New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-06-25
Gold in Arkansas.

W.
GsSrLtNE>. Your sopiscs'ion - the ., in.t
70 me. % accompany you % : gold mins ~ Arksn
-. River pear the Little Arkarsss hss hen ~ hsrd
since the 81 sni have taken the time TIA, old
Ike me should take % consider on making TIP u
SO miles INTO ,hs wilderness
Mountaineering ny unrtness for the irip IN const
GRAFTON Of ne many applications nom your 'oniy snd
from this snd regard your kind o-er % farnish
me al the oufif including spring carriage - irsrrl
H. ani o. CRAFTY my sons have concluded once more
g. take the pruFes, snd WI - with you 70 tle 90
-t..rou. regions that W. discovered - yesrs ago
You have requested me % y the time snt psce q
departure oi The company Ny business. connected
With fh- interests Of several Other ferscns r1rr mo
O. remain A home until sitter the nrst week August
next sni therefore have nNed gpon IND loia " A
su,. - the ume ~ departure
The plsce n rendezvous . the OF ' an burrn,
And d, Is the most proper plsce for many reasons
The route ~ Wi take g from Nsn blren % = sns
vile thence % the Grand saline Grand River ihrnte
s.tnost northwest the waters ~ kis and Little
Nerdgns. 20 ststf Ce.. soogt le miles fr.in TO
mouth Tbs cree< eupues into The Arksrsss River.
about a. mi - below fhe ifle ArkAn.ss u sking is.
isnce about sO miles from Nsn Burrn
In rsssrd 10 The gold region. hsve not shadow q
doubt q 10 existence n The hood whrr hsVr
pointed cut In ADDITION 60 the vague sna apparently
rc-aancia- thst have been sfost IN tb. coun
Try regard 90 it i-cis. substantial iscts gutfn facts.
that have seen with ~ ~ stss 20 o. prove be-
was one OF = party II twenty persons, induced ~
rrprcs, rtsi.cns made ~ hunters and Indians ihst
started from ths county n >cptsuher ~ hat went
10 pursuit OF gold and contrsry % our expectations,
NNfft ~ ld nNt cNfcNt io aAi ~ came ei'A . tffN
SLED With shining PARTICLES Which evidently were
washed down some cre,k from - original - snt
although We were M pursuit OF gold W da noi 'cs tf
20 IN the sand where would - compelled a. ~.
.iit, and WISH for H. sni dii Or it p,
hcving IS We dad that would cosi labor 20 pfo
cure u than W. were then IN the hshit II drsotf 90
any purpose We went out % get gold IN Jumps -
- hens rggs, snd could reconcile oursvr. o.
work here Npior,d farther uutii fatigue sickness
and disgust tired down majority OF The party. md
returned 90 he laughed Al BY our n~ghhofs. although
AL at continued In the bsiioi that GOLD there,
and ths, We bad acted foolish Ia not stopping and
gathering the dust
our party wss composed Of twenty men. on hor.s
back. with seven pacs horse. OF the whole party
do not know OF but i've who are stili living
Capt Pryor. who spoke Usage vel led the party
We were 10 days going from Fort Gibson including
stoppsges OF several dsys On the road reducing 90
~ days travelling time. At about 2o miles dsy We
North west after leaving Cisriuos village on the
Neriigris unt.. struck the Arkansas m the ks
Bend about four days travel from The mouth IT Little
Arkansas. Here Travelled due North up the fivrr
day. ami csmped on the hcsch ~ the uNar. near
the mouth of fic creek tor the purpose of hunting
,o rcplcnish stock Of provisions. While In camp
here two who hsd wsded scross the creek on the
opposite beach. discovered large quantities OF shining
PARTICLES n the sand that sliiercd Ike many spsn
s'es They hlled their handkerchieis with the sand
containing N. glttering objects. and brought Il 20
camp. Pryor Baylor. Pickett. sell, and probably
some two others, We're there
The parcels submitted 20 our examination, srf
OF course excited great deal OF discussion. a' 49,
were 50 many gold hunters Opinions Nsriou, -
the certainty OF it, being gold where u came from
and whether would be paid Tor trouble IN wash
.ng IL out and packing IL home under mach urccr
talnty about its being gold took one Of the small
syeck- IN my hand. and viewed it with mHgniiying
glass that unscrrwsd from the end ct spy glass and
requested Tomlnson 20 try u with his Aniic De la
ieutrd and cut a. which convinced me that u wss
metal knowing that ising glass and sulphur would
mssh aud crumhe before It would cut OF bent But
MiNen who came from North Carolina. and claimed 60
great deal about gold. said he had never seen
any IN that shape This Influenced O. shsndon the
idea OF gathering u here butt was proposed that ~
trace the bed where u flowed from tor upon in
vesgaton found that the shining particles were IN
the sand only OUT to the high water mark on the A.
kansas river aud down 20 the waters edge and not ~
all on the shores OF the creek
We then knew II must have washed down the A.
kansas rvcf from some creek above II wa then pro
posed 90 divide party some 10 20 ON foot aud fsf~
up these shiny sands tO their sOutc while the others
90 round and meet them Nth their horses
the horses could follow the margin OF the rssr on
account OF cliffs and sloughs Bat ~ u was sugung
trip up the margin OF the ryer, and party could nov
be prevailed upon 10 volunteer all went around on
horseback We proceeded up the creek some distance,
until eight mileh or 80 from the rVer, when W.
travelled two days. crossed Walnut creek, and csmpd
day travel above H. ON the beach OF the Akansas,
but here all trace of the gold sands gone. We
were no" satisfied that they must have been washed
| down that creek.
Here We turned and hunted. and being tired out
| Ne made preparations To return direct home. We
allied 6 ELK, cured the meat and on the second day
turned homcwsrd without looking farther tor gold
| party faded ana tfei out We passed near
| The mouth OF Walnut creek where We saw beaver
ism but not the hrst .ltsrng sand The examination
vas slight though and not satisfactory faces
we're turned homeDard AMI nothing could stop as We
| got there after seven weeks absence.
ieel fully satisfied that We had reached gold TssoH
aud doubt II W. had explored up Walnut creek, We
| would have found the original deposit from which
these gold sands were washed AZ the buns where W
| Killed the elk found large quantities. of crystal
| quartz and white iint We brought home Of the
| quartz not knowing what IL was and at Fort Gibson
1 H.. -lf'aH hat aH4lk4g 1
| Us how Il would cut and score glass We also saw
white hlnt Walnut creek where crossed II going
up. and nj 10 mouth the sand was mixed with black
dirt All these learn since have returned are esi
| dences Of gold But my convictions are strengthened
BY the evidences which have received from various
sources that gold abundant there since my return
| have the pure stuff" piece brought IN from
there ia 80 by ST. Carter who lived near Fort Tow
son. lie stopped all night at my house la 81, and
| showed me the lump which weighed near an ounce
la the summer Of 49, James McNar, aud Nicholas
AcNair OF the Cherokee Nation, "hO live shout siN
niles from the Grand saline William Chldefs, and
| Jane. Callan. 81 the Creek Nation VINO live On tho
Verdi ns our ia the prsries, up the Big Bend,
| aud found some Of those gold sands ON Hata~ 1oh,
miles above the mouth and brought some Of the dsst
| home IN guile which proved 10 be- pure gold Ih"se
men down the creek, and Their. saw the beaver
dam wnch identlhss the creek They also rcesOn
Walnut creek % be- about 50 miles below the Llus
Arkansas have doubt bat its the same creek and
| down II washed the golden sands ~ saw Ihrs"
men also express desire 10 20 with us this summer
shall make my arrangements 10 start on the 18th ~
| August next lou shall hear from me sgain
VILLAS BLACK
n...n. JAMS slsnnoa jonathan Also osf. sss.,s. A
Col Blacks letter and the intended expedition from
this place Ia August next In search Of the gold psfer
which he alleges have visited, have created much snT
among ciuzens, and Of course excited much con
versati0n We have been furnished with The following
| circustances which led 70 the expedition IN lr@b.
IL that IN e. Capt Pryor. the Usage Agent
during Welt ~ New Orleans met with wealthy n"f
chant who represented himself one Of the members
oi Pixies Inflated party who were taken pris0nef' 10
New Mexico In l-O7. He stated that the party "as
taken santa 20 aud there imprisoned. lie escaped
ia company With another man, and they pr0c"edr' 70
ward the u the Arkansas RIVER down The course
| of which they continued
On Walnut Creek as 10 called, their ATTENTION
was attracted signs OF mining operations "nlep 80
20 farther examination and finally dscoYefy ~ goa
They dug ont considerable quantity run II mt" bsfs
ana proceeded down the riVer Ia cshoe sn1 nnfr'
| Al Nstchez where they separated. tSpt fy"rs IN
fornant went ~ New Orleans where he gold enabled
| MIN to embark In cOsmerce and ~ accumulate con
| adorable fortune Ills wealthy Circumstances vefs
,uch a. 10 satisfy CsDt Pryor Why be did not desire 70
penetrate the wilderness and peril his LIE at his al
sanced age lie particular In descnbsng the creek
ON which IL and gave pretty clear Idea VI the
| Locality IN which the gold might b. found.
Col Black found he golden sands the creek DO
| .cribed by this gentleman in heVOriesn- MoSslrs
discovery of gold the creek and all these
coneurrnz contribute ~ establish Ia the
.rffir Gin At they md