Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-03
COLUMBUS %. FRIDAY s - M MtORNI

ana favor the a0)Ve Supp0Slt1ou. Inc 1m-
periaI Government was long desireus that
The Russian American Company should
explore the interior, which,
however barren IN appearance and un-
promising inana agricultural point ofxiew
seemed likely toprove valuablein minerals
This was one of the objects Of the grant
made to that company but their aim being
profit and knowing that their
lucrative fisheries would suffer in any min
ing excitement, they shrewdly raised
every possible objection against the pTac-
ticability of prospecting the interior, urg-
ing as a principal reason the hostility OF
the natives. The, Emperor Sthereupon Oh
fered them additional troops-in fact, as
many as they wanted, 1.-THE company to
maintain them at its own expense. This they
declined for some specious reason, and the
Government, although convinced that gold
existed there, especially after its successive
discovery in Oregon, Washington Terri
tory, and British Columbia, in regular pro-
gression northward, allowed the subject to
subside. ZOO 4HF -'dr' t
GOLD EXeIFEMENTS~ INJURIOUS TO FUR
son COMPANIES. q 8
Az The ghostin the closetof the Hudson Bay
Company always was that gold might be
discovered in British Columbia, which
would ruin their lucrative fur trade by the
desertion of their employees to the places.
-AtaIast, in 1858, the long dreaded discovery
was made, and the company's factors has
tened to assert that 1t was all humbug, and,
with their traditional dislike of immigra-
ton, advised strangers not to- visit British
Columbia. This has also been the policy
of the Russian American Company 50
-olGoLD DISCOVERIES WORK NORTHwARD.{
,, The discovery of gold has been steadily
to the northward since the days of the early
Spaniards, who. in the sixteenth century,
Al IL - kt,rA
tropics. No one suspected its existence IN
theinorth until the California marvel awoke
the world to the splendid reality. From
thatitime richer gold fields have been con-
tinually developed northWard, until those
of British Columbia, far north of Fraser
river. promise to outshine all that has
hitherto been found. Mr.. Collins states
that gold mining has already been COM
menced by American prospectors on the
Steeken or ST. Francis river, as far north as
titty-Six degrees of latitude. This river
flows into tile sea through Russian Ameri-
can territory, and, the writer adds that the
prospect tor gold on that river was reported
to be equal TO the palmy days OF California
If these reports prove to be correct, oaI
hardy miners along the northern frontier
and in California will not be long in over
running the country andsexposing its hid.
den treasures. On the Copper Mine river
the Indians bring Jumps and nuggets 6
pure copper into Kodiac and the settle
Inents near the mouth of that river. Many
large specimens of metallic copper and o
copper ore have been taken to st. Peters
burg. SIS sa 5. ~. rs7H 80 asse u s
DAZZLING ACCOUNTS BY ROCHE, THE EX
eIse' a.rf tei9 PLoRER. aif - - a.is-H
Roche, who seems to have travelled witt
eyes and ears open on the mineral subject
and who perhaps hoped that Russian Amer
lea might some day be absorbed by its big
ger British neighbor, grows eloquent owe
the gold, silver, and even diamonds, des
tined to be found in that country. Hi
statements respecting other parts of tn
continent have proved very correct, an
hence the following isentitled to attention
F" Russian America, he says, possesses
its minerals and ores far greater riches tina
its furs or its fisheries, or even its forest
can bermade to yield, the turning to accour
of (which would give life to this whole rt
gioR, and tend to raise up villages an
towns as prosperous as those of far lei
/ hospitable Siberia" Coal and "copper" b
SAYS, have been found along the Mackenzi
and he had little doubt, from the conlpar
son which; he had made between the gee
graphical features of both countries, tn;
the whole region was as rich ia minera
and ores as Siberia, and that upon a props
exploration gold, would be found in I'll
rivers and valleys. This was fifteen yea
ago, and part Of the prediction has alread
been fulfilled, as surface gold iwashings al
|. reported as beihgsuccessfully worked.
boldly asserts it as his belief that platinum
| lead, silver, diamonds, and all the precioi
| stones of Siberia would be found in I'll
| mountains of Russian America. He add
| that several valuable minerals, such as fiji
| Jasper, porcelain, clay, ,semi-Opal, plumb;
| go, gypsum, various colOred ochres, ambe
| sulphur, petroleum. galena, pOrphyry, Vi
| riegated, marble, and iron ore had been di
| covered Whether these precious produc
| exist in any considerable quantities, NJ
| Roche does not say. He received the
statements from what he took. to be reliab
authority. yjis tiss y <
COAL DEPOSITS OF RUSSIAN AMERICA AN
| sh5O THEIR FUTURE NATIONAL VALUE. s1B
., Mines of coal are Known to exist in nj
| merous places on the Russian Americf
i coast and on the Aleutian Islands. I6
| generally of a bituminOus character. II
| Russian steamers have long supplied then
selves from the Zodiac mines, where alol
exists enough to meet all present or f
II ture demands of commerce. The Russian
who are fully aliye9toli the value of CO;
have always had a keen eye for such d
posits both on the American and Asiat
coasts, for they know that it forms one
the most essential materials of war. Th,
now bold a portion of Saghalton Island
its valuable coal mines, and the /Englis
who are not less awake to its importapC
have for some time been vainly infiuencil
the japanese to exclude them. This CO
is of excellent quality, and the Russia
get il at the mere cost of mining. The Ru
sian American Company have, for sou
years past used the coal from Kodiae l.
Il and in their workshops and forgesI
II Coal is distinctly traced through Califo
mia, from and Within 30 miles of San Fra
| cisco northWard to Oregon, wnere, in Coo
Bay, are inexhuastible mines, from which
lucrative business Is maintained with Isl
Francisco; thence porthWard, equally lar
coal-fie1ds exist near the Umpqua rive
and still further north, at Bellingham Ba
in Washington Territory, the most yalu
/ Bile coal mines on the Pacific coast ha
been successfully worked for ten or fitte
I wears. Those of Vancouver's Island a
equally productive, and supply the BIRTH
naval and merchant steamers, as WE'LL
the whole coal consumption in British
lumbia. 1t is, consequently, nothing ]
markable, that Russian America shou
7 possess valuable coal mines.i Iron min
L perfectly accessible, and easily worked. 8
l. also found. There il, therefore, no lack
natural resources in the I1ewlY-acquir
territory for Yankee ingenuity to wo
; upon, and it remains with ourselves to tn
; them to profitable account. ,-.e .a., al (.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER STATISTICS OF T
NORTHWEST COAST.
} The so-called rigor of the Russian-Am
Jean climate has been urged as reas
why the country cannot be worth our ;
7 ceptance. This results from a want of
liable Information about that region, an,
: General vague idea obtained from
:chool books and encyclopedias, that it i
scene of frightful desolation and eter
:ce. An impartial examination of the ia
: IS obtained from those who have pas,
much of their lives there might suffice
: lay this e-ghost. 1t is truly obser,
5 hat Russian America is not especially
: rgricultural country. Compared with
1 ,ich lands of Oregon and California, it c
Z fainly is not. f.-sa5- i74 pr
Roche, the French traveller, who De
q | ratad the intar.inr of A -