Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-03-03
Core spondence Of the Cedar Falls Gazette
LETTER FROM MONTANA TERRI
TShA.


Correspondence Of the Cedar Falls Gazette
LETTER FEsOM MONTANA TERRI
TORY
VIRGINIA CRY, MONTANA TnR,roFY,l
December 3lst, 1864. I
Virginia City is located on a gulch run
ming into the Sinking Water, which runs
into the Jefferson river. About one mile be
low on the same guich is Central City, and
below Central City one and half miles is
Nevada. This gulch is fifteen miles in length
and pays well the whole distance for gulch
diggings-snd some Of the claims are very
rich. At present mining business is quite
dull, the weather being too cold 20 work
much, although in many places the miners
are stripping the ground and preparing for
work in the spring. On this gulch they have
to strip from four to eighteen feet-stripping
10 taking the earth from the bed rock, OF
pay dirt" They are also at work on some
Of the bar digsings, hauling the pay dirt
down into the gnlch ready for washing in
the spriEg There are rnany quartz leads ia
this vicinity which will undoubtedly pay
well, but IS there are no quartz mills in op
Grafton here now they have not been fully
tested. During the PAST fall and present
winter great many new discoveries have
been made, and if o1e in ten Of the claims
taken pay for working, this will he the best
mining country in the United States. Al
most daily new discovery is announced,
and 90 where you will specimens OF gold
bearing quartz may be seen. The most
promising discoveries are st Deer Lodge and
prickly Pssr-ss both gold and silver leads
have been discovered there. The Yellow
stone mines are also considered very good,
both for gulch and quartz gold. The follow
ing is a list of few of the discoveries made
recently: Emigrant's gulch, on the Yellow
stone river Prickly Pear, 100 miles north
east Of Virginia City; Wisconsin gulch, on
head waters Of Meadow creek Silver Bow
gulch Ramskorn gulch, Silver Greek GuIch
and Washington gulch. These are but
very few Of the large number OF discoveries
made in the past few months OF these
Priekly Pear and the gulchss in Deer Lodge
valley promise the best, as several silver
leads have been discovered at those points,
in addition to rich gold claims. The lack Of
quartz mills prevents the proving OF the
many quartz lesns discovered. But we are
in expectation that there vii! be at least fifty
mills ia operation during the next season, a
few are already here, and will be put up in
thu spring. On the whole | think the pros,
pect for mining next season is very good,
and that large amount Of the precious dust
will be taken out
Yesterday saw the first dressed hog ever
brought into this market, that was raised in
the territory. 1t weighed $50 pounds, and
sold for 70 seats per pound. l have seen
some Of the finest beef here that ever saw,
it is fed on the dry bunch grass without
either grain or hay. saw enc OK fed in
this way which weighed 1870 pounds net.
s,a told that stock which i, very peor in
the fail il turned out all winter to cat this
bunch grass, will be very fat in tue spring !;
and believe it, for our horses are doing very
wcl in that way. an living on Jefferson
river, near GAilatin City, and there are over
5000 cattle in the vicinity which are sub
sissink on this grass alone--ths owners .1
peciing TO sell them in the spring for beef
The deepest snow so far this winter at Gal
latin City was five inches; at Virginia City,
eighteen inches and in the mountains four
feet. Gallatn City is sixty miles from Nir,
g MIA City, one hundred and fifty frsm Fort
Benton and four hundred from Salt Lake
At present we get our supplies mostly from
Sal, Lake. In the spring large namber OF
acres of wheat and barley will be So~n in
the valleys Of tn. Madison, Jefferson snd
Galla,in. Timber il. scaree on the streams,
there are some cotton woods--and some
small g: owes ofpine in the mountains. Game,
such rs black and white tailed deer, bear,
sheep, antelope and some elk, is plenty
Buffalo arc seldom found. | will give you
some Of the prices here: Beef, by the guar
ter, fifteen cents per pound -four, $40 per
hundred breaking plows, 10 inch, from $40
to 500; glass, sxlo, 81 per light; coffee,
20 cents per pound, sugar ths same.
The best route to this pant of the country
is admitted to be by BOseman's cut off
leaves the Platte near Deer Creek. Briger's
cut off leaves Inc Platte vt the Rcd Butte,
and is as short as the other route, but grass
and water are more plenty on the BOSNIAN
cut off, and game Is more apt to be 'oand on
the latter route. Emigrants must be very
careful about their stock getting the a!kaiI
water or feeding on the grass where the
ground is covered with the Slkaii on the first
end Of both roads and Oh the Platte. 1t will
be necessary to travel in strong parties on &C
count oil Indians. | will write to you again
Svon.
Yours, &c, E. e. YOUNG.
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