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THE KLAMATH EXPLORING EXPEDITION, 1850

SETTLEMENT OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY ITS OUTCOME.

By SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD.

Upon the discovery of gold in the beds of the streams and in the mountains of California, it was reasonably expected that rich deposits would also be found in the beds of some of the many unexplored streams and in the mountains of the con- tiguous Territory of Oregon. And acting upon such sugges- tion of probability, Messrs. Herman Winchester, Caspar Thomas Hopkins, Horace J. Paine, Galen Burdett and Eldridge G. Hall, citizens of San Francisco, originated a joint stock company, the stock of which consisted of one hundred shares of one hundred dollars each, which was soon taken up. The objects of the company were to explore and make settle- ments on what was supposed to be the Klamath river, but which being wrongly laid down on the map was in reality Rogue river, the location of the mouth of the Klamath river being then unknown.

In pursuance of their object they designed to ascertain the agricultural, commercial and mineral resources of the country ; to survey the harbor at the mouth of the river, and to lay out a town site, to ascertain how far the river was navigable; to survey and lay out a town at the head of navigation if a suitable location was found and the resources of the river and valley