, 1869-08-27
THE LATEST GOLD STRIFE,
rHr LOON CREEK DleerSo,.

A fresh and very active mining ex:iteKzeut
has ragged throughout this Basin an m hltpras
and Ada counties as WE'LL during the DIST week.
and hundreds of miners and persons of other
avocations have started for the new eoll RtlHs.
Report Of the discovery was brought here by
10. Galation during last week, who had zone
from his former trading post in Stanley Basin to
the new diggiugs, and on his return rot only
packed thither his whole stock of merchandise
from Stanley, bat FASTENED here, engaged J. q.
Bryants pack train, aud rushed off sixteen thous.
and pounds more of goods, as q sure earnest of
what he thought of the Loon creek gold digs
gings.
1t appears the new diggings were discovered
this season by party of ofprospecting miners from
Blackfoot in Montana. They found the mines to
be rich. One Of their number, named Craig
happened to journey along to Galation's store
10 Stanley Basin, to purchase whip-law, and
while there gave Jo. information of the discovery
and agreed to take him and one or twoothers in
company on bis way back to the new camp.
Others, from the diggings on Salmon river, twenty
miles from Stanley Basin-Jacob Romer among
the number-followed, so that the party were
about twenty strong, They reached the Loon
c-eek region in about forty miles ride. Before
Galation left after having given the camp a pret,
ty thorough look, over 200 claims had beeutakS
en- up, and many of the discovery party had start.
ed back for Blackfoot and other points in Mon.
taua to induce their friends to return with them
!. So far as we can gather information, the new
diggings are about l20 miles distant from this
city, little east of north, and Loon creek is a
tributary of the South Fork of Salmon river. Its
flow, when Galation visited the spot few weeks
ago, was between 5000 and 5000 inches, and
the dggings were on high and low bars along an
extent of from fifteen to twenty miles up and
down the creek. The best route from this Basin
is by way of Deadwood, and it is pretty goot
trail all the way. Galaton brought in goodly
purse ofthe gold, which he paid to Mr.. Vantine
and assays oft, by Mr.. Dickinson at his estab-
lshment, and by Mr.. Burkett at the Agency If
the First National Bank of Idaho, yielded ovg
SIT per ounce. 1t is similar in appearance to
the coarse rich gold of California.
Never since the days of the early discoverie,
in Boise Basin has there been so great rush II
newly found gold placers as these last reported
diggiugs have attracted. Major Taylor, a wei
known pioneer citizen, has had his recollection
awakened, in consequence of the excitement, T.
toe fact that five years ago he found prospect
a three bits to the pan along a creek which, b.
is now certain, must be the same on which tht
new diggugs age found. The packer who wal
employed by Jo. Galation, to pack goods from
Stanly Basin to Loon creek has been in town dur
ing the week, aud we learn that his train ha.
been engaged to pack full cargoes from here a
larger than Leesburg-will spring up on LooI
creek this Fall, and if the gold fields prove any
thing approximate to reports and expectations
it will in another year bear front rank among thi
mining camps of Idaho.
The rush from this city has made a visabli
dimihution iu our population. Miners, merchants
tradesmen, and excitement hunters have gone
and we learn that the exodus from Ceuterville,
Granite Greek, Pioneer, and Boston, is proper.
tonately greater. Horses and mules, for riding
and packing, have been in demand at high fg~
ures, and the excitement is yet unabated. We
expect that in few weeks some of our merchant
folks will return, let the mines turn out either
rich or poor, and then we shall be better en-
abled to form an estimate Of their character and
extent, Of one fact we are quite certain nov,
however, and it is, that in case the mines shall
prove to be rich, and large camp shall be Is
tabished there, this will be for some time to
come the most feasible and by odds the best
basis from which to supply that region with mer.
| chaudise. And if success shall line the pockets
of many who have gone from here they will re-
turn to winter, and their full purses will grettly
advantage the whole community in the ordinary
| course of trade.