Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-09-13
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1862
A True Statemant Of the Case.


A True Statemant Of the Case.
We are now beginning to witness
the effects of the mania which few
months ago seemed to seize upon a
portion of our people and cause hun
dreds to abandon paying cmployments
to engage in the general scramble for
gold. Almost every steamer from the
upper Columbia brings scores of dis
heartened men, who but few months
ago were eagerly vending their way to
the "new Ell Dorado" 1t unfortu-
nately happened that this rush occurred
just a: the time when all kinds of bust
ness could have been pursued with the
most profit, and many were induced to
leave paying employments for the un-
certain and arduous position Of the
scarcher for gold. Had many of those
who were carried away by the excite
ment have remained at home, and have
pursued with renewed energy their usu-
al cmployments,-cspecially if the
farming portion had sown few extra
acres with the staple products, they
could have lost nothing, and have been
been in a position should the mines
yield anything like rich harvest to
have reapcd the advantages resulting
therefrom. They could have chosen
certainty for an uncertainty-have i'll
vested in a game of chance with modcr-
ate prizes, or one with many blanks.
1t is said that Oregon and Washington
will not produce enough this year for
the wants of their own people, and the
cause, in Oregon especially, is attribu-
table to the large exodus to tho mines.
II this be true, it will not be long until
these staples will command prices
placing them bcyondthc reach of those
who return strapped" from the mines.
They will find that all which glittcrs is
not gold, and that surcr and better
"diggings" are to be found in the rich
soil of our valleys than on the bedrock,
or in the gulchcs and sand-bars of Sal
mon and Carriboo. During our brief
sojourn in Portland, we conversed with
several who had just returned from var
ious localities in the former region.
While we occasionally found one who
had no cause for complaint, we met
with scores who had been victimized.
These were bitter in their denunciation
of those who had wrought up the pub
lie to such pitch of enthusiasm that
the most absurd stories of enormous
yields were eagerly swallowed by the
dcluded victims, who are no wise back
ward in assuming that men have been
paid to "blow" and presses bought up
to "puff" these mines, in order that
wealth might flow into the purses Of
shre,cd business men.
We have delayed condcmning the
systematic cxaggerations Of the extent
aud richness of the Salmon mines,
simply because we had nothing posi-
tive to justify the ha!fformed suspicious
entertained; but now, when we have
the testimony of hundreds of returning
broken-down miners, some of whom,
too, are well known in this community,
we deem it to be our duty to warn the
people, that they may not Ego and do
likewise. An effort is now being made
to cause another stampede-towards
John Days river. Whether from the
the lateness Of the season, it will sue
coed or not, is doubtful. Hundreds
have been duped, andwe presume many
more will travel the same road, bnt let
it be Of our " floating population" and
not of the industrious husbandmen and
mechanics, who can do infinitely better
by pursuing their usual vacations at
homo. aA - ''~ "f' '' o..
"DuBLlN BAy."-Wo have received from
NJ. Gray. Publisher. 613 Clay street. San
Francisco beautiful song and chorus bearing
the above title. arranged fos the piano forte.
It may DO obtained by addressing the pub