The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-27
I D II O.
Letter from Amos w. Hall. Esq. OF
this City.

tn1S Ohtys
I'VE are permitted to print the following let
ter from n gentleman who is well known in
St. Paul and whose statements may be relied
On.-ED PIONEER:
EAST BANNoCK Cry, March 8, 1864.
JB. HoYr, EsQ.-DEAR SIR II have lately
seen letter from you to Mr.. Bray of this place,
also a summary of remarks made by Capt. j. L.
Fisk before the Chicago Board of Trade, from
the terms of which it is plain that the public
are likely to be deceived and misled with re-
gard to the general productions of the gold
mines about the sources of the Missouri River.
All your efforts to correct false and exagger-
ated impressions with regard to this naturally
exciting subject are trustworthy and COM
mendable. 4. Should there happen to be in your
vicinity any admirers of Sinbad, of Munchau-
sen, Of CULVER, of Barara, they ought to be
your natural allies in this emergency, for the
prominence of all these as the origin
ators of monstrous but pleasing and ingen-
ious fictions, (Which have been often menaced
by competitors, but have stood the {test of
many ages,) it is Likely to be entirely over
thrown by the exploits of these new candi-
dates for the same kind of renown. 1t is quite
possible that the parties with whom you have
come in contact, have no deliberate intention
to mislead and deceive the public, but they are
very ignorant with regard to this subject, and
must be excited by their own false ideas and
calculations to degree that would make them
IF toto to
the effect that these mines have already yielded
twenty eight millions, or that there are now
fifteen millions awaiting safe means of trans
portation to the East is amazingly fabulous,
and likely to work wide spread mischief There
are no means of determining with any degree
of accuracy what the yield has been up to this
time. But it is certainly under threemillions.
The number of men who have been actually
engaged in mining on the east side of the
mountains, is probably about three thousand,
and the results go to prove these to be fair av-
erage paying placer mines. This is by no
means the richest gold region ever found, nei-
ther is it as rich as some other sections have
proved. Still it is now certain that there is
good deal of gold in these mountains. and that
there is a fair opening for those to do well whe
have the necessary pluck economy, industry
and patience to try a fair experiment either at
mining or many other branches of business
necessarily growing out 1T. Mining itself is
an exceedingly laborious and unromantic bus
mess. The life here is necessarily devoid of
all the comforts and refinements of home
and society; and great physical and mo-
raj endurance is necessary to overlook
these things that may seem SO trivial to
those who have never had this kind of expe-
rience The hardships and discomforts are
certain. but results to meet the expectations of
many who visit these regions, are very uncer-
tain. There are cases ofrapid and brilliant sue
cess. And there are cases much more numer-
Gus, of no success at all. Some from lack of
industry; some from lack of economy; some
from dissipation; some from constitutional bad
luck, and generally from the same causes that
lead to failures in business in any other region.
No great expectations OF success should be at
tached to the first year spent in a mining re-
gion on the part of those who have had no ex-
perience it takes time to get some insight
into the business, and knowledge of
where the chances are, and what they con-
sist Of A little ready money is also of
great use where some experience has kbeen
tied state of society mining claims may often
be bought on better terms than they can be
hunted up. Five years is as short a period as
SHOULD be set apart by any one in which to
make fortune in this or any similar region,
By steady industry and application during that
length Of time q moderate degree of success
would amount to considerable, and during
where to make what is termed strike, or find
some place richer than common. The great
drawback in this region to the realization of
rapid and large returns from placer mining is
in the depth at which the gold is found depos-
it, both in the bars and in the beds of streams.
The fall in these streams is but slight, and
consequently the country has not been sluiced
down by the natural action of water to near as
great an extent as in California From the
almost total absence of clay or tenacious soils
of any kind in the bar formations the gold has
been precipitated down to the surface of or
into loose shelly bed rock, on which the bar
rests. In wet claims this drift, sometimes fif-
teen or twenty feet deep, has to be all stripped
of, making the expense of opening these
claims sometimes more than thousand dol
lars before anything can be realized. In work.
ing the dry bars the pay dirt is commonly
drifted or tunneled out, and this process re-
quires good deal of timber, which is very
expensive: From these peculiarities in the
location of the gold deposits of this region
there is @ broad difference between the gross
yield of claims and the actual profits. In this re-
spect these are the most deceptive mines have
any knowledge of. The yield of many claims is
large, and SO are the expenses, leaving actually
but moderate results where there is some sort
of foundation for large stories. The same
reasons make prospecting in new places slow.
precariOus and uncertain, and an exact knowl-
edge of the frequency with which such depos.
its may be met with in any given area of terri
tory is vet to be determined. Discoveries thus
far of good mining ground have not been very
extensive, and certainly do not warrant preach.
ing a general crusade to these mountains.
There are yet only two camps of considt rable
extent and richness. There are three or four
other smaller ones, where moderate wages are
realized. Some new discoveries in different
localities are now confidently reported, and
they are very likely true to some extent. As
accurate q general estimate concerning the
pield of these mines per day to the man as can
be arrived at, would place it between five and
ten dollars Some claims pay much more than
this, and some on which a great deal OF labor
is expended never pay anything.
The climate here also is not the most favor
able in the world for placer mining. There
are at least four months of winter weather
curing which operations are very much re-
sflcted or totally suspended. This hunting
Ior god Is a business that people who are
comfortably situated, and have fair justifca-
lion 1or being contented with their lot. had
better let alone. But if, on the other hand,
ND 49, and