Year: 1865

The ROAD TO CoEUR D ALENE MISSION.-We e
notice that the Dalles Mountaineer and Portland
Oregonian, in anticipation of a rush to the
Occur d Alene mines, are pointing out the road
to be travelled thther. They appear to think
that the travel should go by boat from below
to the Ia ouse ferries on Snake river, and thence
overland to the Mission, via Mullan's wagon
road. That route might do very well for those
who should take their pack animals, provisions,
ETC., by boat to the Palouse crossing; but it
must be borne in mind by the people of the Iowa
er country that there are no miners outfits or
means of conveyance to be obtained at Palouse.
The passenger from Portland to Palouse who
should fail to take with him an outfit, would
find him self set ashore at the latter point with
out any facilities for further locomotion, and
might be willing to give "a kingdom for a
horse, and yet not be able to procure one. He
would then have to make his way to the Mission
on foot-a feat which no sensible person would
undertake-or come to Walla Walla the near
est point, for animals and outfit with which to
continue the journey. In order to avoid such
state of things, it would only be necessary for
the traveller, who comes from below, to get
off the boat at Wallula and come by stage con
veyance to Walla Walla. Arriving at this place
he would find everything that the most fastidi-
GUS should desire to procure for an outfit, and
furnished cheaper than it could be purchased at
Portland and shipped here. Pack and ri
ding animals are selling here at lower rates
than they are at either Portland or Dal1es; to
say nothing of the cost of shipping thesame from
below, and this is an advantage in favor of pur-
chasing here, not to be overlooked. AS to pro-
visions, and all articles necessary for miners
outfits, our merchants are selling them at as
low rates as they can be sold at in Portland
with cost of transportation added. In view of
all these facts, then, we are confident that in
case any considerable amount of travel takes
place toward the Coeur d'Alene Mission, this
place will be one of the main points through
which the travel will pass and at which outfits
will be procured. But the first thing to be de-
termined, and the main thing, will be to ascer
tain whether or not there are any paying mines
in the Occur d Alene country. So far, all ac-
counts tend to show the existence of rich and
extensive gold mines in that section hut there


is not yet sufficient known to satisfy the public
on this score. "Steamboats" happen so fire.
quenty in connection with mining excitements
that people have become incredulous. They
put down all reports about the discovery of new
mines humbugs and fabricatiOns, until
they are furnished unmistakable evidence of
their truthfulness. 1t is just oabout the Occur
d Alene reports, not many place much reliance


10 their truthfuness and will have little conf
dence about the mines until their existence is
confirmed by substantial proof. Their locality
must be fixed to a certainty and their extent
and richness partly known at least, before many
will venture to look after them. If all the re-
ports yet circulated about the richness of the
new diggings receive confirmation within the
next two or three weeks, it will then take year
or two for some people to become convinced
that it is not all a stupendOus humbug By
next week we expect to obtain news from the
Occur d Alene country in relation to the new
discoveries, which will be laid before our read
ers, whatever its import may be.