Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-04-09
TALES AND SKETCHES.
MINERAL LANDS.
Wealth ofihc National Territories.
RECENT GOLD DISCOVERIES, &c.

As the resources of the country are now
being SO actively called into the service OF
the war, consideration for the future has
been of late directed to the mineral wealth
and growing importance of the vast Terri
tories owned by the Government Some ac-
count of the mineral fertility of these lands
will prove valuable and interesting.
According to the admirable report of Hon.
j. S. Rugglcs to the Statistical Congress,
the great gold-bearing region in tire West
embraces portions Of Dakotah, Nebraska
Colorado, all OF New Mexico, with Arizona,
Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon and
Washington Territories, comprising II de
grees of latitude, or u breadth Of 100 miles
By nearly an equal length, and making an
erea of more than a million square miles,
This vast region is trayersed by numerous
mountains, which divide il into live different
great basins, each of which is surrounded
by mountains, and watered by their streams
and SHOWS, thereby interspcrsing this I'M
mense territory with agricultural lands equal
to the support not only of the miners, but OF
Il dense population" All these mountains
are "iteIally stocked with minerals, gold
and silver being interpreted in protusion
over this immense surface, and daily brought
to light by new discoveries Nor do they
abound only in gold and silver, but "vari-
Gus sections of the whole region are rich in
precious stones, marble, gypsum, salt, tiu
quicksilver, asphatum, coal, iron, copper,
and lead; together with mineral and mcdi-
cinal, thermal and cold springa and streams" :"
The yield of this region in the precious
metals alone, for the year Just ended. will
not fall below. > l0O, ,OO0, 900. and the Com
missioner of the General Land Office, in his
last report, expresses the conviction that ut
will augment with the increase of popula-
tion tor Years to conc lie further adds,
that with an amount OF labor relatively
equal to that expended in California, ap-
piled to the goldield already known 10
exist outside of thar State, the production
of this year, including that of California
would exceed 800, 100000" in word"
he says, "the value of these mines is abso-
lutely iucalculable."
THE GREAT GOLD REGIONS or IDAHO.
The gold regions of Idaho owe their first
discovery to the rebound of the wave OF
emigration that first rolled from the older
States toward the Pacific coast, sheer across
the continent. This vast adventurous army
of restless and tireess gold seekers first dit
fused themselves through the rich tracts of
been working its way back thence toward
the heart OF the wilderness, until what was
once laid down in the maps us an unknown
waste, save where sparsely investigated by
various explorers, is becoming dotted with
infant settlements by the magic wand of the
cnchanter gold
The Territory OF Idaho is yet Insuryeyed
and only imperlectly subjected to scientific
exploration. Gold was first discovered in
the neighbOrhood OF what is now called
Bannock City, the grand resort OF prescrt
emigration. Numerous guichcs Of large
wealth were rapidly brought TO note, and
there appear 10 be no bounds 10 discovery
II adyenturers will only take the trouble 10
prospect One gulCh in the nighhog-
hood Of hammock is fifteen miles long, aEl
paid exceedingly well the entire length.
South Of Salmon river Is large extent Of
country as yet wholly uneXplorvd. On Clear
water river and its branches, north of Salm-
on, gold is found over a large extent Of
country, Elk City aud Ofo Fino being the
principle centres 1T business and population
At the junction Of the Clearwater with snake
river Is situated the town OF Lewistown, the
principal capital OF idaho, which ), the laTg
est town Ia The Territory, up To which point
Snake river Is nayigable Tor steamboats, Of
light draught, thus making continuous
line Of navigation from the mouth Of the
Columbia, With the exception OF two short
potlsges on the latter TiyeF--one called "lhe
Dalles,' lhe other "Caseades,n where the
ColuinbAa breaks Through tbs range VI noun
.ains by that name upoa the Borse nyeT
extensive nllnss have recently hrrn dis
covered, aud ills iowa u West hammock
built up.