Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-07-18
From The California Emigrants.

n The following letter from late fellow ctizen
yMr JAMES kuRTz, will show that part of the Bur-
Ellington delegation &c ting on very we'll
q Platte River, opposite Fort Laramie,
a May 3lst, 1850.
s Friend Ea,rards-Thc last you heard OF us was al
. Traders Point, Iowa. We took up line OF march
sfrom there for the Gold Dggings, under the most
]. favorable circumstances we thought. in having
va large company Of men, who could mutually pro-
ect each other against the red Of the wild prai.
Cries. But owing to the dryness Of the weather and
ssthe scarcity Of grass, we found our great number
sto be detrimental to progress and therefore di
A"ided. Our company is as follows:-Yates, Rice
Patterson, Darbyshire, Coats, Beard, Todd, Dray.
stof Nlinais) and kurtz. all of whom right well
All found it the best way to get along fast to tave
Gin small companies. AS for the red men, we found
.ssthem to be peaceable and friendly.
81 We travelled over great deal Of beautiful bot
f.tom land, between the Platte and Loop Fork. but il
xw5s destitute Of timber, except some cotton wood
$ About 275 miles from Council Bluffs brought in.
the Platte Bottom, within sight of the road, we saw
Eat the lowest estimate 10000 and said so O0t
& Buffalo. We took several hunts while among then
& Eui!l!o is an excellent kind of meat, much better
Eve thought than you get in the market at BuriinS
,ston-the real in particular.
IS The scenery on the Platte Bluffs is magniiCen
gbcyonl description. Had our friend Ncwhall lived
Eve should 70 doubt have obtained des crition oil
kthcn in the most glowing and beautiful colors.-
The first you to, and the most noted, is called
,he .'Ancient Bluffs Ruins,'' resembling at dis
stance old castles or Notifications. The next is
8 called "Chimney Rock" which can be seen from
i huh fortys:x miles distant. 1t has the appearance
ssoc an old building, with three Of water ia
Shle, showing four stories. and in the centre. chin
nry Of about 30 20 feet high: and two others ,ont
tscatl,d the Court House Church, and SCOTS
q Bluffs, which viii not attempt to describe.
Fort Laramie is situated the west side of the
- Platte, about nile distan. from the river, in {
G beautiful valley in the midst of what is called Lar
I: annie Peaks.
u Learning that the mail left the 18th Of June,
s. have been so s.busy writng'' not to visit the
Is Fort yet. II looks we'll from where I am, having
s some twelve fifteen buildings in it. some O
n our men got large gold story at the fort from
b the officers. They said man had been there di
greet from California with $4,000 worth of gold
" They sent guard with him from here to Fort Kear
yney. give you the story as heard it,
n The emigration to California is almost incredible
= There is tolerahly good rope ferry here, ard
!. suppose they will pass over leo teams in ~ hours
. The Bluff road intersccts the st Joseph road he
. tween the river amt fort, and they keep register
all tat pass Up to the evening Of the eSth.t hs
register stoo, as follows: Men, 6.5sc; women, 6,
child en-, SO. wagons. ,s4o horses, $3.50; multi
gases oxen, 1869; cows, rs; and it is said they
aanow passing thicker since than before.
tA Yours. truly. JAS. KCRTZ.