general. TO commence, then, permit n
to say that the delays incident to gettnx
here are iunumerable. After arriving AZ
Lewiston, you are compelled either to buy
horse 10 ride to the mountain, or else
foot the whole distance, l20 miles, and pay
Is cents per pound for your baggage to
the Mountain House, aud from thcuce into
Florence City you get it packed on mems
backs sixteen miles, over snow and logs,
at 40 cents per pound total, G5 cents
time occupied generally ten days Then
you have to pay toll at every stream, or
crossing, the whole distance. The Indians
are reaping a-goden harvest in many
places, cutting every tree or foot crossing,
to make men pay them. This whole coun
!,
Of whites being SO large locating trading
posts and occupying lands as ranches that
belong to the Indians, am firmly con
WINGED that difficulties must soon ensue in
which thousands Of whites will lose their
lives. Already are threats made, and the
Indians arc without exception the noblcst
race I ever saw, being very large and mus.
cular, and well armed Having large
bands Of horses and cattle, cul,ivating the
soil, and being quite advanced IN The art
Of war and agriculture, they have always
manifested the greatest friendship toward
the whites, but the entertainments of the
latter arc rapidly causing bad feeling
In relation to the gold excitement let me
into Washington Territory is one solid,
moving mass Of human beings and ami
mals--a perfect column, moving forward,
all coming one way--as mary as 600 to
900 daily passing between Lewiston and
Florence, on the road, and unlike all other
exci,emcnts Of the kind in California,
there are very few, comparatively, retura.
ing Non ask me about the truth of these
wonderful stories Of rich depositcs and
immense yields Of gold I'll answer, and
truly, as ! got them troGI the parties them
selves. | have conversed with numerous
parties, and give you few OF many in.
stances. met one man at the French.
mans with 100 pounds Of gold dust, the
result ofhis own labor within three months
Saw another who WAS frost bitten sold
his claim for 81. 500. The party that
bought il realized the amount in two days.
Another man informed me he bought out
his partner in business, who went to the
mines, worked eleven days and took out
20 pounds, and left immediately. There
are many claims that pay from six ounces
TO 900 per day Two men last week run
two lengths OF s.uce only two DAYS and
took out 200 ounces Of gold dust The
gold when found lies IN "a stratum Of Grav-
ei aud sand where you can scarce tell
which dependencies, the gid or sand
New discoveries have been made within a
few days, about eight miles from fIorcucc,
in which prospects have been got varying
from 81 to two ounces to the pan. AS yet
i, is impossible to prospect for three wec@s
to come, owing to til. frost and snow. The
diggings here are chiefly in a marsh, with
a thick heavy turf on top and sand under
meath. There are reports Of discoveries
on South Salmon, but cann0. yet trace
them to any trustworthy source. Were
to give you all the stories hear Of the
immense richness Of this section Of coan.
try, it would make most Calitognians crazy,
but will again repeat here Let not any
man who is engaged in legitimate bust.
ness or occupation leave G. comfortable
home to come ont here and endure aIithe
h"rdships be must materially undergo. as ]
cannot yet be persuaded that the extent Of
country will justify those already here and
on the road. And thea many are there
who do not succeed. and all cannot expect
to realize fortune. Coarse food and
high prices not only wear one ont, but
also improvish a man. The Ella City dis
trict, distant 60 miles, is very good aging
aud quite extensive. At present there Is
a scarcity of everything required, provis
ions and tools. Claims pay from 81 to
$50 per day to the man