The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-04-02

LETrER FROM GEN. MEREDITH.
We find the following Interesting let
ter fron Gen. Meredith to Col. Miles
Murphey Of New Castle, in the last Cou
rier Of that place:--
SuRyEYoR GENERALS OEFIcE.l e.
1. HELENA, Montana. Feb. II, 1865.
Mr. DsAa CoLoHKL:- Your kind favor O.
the 18th Of anuary found me busiiy en-
gagged in making mp an official report OF
my operations here for the Department
Of Washington, which being corR pieted
I have availed myself of the firstsleisure
to respond to your welcome letter.
can fully reciprocate the sentiment So
well expressed by you by saying that
too IAN out OF politics, II ana devo
ting myself entirely to business. As
you did not receive my former letter,
will give you brief account of my op-
erations in Montana.
On my arrival here last sutasner, my
| sirst object was, TO get a cabin for my
self and family in which to live and take
care of my friends who might desire to
share our hospitality. My next duty
was to secure q ss,itabie building in
which to open aR Office before commenc
ing the Government surveys These
being done, then started for Beaver
Head Rock, the initial point selected
by the Government for nay surveys,
which place is distant from Helena two
| hundred miles, and can he reached only
! by the most frightfih road | ever tray-
eled.l On arriving there, l found on full
examination ofthe country, that fer the
purpose intended the place WIS imprac
ticahle. l then made an examination
of the entire settled portion OF the Ter
ritory before finding q suitable point
| from which to commence the surveys.
This was both tedious aad laborious I
wac Eve weeks in the Rocky Mountains,
trying to find q pass which could be
chained and never slept in q house.
When on the summit of these grandest
of Natures works, eleven thousand
eight hundred feet above the level OF
the sea. my eyes were saauted by the
sight OF hundreds, of Indians on the
plains below Some in camp, others
mounted on their ponies in e. e pursuit
of game. could also see in large mum
bers, buffalo, antelope, deer. elk and
moose feeding on the mountains and
! rama, assure you, worth twenty years
i
toward the east through the transparent
atmosphere, could see in the dim dis
tanee my old friends ia the White water
Vaiiy-but this of course was iuaagina-
tiou2 I could also see the hardy miner
with pick and shovel in the distant
gulch taking out the precious metals:
the hope of our country ia these trouble
some times, when threatned with finau- 81
.ciai revulsion while suffering from civil
discord will say here that the yield
Of gold in Montana will be FIFTY per cent
greater this year than ever before.
This you can rely on, and if other paris
Of the country do as we'll as this, there
can be no serious financial troubles, but
both public and individual credit will be
maintained. aszra + saEaf
| In the mountains the labor and expo
sure were too much for me, and I was
taken suddenly very sick so that my
life Was. despaired of. One Of my hands
was despatched for Mrs. Meredith and
physician, more than hundred miles
distant He rode hundred miles that
day, and the following day Mrs Mere
diti, and the physician were with me.
In the mean time had been moved
about eight miles to a vacant cabin, and
there placed on some grass over which
was spread my old army blanket that
my old friend Col Murpbey gave me
at Indianapolis in 1861, and which hav
ing served me to- the close Of the war for
the Union, I have found equally yalua-
BILE here. These we're all the acconmo
dations / had; SO you perceive l am not
living life of luxurious ease ia the
l will cav, however, that have sue
ceeded in running q line and chaining
the Rocky Mountains- q thing which was
pronounced Impossible when l came
here by all the scientific men ia tue
Territory. The work has been done
under my own supervision, and 1 now
feel that am master of the situation.
This is much the finest climate ever
saw Ny surveyors remained in the
field until the 9Th of January, when it
turned cold and remained so for about
two weeks, but the air is SO dry that you
do not feel the cold as one does in Indi-
ana Since the first OF Feb. the weather
has been as pleasant as April. and | am
writing in my office without fire and
have not worn an overcoat in three
weeks; and my son informs me that he
has not used All oyercoat this winter
There are great opportunities here
for making money. after you get ac,,
quainted aud have time to devote to
business. Money is loaned here at five
per cent a month, and will comm and
three per cent. on the best securities in
the Territory. Aiming from present
appearances, will be profitable this sea
son.
Remember me in warm terms to all
my old friends, and accept for yourself
assurances, that 80 Ss25 1~'
~ e. r ~e~v<@,
e 1a4i5 e - bosih1 9d af 5. MERkDIrH
A short time ago q sword; whose gold