Year: 1862

discoveries nave Deen made IN the Bitter


Root and Salmon river mountains, the


question now arises as to the extent of this
gold bearing region


Previous to the discovery of gold in


California there was a we'll founded opin-
ion in the minds of the few acquainted


with this northern country thatit possessed
rich mineral deposits. Father De Smet, in
one of his visits 20 the country, wrote to a
friend in St. Louis that the Indians this
side of the Rocky mountains were travel
ing over untold treasures. About the same
period, an English gentleman, either in the
employ of his governmant, or the Hudson S
Bay Company, visited the country to make
geological examinations, and after colnplet-
ing his work. expressed the conviction that
some day rich gold discoveries would be
made here. And the fact that imme-
diately upon the first discovery of gold on
Frazer's river the London Times announced
to the world that British Columbia was a
rich gold bearing region-before it could
possibly have obtained the information
from there, of the nature and extent of the
discoveries, warrants the belief that the
information was obtained, either from some
of the departments of the English govern
ment, or the Hudson's Bay Company s
house in London, who had been in posses
sion of it long before these discoveries, and
only announced it when concealment was of
no farther avail.


The discovery of gold near Fort CoIyille,
during the summer of 1855, led to prospect
ing north, and the final discovery of rich
mines. The Indian war of 1866, and
the unsettled condition of our Indian rela-
tons until recent PERIOD prevented any
further examination of the country than
could be given by small parties travelling to
different points for other objects than gold
discoveries, until the discovery of the Nez
Perces mines and even the limited and un-
satisfactory prospects thus made discovered
gold not only upon all the tributaries
of the Colombia and Snake rivers but at
many points not contiguous to these wa
ters; and we are fully justified in the be-
lief that rich discoveries will not only be
made in the Blue mountains, on both sides,
but throughout the whole extent of the
Bitter Root range.


The accepted theory for years past, and
even at the present time, with miners, gem
orally, is, that in finding gold lead, the
farther south you follow it the richer it be-
comes, which theory, no doubt, was formed
from the fact that the first, and near all gold
discoveries of any Importance, until recent
ly, have been made in tropical climates. If
these opinions are true, miners should COM
mence prospecting in the latitudes Of Queen
Charlotte's Island and the Carboo, and
possibly farther north and by the time they
would reach Washington Territory they
would find good deposites, and to continue
on to California would succeed in the con-
summation of the greatest of all human de-
sires,-as difficult Of accomplishment as the
finding Of the philosophers stone,-have
more gold than they would know what to
do with.


The working of gold fields has occu-
pied SO little Of the attention of the world
generally, until within few years past,
that the information in regard to the geo
logical formation of the gold bearing dis
tricts is of very superficial and incom-
plete character SO much so that it is mere
speculation 10 pretend to account for the
or non-existence of gold in this
or that place upon scientific principles. To
find prospects anywhere is a sure indication
that some of the original deposits, or lodes
are in the vicinity, whose exact localities
and value can only be determined by the
miner himself, by actual search


No one familiar with the history of this
interior country can doubt for moment
but that it is one vast field Of mineral
wealth whose development has but COM
menced And unless the present popula
ton of Oregon and Washington become
fully alive to their true interests they will
share the same fate of the real architects of
the fortunes Of every new country, who,
somewh hat discouraged with the obstacles
met with in their first efforts, judge Of the
future by the past, and while grasping for
success, as if it was their last
chance, allow the second influx of popula-
ton to not only obtain all the credit but to
enjoy most Of the real benefits of their la
Dor.


The precedents established on this coast
will be found very unsafe ones to follow for
the future, as all business operations con-
nected with the early development of Cali
fornia, Oregon and Washington were con-
Quoted in a speculative spirit Now, the