Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-03-26
From the Dubuque Times
IDAHO...ROUTE TO THE GOLD
MINES.

IDAHO.--ROUTE TO THE GOLD
MINES.
We published 10 our Washington cor.
respondence recently the fact that a bill
Is before Congress proposing to establish
post route from Sioux City to Idaho
Territory, through the intervening Indian
country, and to protect it by military force.
1t is found that this short route will be
about 400 miles nearer. BY wagon road
from the Mississippi than the proposed
route from St. Paul by way of Fort Ben.
ton, and about the same distance nearer
than that Of tho Platte river Both the
latter routes cross the Rocky Mountains
twice to reach Virginia City and its neigh.
boring gold mining localities east of the
mountains and on branches of the Mis-
souri,. As the shortest distance by prac.
ticable route is the first element consid-
cred in reference to railroad or wagon
routes, the facts that the best mines in tho
new gold region are 200 miles north of the
latitude Of Chicago, and $50 miles north
Of the parallel of Dubuque and siosx
City, have an important bearing on the
necessity OF a more direct route from the
Missouri. 1t will be seen by reference to
any map Of the Territories east Of the
mountains, tina: the relative position of
the rivers and Of the points to be reached
by emigrants to Idaho, indicate the wait
Of route to be opened from Sioux City
following the Missouri nor,hwesterly to
Niobrara, or perhaps to White river, and
thence west in the valley of these streams
to the vicinity Of the "Black Hills" and
continuing westward across Powder and
Tongue rivers, Big Horn, ClarA's Fork
and the Yellowstone to Gaiatin at the
forks Of Missouri, Or passing south of it,
and proceed directly to Virginia City.
The above map shows the present trav.
eled route from Omaha, and also the pro-
posed routes from St Paul and Sioux City.
The better route, SO far as distances con.
cerned, is plainly the one from Sioux City
The military expedition against the In.
dams is expected to pass from Sioux City
up the Missouri nearly 500 miles, to For,
SuI'y, and to proceed from that point west
and northwest to Fort Alexander, on the
Yellowstone. lis not yet known whether
the plans Of the campaign will afford pro-
tec.ion on any direct route all the way to
the gold mines. A large train Of emf.
grants, however, will leave Sioux City
about the lst Of May, and 60 by way Of
the Niobrara river. aud cross the plain
from Black Hills to the great bend Of the
Yellowstone, aud thence to Gallatn and
the mines. Nearly the whole distance on
this route was explored last year, and the
latter part Of the route is the same that
will be opened from Dear Creek. on the
North Platte, by which a part Of the emf
grants on the Southern route viii, seek the
nearest and best route to Virginia City
and Its nelghooriny towns.
The 70 glowing table shows the ascer-
tanned and estimated distances from Sioux
City. AS q part Of the route has been
measured and the rest travelled, the iirures
are very nearly correct:
Miles
Sioux CIT, t" Niobrara NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 81
Up the Nohrara TO Antelope Creek. .............3o
Antelope creek to last crossing o! river....... 20
To Dry Fork OF Cheyenne river.... ............. 60
Dry Fork TO Powder river .......... .......... 70
Powder TO Tongue riser..-. IS
Tongue river To Rosebud Branch ............... &C
Rosebud to Little Horn rver...................l IS
Little Horn TO Big 20
Big Horn to Prynrs Fork
Pryors Fork 10 Clarks Fork 10
Claras EOrk to the Neg Perces. %
Nee forces 10 Yellow stone river Is
Up Yellowstone TO Great Bend. 81
Yellowstone to Gallatin river Is
To Gaatih City, forks OF the Miss u"i.......... 81
ob4
The distance from Gallatin to Virginia
City is forty five miles, and from Virginia
City 20 Bannock, on the west side Of the
mountains, is seventy one miles. making
the distance from Sioux City to Virginia
City only $40 miles, and to Bannock go
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