The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-02-12
The idaho Gold Mines..California
Surpassed.
From the st, Louis Democrat

The Idaho Gold Mines-.California
Surpassed.
From the St Louis Democrat
A few days ago we had a conversation
with Mr.. Nicholas Connolly. formerly
book keeper for Robert Campbell. in this
city, who has recently returned from
ldahO, and learned from him several in
teresting items in regard to that country.
to which the eyes of thousands Of adven,
furious young men are now turned "a the
new Ell Dorado, where gold can be scraned
up by the hatful, and poverty is unknown
We had heard and read many stories of
the mines of Idaho, nearly all of which
were so mingled with extravagant exao-
gerations as to be unreliable. But the
statements of Mr.. Connolly may be relied
upon as strictly true, as his veracitv has
never been questioned.
Messrs. Connolly and Lemon (both we'll
known in this city, left Deer Lodge on
the l4th of December, and travelled on
horseback, with pack horses to convey
their baggage to Salt Lake CITY. a dis
lance of over four hundred miles. in a
southerly direction. From Salt Lake Ctv
they travelled to Atchison, Kansas, in a
coach of the Overland Stage Company.
MIR. Connolly says that, in his opinion.
he mines OF Idaho are the richest ever
discovered on this continent, and he has
had considerable experience in the Cali
fornia and other mines, having made sew
eral trips to the mountains and travelled
over large portion of the country where
gold has been found These mines were
only discovered few months ago, and
already the different localities are alive
with gold-seekers. Last summer there
was scarcity of labor of all kinds, and
hands were paid from six to ten dollars
day as miners, teamsters, &c.
Mr.. @. met good many men from st.
Louis, and says they are all doing we'll
some selling goods, some digging, and some
driving "bull teams.'' Loafers were ex-
ceedingly scarce, and any man who was
disposed to work could do well; but the
labor is hard and requires muscle and
backbone
The principal settlement is called Vir.
ginia City, (there is a town of the same
name in Nevada, which should not be con-
founded with this,) where a great many St.
Louisans were congregated, among them
Geo. B. Parker, Captain Nick Wall, and
Gen. Davies, all doing thriving mercan-
tile business. Virginia City is on Sinking
Water, and has around it population Of
ten thousand. Virginia Gulch is from fif-
teen to eighteen miles in length, and is
very rich in gold.
Nevada City, two and half miles from
Virginia City, is rapidly improving, hav-
ing population of several hundred. The
two towns are, in fact, almost united. and
will probably be completely so during the
next season.
Bevan's Gulch, fifteen miles from Vir-
ginia City, has population of about three
hundred. The miners there were making
from $50 to $3.50 a day, according to their
"luck."
Bannock City, seventy-five miles from.
Nevada City, had been quite thrifty. Col.
Hunkins, and Messrs. Bryan and Brundy,
all from St. Louis, were about erecting
two large steam quartz mills, and two
smaller mills, to be run by water power.
were in progress of construction.
Deer Lodge is thriving settlement.
12O miles from Virginia City. A good
deal of gold had been taken out, but last
season the water failed, and gold washing
was suspended. 1t was in contemplation.
however, to erect hydraulic works in the
vicinity ofthe diggings, by means of which
an abundant supply of water could be fur
nlshed. Deer Lodge was settled by q num-
Der of Frecch Canadians, and is q beauti-
full and fertile valley. Wheat, oats. pota-
toes and other vegetables grow h1uriant-
ly, but the Indian corn of Missouri does
not thrive. A species of corn, such az
that raised in the northern part Of Wiscon-
sin, would no doubt be found to succeea
there.
The grass in this valley is the finest in
the world, growing very thick, and fatten-
ing horses and cattle in an incredibly short
time. The valley is from six to ten miles
wide, and about twenty-five miles long.
A number of farms have been opened. and
a great many cattle are raised. The lands
of this region require irrigation to produce
crops; but on many of the streams this Is
easily effected, and there is no such thing
as drought, except when the rivers 20 dry.
which seldom or never happens.
The region of the Idaho mines lies be.
tween latitude As and AZ, and longitude
~ and IA, and the whole. country. for
hundreds OF miles, appears to be one vast
gold held. 1t has been very imperfeclly
explored, but during the past summer
thousands OF miners fiocked there from al
parts OF the world, and in the spring there
Will doubtless be an Unprecedented em;-
grafton TO the mountain mines. The new
mines are near, and in fact on the "di.
vide y that separates the waters fiowino
into the Pacific from those which are horne
past our city to the Gulf of Mexico.
Yankee Morality.