Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-24
Notes Of Travel by a Gold Seeker.
A Trip Through Idaho and Oregon,

finding the prospect for nuggets very bril-
liant on arriving there, he pushed on to Ore
gon. He gives some interesting particulars
in regard to his adventures, as well as re-
speeding part of our country of which COM
paratively little is known: @
FRoM WEsT OF THE MOuNTAINs,l
OPS FEsRY, SNAKE RIVER, Sept. %, "a.
1 have now reached the Oregon line,
and having passed the "gOld region"
propose taking a brief look back at it.
/ wrote you from West BannOck, at which
place our party were prospecting, but finding
after a couple of weeks labor that the ex-
penses exceeded the collections, We were not
long in arriving at the conclusion that the
thing didn't pay. After few days further
examination of the grounds about that place,
in company with one of our late party, Wis.,
tied CentregiiEe, where found the ground rich
in gold dust, but so destitute of water for
washing as to render mining on the high
lands an impossibility. There are a few
mines at this point, having water, that pay
well, but they are few at this season of the
year. From Centreville we crossed over to
HOg'e1n, where there are few very rich dig
gings, but the country had been all prospect
ed in advance of our visit. This settlement
takes its name from the hOggish manner in
which the first settlers appropriated to them
selves the mining lands.) From this point
we went to PiaoeTVille, the Oldest mining town
in the Territory. IL is quite lively and
rather pleasant appearing town, havinga fine
Plaza. in the centre of which is liberty pole,
a stand for public speakers, and q town
pump" The gold fields here are quite ex-
tensive, but have been pretty well dug over !;
- - IS uvaTap - hare falt in nat
of the other mining districts of the noun
tans. Still the mines Afford work for great
many men, and make a rich return to the
claim owners, judging from the amount they
spend in drinking and gambling. These two
vices are here practiced, as A. Ward would
saw, to an alarming extent" We spent
several days in and about these diggings, and
had a fine opportunity of witnessing the mo-
DIS opsraIadi of gold digging, washing, &c. Ii
is hard work, and the miners as a body are
far from being a healthy looking class. They
are compelled to work in the water, or damp
positions, and being careless of themselves,
soon bend beneath the diseases incident TO
such labor and exposure.
Plaeerville is peculiarly a mining town
gambling houses, saloons, dance houses, and
other places of dissipation and amusement
make up the town. Here, for the first time,
| saw women betting, or rather bucking the
tiger" At one of the many tables at the
principal gambling house sat two richly dress
ed Women-One an American, the other evil
IDENTITY Mexican or Spanish. The first was all
misunderstanding her soul and
ewes at every unfavOrable throw of the cards,
and shouting "bullyn as she raked in the
"chips." The other was stOically Indifferent
taking her losses quietly, and making no
demonstration over success, except, perhaps,
70 smile and say wano," which l understood
to mean good" There were other women
betting in the room, but watched these two
with particular interest, as being fair types OF
the two natiOnalities. The Mexicans are ac-
customed TO such excitements, and take the
chances as they come; the Americans are
nOt-and understand the faro dealers say
their chances of success are much greater
when PLAYING against Americans than when
playing against Mexicans. The chances are
great enough in either case.
From PlaeergiHe we struck back into the
mountains, giving prospecting" another trial
We trave ID for a couple of weeks over the
toughest country / ever saw-there was not
a place for another hill. Our trip was fail
ure, of course, so far as finding gold was
concerned; and firing Of il, we made for this
point, which is the principal crossing into
OEt4OU. we edN AO Sdulcs anu very lAbtAC va
ANYTHING else worth remembering. For two
or three DAYS we were on the ridges or peaks,
and without water-fnding it necessary to
have some, not only for ourselves, but for
our pack animal, we undertook to get down
into canon, or deep ravine, hoping to find
water, but the resolve was more easily made
than executed. Finding place at last, where
we thought our pony could get down, we COM
menced the descent. Finding it very steep,
and our animal top-heavy from our load of
blankets, camp utensils, &C., our genius led
US 70 try TO assist the animal down, by placing
the middle of the lariat-(a rope about so
feet long, used in pieketing the pony nights,
that il might not stray of and fall into the
hands of the Indians(-around the neck and
across the breast, leaving the ends in our
hands, that we might hold the animal back,
if the hill should prove too steep. We had
not gone far before we found ourselves going
faster than the pony, who seeing our progress
stopped and looked at US as we went head
long by him, rolling and tumbling to the very
foot of the hill. The first evidence of life
recognized in myself, was a loud laugh, com
ing from somewhere in the vicinity of my
mouth. and looking around saw legs and
arms, which afterwards found belonged to
myself, and were actually attached to my
body. Finding myself all right, hallOed to
nv companion, asking his condition, to which
he replied" Wouldn't the fool killer have
business if he were to come here about this
time.r Two subjects, sure. The pony had
no difficulty in getting down. and it is as
tOnishing TO see what steep hills they will
work up and down. They will go almost any
where a man can go.
In travelling to this point, we crossed the
Paystte river, which we found so full of
Salmon. that we had TO stop a few days for
the purpose of fishing. We had rare sport
The river above named is a small stream,
perhaps three times the width of the Catfish
at Madison, and quite rapid. The stream was
almost blocked with fish--you would hardly
credit the number, but so great was il that
we killed them with clubs. l killed one in
this manner that would weigh nearly if not
quite thirty pounds hne, rich "salmon
oOlored" fellow that would have liked much
10 divide up into ''fat Takes anUHg any
printer friends of Madison.
The sport of fishing was for a time quite
exciting, but we soon grew tired of it, not
however, without contracting strong liking
for the meat of this singular fish. There is
this popularity about the salmon; it is salt
water fish, and twice year il runs up the
fresh water streams in large numbers, for the
purpose of spawning, and never returns to
the sea. From the time they leave salt water,
until they spawn, they eat nothing, and
growing poor and weak after long struggling
against the rapid mountain streams, die from
exhaustion and injuries. The banks of the
river were lined with dead fish, over which
the crows, ravens and buzzaids we're holding
a carnival. We opened a great many, but
found their st0machs entirely destitute of
food of any kind.