The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-11-01
IOSegon Correspondence
Letter From Il. #. Lewis.
AUBURN, WAsco County,, Oregon, J
Sunday, Sept. 7th, 1852, :
Fssoc1er River Gold Mines.

L
DEAR UNCLE when leh home in
tended to have written you from point
along the road, but found Ryself entirely
unable to do so. I was 40 hurried from
home that failed to provide myself will
anything with which could write q letter
| I left Van Buren, Co. on the morning o
May I'd, and reached this place on the even
ing o. Sept, 2d,-just four months and on,
day from home, and the dstAnca as neal
1000 miles As anything else. am writin:
you this on the bottom of Boot box
brought from San Francisco, while am sit
ting on the ground-hence you must excuse
all discrepancies.
We had very pleasant trip to Fort Lara
mie, which place We reached on the evening
of the 18th Of June. One Of our hands left
US at Bluff Fork of Platte River, and the
other st Laramie, and the driving of Ave
yoke of raw cattle, (none over four years old
and never yoked until we started dovolved
upon me. never had any experience in
OK driving before, and with the Black Hills
for commencement, you can imagine my
position but nothing appailed I took up the
whip, and "Bull- whacked" II to Fort Hail,
on the bank Of Snake River, . distance Of
six or seven hundred miles, over the worst
road . wagon ever passed. It was mountains
from Laramie to IT. Hall. AT Pacific Springs
we took the Lander Cut Of, and Oh /! ,hat
road In the Wind River Range, we
struck the 40 mile Canyon. three .fourths Of
the road following the bed of creek, filed
with water from shoe top to waist deep, and
so swift that man was often compelled to
hold to the ox-bow to prevent being thrown
down. The water was melted snow and
cold ss ice.
There was more snow in the mountains
this year than any other for the last fifteen.
We had good grass and plenty Of wood and
water all the way on the cutoff, and that
was the only place we did, until we reached
Snake River, where We found plenty Of
wood, Usage brush) but grass and water hard
to get. We reached Fl. Hall on the LIST day
Of August. Here our teams becoming weary,
and having lost some, we were obliged to
leave one wagon and put the things all into
the other. We started with IL head and
reached Burnt River, 40 miles, with head,
where George thought he was obliged to
wait for assistance before proceeding further.
I took AZ paunds upon my back and walked
IS miles through the mountains, without q
road or trail, reaching this place the evening
Of the same day.
The next day engaged to work for q
man at cooking, chopping, or staying in his
store, As he saw fit Ny wages are $40 per
Month and board, for one month. There
ere three of Us in company two of us arc
|st work making grub for the winter, and
the other we intend shall put in his time
prospecting until cold weather, unless he
should discover something that will pay,
when we will all 60 to work together. Ny
two partners are both old miners-having g
mined for several years in California and
Pixies Peak.
These mines were first worked last spring
and are paying fine where water can be OBJ
tained, this being the dry season. As high
as $7OO have been taken out in one day by
three men, and IS, $40, and $40 per day,
with rocker, is usry common where there
is water. Not one in FIVE thousand of Us
who started for Salmon River will ever see
that place-it being full 400 miles from here
yet over the moqntains that are covered with
snow.
The Salmon River mines embrace an ex-
tent Of country only to miles square. and
were the richest ever known, but by next
year win be al worked out. The country
was al claimed up by Qresopians and Cali
fornians, long before men cohld reach there
from the States II is very unhealthy and
they are using every eAertion to exhaust and
abandon them this season.
The mines here are new, and already
scope Of country fifty by one hundred miles
is found to pay but by the time ths emigra-
ton can reach here another year, they win
stand no show at al, at mining. There are
net less than 25,0s0 men here now, and in
the Spring. tens Of thousands moro will be
in here from Oregon, Washington, and Cali
fornia. Men made immense fortunes in
Salmon river in week but do not think
such will be the case here. think can
do well here, aud intend to use every exer-
ton to make "pile."
We we're twice sttseked by the Indians,
and threatened with them al the way from
the crossing Of Sweet Water to this place.
They first attacked US At night on Green
River. There were but 10 wagons and II
guns in the crowd. They stole II head Of
cattle and horses faom as, and two cows
from George W. Lewis. In the morning
five oftbe men started out to see where the
stock had gone, when they were attacked
by the Indians within short distance of
camp, In plain view of US one man vas
killed, and two wounded. During tho day
more teams, enough to make le4 wagons,
camped with US, end in the night the Indi-
ans camc, whooping and yelling, trying to
stampede our stock, but the guard fired At
them, and they ran off some faster than they
came. They arc great towards, and are led
by the Mormons.
They again stole some stock from . train
camped near US, and also from our train on
Snake River. In the morning our men fol.
lowed them 30 miles into the mountains,
where thew fought each other three hours