The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-31
GOLD MINES ON TIE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

Lawrence (Kansas) Republican extra contains full
and late accounts from the gold Mines furnished by
Mr. f. H. Britain of Burlington, Cofey county, Kansas
Mr. Britain was in company with Mr. William b. Parsons
whose full and satisfactory letter in regard to the gold
regions published last week. The report of Mr. Brit
agrees in all essentials with that of correspondent
nevertheless the following extracts will be read with in
terest ..r .s..r.su.r.
The company not having found gold at Spanish
Peaks upon hearing these favorable accounts from the
Georgia Company at the Cherry Creek dggngs, deter
mined to Immediately so there. Accordingly they
traced their course, going NORTH and leaving Pixies Peak
twenty miles to the west arrived at the Cherry Creek
diggings about the sixth Of September. .....
For two weeks the company prospeccd on both sides
of the Platte finding gold in sufficient quantities that
with pick shovel and pan, from 81 to S. per day could
be made This brings dates down to the goth of
September, when Mr. Britain, Geo. w. Smith, jr., VIM.
B Parsons (cty attorney of Lawrence and Robert Pee
bles-all members of the companyleft for Lawrence.
Mr. Britain brings specimens of the gold which have
SEEM and which have been examined by several Caor
mans in presence, who all pronounce it the genuine
artice-known the scale of drift gold by miners Mr..
Britain has about three dollars worth Of it, which he
took out in day Each of the other gentlemen also
has specimens. t.a @l
Mr. Britain intends to remain during the winter and
will return to the diggngs next spring with full outfit
for mining. The remainder Of the Lawrence company
intended to remain in the mines about two weeks after
Mr. Britain left and then to down the South Platte
about forty miles to Bent and St Vrains old FORTS and
winter there The weather was fine at the mines when
he left but with very cold frosty nights and it the
opinion of old mounainees that within few weeks the
miners would all be obliged to seek winter quarters The
Georgia company had already dsbanded and sought win
ter quarters at Fort Laramie Others Fort Bldg
err and some had returned to the States. s .,s ( .
There about one hundred persons in the mines,
and numbers arriving daily when Mr. Britain left Pro.
visions toerably plenty, though at rates
-four selling at $25 per hundred The gold dust is used
In the mines currency, at 81 per pennyweight
Mr.. Britain met from 700 to 1000 emigrants route
for the mines He thinks that but few of them will be
- 4 4
there heavy in the mountains 1t is the height
of folly therefore, for other companies to start this fall
If those already the route do not meet with great
hardships they will be fortunate.
At the time Mr. Britain left the mines there were no
houses erected the miners all living in tents The health
of the miners had been good
The implements in in the mines are almost with
out exception, only shoves picks and pans Ii the
general opinion OF the miners and among them several
old Caornians, that, with the proper implements from
So to SIS per day could be made. Mr.. John Rocker
had rough rocker made out of hollow log split with
which he and his were taking out from 81 to IS per
day hafbreed Cheyenne boy John Smith by name,
the son of John s. Smith, well known as old Indian
trader, hal been at work about two weeks when Mr.
Britain left, and had made s4 per week with his PAM
shovel and pick carrying his dirt from ten to twenty
rods One "mess found in prospecting pocket in
the bed rock where the dirt yielded ST so to the pan
full One of the Georgia company washed out SIC in
single day hna
Cherry creek is tributary of the South Platte 1t is
about 81 to 40 miles in length is dry creek with a
sandy bottom, from TO rods wide and has but little
water in it. The main gold diggings the South
Platte, about miles west Of the mouth Of Cherry creek
and about $50 miles little east by south from Fort
Laramie The gold is found the second branch or
bottom. Mr. Brittan's specimens dug about eighty
rods from the river The South Platte has been pros
pccted on both sides for thirty miles, and gold
found uniformly. Wster Is not very abundant where
the main dggings are but be obtained readily by
slucng.
The general face of the country is rolling prairie very
sandy, supporting but little vegetation save the prickly
pear The bottoms, however, very rich, and afford
abundance of pasture the grass being from three
feet high. The timber right at the diggngs is mainly
cottonwood but within twenty miles extensive pner
les. The Lawrence company, in going up from Spanish
Peak to the Platte passed through pnery 35 miles in
width and within 20 miles OF the Platte There is also
an abundance Of pine timber in the mountains,
The dggings only ten miles from the base of the
Rocky mountains. Mr.. Britain says the boys usel fire.
quently to go upon the mountains to hunt Game is
plenty in the vicinity of the dggngs such antelope
black tailed deer, Virginia deer brown bears, Jack
rabbits Grizzly bears found in the mountains. A
young killed the dggings the skin Of which
Capt G. w. Smith has with him. Wild ducks and geese
found the river The Platte at the dggings Is
about two hundred feet wide, easily fordable.
Messrs Britain, Smith, and Parsons returned by the
following route viz Down the South Platte from the dig