The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-25
How Our st. Paul Emliagrants are
4'. !. !, F1 oguirIiishinusg,.1 ,li 'olas
s-At-l - . TT - -
MINING AND AGRICULTURAL
SEQ PROSPECTS OF THE s'p5
TERRITORY. 4. + 10 .. u.

Thomas Connor, Esq, who arrived last
week from Virginia City, brings gratifying In
telligence from many of our st. Paul boys who
went out in 1862 and '63. .-r..-. ....',-,.g-
G. W. Iddings is mining in Alder Gulch.
Charley St Clair is doing well, mining in the
ally-a very profitable business K. c. Knox
is sheriff of Madison county, of which the
capital is Virginia City. at which point he re-
sides. John B. Spencer is in the building bus
mess yet. Mike DObbins is in the same place,
as cheerful and cOntented az ever. Amos w.
Hall is at Baauock, mining. From the way
he sticks to his claim, it is presumable he has
also mining at the same place Mr.. Cobb, for
merly a resident of Upper Town, is teaming
and ranching at Virginia City. He is highly
respected and Of course successful. John NJ.
Cashier Is keeping q sort Of hotel and doing q
thriving business.
The rema nder of the st. Paul boys are do
ing well. They are known everywhere as proc
porous and enterprising citizens. -.
Virginia City, and the gulch in which It is
situated, Is now in Montana Territory, the west
line of which has cut it off from Idaho. The
gulch Is twenty miles long, and has FIVE settle
ments. There are about IL, 900 people 10 it
mostly miners. The population is very shift
ing. Virginia City is growing quite fast, how
ever. "A number of solid and even fine stone
buildings have been put up recently, and an
air OF permanency and prosperity is springing
up. ,crtt
The miners are generally doing well. Mr..
Conner has number of fine nuggets, proba-
bly, of average size and value. These are taken
from the drift mines-O or poor mans mines.
A shovel, pick and pan is about all the capital
needed to open these. Sometimes they are
que profitable, but the average yield is not
great. 'AAic. e. Q
as yet scarcely touched or explored. They are
known to be very extensive and rich, but they
require capital, skill, and expensive machinery
to work them. They are considered inexhaus-
tible, however. and will pay and yield richly,
when the drift veins are played out Is will
thus be seen that the rich mineral resources of
Montana have not yet begun to be developed.
Future. generations will draw fortunes from
them, in all probability, when the present race
of miners are under the sod,
The agricultural resOurces-scarcely yet
thought of, promise well. Mr.. Conner brought
back with, him head Of wheat grown by
Thomas H. Clarke, whom many of our citi-
zens knOw-which is one Of three kusdred and
foe heads raised from q single kernel! The
kernels arc fine and plump. Indeed, the far
mers there make more money than the min
ers. The agricultural capacity and extent of
the Territory cannot be estimated yet because
t is 90 little explored. 1t eau be made self
sustaining at least Beef flour. vegetables,
buttera&c.3 can all be raised cheaply when
once fairly under way. Potatoes are from
thirty to fifty cents per pound in Virginia
City.
Montana will doubtless speedily settle up.
and like Nevada, California &c. soon become
q State. 3 Its population is now estimated at
from loo 600 70 100000. Among the noun
tains, and along its rivers, settlements will
spring mp, and grow popnlous and wealthy
Tins civilization grows towards IA from the
West. We should reach towards it from our
State, and thus create line of commerce from
Lake Superior and the Mississippi River, along
our railroads and wagon roads to the settle
ments of the future State OF Montana ".