The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-30
The Gold Fields of Oregon and
Washington Territory. aQ .G.
LETTER No. ?.
From our Regular Correspondent.

1he concluding paragraph OF my last
letter promised the readers of the PIONEER
my views on the gold fields of this coun-
try. I wish to be particular in my ac-
counts, and truthful, after seeing what l
have, after feeling my loss in common
with thousands of others, and especially
those emigrants who had invested their
last cent in an outfit to come here, and
realize only the fact that their jaded an
finals, unfit for further use, would not
bring money enough to buy flour for a
winters consumption, and that their hands
might stay motionless by their side for all
efforts of theirs to gain livelihood with
them in country already overrun by
thousands in the same condition. It is
indeed painful to see the restitution and
want prevailing in this community, and
all on account of the foolishness of men
who had taken the resolution on slender
authority to rush into a wild and unex-
plored country. Iwould distinctly impress
upon the minds Of my friends at home
that they had better be content with a
mere living, if nothing more, rather than
rush headlong where the numbers now
too plainly indicate starvation A man
need not starve, nor have fears of starva-
ton in Minnesota State ! could now
well appreciate after the summers expe-
rience have had State with a grand
future before it in which to be developed,
where happiness and cOntentment should
peryade every freside. But l do not wish
to write a homiy on home in this; home
is opposed to abroad, so peruse my letters
and draw your own conclusions.
That Oregon has wealth in her gold
mines, is a fact which cannot be denied, as
the shipment of the stuff by Wells, Fargo
IL Co.'S Express from the Upper Columbia
proves. BY reference to the books of that
concern, one can see that nearly 81, co.,
! 600 have passed here since January. Bat
l. taken in connection with this is an import
ant item, which shows how utterly foolish
it is for q man not to "let well enough
alone in other localities. The inhabitants
Of the Pacific coast are said to be more ex.
citable upon the subject Of gold and money
making, than any other class of the Ameri-
can people; and the history Of all mining
excitements shows it to be true. At the
first reports, there is {: general disposition
among the people to stampede Gas you will
see they have to Boise within a few weeks,
notwithstanding the inclemency OF the
weather; and, profiting only by expert
ence, they are not less hasty in packing up
to set o;lt for some quiet spot, in which to
settle down, and be content with q l;v-
lng." But just as soon as they have placed
themselves in a condition to make that
living, a new Ell Dorado is discovered at
some remote point, and the old desire to
make a fortune quick returns, and off they
go again. Home comforts are sacrificed,
and the means they have accumulated are
disposed OF, in order to procure money to
bear the expenses of the trip to the new
diggings. The sequel is almost invariably
the same; grim disappointments make up
the balance Arriving at the goal, they
find hundreds, and often thousands, actu-
ated by the same desire, that have done
likewise; and, as a consequence, there they
are concentrated the region is Overrun !;
and while one man makes ten or hundred
dollars day, ten or hundred men maize
nothing, and sacrifice their outfit to be able
to return. 1t is invariably true, and at the
present moment, it is safe to say, 10000
persons are in the mining districts of this
State and Washington, three-fourths of
whom are unable to gain more than from
81 90 to 81 so per day for their labor in
the paying claims owned by their more
fortunate neighbors. / know of men who
were well-tO-do in the States, that are
now working for ditch company in Alb
Urn, at one and half dollars per day and
their board, who, when they want pair
of boots, a coat, hat, or any garment, are
compelled to pay an advance of $50 per
cent. on St. Paul prices. For instance,
boots worth four dollars in st. Paul, are
sold for fourteen dollars in mining camp.
A description OF the mining country
here would not be out of place, but, l fear
you would suppress" the copy that de-
lnanded so much of your columns. will
notice the localities only. Portland is To-
Gated about ten miles above the mouth of
the Willamette river, where it empties
into the Columbia, one hundred and ten
miles above Astoria--the readers of Wash
lngton Irving will remember his Astoria.
From Portland to Cascades, thence to
Dallas City, thence to Calila, OF the CO.
lumbla, with pOrtages at each, is one hun
dred and fifty miles, thence to Wattulla,
one hundred and ten miles. From here,
in 5. 5. f., course lay John Day and
Powder river mines; Furnishing towns in
both Of them, Canyon City and Auburn
From Auburn, eastward, about one hun
dred and sixty miles, are the Boise mines ;
from Wallula to Lewiston, by the Snake
river, is two hundred miles. Florence
City is about sixty miles from Lewiston ;
it is here where the great strikes were