A Portland Editor Reports from the Gold Fields

E. G. Jones, of the firm of Knott & Jones, of this city, has just returned from Spokane Falls and the vicinity of the Coeur d'Alene mines, and has furnished us with the following for publication:

To the Editor of the News:

During a short stay at Spokane Falls I have gathered the following information, which I know in its nature is fairly reliable, and being such, will be read with interest by all who have any interest in that section of Washington Territory.

Spokane Falls city is situated on the eastern border of [the territory]. It is known as the Big Bend country, and is the center of a large amount of trade. Its progress has been remarkable. Five years ago it was nothing. Today it is the principal city of Eastern Washington, and is destined, in time, to be the mining, manufacturing and commercial center of "The Inland Empire."

The surrounding country is of a gentle, rolling nature, and sloping back gradually, terminates finally in the sharp outlines of the Coeur d'Alene mountains, which at this season of the year, being covered with snow, present a most pleasing spectacle.

The population of Spokane Falls is between 2,000 and 3,000. Two banks flourish in the pines: the First National and the Bank of Spokane Falls, and the general tone of the city activity is sound.

I look forward to a very lively spring, and the number is augmented daily by the arrival of fresh prospectors. [Mr. Child] most decidedly advises men not to visit the mines at the present time unless possessed of means. Travel over the Trout creek route is accompanied with many hardships at the present time, most of the travel being done on snow shoes over a great depth of snow. While Mr. Child is not interested directly or indirectly with any particular route into the mines he is satisfied by experience that the trail down the North Fork to the Mission thence to the Post and on to the Falls is at present the most accessible. A route shorter and better than the others now in use can be made into the mines from [Spokane Falls], via the Post and Mission. We may here add that that is the trail to which our business men contributed a short time ago.

Capt. Sanborn, one of the members of the company building steamers at the Post to run into the mines, states that the boats will commence running about March 1st and that he can run them up the river within ten miles of Eagle City, and continue the trips for three months this spring. If a jam now existing at that point can be removed steamers will be able to reach the mouth of Eagle creek. He sees no reason why Spokane Falls cannot command the bulk of the trade of that section, basing his opinion upon the situation and facilities of the place. It is pretty safe now to predict that the mining region, be it great or small, will depend almost exclusively on Spokane Falls for its supplies for some time to come, the arrangements for transporting goods bringing the market directly to our doors.

From information I gathered I gleaned the following regarding the projected stage line: Stages will leave Spokane Falls about 7 a.m. daily, and will arrive at the mines at 6 a.m. — twenty-three hours later. Fare for single passage will be under $10 (probably about $9, and likely lower), and charges for freight will range about six cents per lb. (now it is twenty cents). First class passage from here to Spokane Falls in 1884, to which add any $10 for staging, would only necessitate an outlay of a little over $30 to reach the Coeur d'Alene mines from Portland, and the time consumed on the journey will be twenty-four hours to Spokane Falls, a rest of twelve hours here and twenty-four hours from the latter place to the mines, making a total of sixty hours from here; in strong contrast with the time now consumed on the journey, from five to seven days.

Having carried my readers to the seat of operations, I will now proceed to state a few facts and make a few conjectures in connection with that place — which place, no doubt, there is no prospect of all [reaching without] fortune. Yet uncertainties, after all, are what the majority of mankind pursue, and uncertainties do occasionally shape themselves into certainties — at least in mines, which has heretofore been hardly designated on the map as a place at all, but which is by all now known as the Coeur d'Alene country.

Five years ago, A. M. Cannon, the gentleman before alluded to, sent a Mr. Prichard into what is now the seat of excitement, for the purpose of getting out logs and floating them down the Spokane river to Mr. Cannon's mill. Mr. Prichard, instead [of logs], found gold and gave himself up, body and soul, to the pursuit of what seemed to others an idle fantasy. Mr. Prichard communicated the information of his discovery to Mr. Cannon, who at that time was more interested in sawmills than in gold mines, and consequently gave the matter very little attention. Mr. Prichard became so enthusiastic on the subject of gold and neglected his "mill" interests to such an extent that his employer was at last forced to dispense with his services. Prichard, by his fellow men, was looked upon as a "crank," but, giving up his whole time to the pursuit of gold, he has at last discovered a mine that, before the close of another year, will be world-renowned. This mine, now called Coeur d'Alene, is situated on what is known as Prichard creek. Eagle creek, which empties into Prichard creek, has also shown valuable developments. Prichard creek can be mined to advantage for twenty miles on either side. Miners who have located there this winter are making from $10 to $30 per day. I learned this from men just in from the mines. These, understand, are experienced miners. Men who have gone there this winter with from $300 to $700 and with no experience will have some difficulty in wintering. All provisions are held at exorbitant rates, and accommodations are of the barest. There are now from 100 to 300 men at the mines, and this number is daily growing larger. At present the mountains are full of snow, and it would be simply a waste of time and energy to venture into this quintessence of prospective wealth before the first of April at the earliest.

It speaks volumes for these mines to say that not one miner, literally speaking — not one — has returned to civilization with anything but the most encouraging news. The brains of the "best of the mountain population" are simply on fire on the subject and they reason with such clearness of thought that they seem to a casual observer all embryo [millionaires]. Enthusiasts place the prospective immigration to the camp in the spring at from 50,000 to 150,000 souls, which will certainly add no small amount to the action of the railroad companies and transportation lines in general. Having made what I consider a fair statement of these mines as I found them, I remain simply, E. G. Jones.