, 1865-06-16
News from Occur d Alene Mines.


prospects and other matters in that section of
country.
Mr.. Wilson, in company with four other gen.
tlemen, left Walla Walla the 23d day of April,
on a prospecting tour in the Occur d Alene
mountain range, and arrived at the Mission the
3D. of May. They were kindly treated while
there by the Fathers in charge, and were fur
nished by them with many little articles neces-
sary to aid in continuing their prospecting re-
searches. This side of the Mission; and on a
tributary creek of the Occur d Alene river the
company found sufficient gold prospects to JUS
tify them in tie belief that they had struck dig
gings which would pay for working. Going
above the Mission short distance, they next
prospected on small stream called Trout
Creek, which empties into the main river from
the north side, and found still better prospects
than they had obtained below They judged,
from the prospects panned ont along this creek
that the diggings, when worked with sluices,
would yield from ten to fifteen dollars per day
to the hand. The gold found on the creek was
of the heavy shot order, and looked to be of
good quality: The ledge rock along portion
of the creek is of granitc formation and along
the other portion it is understanding, accu-
rately, the slate lodges of California. The
gravel which covers the bed rock is mostly quartz
And smoothly washed The prospettors leav-
ing Trout Creek, ne&t tttued their footsteps to-
ward the headwaters of the north fork of the
Occur d Alene river, keeping altogether on the
TIa r,tr hn
river is covered with dense of growth of tim
Der, and as the party desired to keep as near to
the stream as practicable, they pushed on
through the forest short distance, but with
great difficulty, and finding the timber becom-
ing thicker and heavier as they advanced and
progress slow and tedious, they struck out to
the north, and attained the summit of a high
mountain ridge. The ridge was sparsely wood
ed, and the party Travelled along without hind
rance of any kind and finally found themselves
near the head waters of the river, and i'll
great Basin, which appeared to be as extensive
as that in which the Boise mines are situated.
This basin is drained by a number of small
streams and is well timbered throughout its
whole extent. The basin possesses all the char
acteristics common to the richest gold bearing
districts. Slate bed rock was invariably found
wereyer the company sunk prospect holes in
the basin, and the surface of the ground was
covered in all directions with quartz gravel and
bouldels. Favorable prospects were obtained
in different places and the gold was usually
coarse Mr. Wilson gives it as his opinion that
- -, a. A lam
try will be developed in this basin. On the Sd
inst Mr.. w. left his companions, who were to
continue prospecting in the basin, and started
for Walla Walla for supplies to take back with
him. While on she road to this place he saw
some persons who had come direct from the
Bitter Root valley, and they told him that at the
time they left the valley, news was current
there and deemed reliable, thatrich gold mines
had been discovered late in the spring, on the
head waters of the Deer Lodge River, and also
that new dggings were found about the same
time on the Prickly Pear river; that the new
discoveries in all, in that region, amounted to
nine distinct camps.
Mr.. Wilson further Informed us that he met
on his way down from Antoine Plante's ferry to-
the ferry on Snake river, some parties from Lew
iston who were en- route for the Occur d Alene
digEngs, and they told him that they had first
attempted to reach the mines by starting direct
across the country from Lewiston, but on ac-
count of the swampy condition of that route
and overflow of the ground by water, they were
compelled to turn back and take the Mullan
Wagon road and had got so far on the way into
the mines.
Mr. Wilson says the best road and the only
practicable route to the Occur Alene Mission,
is the one known as the "Mullan Road" He
further says that be would rather take freight
from Walla Walla to the Mission at six cents
per pound than from Walla Walla to Idaho City
tBoise mines) at the rate of eighteen cents per
pound The wagon road to the Mission, to use
his own words, s'is leyel,7 and teamiag over it
must necessarily prove to be cheap and expedi-
seus.. The only obstruction to teaming now
over the road, is some fallen timber which
blocks the way for short distance, and which
would require but few days labor to remove.
walla Walla, Mr-Wilson says is the most avail
able point from which supplies can be trans
ported to the new mines. Walla Walla, to
start withs has an abundance of everything in
the way of supplies for the mines, and it has
the freight wagons and teams with which to
haul the supplies, and above all, it hasa direct
and splendid oragon road to haul the supplies
over. There is no other point either above or
below that commands all these advantages, and
no other point can compete with this valley in
furnishing the new Ell Dorado with supplies II
cur people bestir themselves, see that the road
is speedily cleared of the fallen timber, and al
low no other point to get the start by means OF
selling goods at lower figures than they are
sold at here. O. -
Mr. Wilson having obtained all he came down
after, in the way of goods and mining imple-
ments, started back to the mines on Tuesday
accompanied by some of his acquaintances. He
has a large experience in mining matters, hay-
ing worked in many of the mining districts o.
California at an enrly day, and has worked a.
mining, ID q, number of the camps on the various
tributaries of the the Snake and Upper Colum
bia rivers He claims to have been the mrs