The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-12-23
The New Eel Dorado.

Idaho and ats GOLD Hines H1nn0ck Citu
and Stink,oater-Prices Of Provisions,
Labor, dc.
! by the kindness Of gentleman in this
city, we are permitted to publish portions
of private letter lust received from a
friend living at Bannock City, in the cele
brated mining regions of Idaho. The let
ter is dated October 4, 1868. In describ-
ing the city, he says:
As near as can describe it to you, the
buildings are made of logs, with pole roofs,
covered With dirt and sod. They are Of
all heights, not to exceed twenty feet, but as
low as you can imagine man would build
a hut to live in. The city is situated on
stream called Grasshopper, which passes
through narrow canon between two
3 dozen-mountains, so high that you
would have to look twice before you could
see the top Of them. We never can see
the sun rise in this valley, nor see it until
it is long way up. 1t is one of the most
desolate, onely places You can imagine on
the globe, and is scattered along this canon
for five miles. found about four Of five
hundred inhabitants, tncst of them engaged
in mining, all doing well.
arrived here at eleven o'clock in the
day, found an empty building, rented it
and put in my goods. and in fourteen days
we sold Sl4, ,OOO worth Of my little outfit
at good prices. which will give you here,
and for gold, the incest you ever saw :
Hams, 65c per pound bacon, SOC; tea $3;
coffee, 9oc; sugar, Coo; dried apples, 60 :;
peaches, G5 dried cherries ST.; butter, ST.;
cheese, 75c; picks, $40 each; shovels the
| holv icl, hoV
dies, $3.50; whiskcy, from IS to sl2 per
gallon; nails, soc; candles, 75c; cream
tartar, 81; soda, 81. Clothing sells we'll |;
hats and caps are good property. Blankets
sell at from $40 to $40 pair. The prices
I give you above are by the pound. Flour
is selling for $40 to $50 per 100 pounds
Potatoes, onions and beets, which are
brought here for sale from Bitter Root
Valley and Salt Lake, sell for 25c per
pound. In fact, almost everything sells
here for good prices. Ipay $40 month
for log house that have my goods in.
My family is in the same building. There
are no partitions. People live here as they
can, not as they would like to.
The mountain tops around US are cover.
ed with snow, and have been for some
time, but in the canon it is warm and pleas.
ant, and the miners are taking out big
piles of gold-you bet. You will be sur,
prsed to think there are so few people here
I will explain to you. In May last there
was new discovery made on stream
called Slinkwater, about seventeen miles
from here, in a smaller canon, and it proved
so rich and SO extensive that there was O
general stampede from here to that point
| la|t .ln H.
richest claims. They continue to work on
and some take out as highas $500 to 500
ger day, but there are few claims so rich
as this but all are doing first rate-much
better, old miners say, than in California.
Wages are from s. to So per day, and
plenty Of work Board from $3.50 to g
per day, and sleep yourself as best you can
which is rough enough. The mines on
Stinkwater are worked for fifteen miles in
length, and new discoveries are being made
every day. There are mines at the foot OF
Ball Mountain, twelve miles from here
also on Horse Creek Prairie, twenty five
miles from here, and all pay the miners
from $40 to 500 per day to the man.
It is estimated that there are from three
to five thousand people in Shnkwa,er
mines. Every one does well here if he
will work. Stinkwater is the fast town.
All the gamblers and pimps are in that fa-
nous city, and cut of some CLAIMS they are
taking pounds instead Of ounces Of gold
daily These are facts, and presume this
country will prove the richest poor mans
mining country ever discovered. 1t don't
need any machinery for the gulch mining,
which is extensive here. Every day new
discoveries are being made. 1t is hard
country to live in, but there is plenty of
gold here !; no rubbing it out ard no hum
bug. We are within $50 miles Of Fort
| Benton, on the Missouri. and $50 from
Salt Lake city, and about 600 miles from
Salmon or Eoisce river mines, where they
are taking out as big piles Of gold as here
The route came is only about 1900 miles
from here to LeavenwOrth -- Ledpenscorth
| Times.