New-York tribune., 1867-08-03
THE MINING REGIONS.
MONTANA--THE SNAKE RIyER-vIRGINIA CITY
MINING SETTLEMENTS - AGRICULTURE
THE MAILS.

THE MAILS.
From Special Correspondent
VIRGINIA CITY, Montana T., June 27, 1867.
After pleasant evening at Snake River we
crossed the frail bridge then swayng to and fro be-
fore the violence of the current land since swept
away) we started for a night-ride toward the sum-
nit of the Rocky range. The musketoes were emin-
emily sociabe and forbade sleep in the coach. Even
our coarse wells were of little use, for they would
touch the face at some points, and inst there our
tormentors would settle like swarm of bees lighting
on the green and present their inexOrable demand
for blood Even toward midnight, when 1t was so
cold that had to wrapmy thick blanket around over
my gTeat-coat the musketOes wearied not in their
efforts to forage upon u.s. They seem to be
perfectly accmated in this region. and defy the
chilling blasts of the snow-clad mountains hard BY
As we reached the higher bluffs most welcome
breeze greeted u.s. and cleared path of the buzzng
and biting pests. Early in the morning we reached
Pleasant Valley Station for breakfast. had noticed
its enticing on the little guide-book and had
gateful anticipations of delightful mountain home,
butwas doomed to disappointment. Ofall the tilthy
repulsve stations on the route Pleasant Valley is the
worst 1t consists of a narrow gulch between two
high bluffs. and we could not get out of the coach
into the station without plunging into mud ankle
deep 1t furnishes us one of the regular square meals
of the most primive life in this primitive land.
miserable apology for coffee butter or milk, stale
eggs and bacon, and bread almost as gritty as the
mountain bolders constituted our breakfast | need
not say that we partoOk most sparingy paid our ~
EACH and waded ont rs speedily as possible Let me
say, however for the demonstrations" that III l,3W
miles of staging the plains and through the noun
tans can recall but two meals that were not lnyt-
ing and IupOn the whole no better fare would be
found travelling in the States.
Nine miles from Pleasant Valley we reached the
summit the dividing line between Idaho and Mon
tana and the grand divide of the great waters of the
North West. just on the summit numerous little
springs start, and soon unite to form Red Butte
Creek the southenmost source of the Father OF
Waters Black Tail. Deer and Stnkngwater rising
farther east Oh the range, and Horse Plain and Big
Hole on the west from Jefferson Riyer-the main
source of the Missouri while still further the
Madison aud Gallatin rise in the mountains, drain
and irrgate fruitful valleys, and unite at Gallatin
City some 60 miles north of this place to form the
Missouri. The Snake River courses southwest from
the summit until il reaches close to the southern
line of Idaho when it describes a sem-circie north
ward; thence nearly due north to Lew
ston on the Idaho and Washington line,
within 100 miles of the British boundary, when 1t
sweeps around southwest again and untes with the
Columbia at Waa. IL is to the Columbia
what the Missouri is TO the Mississippi-a tributary
greater than the river that receives its waters and
ends its history and 1t drains Idaho and all
of Oregon west of the Cascade range, and large
portion of Washington. have no data before me to
make an accurate estimate of the distance tins re-
markable stream traverses on reaching the ocean,
but it must be fully 800 miles in its toruous wind
ings to find water grade from the top Of the Rocky
range 10 the Pacific coast. crossed it at Eagle
81 4. "a. and fhnT a
over 60 feet deep in the main channel and nearly 100
yards from shore to shore. Like the Platte and
Green however it will ever defy the naygators and
lend no helping hand to the march Of commerce.
From the summit the overland line traverses the
same bleak sterile and broken country we left Ola
the other side in Idaho and no sign of cultivation is
visible until Virginia City is reached and here there
is no pretense of rearing more than sickly flowers
and some vegetables in the gardens Some distance
from the city we struck the head-waters of Sinking
River and followed it for some miles. 1t gained Its
repulsye title from the fact that it was once the
fayorte deposit for the Indian dead. Instead OF
burying their deceased comrades in the earth, they
wrapped them in their blankets and robes, and gave
them sepulchers in the forks of trees or on elevated
poles causing, the miners saw the most hagrant
fragrance The stream has a rapid descent, and is
admirably located for irrigation but 1t has no valley
of sufficient width to be productive
Virginia City, the capital of the territory, was
founded in 1868, and originally called Varna, In
honor of the wife of Jefferson Davis The first set
tiers were mainly Rebels, and to tlEs day they have
maintained their supremacy in this portion of Mon
tana. Alder Gulch, of which Virginia was originally
but the mining camp, was the richest gulch of the
size ever found in any of gold regions. 1t first
built up a considerable mining town mile below
Virginia called Nevada but it has gone into dilapi
daton, and is practically abandoned Out of this
gulch millions of gold have been taken For ten
miles il has been worked, some places much as 800
yards in width and at its head are now found the
richest quartz leads Although every bushel OF earth IN
the gulch has already been panned, still 1t Is lined
with miners who are now bringing the more im-
proved systems to work II over again prohtably,
bitches have been brought from lakes 10 miles dis
tant and the hydraulic process is now washing down
the hard banks and slucing the already once worked
earth number of quartz mills have already been
erected on the leads at the head of this gulch, and
when brought down TO proper management ana legtl-
mate enterprise must make immense returns to mill
owners. 1t is admitted, believe, that no better de-
fined OF richer leads to be found on the continen
than in the summit district Imperfect machinery
worse direction, and inpatient, lu-advised, and
wastefu efforts at development have made failures
on mines where practical men would gather fortunes
This whole belt, or rather the entire mass OF
broken and confused ranges seem to be studded with
the precious metals Helena has taken sudden
start and now distances this city in population and
enterprise Most productive gulches are being worked
there and very rich gold and silver mines have been
developed and tested by mills. Argenta, 40 miles
distant. has silver mines which yield from 500 to
400 per tun and the lead tharge, is worth 81 %
per tun ut the furnace. The litharge is SO per
cent pure lead and lead is now worth 80 cents per
pound wholesale. II will in n short time become
cbooner and supplant wood for roofing. learn that