The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1866-05-19
9ailp Monutatneer
SATURDAY EVENING. MAY 10, 1865.
LETTIsk FROM sUsANvILLE.
sUsANYILLr, Grant Col, May 10, ]

letter to you, Of Feb 24th,N 1 did not intend
that my pen should remain idle SO long, but
combination of circumstances not necessa-
ry to explain has prevented me from resum-
ing it at an earlier date. The pinching cold
weather which then kept the denizens of our
little mountaintown within doors, has given
way to balmy spring, and mother earth has
disrobed herself of the dazzling white and
come forth in the more comely garb of
beautiful green; and instead of the sound of
the axe and maui in the timber, we hear the
rushing of waters and grating clash of the
pick and shovel piled by the miner in the
rock and gravel of the creeks and bitches.
SCARCITY OF FRESH MEAT.
But these were not all of the pleasant sur.
roundings calculated to call forth grateful
emotions At the period referred to the sup
ply of one of the substantials Of life-that
of meat, was dwindling down smaller and
smaller, not to say beautifully less; for while
the snow blockade was in force ,inether pack
trains nor beef cattle could by any route
then known, be brought in to our relief. But
now instead of salt fish, old rusty jerked
beef. and the more delicate morsel of snov-
balls nicely sailed and peppeed, we have an
ample supply of Webfoot bacon, fat beef and
mutton, and with recuperated strength and
energies our miners have for the pas six or
eight weeks, been constantly at work.
THE MINES.
Wherever it was practicable to operate in
that way, they have availed themselves of
the great abundance of free water to ground
sluice the dirt off down to the bedrock. One
company near the mouth of Elk Creek, will,
think, before water fails succeed in strip
ping their entire claims, embracing several
hundred feet of ground in length and about
one hundred feet in bredth. A smaller guam
tity of water will suffice to clean up the bed
rock where now all their pay lies, and it is
known to be rich. They obtained enough
from small space of bedrock to defray
: their expenses until they shall have com.
pleted their ground sluiciug operations.
Many of the claims, however, both on Elk
and Deep Greeks, are too deep for this mode
of working, in which case they open pit to
the bedrock, put in a pump propelled by
water and get their pay dirt out by drifting
Some of these claims have fully met the ex
pectations of their owners, whilst other.
have not yet succeeded in finding the pay
expected, though none have as yet proved
failure.
NEW MINES. r.
In my last communication referred to th
discovery of placer mines on the slope O
the hill below the Elk Creek quartz ledge
Since that time parties have been working i
another place where there is greater dept
of dirt; and four men in run of two week
cleaned up seventy ounces of gold as fine q
that coming from battery. They have lai
the Elk Greek quartz ledge perfectly bare o
deep as their cut is worked, and the di
they have washed off, and from which the
have obtained such rich pay, is evidently
mass Of decomposed quartz rock from tn
ledge. Another company is now near
ready for operations adjoining the claims r
ferred to, who are as sauguine of equal
rich rewards for their labor.
QUARTZ MINING.
In the matter of quartz, have little to
port since my last letter. Mr.. McQuaid, w
believe is sole proprietor of the Pacific, b
made an opening in the side of the hill
this ledge, to the depth of fifteen feet, sho
ING well. defined ledge, from three to fc