The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-19

a GENTLEMAN IN this city has received
the following letter from Captain Maxwell,
one ofour old citizens, which he has kindly
permitted US to copy:
HAMMOCK CITY, April 5, 1868.
FRIEND 10 :-Agreeably to promise 1 will at
tempt to give you feint idea of a miners life
in the mountains. He rises early, prepares a
substantial breakfast, usually consisting of
bread meat and coffee, and sometimes dried
fruit. The same for dinner with slight varia-
tons. For supper hard work and harder bed
which, perhaps, one in ten may get home as
well offas he left, and one in twenty-five may
make few hundred dollars; and when 1 tell
you that labor is worth from four to six dol
lars per day, you will say am one Of those
who view the dark side of the picture. Not
cessful am not discouraged.
But let us consider the price of provisions.
Flour $40 per cwt, pork, bacon and hams 60, to
10 cents per pound, dried fruit IS cents, coffee
and sugar 81 % per Id, beef % cents, stoga
boots IL to 20 dollars per pair, for half soling
boots four dollars; washing % cents per piece:
wood 10 to % dollars per load, cabin rent 10
dollars per month, and the laborer will find
but small balance in favor of his purse. In
short, mining is very uncertain, although
fascinating business. For example, very few
who have rich claims are taking out from fifty
to five hundred dollars per day, which is sufti-
cient encouragement for hundreds of others so
long as they can procure supplies to prospect
for similar places, whilst others, and by far the
largest class, are obliged to work for wages, or
what is called wages, in the diggins.
The spring is now fairly opened and all are
anticipating better times as soon as the emigra-
ton begins to arrive from the West, which is
looked for in May. There is also train of 60
wagons on the way from Salt Lake, loaded
with provisions which will reduce prices one
half, and give us greater variety for our
tables.
You, doubtless, have heard before this reach
es you, of Col. ConnOr's command having a
fight with party of Snake and Banack Indi-
ans, and killing near 800 of them, which it is
thought by a few will have tendency to make
Lucu more uOSIllc IildL CNC1 lOWdlu IuO WAlICo,
but large majority of the people here seem
70 manifest no fear of the Indians, for if they
do not attack the whites before the arrival of
the emigration from the States East and West,
there is no chance for them. They will be
hunted like the deer and must seek safety on
the plains amongst the Buffalo, or to the most
inaccessible parts of the mountains.
Now, as to the trip across the plains and
matters and things in general, you have had
the perusal of hundred letters written by
men whose powers of description so far excel
my own, that it would be presumption in me
to attempt to add line that would be OF inter-
est. / think shall return next fall unless my
success should prove greater than any pros
poets have now, would seem to warrant 1
did not arrive here until the middle of Decem-
Der. when all the claims worth working were
taken up. This will account for hundreds
making nothing through the winter, myself
included. The health of the miners is now
generally good and some of them have been
successful.
Yours respectfully.
0. H. MAXWELL.