The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-02-24

0rrAwA GULcH, JaI- l, lst

0rrAwA GuLCH, jan, l, 1866.
Dcoy Friend-You wanted to know some
sAias about this country, and I will give you
vhs4 iaSorm>tioa I can. We have had very
esN weather here lately. Through November
and December the thermometer has been
.bou. 30 deg. below sero pretty much all the
lime.
The fra. placer iiggings commence on the
lea or esst bank of the Missouri river. lo3
.ilss above For. Benton. The main gulch
u Oregon, with population of about loa:
aud number of smaller gulches trnrn there
~ Confederate Gulch, uhich i, . ,arye sulch
Wa g-ess man; tributaries. in the midst
ei which is located Diamond city, with q
population Of three to fur thousand. Fol-
lowing the Missouri river from here to the
Three Forks, you pass over beautiful grazing
AMI farming country. Thence so miles to
tho Madison, you come to Allen Guch and
ita tributaries, which are g ooi placer disyin.s
from there % B.anocl Cay for eighty miles
are quito \ number Of quartz leads, bearing
gold and coppe.r Thence. along the west,
srn side of the IN ain range to Silver Bow are
8ool placer diggings for sixty miles. From
here the Blsckfoot the mountains are rough
and broken, with a great many rich leads OF
silver, gold, aod copper. German Gulch is
placer digging. French Gulch, Washington.
jefferson. Po ,r 4 ,a's snl Mcclellan, are the
priueip galche., with m5ar of sm iiler
snes. ell tributaries OF the Big Bl ,cks1,t
river, which emptes into the Culumbia river
These places nov Contain ab)u, tea thousand
population.
From there up 10 the line there has been
NO prospecting We are heated on the
eastsrn side D: the Maintains, lj0 miles from
For, Benton. This camp one year ago hal
10 miners, but as present has not over 30
FROM here to the South. along the base Of the
mountains, as far AZ Jefferson river, are =
number Of small gdlehes, that + y wel-;he
principal one of whicn is Last Chance AMI
tributaries, on which is located Helena City,
with Q population of from 3)0) to 1900. 1t
It 10 At present quite y commercial center,
being tbs nearest to Fort Benton, from which
soAs al our supplies.
The lis, 1 have given embraces all the dis
eoveries thas far OF Montana Territory bu,
lhers is great scope Of country yet unex-
plored to the north and east, which will be
sasned next spring. Virginia City is the
lasssss town in the Territory, containing
about l0.O03 sosls. 1t is At present the cap
l,si, bet ,hiHs, from the drifting nature OF
sur population, that eventually the capita!
vill be located some place near the Missouri
.ivsr
Upon the whole, / cannot say that this is a
very desirable country to live II. Moss peo-
pie Coming TO mining country expect TO
sAafs fortune in iew months. Gold AMI
silver have brought mos. of US here. Noun
&Ains and streams are huntea over to find the
y-ccious metals. Now aad then fortune
saiies upon AL individual. la . month or
yssr ne secures his fortune, gathers up bis
elects, aud return. to his absent home to live
., ease the rest of his days Bot how few
are the fortnats oLes compared to the aSgre-
gate! The fascinatio IS which surround the
gold hunter continually charm him with the
dslusion that he is about To reach the goal OF
his hopes. Thus he plods on from year to
year, wearing away his life with hardsbips
and toll. Ten die in poverty where one sue
eeeds. Should we judge the future by the
vss,, We would be slow To take the chances in
. connsry like this. Yet there are thousands
,aas love the excitement OF Ilnins, and
would hunt the world over for golj. Life in
shs mountains, it is true, has nanv charms,
shs greatest being. perhaps, its perfect free
dom, antramelled by the artificial restraints
Of society. They that have slep. togeth er
Ground tho sane camp fire, and travelled
many tedious mile. together, sharing hard
ships and privations, are drawn together by
tiss which > higher civilization knows noth-
ing Of
The greater p,rtioa Of the mining popula
ton coming in since November and unit |
.; r--- not making dollar day, and
Dsxt Nay way fro.,.. any
. are hadliei together TAI
,msfkr. or aya:l.ble articles 10 sustain lie.
What 10 in e.,e country i. il the hands oil q
few merch anita, who take advantage OF the
blockade aad demand exorbita,Sfs'ces. Inc
,falloviuy are some of the agures
Flsur. per 100 lbs- $4,000.
Ra.on 1900.