Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-02-24
I.tter from MOntana-InfOrnnt Wh1cn
may be Relied on.

Below we publish that portion of a letter, writ
ten by Wm H. Smith, an old Weaverville miner,
which relates to the gold diggings of Montana
Territory. Mr. Smith left Sacramento early in
the Spring of last year, visiting successiyely Ida
ho the Cour d'Aline and Kootenai sections, and
finally bringing up on the western slope OF the
Rocky mountains. The writer says 90 am To-
Gated on what is called Nevada creek, one of the
tributaries of the Big Backfoot river 1t heads
in the Rocky mountains, on the west SIDE MY
camp is eight miles from the summit of the noun
tans, sixty from the Missouri river, and one hun
dred and fifty from Fort Benton, in northwest
direction. The surface of the country resembles
that about Horsetown, Shasta county, the hills
rolling and undulating, with an occasional val
ley, which afford fine grazing for stock in the
summer season. But it is too cold for farming
purposes, unless it be for grains which mature
by August. There is plenty of wood and water
for all necessary purposes.
The diggings scattered along on either side
of the mountains for distance of hundred and
fifty miles or more, at intervals of ten to forty
miles apart and principally in creeks and
guches which pay from ten to twenty feet wide.
The banks of these are steep and abrupt, and
there are no second benches or bars that will pay
The q paw - streak is narrow in all of them the
gold coarse, and consequently soon worked out.
will not tell the big stories heard during the
working season, for they would he too much af-
ter the fashion of the lying Webfoot papers,
| =. aul thaD ri Iprp yrhi hirh
big wages while there are hundreds which will
not more than pay the expenses of work. In
fact think that occasional rich strikes as COM
mon to-day in the mines Of California as in ann of
tie more recently dseopered gold regions The dig
gngs generally deep and hard to work be-
ing too wet and loose to be drifed, and too fat
to be sluiced Consequently most of the ground
has to be stripped" which is a hard and tedi-
Gus process and makes the best claims only
moderate paying ones in the end
What have said applies only to the mines on
Ophir, Washington, Jefferson, Mcclellan and
French Gulches-all being on the west side of
the mountains. These are the only places where
pay has been found, thus far, and form the bulk
of the BIackfoot mines. 1t is reported that 9TH
er discoveries have been made, but | know of
none except Nevada creek, on which | have To-
Gated some claims. But it was late in the Fall
that we could not open them to tell how they
will pay In four feet of ground got two and
half cents to the pan, and on the bed rock
dollar. Such prospects may look large you,
but they do not to When tllnk of the ma
ny long months that have to rem Nein idle. and
the high price of everything to live on and work
with, and the high water of early summer, it for
bids me from placing very extravagant value
on the ground have located. If can take ont
money enough next summer, over expenses, to
carry me back to California, shall be thankful.
The gold here is coarse, and very much resem-
bles that taken from West Weaver creek
Beef is the cheapest article of food We have
here, costing only 30 to % cents pound. We
pay for bacon 10 cents: -four, 45; sugar IS tea,
So TO S. coffee 81 25 butter, s 80 and all
other groceries in the same proportion. Tobac-
co costs 81 so to 50 pound gum boots, S36
to $40 pair blankets, $40 pair picks, SIS !;
shovels, $40 Wages SC Il day in working time.
We have had some extremely cold weather,
the thermometer for two weeks ranging at from
400 to lSo below zero. No reaches
ccpt what is occasionally brought by strag-
Cling miner on snow shoes. One day we hear
that the United States and France are at war !;
the next that Uncle Sam and Johnny Bull are
making ready for sct-to. and on the third both
are contralctcd, and Dame Rumor tells us that
a bloody rebellion is being waged in Ireland
SO we go, and am heartily sick of it,
OrR PLATFORM The Placervie Mirror con-
cludes leader on THE President and the Par
tv as follows 80 The President may efface by
his backsiding the glorious record he made DUR
ing the war-he may furnish another melancho-
ly instance of the debasing effects of unholy am
btion, but the Union Party will not follow him.
With or without his help, the fruits of victory
must be secured. The traitors - shall not win
by Restoration what they lost by Secession. :