, 1862-08-23
A Card.

ny to the excellence and superior advantages Of
Lieut. Mullan's wagon road, has been prepared
by the emigrants who accompanied Lieut.. Muan
and party from Fort Benton to this place, and
handed to us for publication
WALLA WALLA, w. T., Aug. 10, 1862
We, the undersigned passengers and emigrants
from St. Louis to Walla Walla, being as we learn
the first party from the Atlantic States that have
crossed the Rocky mountains by the new emf
grant route opened by Lieut. Mullan from Fort
Benton to Fort Walla Walla, deem it duty to
ourselves and friends to express our opinion and
appreciation of this new and shortest route Of
travel from the Missouri river to the North Pa
cifc coast.
We left St. Louis May 10Th with party Of
$50 passengers on four steamers for Fort Benton,
bound thence for Wala Wala, Deer Lodge, Bit
ter Root valley and the Salmon river gold mines.
Our trip up the Missouri river was in every re-
spect pleasure excursion, fraught with health,
comfort, and exciting novelties Reaching Fort
Benton we followed Lieut. Muans wagon road
across the mountains, reaching Wala Walla on
the 18th of August, after a delay of three weeks
at the Deer Lodge gold mines. The wagon road
passes through an interesting region of the Rocky
mountains Leaving the main Missouri it trav-
erses many of her smaller tributaries from the
low easy pass or mere depression in the range,
when it reaches the head waters of the Columbia
at the Little Blackfoot river, whence to Snake
river it follows the valleys of continuous water
courses, which have afforded good location for
the road with camp-grounds for grass, wood and
water at convenient distances. The road has in
volved much heavy work, through dense forests,
with much bridging in the Bitter Root range, ard
with long mountain side cuts.
In the valleys of the st. Regis Borgia, Hells-
gate and Big Blackfoot are some fifty odd bridges
There are four ferries on the line, at Snake river
Spokane, Bitter Root and San Rverari, Dacotah
Territory. The last three streams are fordable in
low water. Lieut.. Muan has been engaged in
the survey and construction of this road since
1858, period of nine years, employing a force of
two hundred men-half citizens and half soldiers
and assisted by Capt Marsh and DIR. Hammond
U. S. Army, Mr.. David williamson superntend-
ing engineer, Mr.. Sohon, Interpreter and artist
and Mr.. Koleck draughtsman.
The Indians along the line of route are the
Blackfeet, Occur dAlenes Spokane and Palouses,
but all have treated US friendly, ard we made the
trip through their country without moestation
though we would deem it wise and prudent here
after for the Government 10 have troops on the
line every year to protect the incoming emigra-
ton in case of need and in order to prevent any
disturbances that might eventuate in an Indian
outbreak. We would say to our friends there
fore, they need have no fear from Indians, but if
they desire trip for health pleasure and bold
Rocky mountain scenery, to leave St. Louis on
the steamers that make the trip annually to Fort
Benton and judge for themselves. When we
reached the Deer Lodge valley we were met by
two expressmen sent by Lieut.. Mullan to notify
US that he would await our arrival on the road
and extend what protection and aid we needed,
and which we aveiled ourselves OF, and we desire
to bear testimony to the kind reception that we
have met with from him and the members of his
expedition. Reaching his camp, he cheerfully
geve US provisions free of cost, transported our
baggage and stores in bis wagons and afforded us
every aid we needed.
One of the important localities along the line is
the Coeur 'Aene Mission, established by the
Jesuit Priests as early as lS43. Here we were
treated with cordiality and kindness. The Faith
ers are sedulously endeavoring to reclaim the In
dian from his wild, nomadc life. Their fields
look rich and healthy they have Church, -four
ing-mill and sufficient houses for their abode and
comfort also some three hundred acres under
fence and cultivation, with many small Indian
farms in the Mission valley. A small settlement
is established in the Hellgate and in the Deer
Lodge valleys, where few Americans, French,
and others have made farms, with bands of horses
and horned stock. Their crops, though small,
look WELL Though the settlements few and
isolated, yet there many sites and sections that
are suited for mining and other purposes. Mill
sites may be had upon all the mountain streams,
with forest growth equal to that of any portion
of the country-pine, fir, cedar and spruce espec-
tally abound. The grazing advantages are most
excellent, and the day will come when heavy
freights of wool will be shipped to the St. Louis
market. AS yet the mineral resources Of the
country are not known. At present some miners
are at work or the American Fork Of the Hels-
gate river better known as the Deer Lodge
mines, but as yet their returns do not warrant any
certainty as to the quantity of gold in the coun-
try. These mines might well repay those now
resident in the country but do not warrant any
rush thither for those doing we'll elsewhere. We
should have remained in these mines ourselves
had we thought the prospects would have war
ranted.
There are many points of natural scenery along
the route that would we'll repay the tourist and
traveller, and afford fine subjects for the pencil of
the Artist Among them are the Great Falls of
the Missouri, the Hot Springs, mounds of the
Deer Lodge valley, the Coeur d'Alene and Spo-
kan Falls, and Falls of the Palouse, with many
special views of the Rocky mountain range.
Both the eastern and western plains that afford
approaches to the Rocky mountains are vast.-
Seas of prairie cut by water-courses, or dotted
here and there by lakes, buttes or mounds thrown
together by the great hand of nature in wild,
and at times rugged humor. The prairie sec
tions in this region are often covered with timber,
and is either high table land rolling hills COW
cred with grass. The streams are filled with
trout weighing from one to six pounds, which
have afforded US rare pleasure in their capture.
No wild fruit is found with the exception of ber-
RES Of many varieties which are abundant. Game