The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-03-27
From the Salmon River Gold Mines
Letter from Judge HOyt.

The following is an extract of letter
from Judge HoYT, dated Bannock City,
February 9th, 1868, where are most of
the ST. Paul miners:
Last evening 1 found myself possessed of two
numbers of a Saint Paul paper, which have
been reading, and my thoughts are again home
ward tending. About the middle of December
last forwarded letters informing you of our
arrival here, and of the manner of addressing
letters to US. Brigham City, Utah. care Ban
mock City Express.
4 During the winter our communication with
Salt Lake will not be very certain or often. A
party of expressmen who went out from here
in November, were killed by the Indians be-
fore reaching Salt Lake. Next summer we
hope to send and receive mail matter without
such interruption
Almost two weeks ago a party of drunken
gamblers, just after dark, fired into some lodges
near here, killing two or three Indians and
wounding others. The gamblers returned to
their cabins unframed. Immediately some
men, with an interpreter, went to the lodge to
give the Indians to understand that the people
in general was not in sympathy with any such
outrage.
While these men were thus engaged with the
Indians, the gamblers returned and fired four
teen or fifteen shots into the lodge where
the white men were, killing the interpreter and
Wounding three Others of the whites. The
next morning the gamblers, three in number,
| were gone. 4 meeting was called and a commit
tee to investigate the matter appointed. The
men were persued and brought back. Many
were for hanging them without further process,
but they were finally allowed trials by jury.
Two, the principals, were tried together; the
| third, an accomplish, alone. The two were
banished for life; the one for two years. was
selected by the people to preside at the trials.
both cases. This third man is from St. An
thony: came through with Captain Fisk.
The sentiment of the people is divided as to
| the right manner of administering justice
| some in favor of civil law, others for leaving
| all questions of the kind to meetings of the
miners The popular mode I think will OBJ
| tain.
The mines here are promising better and
| better every day-though there is COMPARE
lively little doing at present There has been
one quartz lead opened, as rich, they say who
ought to know, as any found in any country
Others have been found, but not yet opened
sufficiently to know what they are. 1t is
believed that many will prove very rich.
These discoveries will give permanence to
the mining business here. When we came
here, could have purchased for one thousand
dollars, half down and half on time, an inter
est in one of the quarz lodes which has since
sold for twenty-six hundred dollars, and could
not now be bought tor twice that amount.
Gold mines are great places for making mo-
ney and quite as great for losing it; and with
all the uncertainties, provoking SO many hopes
and fears, if one is SO minded, he can be in
trouble all the time, now regretting lost chances
and now afraid to pitch in.''
Men who have town lots think good deal
of Them and three are now for sale that can be
bought at specializing prices.
Some men from this place are trying, a Ia
of the Missouri They have staked off several
thousand acres of land into lots, and " offer
great inducements to settlers" But two or
three Minnesotians have been =" taken in, how
ever.
The weather, thus far, has been temperate
| mercury, but once or twice, as low as fourteen
below zero. This is against all my old ideas of
winter in the Rocky Mountains. The snow on
the mountains is three or four feet deep, here,
in the valley, but six or eight inches The days
are generally clear. Have but little wind. A
far better and milder climate is this in the WIN
ter than you have in Minnesota.