The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1865-12-10
9ailp glonntaineer,
SUNDAY MORNING, DEC. 10, 1865.
REFLECTIONS ON THE PROSPECTS
OF THE COMING YEAR.

The extent of mining ground already dis
covered and partially developed, in the Co.
lumbia Basin, is ample to employ an opera
tive population sufficient to eat up all the
supplies which the adjacent agricultural dis
trcts are capable, at present, of producing.
Unfortunately for every permanent interest
of the country, the population is too small
to produce q decided current in any drec.
ton This deficiency and the effects arising
from it, are made worse by those wild min
ing exctements which divert the operative
population Iom steadily directed efforts in
given direction.
Sometimes these excitements result in
positive injury, and still more frequently are
of very doubtful utility. The great danger
of unsettling o mining population, is that
many drift out of the range of the trade up
the Columbia River, which is the main-stay
of our prosperity. The CGur d'Alene hum
bug was one of those which led directly to
the shifting of near ten thousand miners out
of the reach Of supplies from this side.
Without it, the rush to Montana, and beyond
the Rocky Mountains, would have never oc-
eurred, as the richness of certain districts
in that country had been known for two
years previous to 1865. But after o large
portion of the population had broken loose
from localities where fair remuneration for
labor was obt Unable, the mama of prospect
ing got CONTROL and the disposition to re-
turn to the places just left was gone. In
this spirit, the stampede to Blackfoot and
beyond, took place, and thousands followed
the huudreds who first led off. 1t is plain
to any mind, that these emigrants from our
commercial jurisdiction have not done AZ
we'll on the average as If they had remained
in Boise, 0wyhee, John Day mines and the
Nez Perces country. And it is questionable
if they have got into country where any
larger rewards for labor are to be earned.
From any point of view, this movement is
not certain to result in any.plain advantage,
and it is likely to prove an injury, which il
will require time to repair, to the develop
ment of those districts which are certain to
maintain commercial connections with us.
The true commercial policy of this country
may be stated in small space: We shoulc
aim to foster the dscovery>and development
of mines which are certain to be supplied BY
way of the Columbia River. AS fast as sue
cessful miners drop out of the pursuit o
wealth in the mines, they should be induced
10 invest their capital in livestock, to b.
placed on the pastures of the Columbi
Basin. Long after the placer mines hav
had the gold washed out of them-after tn
quartz-lodes have been worked into tn
waters which no ingenuity can remove, ou
pastures and fields will support in afluenc
a population greater than the mines eve
can, and with an average of happiness nc
possible in mining community.
The coming season will decide to what e,
tent the district of Northern California ca
compete with US for the supply of Boise an
Owyhee we shall certainly control the trat
to the Bitter Root country, and possibly
of the mining districts adjacent to it; up Il
Columbia, in the British territories, we Sha
find new fields for trade and mining oper
tions, and by timely representations we mi
induce desirable class of men to re-popula
the Nez Perces mines. If we are wise, Of
exertions will be directed toward an increa
of operative mining population, which W
serve the double purpose of digging out Il
precious metals in large quantities, as qui
as possible, aud stimulate the farming al
grazing enterprises of the country, To the