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152 Leslie M. Scott

those of Montana, in 1862.^ Prospectors steadily pushed northward to Skeena River, and, in later years, to the head- waters of the Yukon.

It may thus be seen that the search for the precious metal on the Pacific Coast was a general and wide movement, con- tinuing many years. It had the same aspects on both sides of the Canadian line, but difficulties and privations increased with the northern latitude. Oregon's part in this movement was not a separate one, either in time or method. When Willamette Valley farmers went "stampeding" to the mines of Clearwater,^ Salmon River,^ Boise,^ Owyhee and John Day, thousands of others were going thither also, from many parts of the world, and to Eastern Washington, Montana and British Columbia. The pioneers of Willamette Valley and Cowlitz and Puget Sound hardly stopped to think of the immensity of the gold movement. And it may be added that it included, also, Nevada and Colorado. In gec^^^i^y, indus- try, transportation, politics, the results were far-reaching.

Prospectors explored every river, mountain, lake and plain. They toiled along all the streams and over the intervening ridges. They learned the contours, the possible routes of trade, the lands available for tillage. They were the advance agents of the succeeding farmers, merchants and transporta- tion men, the geodetic surveyors of their time. The remote sources of the Rogue, Umpqua, Willamette, Columbia and Fraser rivers were their objectives. Their needs and those of the miners located trade centers, and routes of traffic, and caused the growth of cities.

25 Grasshopper Credc dinpngg w<re discovered in 1862; Deer Lodge, in i86a: Alder Gulch, in i86j; Last Cnance Gulch, in 1864.

26 For details of th« Qearwater mines, see The Oregonian of i86i; Maj 6. 11. 14, 20, 27, 29, 30; June I, 4. 5. 7t M. iS. \7' iQ, ao, 22, 24, 26, 27; July i, 7. II, 17, 18, 23, 24, 30; August 20, 26; September 3, 4, 7, 9, 11; 1862: February 6, April 28, June 17. July ». ". August 6; June 23, 1863; January 22, 1863; April 30, 1863: April 12, 1893.

27 ror details of the Salmon River diggings, see Tht Oregonian, October 18. 21, 25 ; November <. 14. 18: December 10, 13, 17, i9t ao, 31. 1861; February 6, 20; March 31J April 2, 18, 25; May 8: June 14, 17. 27; J^y 8. 24^ a^, 26; Au- gust 4, 18; September 3, 10, 1862; January 3i, 1863. For description of the routes to Salmon River mines, see The Oregonian, December 20, 1861; May 8,

28 Discoveries of gold in Boise Basin in 1862 caused a "rush** there in 1863- 64 For details, see The Oregonian, November 4, 8, 11, 13, 17, 18, 25, a6, 1862; May 14, X863; September 19* 1863; August 10, 1864.