Year: 1864




and says the roads for half the distance were
in bad travelling condition. He prospected
in the mines some two weeks, but found
nothing that would pay. The diggings at
present discovered, he compares to the mines
at Auburn, Og'n, but thinks they are not SO
extensive as the Auburn mines. The only
diggings that were being worked, that he
knew Of, were on Horse Greek, near Jo-
seph's Prairie. This stream he says is about
three times as large as our Mill creek. The
creek has considerable fall and runs through
a deep canon. No one knew the length of
the stream, as it headed in the Rocky Noun
tains where the snow was so deep and the
mountain sides so abrupt that explorations
were out of the question until later in the
season. Some miners were at work on the
IT,. TIL ascertain, were making but small wa
ges. Claim-holders were expecting to get
good pay in the bed of the creek when the
water fell so they could wing-dam or fume
it, 1t is l6 feet to the bedrock in most
places, and no gold is found except on the
rock, which is slate Mr. G.. has an un-
favorable opinion of the mines at present
discovered in that region, and thinks that
the large numbers of persons now on the
way to the diggings will be disappointed un-
less further discoveries are made. Large
supplies of goods and provisions had arrived
in the mines, but there was little demand
and no money to buy with-the miners hav-
ing sent off and traded away the little dust
they had taken out before the water rose in
the creek. Several hundred persons were
reported to be on the way to Kootenai from
the Beaver Head country.


From Mr.. Savage, jeweler in this city, we
have liberty to make the following extracts
from private letter he received the first
of this week, from an old acquaintance of
his now in the Kootenai mines, which gives
a somewhat more favorable account of the
country:


KOOTENAI MINES, May 21st, 1864.
G. SAVAGE, Esq.-Dear Sir-Agreeable
to the promise made you and also to my
feelings, L will write you as truthful an ac-
count Of this country as | am able to do


The distance from Walla Walla to the
first creek emptying into the Kootenai,
where most of the mining is at present
done, is 400 miles. The trail, when the
river gets low again, will be tolerably good.
One half is a splendid road with plenty of
good camping places, and the balance of the
road is bad in places


My candid opinion of this country is that
it will eventually turn out to be richer
gold country and more extensive than any
yet discovered north of the Oregon line. 1
hope you will continually bear in mind that
this is but my opinion; although I think my
opinion is entitled to some weight, as
have worked in California some years and in
nearly every mining place of note this side
of Oregon. Some good miners differ from
me in this respect. The country much re-.
sembles the North Yuba in California. The
gold in some places is very coarse, in others
fine. / think the coarse gold will coin $18
or $40 per OF.


[ have heard of no rich strikes being
made as yet [ have seen a piece taken out
here weighing S78, one weighing SIS, one
$25, some 81 and so on down. Twelve
ounces is the highest that have heard of
being made in one day to sluice, five men
working. 500 to one sluice is often made
Some work has been done in the hills 60 or
20 feet high from the creek, but mostly so
far, on the bars beside the creek. Every
old miner expects or thinks that the big paw
is in the creek, but the creek cannot be
tested for three or four weeks yet on account
of high water. have gone to work with
four other men in running wide cut across
low bar, with sluces, for the purpose of
turning the creek into the same when COM
pleted, so that we can work the creek bed.
We have the cut over half completed. In
running the cut we have made small wages
where we did not expect much of ANYTHING.
The highest days work, S72. By the time
we have the creek turned [ shall be able to
give you facts instead of opinions; but [ feel
quite sanguine of success. This creek has
great fall and has more water than Mill
creek at Walla Walla


Several large creeks have been prospected
above this on the Kootenai and clear to the
head of the Columbia distance of over
100 miles, and gold in paying quantities
been found Canyon creek is fifty miles
from here, and supposed to be very rich, but
it must be either fumed or wing-damed in
low water. There are but few bars along it,
the pay being in the bed of the stream
That stream is nearly twice as large as this
estimate l25 men at work on this creek,
some of whom are prospecting. The head
of the creek is not prospected on account of
snow, but will be soon.


Horses which were brought in early are
all fat. Aside from its mineral wealth, this
is delightful country Lovely fower-be-
spangled valleys, surrounded by towering
mountain peaks that for grandeur in their
outline and magnifcence in height, have
not seen excelled anywhere in the Rocky
mountain range. At this place the Koote-
mai runs south, below it bends and runs
southwest. This stream empties empties
into the river from the east side.


The Kootenais are fine tribe of Indians
and are very friendly. They do not steal.
They have planted their crops and are now