, 1864-02-10
ACADEMY or SCIENCES.
Regular Monthly Meeting.
Specimens and Rarities = Colorado
and Idaho-lmmense Resources
Of those Territories

The regular monthly meeting Of the Academy Of
Sciences Was held Inst evening In the rooms Of
the Society. There WAS i good attendance.
The meeting was called to order At 4 o'clock.
The minutes OF the l3st meeting Were read and ap-
proved.
Noah Il. Davis and Mr. Akin, President OF the
1et National Bank, proposed at the last meeting,
were elected as members Of the Academy.
Prof Andrews exhibited specimen Of plant
represented us beng from the vicinity Of Dama.-
cua in SYRIA which he described scientifically, ex-
planning the manner in which it Is uBed as a bar
omete1, as 1t coils and uncof1s according to the
dampness Of the atmosphere. It Is called Chahs-
jtn Cha1in, Or talisman. When mature It grows to
height Of three feet. 4 lengthy and detailed de-
ecripton Of the plant, Its peculiaritics, &C., was
read to the Academy. An instrument constructed
from this remarkable and sensitive plant WAS ex-
hibited.
COLORADO.
Vim. Dro8s begged 1eave to call the attention Of
the members to the new territory of Idaho. In
doing so he referred to meeting Of the Academy
in this room some three years ago, before thet
1to1y Was formed At that time It had been settled
colorado. and. rom the geological facts there
ne5th q dhe Sweet Water 1iyfF at the head waters
mountains south Of the South Pass. The reason
glren vas that wbese the Big Horn
Ss sae !as 81 "a to &c Sosssss5 asa
10 foIm with lie Rocky Mountains extending 10
the Northwest, the vast basin Of the upper
branches Of thc Missouri. there had been terrible
% 70 tbc sa Surface. A' nc 'een reteaea 2"n also,
e Gs shRss hs sa nsn Deas il h6t bees bed
toned o xhes he got them, pointed to md said
III: n1ors was happy nov to be able to introduce
e se ne who Ae1as' spe3s ;se M last sa3@es Sa@e
and from facts in his posseaslon and OF others,
gathered from all sources, II Vas admitted that
ns %s a 1so
really the rche st Eold-aeld that Ind get been dis
covered ufon the american continent
IDAHO As IT Is.
Mr. James L. Campbell said he was neither
scolosies, fneralosst or lecturer, by profession,
hut would exhibit some specimens which he had
had brought from Idaho, and tell in his own way
what he knew about that country from actual OBJ
scryntion. He exhibited specimens Of gold-bear
ing quarts In which particles Of gold were Visible
to the naked ere; specimens Of lead with mix
ture Of silver md Of sulphur 60 pure that II was
readily tgni'ed with match, and burned freely; Of
green carbonate Of copper, Fastgated marble, fos
Of bis 1nspa, The first one shown exhibited In
teresting physical and natural cnriosldes seen On
the rouie to Idaho: Chimney Rock, now sixty
being 1sTy sfmi1sr 70 tbst of he bus n The sicn
tty. Scotch Bluffs were also shown, appearing
in the distance ike hinge fortiacations, They as
e1eyAted as be seen several miles, aud the last
Of the great mari formation seen, as the traveller
III. Campbell showed upon his map tie different
lotaliifes at which gold has been discovered where
the mines or galches are being worked, and with
Ehat snccces, bnt se be has given the history and
dtcRtoR sS S,s ,foy IN biz nsT p1hls;, We VIZ
richest ditcoseries ever made on this continent are
IT., at Virginia city In many loc.llties tie
to dsane Il the 79a Ms
rs fne as Eand, and In come instances reduced to
gold four, He has known nuggets weighing
inmp-and miners think shey &c doing poor bus-
tncRs unless they arc taking out from IS to $40 per
day: The mines now being worked pay so well
but the coor is found On almost al1 lie stresms,
and in the mountains-the territory in which gold
& has been found embraces an area larger than the
Lake City, On the southern route, along the low
chains Of mountains on the north side Of the
sTeetwateI sod had been found, and Il ia beliey-
but Brigham Young arrests and tmptisons any one
found prospecting In his dominlons:
g.sGuHyra ffsogrcetIA6ore % :. bore The three forks
two miles wide, and one hundred miles long. This
valley, and the bottoms along many Of the streams
are xey testls but yery little Is known q ths ca
Gisen to mining than to agriculture, In that Sec
lion the grass e cured naturally, and moved amer
se
than stal-fed beef. Buffalo is also Tery abundant.
small boats, from Fort Benton to Gal!atin, dis
tance Of 400 mfles-thete being portage Of dfteeu
miles; however at The Missouri 1drer Falls, near
this trade.
Lewiston. the present capital Of Idaho, Is on the
Scad II Of the ana st the
Eell estimates the population Of Idaho west Of the
Rocky Mountains At aboat 3o,. 0eshas east Of the
lis maps The hesdwaters Of he pIincpsi Streams, a
showing that Ioaho is the founta1n-head Of the
great rivers flowing TO the four points Of the co,u
pass: ,-..-.--.- ..,.-
Indications are favorable to the existence of im-
ncuEe beds Of iron ore in the mountains and hills.
There 1s no hardwood tinber-as an evidence be |
Cottonwood on The streams, yellow pine In Tie
1nountains, ami; coal has been found along the |
Platte river all the way to the South Platte,
new gold region. and stated that The Yellow Stone
route will be opened the present spring, reducing
the distance some 20o ml1es. BE also pointed out
mining points and water courses, and
practicable route through the gold region for the
East Pacific RaIlroad. Tho lecturer described the
tie feliew Stone iso to 20 let 6ish, and nuner-
oGs natural cnriosities.
Mr. Campbell closed By exhibiting views Of the |
y yormen Temple, Brigham Youugs residence, Sc,
and description Of his sojonsn IN Salt Lake City.
After vote Of thanks 70 NJ. campbell, for bis
instructive lecture. and the encouragement that |
Prof. Aeassfz and tho members at his residence |
this evening, the Academy adjourned.
TWELFTH WARD AID soc1ETY.-The ball !
for tho benefit Of the families Of soldiers the 18th
Ward, which was held at the hall Of the German
on the 9Th inst, having yielded |
satisfactory result, the following resolution WAS
passed at The meeting on Monday Last:
RksHred, That committee OF I'VE be appointed
70 IefeaTe applications from soldiers wives who
nay pe IN need and that they be required At the
sans 1me 70 state the street and number Of their
res1aenee, N order that the committee may ascer-
ran Whethe. relief Is necessary, and the attendant
eisEumstanees. The following gentlemen were sp-
pointed COMMITTEES: Erelmann Bchoepper. Jacob |
Ehrhaselt. Alderman Geistneld, J9lIus Fiale snd
JOHN Barrels. 1t is expected that thcss oentIerorn