, 1862-08-02
Grand Ronde Valley and the New Trail

eTeu curing recent Trip. lie lett TINS
city for that valley about two weeks since,
travelling over the new trail. He speaks
of the trail in the highest terms of praise,
assuring us that it is not only entirely
passable, but one of the best mountain
trails over which he ever travelled, and
awards great credit to those who laid it out
for the exercise of excellent judgment and
foresight. A good wagon road for draught
teams may be very easily constructed over
this route. The distance does not ex-
ceed forty-fve miles, which greatly lessons
the distance to Powder river, provided the
traveller keeps the direct Powder river
trail. Owing to the newness of the trail
and the short time it has been open, travel
ers are liable to get off from the most di-
rect route. The trail for Powder river
strikes the Grand Ronde valley at the
northeastern corner, crosses the river and
continues along the eastern side of the
valley to the south end; thence directly to
Powder river. Instead of following this
trail, some have taken the Grand Ronde
trail, up the valley, which crosses the north
end of the valley, and leads along the wes-
tern side to the upper end. From thence
person bound to the mines, is obliged to
cross the north end of the valley-twenty
miles-in order to intersect the direct Pow
der river trail, thus travelling nearly as far
as it is from here to the mines by the old
road Mr.. Vansyckle met several trains on
the new trail. The trail will soon be suffi-
GENTLY beaten down to preclude the pos
sibility of getting off from it.
Mr.. Vansyckle travelled nearly all over
the valley and was highly pleased with It's
appearance. He predicts speedy settle
ment for it, and prosperous future for its
settlers. In extent it is forty miles in
length and twenty in width. 1t is abund-
antly watered, and abounds in all varieties
of wild fruit There are several gardens
in the valley, of from five to fifteen acres
each, and they are all looking finely and
producing most abundant crops There
are now about one hundred settlers in the
valley, and about two thousand head of
stock. The population has recently re-
ceived accessions by emigrants from Salt
Lake. Fifty-six claims have already been
located and quite a number of log houses
have lately been erected. Hitherto the
settlement has been Chiefly confined to the
southern portion of the valley, but the
northern portion is represented as the best
section for farming purposes, and several of
the late emigration have settled there. But
they are likely to have some difficulty with
the Indians if they persist in improving
their claims. There are extensive camas
grounds there, and the Indians are 10th to
give them up. They have set up three
painted noles and made other demonstra-
tions Of possession and of their intention
to keep the lands.
New gold mines have been discovelcc'
on the Sueicaspi and Mailman creekS,
about twenty-five miles northeast of
Grand Ronde valley. About twenty men
are mining on these streams, with good
success, and it is said that section gives
abundant evidence of gold.
ExTRAvAGANT.-Mr. Gale has retired
from the editorial control of the Eugene
Republican. The following is his explana-
ton of the manner in which he wrote his
editorials:
"By rejecting sitting alone in the room with
our eyes closed and our minds eye soaring away
into the interior realms of thought, and gathering
knowledge from the falling spray of the fountain
of eternal realities, while scintiations from the
great central sun Intellectual light have awakened
latent powers of the mind into active existence"
The editor of the Portland advertiser
goes thar, too, we judge. He goes to the
theater also. In speaking of the singing
of couple of actresses now performing in
that city, he "shuts his eyes" and cars
and reflects as follows:
lue VOICE Oi bllSS OlVlne IS bOIty sweet, ana
delicious, and the soul of each one in the audi
ence, which was silent and spelLbound in admira-
ton, seemed to drink in the music as it fell from
her lips OF Miss Lawrence the same may be
said she has different voice, however, from the
former, it being stronger and better adapted to
the building. Her music transports apprecia-
tive individuals into the realms of thought, and
is indeed beautiful.
New GOLD MINES NEAR ORo FINo.-
We learn from Orc Fino that considerable
excitement prevails at that place on ac-
count of the discovery of gold mines, about
thirty miles distant, on Rock Greek, trib-
utary of Clearwater. The gold found
there is coarse, resembling that obtained
on Rhodes creek. The diggings are re-
ported to be rich, though but little is
known either as to their richness or extent
A general stampede for the new diggings
was taking place at Orc Fino when our
informant left
GOLD DUsT.-Wells, Fargo & Co.,
shipped seventy one thousand dollars in
gold dust to Portland on Monday. This
large shipment for this place-especially
when we consider that the dust was all
bought here within three or four days, and
that most of the dust from Salmon river
is shipped down the river from Lewiston.
Mr.. James informs us that during Sunday
and Monday last he purchased over one