, 1867-06-28
The Lemhi Reaction.

the belief that the reported new gold discoveries,
in what are known as the Lemhi or Salmon dig
gings, would prove to be of small importance in
| substantial point of view. This belief was not
a thing of fancy prejudice. 1t had foundation
in the information we had from time to time
gathered in conversations with and inquiries of
men of probty and much experience in mining,
who had visited that region within the past three
or four years, and diligently and laboriously
prospected there for gold They all agreed in
saying that it almost impossible to find
spot there in which the "color" could not be
get, bu: it was equally impossible they believed,
to find any place of any extent in which gold
could be found iu sufficient quantity to pay av-
crage wages, That there were pockets, or cir
cumscribed spots which would yield richly they
did not hesitate to believe but they were very
sure that no large area of really good, rich dig
| gings could be found.
1t was, we say, from the statements of the
many who bad prospected that region that we
have predicted the failure of the LemhI or Sal
mon country as a rich or lasting gold bearing
region. At last the proof of our belief is being
developed. During the past month, ever since
the mining season opened there, and the quality
of the diggings has been demon strable, we have
been in the receipt of information from variety
| of sources, by letters to our own citizens, and
Others published in cotemporary journals in the
Territory written by miners, traders, spectators,
and all sorts of people, and the great body of
testimony contained in all these various letters
has been to show that there was much more of
the sensational than the substantial in the Lemhi
excitement Facts have verified our predictions.
Since our issue of Saturday the reaction has.
we may say, fairly set in. Word came on that
Cay Of the return from Lemhi of Doc Noble, one
of the brst al f-antioal miners yho came
pioneers to this Basin, as be is known TO be also
one of the most reliable and sterling among our
citizens and that accompanying him there were,
on the road back, Messrs. Law. Lindsey, Ben.
| White, Sank Owens, Johnny Grove, and others
who had left here for Leesburg short time ago.
| 1t was evidence of the failure of the Lemhi
mines that these gentlemen came back, for only
| Doc Noble had been there, but it was evident by
| his return that the mines of Lemhi were not pro-
ven to be anything like good as the mines of
this Basin, because be certainly enjoyed superior
advantages of ascertaining the character of the
mines during his sojonrn there. The strongest
evidence, however, against the Lemhi region
was the information brought that the mines had
| been very diligently worked this season since
| the snow permitted labor in them, and that in
| almost every instance either great disappointr
ment or absolute failure resulted after weeks of
| work.
There also came back from Leesburg, Mr. ].
| G. Bryant, prominent merchant of this city,
who went there early with a stock Of goods
which be disposed Of Mr. Bryant has ben too
long engaged in business in mining sections to
| form haste or unfounded conclusions with regard
to mines, and of placer mines especially. His
opinion is that the digZings in that region will
not prove extensive or rich. There few
rich spots, in guches or on bars, perhaps, but
take the great mass of the country, and it will
by no means bear comparison, in gold wealth
with this Basin. Mere wages may be made there,
but even this much not SO certainly or uniformly
as in the oldest diggings in this region, to say
nothing of the better class of gold fields about
here.
Mr.. A Miller, former partner of Mr.. Chas. ].
| Bernstel of this city, who is a well informed
merchant of sound experience in mining camps,
writes to Mr.. Bernstiel, from Leesburg, that that
country is already very much over owded ;
that there is very little to sustain it, so far as
known that many are prospecting and but few
are mining, and that business is daily and rap.
idly declining. He advises people not to go
there Instead of Leesburg being as large as
Idaho City, it contains really about one hundred
houses, of which one-third are stores, another
third saloons and restaurants, and the reman>
der are cabins for miners and others. In every
feature-the wealth and extent of the mines, the
size of the town, the amount of trade transacted
there, aud the general boasted prosperity, pres
ent and future of that whole region-it now ap-
pears the grossest exsggeration has been resort
ed to. Stripped of all display and fancy the
Lemhi mines are really little better than "Chi-
nese diggiugs," and Leesburg is place OF un-
substantial consequence.
The reaction has commenced. We hear of vast
ciouds pouring back to this place and to Mon
tana from there. The returning tide will con-
tinue until this Basin will be again filled with
! uen glad to get back to certain good paying dig
gings, and, we hope, better contented to remain
here; who will not again be so easily led off BY
an EXCITEMENT" to seek mines in regions where
mines are motor where they yield but poorly
Let them on their return here apply their ener
gies and their labor in developing fresh digging'
in this Basin, and they will find that they hav'
at last "struck'' the richest placers on the coas
the richest, we believe, in the world.-IdGh'
World.
SOLDERING HoRsEs.-A correspondent