Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-12-01
From fdahO.

From idaho.
The Journey to Idabo-GG'. S'sllly,s E1zE,se.-
fioas-4aotlisr Story about L'se Battle a'at
tie Isdiaas- Virgiisia FigiIasce Gone
naittee-I Fages-1Hoaeg Katteys-P Politics
Correspondents OF the state Journal.
VIRGINIA Cry, MONTANA TER'T, Oct. L, "a.
Unless You hare already been cranlmed
With Idaho. nv few remarks concerning a
| Journey here may not be quite without inter
| est. | left Madison about the middle OF May,
| and sDent about two months in travelling up
the Missouri to a point thereon now called
| Font Rice. This led me throug h Nebraska
! and Dakotah, the former containing, alo g
| the shores, plenty of excellent meadow lana,
| but the latter nearly all dry and barren; and
as we passed through looked in vain for the
| fertile soil which some Governor OF Dakotah
| had pretended 10 find there. We saw no
| land in Dakotah worth having.
| | Joined the military under zen. suIIy,
| finding with them train of l2O wagons from
Minnesota for Idaho. The General made a
| speech to the emigraLt train, garmshed Wel
| with his usual explosives, but which was I'M
| derstood to mean that he would rather they
| had not come, but as they had, he would try
I to escort them to the mouth of Powder river
| or some other point high enough up the Vel
| lowstone to be safe for them to go through, II
they kept together, and if not they would
" go to hell" We all started, but Sully sim
ply led us through the notorious g Bad
Lands" and after another month, left us IN
| the neighborhood of Fort Union. | know it
is said he fought Indians in those I" Bad
Lands" and killed 200, but that story is not
believed by those who were there. There
were but two soldiers killed in battle, aud
these were shot on picket guard, and the In
dams followed Sully on his retreat. There
was much government property lost in the
shape of mules, horses and cattle in the march
through these bad Lands" and although
left away from the route we wanted to go, we
were glad finally to bid good bye to Sully.
There will always be Indian troubles, so long
as attempts of this kind are made to kill them
off. I could say much more of the expedi-
ton of this gallant brigadier, but refrain from
taking up your space.
We took the old beaten road from Fort
Union, by Fort Benton to this place, passing
through the Prickly Pear gulch, which is
after staying there few days, that there
might be gulch digging" there, but there
was no proof of gold, in any abundance, in
the soil, but probably some in the quartz
leads about the upper part of the creek.
Many OF the Minnesota train, however, de-
clded to winter there, and proceeded to build
cabins A few days more brought me to
Virginia, very lively village or town, stu.
ated on the bank of a stream called Alder Or
Elder Greek, and consisting Of few streets
mostly of log houses, but with quite a num-
Der of frame and few good stone buildings
There are several towns on the Greek hut
Virginia is the leading one. The population
of these towns within four or five miles
is about 1000. Diggings extend all up and
down the creek, and it is difficult, in most
''"oes, to see where the original channel is
or las been, and sometimes the mining ore
rations are carried right under the houses in
Virginia. There are no sidewalks, of course.
The city government if any, l do not yet
understand, but I know there is a "vigilance
committee" which is apt to take care of
criminals, consequently hanging and Danish
ing have not been uncommon No doubt
that committee has the credit of preserving
order among the naturally reckless and profit
gate people, and indeed it seems as safe to
walk the streets, Or even visit the houses of
amusement here as it is in any of the eastern
cities.
Money is pretty abundant here. Miners
and mechanics wages have been high, but aD-
pear to be falling-a good many of the latter
failing for while to get work. The winter
VIII presently interfere SOInGW hat with mining
operations, and the expectations of the work
men will turn on the prospects for the spring.
Ny impression is that unless new discoveries |
occur, it would not be advisable for many
more emigrants to come in here in the spring. |
If they do, they may bring down the price of
labor nearly an par with that of the East
and they cannot for a while have Eastern
comforts. At present wages for miners and
mechanics are $500 to $500 per day, prices
of the staples of life being very much higher
than East. Farming, or keeping rancho"
as it is called, pays enormously, but of course
is not Immediately productive Perhaps,
however, have not been long enough here
to form reliable opinion on these things
Capitalists and money lenders will do well if
they get their pay always-the interest on
money being ten per cent. per month. The
currency is Idaho dust at $500 per troy o..
and greenbacks are worth about so cents on
the dollar
There are two political parties here, as in
the States, Union League, land do not know
but secret society on the other side
l do not remember any other matter of
which to inform you. RK.F.