The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-05-02

Mining and Scientific Press
Already there is overcrowding. idleness
and suffering on Snake river. The conse-
quences that usually attend the stampede
have not failed, it seems, to wait on this,
the most recent of it's kind. The forebo-
dngs of i'll have begun to be realized even
earlier than was expected. That destitu-
tion and disappointment would come to
these adventurers in due timo was of course
foreseen; but it was hardly thought that
they would come SO soon. Satisfied from
the glowing accounts Of these mines that
filed the papers off that way, that prema-
ture and ill-adyised movement of this sort
would be likely to ensue, we took occasion
several months since to warn the mining
community against this danger. But when
were miners ever known to pay due heed
to admonitions Of this kind? Neither ex-
perlence nor warning avails to restrain
them from rushing away to the most dis
tant locality once the rumor of new find,
especially if it be placer diggings. reaches
their ears. We had expected from the
late less confident tone of the Idaho and
Salt Lake papers, when speaking of Snake
river, that the emigrants to that region
were hardly meeting with the success that
they had been encouraged to look for; and
now from very authentic sources of infor-
nation We are sorry to learn that such has
really been the case.
To the courtesy of Col. Isaac NJ. Taylor,
who has just returned from visit to the
Salmon river country, where he went to
examine certain mines for San Francisco
capitalists, we are indebted for some fresh
and reliable news from the Upper Snake.
The bars along that portion of the river
contain, as we stated in an article on the
subject last week, less gold than those
further down. The country there is also
higher and colder, in consequence of which
the miners have been prevented from get
ting to work as soon as soon as they ex-
pected. Very little gold has therefore been
taken out, bntfew claims being worked
and these paying less than was anticipated.
Instead of yielding from ten to fifteen dol |
lars per day to the hand, they have not, as
yet, yielded half these rates. Meanwhile,
claim holders are without the means for
outfitting their claims, or are prevented |
from doing SO by the cold and stormy |
weather, while hundreds of men swarm |
along the river. the most of them being |
without sufficient money to get away, very |
many without even money enough to buy |
a meal of victuals In this dilemma some
of them had already started on their re-
turn, walking out of the country, the rail
road company being unwilling to carry any
without payment of full fare. Wages at
the mines are nominally $3.50 per day,
though enough men can be had to work for
a dollar, and even for their beard.
This region of country is settled by the
Mormons, and consequently low prices pre-
vail these people, who built the narrow
gauge road from Ogden to Snake river,
having worked for 70 cents per day. On
the river all claims worth taking up are To-
Gated, leaving newcomers no chance to get
ground without paying for it. 1t costs
good deal 10 outfit claim, as either ditch
has to be dug for some distance or 0 cur
rent wheel put it for getting water upon it.
Even where recourse Is had to the latter ex-
pedient the expense considerable. lumber
costing not much less than 500 per M. by
the time it is got on the ground. The
merchants at Rlackfoot, present terminus
Of the railroad, informed Col. Taylor that
they regarded the whole business as hardly
better than a humbug, expressing the
opinion that the dIggings in that vicinity
would not pay on an average more than
two or three dollars per day to the man.
Further down the river they win no doubt
prove more remuneratiye but even there
everything Is taken up, leaving no chance
for men who go in nov to get claim by
location, while the opportunities for OBJ
Iainiag work are probably no better than
they are np about Blackfoot and at points
f1rther up. In view Of the foregoing
statements, i mans industrial position
must be desperate indeed II be co=ld hope
o improve the same BY emigratlng 70
Snake river. |