The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1863-12-25

HarrlSOnS discoveries in the same range,
where about 1000 men are at work,
making big wages.
There are also rich gulch diggings at
the foot of Ball Mountain, twelve miles
from Bannock City, and also on Horse
Creek Prairie, twenty-five miles north of
Bannock City, where several hundred
miners are making what miners call ''pay-
ing wages" that is, enough TO induce them
to hold on to their claims and work them.
THE YIELD OF THE MINES.
The best estimate that could be made,
put the yield of the several Stinkingwater
digging at full $4,000 a week. To this,
if we add the yield of Bannock City and
other mines, we have an aggregate for the
yield of the gold field of the eastern slope
in Idaho of So, 600, 900 or over each month.
EXTENT OF THE MINING REGION.
Mr. Langford writes that the discov-
cries made east of the Rocky Mountains
demonstrate beyond doubt that the whole
country is full of mineral wealth. 1t is
his opinion that the region between Ban
mock City and the headwaters of the TEL
lowstone, from latitude 43 deg. to AZ deg.
north, when protection from the hostile
Indians can be given, will be developed as
the richest mining country of the whole
continent.
A NUGGET FOR THE PRESIDENT.
Besides the quartz specimens above
mentioned, Capt. Fisk brought with him
a great many specimens of virgin gold
from the gulch diggings of Bannock City
and the Stinkingwater mines, and also
several bags of gold sent back by the en-
igrants of last year to their families in
Minnesota. Among the rest he brings a
nugget of nearly pure gold, valued at $40,
which was handed to him by a miner with
the verbal instruction to "Give that to
Old Abe, from me-" The Captain will
present the nugget according to the wishes
of the miner.
LARGE DISCOVERY.
On the Blackfoot Fork OF He'll Gate
River, west of the mountains, near Ste
phen's Divide, Capt. Fisk's party of this
year discovered gold-earth which yielded
in washing two to ten cents of dust to the
pan.
THE GREAT NORTHERN COAL BASIN.
1t not being the purpose of this article
to even name all the gold fields of Idaho,
we turn our attention from the fields west
of the mountains, which tempt US with the
names Of Bitter Root and Salmon Rivers,
to notice other objects of interest in con-
nection with the journey of Capt. Fisk's
party. Among these is one which will en-
gage the attention Of those who look for
ward to the time when the Northern Pa
cific Railroad will be fact accomplished,
and not a project-the evidences furnished
of the existence of another great basin of
coal in North America, extending from near
the Minnesota line far towards the Rocky
Mountains They found coal with shale
like the Shale near Fort Abercrombie) at
Jessie Lake, between Mount Botlineau and
Devils Lake, bituminous; and again on
Mouse River, in digging well, they cut
through eighteen inches of coal, and were
informed by hunters that it is found all
along down the valley of Mouse River. At
Antelope Greek. tributary of the Big
Muddy, in Wood Mountains, they found
coal, in the bed of the stream, of SEEM
ingly incomplete formation, which was soft
and burned like pine wood. At the three
forks of Porcupne River, heading in Wood
Mountains, they again found coal. On the
banks of small stream, in the face of a
bluh, seam ten to fifteen feet thick was
exposed, which might easily be worked.
This coal was harder, but brittle, bitumi-
nous, and burned readily. These were, it
must be remembered, accidental discov-
cries, and all near the proposed line of the
Northern Pacific road
MOUSE RIVER.
This river, of which the Des Laos is q
tributary, was visited by Lieut.. Johnston,
of Capt Fisk's party, and from his obser-
vations, cOinciding with the reports OF
hunters from all along the valley, the
Mouse River country has rich alluvial
soil, we'll adapted to agriculture, is heavily
timbered and furnishes grass in abun-
dance. .. .. s......
SALINE LAKES. n..-.. .-
Between the headwaters of the Des
Lacs and Big Muddy, the party journeyed
for day between the dry beds of saline
lakes, where the salts CONCEALED near
the shore resembled transparent ice, and
in the centre of each lake bed was white
and glittering like snow. This substance
was pronounced an impure saleratus and
good biscuit were made with it by way OF
experiment The saline water appears to
have oozed from the ground in every d.
rection, and left this dry season the salts
incrus'e on ground, rocks and vegetation.
PBTRIFIED TREES.
Along the Wood Mountains the party
discovered whole trees lying along the
ground, with the same appearance OF fibre
as living wood but turned to stone The
country is volcanic in the appearance Of
rocks and mountains, and lava and scOria
were frequently seen.
MOUNT FISK.
The party came to mountain of rug
ged, bold, rocky, volcanic formation, called
by the Indians "Haraka-o-we-ran," OF
"Where-the-Elk-Feeds." Upon its top,
carved in the earth, is figure of an elk s
or feet long. The men, out of compli-
ment to their leader, voted that the noun.
tain be called "Mount Fisk.
WARM SPRINGS. ...-...
The hot springs in Deer Lodge Valley.
west of the Rocky Mountains, are sur.
rounded by beautiful scenery. One large
spriEg 6 has formed for itself a rocky basin
that lifts the surface of the spring 80 feet
above the surrounding level. The rock il
magnetism lime stone. The temperatur,
of this spring is about 100 deg. Fahr., bu
the smaller springs have temperature o