Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-02-20

trading expedition, and wens'hroush by
land, reaching Fort Benton early in June.
He got 20 Bannock about the time Of the
discovery Of the new Idaho gold mines,
and found the excitement at the highest
pirch. Capt. Wall made no STAY Of Tie
mines until his return to B.nnock, on the
co,h 1t September. Here he remained
un,ilihe 18th Of October, when he pro
ceeded 10 Virginia City. sixty FIVE miles
distant, and took his departure from the
latter place in the direction of home, on
the night Of the Goth Of December, with a
party Of nine persons and ,hir,y-,wo hor.
ses. They we're eighteen days to the FIRST
settlements in BoxeIder. in constant 40.
prehension Of the road agents." class
Of desperate highway robbers and murder.
ers who infest tina. country. They travelled
on the eastern slope of the mountains,
and found the snow al average depth Of
six or eight inches until after crossing the
''divids' separating the waters tributary
to the Atlantic and the Pacific, where
they found the snow two to three feet in
depth. After crossing the divide sepe
rating the waters tributary to the Pacific
and to the Great Basin, snow was encoun
tered two feet in depth. The party left
Salt Lake on the Eth Of January, and
coming this way, found the fall of snow
had gradually lessened From Fl Kear.
ney eastward, the snow had nearly disap.
peared from the plains. Capt Wall states
the distance from Virginia City 20 Saint
Louis TO be two thousand one hundred and
ten miles. For eighteen days the party
, su5ssted entirely upon bread made from
-four and water, without salt, and no meat.
Their beds we're made upon the snow.
The Virginia City mines were discover.
ed about the time Captain Wall passed
through that region on his way to Fort
Benton, early in June last. They are on
tie Sinking Water the not very pleasing
name Of one of the tributaries Of the JEFF
terson. which latter stream is formed Of
the Big Hole and Beaver Head rivers
Virginia City proper, which in August last
did not boast Of a solitary habitat!on, but
which was mere encampment, now con.
tains five hundred houses completed and
in progress, and a population of more
than two thousand. Capt Wall does not
thing the total population Of the Idaho
mining country, including Bannock and
Virginia City, exceeds FIVE or six thous
and. The extent Of the mining district
including the different gulches worked
since the first discovery, would probably
cover between twenty and twenty FIVE
miles Bu. gold exists in abundance, and
it is the genera! belief out there that the
auriferous deposit extends to the Yellow
stone, though reports OF the positive dis.
covery of gold in the Yellowstone are pre-
mature. Captain Wall states that many
Of the miners in the Bannock and Virsi
MIA City mines have done very well, others
tolerably we'll. and good many have done
nothing He thinks that between one
thousand aud two thou~and ella ms have
been successfully worked. OF the men
actively engaged in mining, the yield has
probably averaged between fifteen and
twenty dollars re: day. The Virginia
City mines are said 10 be the richest rracer
diggirgs discovered since California days.
There is Il great deal more nugget gold
taken on, there than n, the Hammock
miues. The gold taken out in the Summit
district, at the head of the main gulches
of the first discovery, is of this character,
mixed with quartz. The largest nugget
reported was found in R;yens' gnch and
was valued at three hundred aud twenty
dollars. When Captain Wall left, business
was very dull in the mines, both in mining
and otherwise. The weather was so Sc
we're as 10 almost suspend mining opera.
tion.
Captain VS. party met six or eight
trains, one Of twenty wagons, between
Salt Lake and Virginia City. A, Fort
Bridcer. a train Of twenty wagons was
winierine and preparing for an early Start
in the spring Six or eight small trains
were met between Fort Bridger and Fort
Kearney. A grea. many teamsters on
the way out suffered intensely from the
cold, some to the extent Of losing limbs,
and few were frozen to death. On the
route travelled from Virginia City to Salt
Lake, there is no trouble to be apprehended
from the Indians. The "road agents"
are the worst. A Vigilance Committee
had been organized, and had commenced
their labors by hanging one man. Cap
tain Wall designs returning in the Spring.
st. Louis Republican.