, 1867-06-21
Iettsr from LemhI.

Mr.. K. Jacobs kindly permlts Us 70 make tne
following extracts from private letter which
contains much of interest 10 relation to the
Lemhi mining district. The writer, in deseribs
ing his trip to the mines, says; ave started up
the Malad, and found the road very good (but
grass very poor) until we came to the Camas
Prairie road, where you leave Wood river the
road from that point for about IS miles was very
bad. The snow was drifted all around the lava
bed so that we had to 60 upon the top of the
mountains to get round, until we got to Sickly
creek. We were seven days from Wood river to
Birch creek. We lost one mule on the way, the
balance of the train stood the trip very well.
write you from Lemhi City. This town is situa.
ted at the junction of Lembi and Salmon rivers,
on the south side of the latter, is 20 miles dis
tant from old Fort Lembi, and about l25 miles
from where you first strike Birch creek. The
distance from Boise City, by the route we travs
eled, is about 375 miles. This town bears the
same relation to the mines that Boise city does
to the Basin, with the exception that this is as
far as wagons can go. The general opinion
prevails that there never can be a practi.
aud from what 1 have seen and heard,
think this opinion is correct. Such being the
case, Lemhi city is evidently destined to become
an important point that is provided the mines
amount to anything. The town is building up
rapidly, the only drawback being the scarcity
of building material. Several stores are already
open and appear to be doing a thriving bus-
ness. have already engaged to sell out my
stock of bacon at so cents per fb. The next day
after my arrival here, went over to Leesburg,
and had to walk, there being no feed for animals
by the way. found snow trail shoveled out
over the mountains. The toll charged for pas.
sing over this trail was Sl.5O each for animals,
and fifty cents for foOtmen. The snow in places
was from 10 feet deep, but in the Basin it
had nearly all disappeared. Leesburg is the
only town in the dggings, although they call
one portion of it Grantsville. The town com.
prises street, about as long as Main street,
Boise City, and is built almost solid on both
sides. There is scarcely a house in the place
completed and yet you cannot rent a building,
unless it is where there is no business Not one
house in fve is occupied, but instead of renting
the owners prefer to SELL and ask for a shell of
log house, not half finished, from three to four
thousand dollars If they rent, they ask from
$3.50 to $500 per month for indifferent buildings.
There are but few stores at Leesburg yet, but
the chances are that the place will be badly
overdone. At present there is scarcely dollar
in money, except what is taken in by newrcom-
ers. This is said be owing to the fact that
the mining claims are not yet opened Notwith-
standing the scarcity of money, both merchants
and miners have great confidence in the future
prosperity of the camp. A few more weeks will
tell the tale.
Goods are bringing fair prices, but principally
on credit. Bacon retails at from IS to so cents
coffee 10 cents; S. F. crushed sugar, 60 to 65
cents; shovels from S5 to Sc each. Goods of
all descriptions bring fair prices, with the ex>
ception of -four, which is selling at Lemhi City
at $40 a. Sl2 per hundred, aud in the mines at
SIS per hundred. There is no crockery in the
market at all, man could get his own price for
small invoice, but how long this will last is
hard to tell. Nails are very scarce; As and 6's
are retailing at Is cents per ID. presume that
with the wagons I met and passed on the road,
and those camped around here, there is not less
than three hundred from to mule teams,
from Salt Lake and Montana, all loaded with
supplies of merchandise. There was possibly
an equal number of Ox-teams, similarly loaded.
The class of goods they bring does not inter
fere with the goods bought from below.
Going back to the mines, my own opinion is
that they are greatly overestmated, but still the
camp will be far more than an average one.
Marion Moore tells me be thinks it the best gen.
eral mining camp in the country, outside of
Boise. He is at the head Of company engaged
n putting in bedrock Aume. find many old
acquaintance in the mines they all have great
| confidence in the mines. But I would say to
those who are doing well that they bad better
remain where they are until something more
definite is known. tilted in the proper place
TO say that liquors bringing good prices,
whiskey from $40 to $l2.
Yours, JAMES MULLAxY.
The FLOUR MARKET-In this weeks
issue we give place to a tabular statement,