, 1862-05-31
The Mines.
POWDER RIVER.

The evidences in favor of Powder river are dai
ly increasing Though it is not claimed by any
one that these mines exceed, or even approximate
in richness to those of Salmon river, it is now be-
ing placed beyond doubt that there are paying
mines on Powder river. The extent of the mines
is matter yet to be determined. We are in
formed by persons lately from there that the pros
pectiag thus far has been confined to space o.
not more than twelve miles in extent, and that
gold has been found, as is supposed by the pros
pectors, in paying quantities at various places
within this circumference. The snow and high
water still intereres with prospecting in the noun
tains at the heads of the streams, and the majority
of the miners there seem TO be ofthe opinion thai
it is at these points where the richest digging'
will be found-the quartz and other indications
heing the most favorable there. From Mr.. ]. l.
Kinney, who left Powder river on Tuesday of last
week, we have the following items:
Mr.. kirkpatrick and prrty-three men-hat
got their sluices set and were regularly at work II
their claim. On Saturday. 18th, they took ou
$50, and on Monday they took out $74. Mr.. X
brought in a number of specimens from this claim
which he exhibited to us, some of them weighing
upwards of dollar The gold obtained in th
claim is all coarse, and, to all appearances, of th
best quality.
Mitchell Krafel and partner had just opened {
claim on place called Wilson's gulch (near th'
old diggings) which they were working with
rocker, and took out first day Sl7; second da,
1927, and third day $50. The gold is coarse err
also.
A town site was laid out week before last on
fiat about four and half miles from Griffin
Gulch, at the junction of Blue Canon and Freez
Out creeks, on which man in sinking hole t.
obtain water, found prospect of fifty cents to tn
pan. The whole town site was taken up within
few hours after the discovery, for mining claims
and the excited claimants Immediately set abou
preparing to go to work on them. This occurre
as Mr. K. was about leaving with the express.
New diggings were being found every day
none of them promising Salmon river yields, ye
sufficient to justify working.
z As yet there are no trading posts in the mines
and many of the miners are coming out to thi
valley for supplies.
The roads are yet in bad condition, and tn
streams throughout the Powder river valley ar
very high No ferries established yet. The oil
emigrant road, in the Grand Ronde valley, wa
mostly overhown, and travelling over it is impossi
BILE for the present, though pack animals cal
travel to the mines by keeping along the foot
hills.
One or two prospecting parties returned Oh
Monday, reporting that they had found severa
quartz lodes somewhere up in the mountains
which they supposed would pay we for working
SALMON RIVER.
We make the following extracts from privat
letter from Salmon river:
SALMON RIVER, May IS, 1862
The mines pay quite as well as men of sens
here anticipate. As high as thirty-one pound
have been taken from one claim in a single day.
A large number of men have lately been ou
salmon hunting, fishing and prospecting. Som
of them have returned and report "tolerable pros
pects"-better than Elk City or Oro Emo bu
not so good as the old Salmon river Mines The
report deep snow at the heads of the creeks ant
food of waters in the gulehes.
Trains are getting in every day, and goods ar