Year: 1862

That there is in store for the upper
country future of great importance none
who have considered its vast natural re-
sources have for moment. doubted. In
these resources are combined all the ele-
ments which have made the States of the
eastern vallies what they are in the scale
of Improvement, together with those which
have built up California, in a day as it were,
from a rude, uncultivated wild to a posi-
ton almost equal to that of any of her
elder sisters. For while in our vallies
we have soil inferior to 10 cline flr the
production of the principal staples of the
world, the adventurer, as he penetrates the
mountains on our northern and eastern
frontiers, is daily discovering to the world
that our soil is rich in mineral wealth, and
that it to-day presents inducements to the
miner which are unexcelled by those of
any other country.


The attention Of the whole people of the
Pacific coast seems just now turned to-
wards the rich gold placers of Salmon riv-
er, and the good time coming seems
about to be realized, if gold and riches
are to make that mythical era a really good
time. But e predict that the amount of
gold dug from Salmon liver and its tribu-
taries during the next five years will be
meager in comparison tc that obtained in
the same range of mountains to the North
ward. The fact that there are rich gold
deposits in that range is established by the
late discoveries on the head of Rhodes
Creek and the north fork of Clearwater
But the sold is not confined to these linn
its. Late advices from the Bitter Root
valley are to the effect that gold has been
found on the heads of one or t"o small
streams which flow from the Bitter Root
mountains. The disco ferers report 9 good
prospects, and they have provided them
selves with implements to go to work end
test the richness and extent of the mines
during the coming season. Still farther to
the north, gold has been found on the
head-waters of the streams which flow into
the Pen Oreile and Kco enai lakes, and
from descriptions given us of that country
by men who have passed over it, we have
full faith that mines will be found there
which will yield to the miner an ample re-
turn for his labor. Travellers who hAve
crossed the Rocky mountains ria Sinclair S
Pass describe the country as abounding in
quartz and slate rock, and as bearing on
its face every appearance of rich gold
country. During the past few weeks We
have conversed with a number of gentle
men who have crossed the mountains from
Minnesota by way of the Boundary Pass,
and they, having since visited the gold
mines in this region, uniformly give thor
opinion that mines equally as good will be
found on all the streams this side of the
Pass to the lakes, including the Big Black
Foot Flathead, and Kootenai rivers, ana
the head waters of the Pen d Oreille river.
The rich discoveries made last fall on the
far head-waters Of the Columbia go to sub
stantiate the idea that the yellow belt"
encircles the globe But on this point we
have facts Sufficient to Danish theory. To
the south, we have the Pc wder river mines,
a new field for the adventurer, and from
present indications, sown thickly enough
with the yellow dust to afford rich har-
vest to all who may 60 thither as reapers.


But the mineral wealth Of the country is
not confined 70 gold alone. In the noun
sims adjoining the Grand Ronde valley,
we have silver, and in various places in the
Blue noun aims iron is found in abundance.
On the Columbia. above Fort Colville, lead
has been found and We have seen speci-
mems of copper brought from point high
er up on The same stream, where the old
fur traders and trappers say there are noun
tains of the same kind of ore. Besides
these, we have seen specimens of marble
and COAL the former obtained on the Co.
lumbia and the latter on tributary Of the
Pm d'Oreille. We have also seen pieces
of co l " hich had been picked up on the
bars of the Columbia, indicat ng the pres
ence of coal beds somewhere along its
banks


With all this mineral wealth, none can
doubt that thousands will be attracted hith-
er to receive share of the bounty The
gold, being the strongest magnet, will first
attract the miner; but men Of all trades
and professions will follow in their wake,
and the capitalist and the artisan will ere
long be engaged in moulding the coarser