Columbia River Diggings

THE COLUMBIA RIVER DIGGINGS. – Major Francis, paymaster, U.S.A., who left Colville on Nov. 1^st, furnishes the following to the Oregonian: - There has been one fall of snow, but it mostly melted away in the next three days.  The weather has been quite cold.  The Vancouver Register says Major F. had ocular proof of the discovery of new gold diggings on creeks which enter the upper Columbia some hundred miles above Colville.  There were not more than thirty men in these new diggings, and they had no subsistence but flour.  They were averaging $35 a day to the hand.  The diggings had been discovered something more than a month.  Dust to the amount of $24,000 had been received in the valley.  The dust was coarse, bright and beautiful – worth $19.50 per ounce.  Captain White had nearly completed his steamer on the 1^st inst.  He expected to make her trial trip within three weeks from that time.  She is built at the Little Dalles, 16 miles by a good road from Colville.  The river is navigable above more than 250 miles.  The Captain thinks he will be able to transport passengers the whole distance for $25, and is confident that his enterprise will be a success.  The whole distance from Wallula to the Little Dalles is about 240 miles, and is a good natural road, with two ferries and the necessary bridges.  It is anticipated that there will be a large development of the resources of this upper country the coming year.