, 1864-09-16
Letter from Touchet.


EDS. STATESMAN Your correspondent left
Walla Walla on last Friday morning. and
reached Snake River about noon-iust in time
to dine with the polite and courteous l. kellogg
Esq, of the firm of Kellogg & McAuliff. propri-
etors of the Ferry. He remained at this point
until Sunday, meanwhile obtaining manv mis-
cellaneous items of intelligence, which NAV be
of interest to your readers
The increasing developments that are now be-
ing made in the Beaver Head, Bitter Root Col
vile, and especially in the Kootenai regions
! and the consequent travel that is following in
the wake thereto, at once builds up the Ferry
established at this point of Snake river, three
miles above the mouth of the Palouse, (where
too, is located a Ferry, owned by the enterpris-
ing McWhirk Brothers-who it is said were the
pioneers in establishing ferries on the river.O
and causes both to assume degree of import
ance in the scale of business enterprises of the
day alike permanent and profitable Several
thousand dollars have been expended in putting
in the boats in complete order, to satisfy the
demands of the travelling public. This ferry is
on the Military Road, as laid out in 1859; while
the Palouse crossing is on the same Road, as
changed by the government party in 1861 and
now officially adopted Military Road 1t is
generally used by the U. S. Quartermaster in
the movement OF troops and transportation of
supplies from Fort Walla Walla to Fort Colville
Each ferry has its advantages as a line Of travel
to the valleys above named, as also its own pat
and friends. 'Choose We between the
two" The water here is at its minimum depth
The handsome, unique, light-draught steamer,
'Cascadella," Capt. White, passed down a few
days ago, from lewiston
Every day not less than from two to five large
pack-trains cross the ferry, besides single par
ties, footmen, etc. Last week, some 300 ami
mails and 700 head of cattle were crossed over.
The cattle-young beef cattle-were to be driv-
To fbo D,ot IL
for the Beaver Head market, in spring. They
belonged to Mssrs. Clarke & Co.
Mr.. Wm Rhodes and party, of Orc Fino no.
toriety, returned from the Kootenai mines last
Saturday. They seemed to have considerable
quantity of the orc, obtained chiefly from the
famous Wild Horse Creek Mr.. R. exhibited
sundry specimens of gold taken from this creek
pieces ranging from 81 to $24. The party
are en- route for your city to purchase supplies
for their return trip to the mines Mr. Kellogg
informs the writer that parties are engaged in
mining some four or five miles above his ferry
making from So to $4 per day.
Quite number of overland immigrants
crossed day or two since, to make their future
homes in the Walla Walla valley. They re-
port that about I 500 persons this year, cross
| ing the plains, left the Platte river between
Forts Kearney and Laramie, crossing the Black
Hills, up the Yellow Stone, to the Missouri
Forks many of them settling in the Beaver
Head and Deer Lodge valleys; that a large party
of the immigrants with their families wagons
ETC., were bopnd for the Walla Walla valley :
but, when they reached Deer Lodge they heard
of the distractions which exist on a portion of
the Military Road to Walla Walla, which deter
mined them to remain where they were during
the present year. Just here the writer begs
leave to state that the main difficulty to travel
over this route consists in the fallen timber
caused by heavy winds and fires in the densely
wooded bottoms of the St. Regis Borga and the
Ceur de Alene A party of2O or 20 men could
in few weeks clear out the timber and place
the entire line from Deer Lodge to Walla Walla
in condition to permit teams to pass through
without the least difficulty. 1t is to be lament
ed that the immigration which was intended for
this section, should be lost to us this season. on
account Of a comparatively insignificant barrier
which modicum of time and energy could
have removed in time to have allowed the i'm
migrants to come down with their wagons
! Uncle Sam has spent some $500, 900 on this
road, many "hard blows" have been directed
| upon it, and it now only requires some enter
prise at the hands of those interested in the
mineral and other developments in the Upper
! country, to make that section of the road above
mentioned, for all time, permanent and practic-
able for wagons. Captain G. P Higgins, very
intelligent and enterprising citizen of Hellgate
Ronde, has been authorized by the citizens of
Deer Lodge ana Bitter Root to lay this road mat
! ter before Gen Alvord, at Fort Vancouver, and
see if detachment of soldiers cannot be or
dered out to improve the road. We have scores
of stalwart and healthy young soldiers quar-
tered at the different Posts along the Columbia,
going through the daily routine of garrison du-
ties, and looking almost apoplectic from eating
'pork and beans, v who might be very conven-
iently spared next summer to work upon the
road, to the great benefit of the travelling pub
lie at large and to the promotion of their own
health. Will ''red tape for once, be laid aside
and liberal counsels be allowed to prevail so far
as concerneth this important matter?
band of Palouse Indians are encamped
along the Snake, living as usual in their rude
Lodges, exposed to the vicissitudes of the
weather. War and disease have reduced their
numbers to about one hundred souls They
are now catching great quantities of the salmon
fish, which appears to be their only article OF
food. Whilst here, Mr.. K. informed me OF
case which shows plainly how deeply immureG
in ignorance and superstition are the minds o.
the unfortunate and benighted Indians, while il
serves to illustrate to what a near level to the
brute creation the human understanding ap.
proaches, where left unenlightened and unim-
proved Last week PalOuse Indian, "Doc-
tor, " had one of the tribe under "medical treat
ment" The doctors nostrums failed to cure
and the patient died. The life of the disciple O
Galen, in obedience to a custom extant among
the tribes, was to be the forfeiture for his wan
of skill in physic The honor of Executione1
was conferred upon young Indian called by
the whites, .'NesquallY John" who proceeded