The New Mining Region

THE NEW MINING REGION. – From the Lewiston Golden Age Extra we make the following extracts from letters received at Lewiston with intelligence from the Kootanais mines up to May 25^th.  Mr. A.E. Riddles, writing to Hill Beechey, from Wild Horse, or Kootanais Creek, says:

            There are at this date operating on this creek, with a certain prospect of fair success, thirteen companies, viz. Clark & Co., Stone & Co., Donahue & Co, Baboon & Co., Fisher & Co., O’Donald & Co., Cuddy & Co., McCarris & Co., Cuddy & Co, Pilaire & Co., Moran & Co., Robinson & Co., and McMurray & Co.

            A majority of them are able at present to [do] but little in consequence of the high water.  For several days past the creek has been very high, but last night it commenced falling, and probably in a few days will be down to a fair stage.

            Flattering prospects have also been obtained in the hills along the creek, and quite a number of hill claims have been located, which will doubtless prove highly remunerative.  A few persons have conveyed the dirt from the hill to the creek upon their backs, and rocked it out realising fair wages.

            Fisher & Co. are engaged in constructing a flume and ditch, for the purpose of bringing water on the hill.  When that work is completed several hill companies will commence work.  The gold obtained, both on the hill and on the creek is coarse, beautiful, and of a superior quality.  It passes here readily at $18 per oz.  All the gold is smoothly washed, and mostly found on the bed-rock which is slate and quite uneven.  Upon hard, smooth bed-rock but little gold is found.

            The largest prospect I have seen obtained from one pan of dirt weighed $1.  The largest I have seen obtained from one shovel of dirt weighed twenty-five cents.  Larger prospects, however, have been obtained from the same quantity of dirt.  Nuggets have been frequently found on the creek weighing from $2.50 to $75.  I think I can truthfully say there is not a claim on the creek but what will pay from $10 to $15 per day to the hand.

            It is quite possible that richer diggings will be discovered on other streams after the feshet.  All the streams are at present so high that it is utterly impossible to prospect them.

            I would not be much surprised if, during the present season, claims would be located in this country, and not very remote from this point, that will almost rival Cuddy’s $500 claims.  It is indisputable that gold exists in paying quantities on tributaries of the Kootanais and Columbia.

            Quite a large party left here, near two weeks ago, for the purpose of prospecting on the head waters of the Kootanais and Columbia.  The prevailing opinion here is, that they will discover rich diggings.

            There are here, mining and prospecting, about 400 men, and the number is being daily increased by new arrivals.  But few pack trains as yet have arrived, and the consequence is, ‘grub’ is scarce.  The following are the prices here, and the supply of each article, I assure you, is quite limited:- Beans, 80c per lb.; dried apples, $1; sugar, 75c @ 90c; coffee, 90c @ $1.25; bacon, $1.25, and none in camp until within a day or two; flour, 50c, and the most inferior article that was ever manufactured; it was packed from Colville and Hell Gate; gum boots would sell readily at from $25 to $30 per pair; there are none here, and God only knows when there will be.

            This camp is about 70 or 75 miles above Tobacco Plains, 200 or more miles from Hell Gate, and about 300 miles from Lewiston.  From Tobacco Plains no supplies can be obtained, unless it be beef – which, by the way, is selling at 25c. per pound.

            A Gold Commissioner is expected in a short time, and until his arrival the laws enacted by the miners will be obtained.”

            Tim Lee, writing to Hill Beachy, says: “I will state as briefly as possible what I know about the mines.  At present the mining is confined to two creeks (Kootanais, or Wild Horse and Finlay creeks), situated about 75 miles apart, both of which empty into the Kootanais river.  The first prospecting I done was on Finlay Creek and the head waters of Columbia, which are only about 6 miles apart.  I have got as high as 30 cents to the pan on Finlay Creek, and think that it will be one of the richest creeks in this part of the country.  At present the water is too high to prospect to any advantage.

            On Kootanais Creek where I am at work, there are about 150 miners, who are all doing well.  There are several old Shasta county miners here, one of whom (Jack Fisher) showed me a couple of nuggets taken out of his claim, and weighing respectively $50 and $78.

            I have rocked out as high as $60 per day, until the high water drove me out.  In fact, friend Beachey, I have no hesitation in saying that these mines are good and permanent.  The gold is on the coarse order, and of good quality.  It is taken readily at $18 per ounce by traders.  There are only two traders here at present, and four miners, with as good an appetite as I have, would eat them out in one month. 

            There are certain parties who went back from here to Walla Walla, and from what I can learn from people coming in, they are giving a very discouraging account of the country.  Now, to my certain knowledge, those parties never stuck a pick into the ground while they were here; in fact, they are not on the work – at least, I never knew them to work, and I happen to have known them for some time.”

            James Crow, writing to James Hays, under date May 24^th says: “The mines are situated on a creek, a branch of the Kootanais river.  I should judge there are about 150 or 200 miners in and around this part of the country, the most of them engaged in opening claims, and a few at work in the bank, making from $6 to $10 per day.  The gold is coarse and of a fine quality.

            As to the country, as a mining country, I am not prepared to say, as it will take from four to six weeks to develop that fact.” – Oregonian.