The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-30
Elk City, Orc Elmo, Pierce City, and sec
ond Washoe, are all located within RAJ
Ar, oforo hupd,.ed and airhtv ,n;lo, IL

sary for collection, and is only worth from
twelve to fourteen dollars per ounce.
Carlboo Is far to the north of this, and
there is no doubt but that ''the diggings"
are far ahead of any of the above men
toned places. But great trouble exists
there much more formidable than at any
OF these. The weather is so severe that
men are unable to work more than two
months out Of twelve. Scarcely any per-
sons live there. A friend at my side left
Portland in April last, and went to Cariboo
by Dallas City and Colville, taking flour
and stock. Flour was worth $1.OO per
ID, and horses such as he got for eighteen
or twenty dollars here, sold for $3.50 to
5000. Miners who had claims made gen.
orally "a good thing" but thousands are
coming away and whole pack trains are
perishing in the mountains between here
and there. AS l see frequent accounts
from that quarter of the hardships of re-
turning people, believe Cariboo to be no
better than any other mining locality for
making quick fortune. / remember the
great rush through st. Paul last Spring to
Cariboo, and cannot bnt shudder at the
sequel
The British Colonist, published at Vic.
toria, Y. l., frequently comes to us with
an article on the state OF things in con-
nection with Cariboo, and in one of them
mentions the arrival at Victoria of party
from Minnesota, among whom are Messrs.
W. L. Copeland and E. Page Davis, Of St.
Peter. This party had prospected the
Saskatchewan, opposite Fort Edmonton,
but found only the "color." The "color'
is any particle of gold, from one to five
grains about the size of a pin head, in a
"prospectors pan," after the dirt has been
washed OF. have seen specimens from
Cariboo. The gold is very solid, and in
Jumps averaging the size Of lady's COM
mon thimble. 1t is worth SIG per onnce.
Powder River gold resembles it very much,
assays the same, circulates for SIG, and
the merchant pays coin in change, but
specimens are considerable smaller
At present there is intense excitement
about Boise River Mines, and hundreds are
going there this fall. Generally the ru-
mors are of character high toned, and
represent the new discovery as being far
ahead of any thing yet found in the way
of q mining camp. The first discouraging
report from Boise was a letter in the Ore
| gOssian, of this city, on the oath; it was
written by Mr.. William DAILY, man whom
that paper considers reliable Mr. d. had
gone in from Auburn, together with about
one hundred others, on the Goth of Oct0-
Der, and thus describes the last days rush
| ofhis party:
From the Horse Shoe Bend our route lay
| ovcra high and precipitOus spur of mountains
| and off linz lf1 Hav Ollr W.
! campcd at night all at the eastern base of the
| mountain about twelve miles distant from the
mines. We were up betimeS in the morning,
and every body was making all speed in order
| to Outstrip his neighbOr III the race. and be a
| little ahead so as to secure his claim from
among the best. I was in the centre of the
| column, and upon my arrival found that the
bows of the "front guard were busy stalking
out o town. which, in their excited imagna-
tons, would one day become the emporium of
this great eastern country Myself and party,
like the rest, secured a town lot apiece on the
front street, and alter placing our names upon
the respective stakes, pitched our tent upon
our prOpe1fy, and commenced looking around.
In less than half an hour all had claims stalk
ed out, and the notices duly posted thereon.
After partaking of hasty and frugal dinner,
we all sailed out with pick, pan and shovel to
prospect our claims.
This Is the way mining towns are made.
To Minnesotians this will appear queer,
and they will be obliged to give in that it
is ahead of their style in flush times there.
After prospecting that part Of the country
| he says:
To our utter disappointment and chagrin we
could find but from to cents upon the bed
rock and the location OF the ground and the
scarcity of water admonished us that these
would be good claims to St6u're on.
The color" as miners term it,
could be found every where but not i'll suffi-
cient quantities to pay. There is no water but
that contained in Grimes Creek and that is so
fat that it would be q hcrculaneln task to raise
the water to sufficient height to be of any ser
vice to the miners. There had been some few
| little spots found where Il man might make an
| ounce or 80 q day for week or two, but then
| his claim was worked out.
When / passed Fort Boise on my way to
this country, / saw number Of men who
| had been to these mines, and left in con-
sequence of Indian troubles. Of this party
Mr. DAILY speaks:
| This first party after skedaddling" out of
the country magnifed its richness which they
had not tested and other parties hearing ottheir
success concluded to 60 in and try their hand.
These Were the parties WltO JuiH the fort, 0ssct
| gooaty portion Of them becoming interested IN u
ferry Snake rirer concetce3 the idea Of rtasng
sn erciiemcnt achch tie sequel shoms aos enainelt-
| iysrccesstuI.
Now, from what know Of these mines,
and the rest of them in general, am sat-
isfied it will not pay for man to give up
business at home and attempt TO make a
fortune in them quickly. / do not deny
the existence of rich deposits of gold in
these mountains, but the miners are already
too numerous to work to advantage.
Of the country in general, am at pre-
sent unable to say much. However, so
far have no cause for complaint. The
weather has been magnificent. One or
| two light showers Of rain has as yet been
all that detracted from its beauty, and al
though it is chill December, l have not
been obliged to wear an overcoat yet.
But of this l will again speak. What is
known here as the "Oregon Mist, "in which
| the Pacific rises and falls in vapOr, render
ing the appellation Of ''wet-foOt" to Ore
gonians, and causing dread apprehension
from the newspapers at every dark cloud
in the sky, may cause me to dress in oil
"sack-cloth," and repent OF any fine de-
scriptiOn of Oregon climate might now