The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1865-02-25

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tive, but not one of the gulches has over
half sluice-head of water; and in the
spring, with the melting of the snow, will
not have over good fair sluice-head, and
two Of the gulches-the richest-are COM
pletely dry. l spent two days at Helena,
and found everything full of hope and
promise. Every claim holder considers
himself rich, but whether from working the
claims or prospective sale, cannot tell.
A perfect monopoly exists among the early
claimants. was credibly informed that
several, though they had already sold eight
or ten claims of two hundred feet each,
had on their hands, by pre-emption, from
fifteen hundred to two thousand feet. Some
twenty or twenty-five persons first pro-
empted Last Chance gulch, and when they
had exhausted the names, they went above
or below and formed new district, and
thus they continued, carrying their exclus-
iveness into other gulches in the vicinity,
as they were discovered; and to enable
them thus to hold this number of claims,
they passed laws to suit themselves, post
poning representation to suit their conve-
nience. A few weeks or even days of such
emigration as is now pouring in, will
furnish pilgrims sufficient to modify these
laws, SO that may be nearly everybody can
get q claim. There are certainly claims
enough hereabouts for twice. the number
already here, and new discoveries will be
made on the opening of spring.
FEBRUABY 9.-Saturday / went on a
"stampede /" to gulch distant only four
miles from this place. The guleh takes its
rise in the North side Of a bald mountain,
about twenty miles from here. On the
south side Of the same, the newly discov-
cred Elkhorn gulch takes its rise, which
flows into South Boulder. The gulch first
speak of is some twenty miles long, and the
prospects obtained at the lower end war
rants the belief that it will be excellent
further up. There was some hundred peo-
pie there yesterday, who staked for eight
or ten miles, and, as is the practice in this
section, for everybody they could think Of.
A miners meeting held in the afternoon
made the claims two hundred feet in length
and in width from summit to summit.
question the policy of such extravagani
! claims, yet it universally obtains here, but
we succeeded in Incorporating into the laws
an article requiring every claim holder tc
represent is claim in person, next Satur-
but it carried, Also, since commencing
this letter, a dry gnlch has been discovered
but two miles from here which prospects
we'll, but the dirt, as is the case with th'
other dry gulches. must 10 hauled som,
three miles.
Of quartz lodes, think this section ia
ahead Of Silver Bow or any other; not per
haps in richness, but in number-thougl
many of the them are doubtless rich. The.
consist of continuous belt extending from
above Beaver Town to below this place,
distance of at least twenty miles. At tn
head of Last Chance and Grizzly gulches
, but little lode prospecting has been done
but believe it will prove rich; yet thi
cannot be determined till the snow melts
which will probably be early in April.
The country below here is an exeeiler
D farming section, capable of contributin
, largely to the inner wants Of the inhabi
. tants of Montana. The objection whic
: lies concerning the altitude of the Silvt
7 Bow country, cannot apply to this, as it
e but little above the Missouri valley.
+ Near here are camped several hundre
e native Americans of the Flat-head "pe,
: suasion,' driven from their winter huntir
: grounds below, it is said, by some 9TH
h tribe. They are peaceable, but beggars,
: usual. ! notice a very sensible article
; last MONTANA Posi- concerning the " Po
II Indian,'' which it would do we'll to excl
/. sorize and send to some of the Heads
II Department at Washington, and membe
Is of Congress. Very erroneous ideas obta
/ at the east concerning Indians among eas
e ern people. A few trips across the plair
N running the gauntlet Of the "red-sk kins
N for five or six hundred miles, would 81
m them more correct ideas of the red men.
to Of the timber have heretofore write
10 The same features extend all over this Sc
Ii ton. A better timbered country ha
IN never seen. Thus you have the results
u my observations in this, as we'll as the
yer Bow mining section. 1t is disjointet
ry know, for it has been written amid frequ'
1d interruptions, such as one would natura
ne expect in a solitary store in mining car
er Under different circumstances l could P
us haps have done better: Probably there
several repetitions. These you must era
cd A visit, at your leisure, to these regi
I'M would amply repay you for loss Of time
ne expense. Yours truly, U. H.