, 1863-06-27


sFD STa MAN: --iiavifz sust retas5sii siied from
prospecting trip ID the mount aims. and believing
that an account of the discoveries made, might
be of some interest to your readers. l have
thought proper to favor them, briefly with the
same:
After an unsuccessful tour up the waters of the
Payette river returned to Placervle, where
party of 20 was formed and started up the
south side of Snake river We crossed the river
at "od Fort Boise" and followed the Emigrant
Road so or 60 miles, then struck off in south
westerly direction, crossing the dividing ridge
between Snake and the tributaries of the Oyhee
Rver-kept on in the same direction for about
80 or 40 miles, during which time, however, we
had crossed several large creeks but found none
of the precious metal excepting merely the col
or, in one or two instancns. AT this place we
came to a creek running Westward supposed 10
be branch of the Oyhee, where we intended to
camp for the night, but one of our inquisitive
spirits, careiessy scooped up shovelfull Of gray
el and "panned It out'-found about hundred
"2clorS" whereupon secession" and confscation
became universal measure. Picks and shovels
were welded with telling strokes among the
slumbering rocks, gravel and soil When near
the bedrock, was seen in pleasing quantities.
the idol of avarice, the master of men, and the
the seductive and winning creature of women
GOLD.
But to speak in plain English and "afer the
e L.
were highly enccuraging-od Californians pro-
nounced it every good," and Florence miners
CALCULATED "Bully for you"
But grub time come, as grub time always will
come, and around our several camp fires, the ad-
ventures Of the day were related, some castles
built in the air, while the coffee pot sang more
sweetly than it was wont to, and rusty rashers of
bacon had a richer favor that evening than for
days before. That night, while snoring meath
the starry sky, Somnus helped some of us to
make rich matrimonial alliances, surrounded
with the consequenb ceteras of human fraity
But morning came and with it the realities of
life Our party was soon divided up into little
squads of two and three persons and the business
Of the day commenced. -Four or five miles of
the creek was prospected, and the report OF the
evening was Of gold from &c to 25c to the pan
and very accessible. Two days were spent at
this camp with equal success We then moved
camp or miles up stream; from &c to SOC per
pan was reported. Two or three days were
spent here when camp was moved again, or
miles up, with about the same results as before.
Ia all, we spent about ten days on the creek
formed a miners Legislature, enacted and adopt
ed laws and resolutions for the district The dis
trict embraces about l5 miles in length of the
creek, and all the territory drained by the creeks
and gulches emptying nto the creek within its lat
tudina boundaries Article lst of the District
names the stream "Jordan Creek and Article
I'd names the district "Corson" The depth of
earh from surface to bed rock, is, on an average,
about feet of which is paying gravel.
The bars or creek bottom is from 40 to Is yds
wide, being successive continuation of small
bars of 40 to 100 yards long. The laws of the
creek limit the claims to 100 yards in length, en-
bracing the ground from base to base of hills
say an average of go yards wide.
During our travels, we saw no Indians, or any
recent signs of them.
One difficulty to contend with on Jordan
creek is the want of suitable timber for building
and mining purposes; there being but an inferior
growth of fir and cottonwood found along the
creeks.
Better grass never grew out of the ground
than is found on the bill sides, here A little land
along the creek bottoms might do for agrcultu-
raj purposes.
Disarce from Bannock City to Jordan creek,
175 miles from Old Fort Boise to Jordan creek
so or 80 miles; from Emigraut Road, 25 or 80
miles, South.
Yours truly, 49ER
CoLE's MAJORITY According to Re-