Year: 1864

20 1t would be altogether impossible to
tell how many poor fellows have been
utterly ruined by the ory of " better
diggins over yonder." We have
known parties who were making ten
dollars per day for each man pull ur
and start off for q new locality be-
cause the report was abroad that they
could there make fifty dollars per day.
When they got to that locality they
discovered, perhaps, that the story
had been started by certain parties
with the sole view of allurinY tlluiIl
from their old position in order that
they might sieze upon and mine it for
themselves. 1t was just such design
ing sharp-witted fellows who raised
the cry of Frazer River, Washoe,
Feather River, Rogue River, Golden
Hill and thousand other equally
fruitless journeys after better diggins.


We remember q party of hair
Drained boys who were going up into
tho Cascade Mountains upon a hunt
ing expedition, and who proposed just
for the fun Of the thing to see how
much excitemont they could kick up
without saying anything. According
ly they began buying supplies for a
six weeks campaign, and whenever
their destination was enquired after
thoy said they were going elk shoot
ing They bought mules to pack their
provisions on, they bought axes to
cut wood with, and a huge tin pan to
mix their bread in. To the uninitia-
ted there would be nothing wonderful
in this preparation, but among the ex-
citable people who then soughtgold in
California there was q deep mystery.
This unusual array of transportation
meant regular carrying of flour and
pork to supply large party Of miners
and the large tin pan could be for no
other purpose than for washing gold.
Excitement began to awake and the
whole town was watching every move
Of these six boys. 1t was known that
one of the party had spent a great
great deal of his time in the mountain
ranges along the coast, and it was be-
Loved that he had made rich discov-
cry. So when the boys were found to
be missing one fine morning, the
question went from mouth to mouth
(which way did they take 2" Strange
to say no one could tell, for they had
gone singly out Of town in different
directions, and had thus eluded the
vigilance and curiosity of the whole
neighborhood. rpo gH7le .aa tp 1e9r
They had, however, after making o
large circuit, come together and gone
up to the head waters of the Santiam
in pursuit of elk and bear But the
town was alive with excitement, and
for the next five days diligent search
and inquiry was made for q trace OF
the party, but without effect until an
Indian who met them. in the noun
tains revealed their hiding place. AS
he understood very little English, all
he could say was that ho saw them
going up the Santiam River far into
the Cascade Mountains. This--was
enough, and within q week the whole
settlement was astir and hundreds act
ing upon this poor information set
out for the mountains fully assured
that before many days they should be-
N


come tho fortunate possosors Of ex-
travagantly huge fortunes, go home
to the States, marry the girl they left
behind thom and live happy ever after
wards. They followed the Santiam
to its source, but did not find the
hunters who had gone out through a
gorge ofthes mountain over the hard
bare rock, leaving no trace behing ,
They came back 10 the forks of the
river and xplored its other branch
with no better success, and finally
started for home, whom ono of the
hunters coming down to the river in
pursuit of a stray mulo discovered the
party and divining tho cause of their
presence at once determined to have
some sport at their exponse. Hasten
ing baclCto his oaInp jhef notified his
party of the appearance below them
Of a large party who had evidently