The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-05-13
LRTTRR FRolI MoNTANA.
Our good friend Zimmerman al
lows ms to coDv.the fallowing let

OOA SSb0 AAACiAN LAAAAACA Aest "a
lows, US to copy the. following let
ter from a friend IN Montana, which
will be found exceedingly interest
ing: . ,o-o
III. ZrsaNERMAN. Dear Sir.-Your kind
letter Of the 28d, March, was received about
three weeks since, and you viii pardon my
delay in answering. Fact is, have been SC
very busy, could not find leisure to answer
sooner, and even the time I am improving
now, purloin Tor your sake.
The season for activity is at hand, and the
miner, the ranehinen, and in fact everybody
is pitching in their best, (under gound as well
as On top and improving the favorable wealth
er We have, and the prospects before US. We
have had good fall Of snow in the noun
tains, which assures US u good mining season
Ia every section of the territory the same good
prospects are recorded. Water is the miners
staple. Without it, his mine viii return him
nothing. Last season was very dry, conse-
quently but little mining compared with ether
years was done
In answer to your questions about the Names,
(Which, you say you know so little sbout,) you
could not, In ell might attempt to describe
the various modes Of mining, yet correct idea
of how, in ell the particulars it is done. Ex-
perience teaches that practical knowledge
of mining, in and Of its branches, can only be
learned by hard, hard experience. The Oldest
49-er is not so perfect in its workings, but. he
may still learn; and but little that may be
said or written about mines and mining Of one
section, viii apply to another like the bus
mess. 1 dent know that I could content
myself at any other. 1 received the matter
pretty throughly last year, when was among
the eiDiE-ed people Of the east, and considered
the question what branch Of business would
1 engage in, If remained with them. After
considering the matter well, I came TO the
conclusion there was no business there, that /
would give up mining, or a home in the west
for-and that there were many more capable
of managing the business you have in your
parts, but who could not fill my place in Non
tana.
The new diggings at Cedar Greek, which
were discovered last fall, and over which SO
much excitement ragged last winter, are on the
waters Of the Columbia, and about 200 miles
west from Helena. People in country like
this, get terribly excited over new diggings
which are generally discovered late in the fall,
and when cold weather sets in, a stampede
commences. Some are wild with excitement,
and if prospect of few cents to the pan has
been obtained, it is immense, and the news Us
it circulates from one to another, increases
rapidly. By the time the news reaches Hele-
na, it is as many dollars as it was cents at the
diggings. As it is, you cannot believe all you
hear about new discoveries while excitement
Is up. After while, when heads are more clear,
reports become more reliable. But you can
never get clear idea without seeing for your
self Then it is hard to find out by what
miners sag, as they lie SO much about how it
pays. It is poor policy to ask miner how
his ground yieldsr Ask no questions relative
to the pay, but judge for yourself from ap-
pearance, and you viii get better knowledge
than you will by what a miner viii tell you.
1t is not with any degree of admiration,
that we who people the frontier, listen to the
unjust consure that has been heaped upon Col
Baker, and the troops under his command, by
people in the east, The citizens of Montana
endorse ali that was done toward the Piegans.
No one entertains an idea that the squaws and
children were killed Intentionally. Your
Fremont Messenger, Of March 18th, pictures
Gen. Sheridan and Col Baker as terribly in
human, but its editor does not know as much
about affairs in these parts as he might We
profess to understand the character Of the Ind
ians Of Montana best. Why should we not?
Have we not been subject TO their murders
and raids long enough to know them full well?
Have we not a right to have better under
standing of the red skins than those who nev-
er had dealings with them: or those who new
er even saw a live "Poor Loi'' One who Will
accept of your hospitable board, then steal
your horses while you sleep-one who viii
extend you his hand in friendship, and stab
YOU with the other,-one who VIII direct you
into ambush to be scalped by others of his
band,-one who VIII act as spy for others,
and assist to murder, burn, scalp and steal,
SC, as has always been the case on the 'front.'
Ter, should expect sometime to be visited With
Just such measure as was meted out by Col.
Baker Your professional philanthropists
seem to manifest more sy .npathy for the Indi-
an than for their own white race, who are
struggling to make an honest EV ng, and at
the same time reclaim wilderness, and lay
the foundation of great States. Who ever
knew of an Indian being ciojli-ed by kindness.
l doubt the one who says he has. Ny SYM
pahty for the "Lo family, since have learned
them so well, is about the same as they re-
,eived at the battle of the Marias, and that
kind of sympathy seems to be universal in
his eotostry.
We have nearly completed our ditch to
Dana Bar. It has been tedious job and as
as tedious. The length, when COM
,leted viii be so miles, and the cost s45, 5,00O-
lothing short, and may reach $4,000. We
ave, at present, IS men employed, besides
cams. We have great deal of auming, the
imber for which was hauled fifteen miles. |
90 feet of trestle work blow down, few
lights ago, which Will delay US considerably. |
The loss of time is not so much damage to us,
S the replacing of the timbers, which were
,roken to q considerable extent Thanks for
,apers, &c. Yours, &C, H. C.