Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-05-29

tOorrsspeodsass Of tbs Mascara Ds0ocsst.l
DRsvEx CRY, Nay o.

Drsvrx CRY, Nay o.
We had sickening ru-
mors for week past Of horrible suf-
fering from freezing, starvation and
robbery Of emigrants BY way Of the
Smoky Hill route. Several intelligent
gentlemen who have arrived BY that
route, told me they themselves we're 30
long on the way-over sand and hills
and without . road At oil, they we're
reduced almost to starvstion-lived
ten to fourteen days upon prickly pears
and such few wild onions and other
edibles as they could pick up, and al
SO that they helped bury several per
sons who died from starvation. The
agent Of the stage company brought
us in word that he picked up a starry
ing man some fifty miles from here, Tor
an Arraphoe Indian brought him to
in to the stage line who had come
across from the Smoky Hill route.
which his companions had started en-
and tried to follow that when found,
DE was in a most wretched condition,
and reduced to skeleton from starva-
ton. His name IS Blue, and he is
from Whiteside County, Illinois. There
were three brothers of them-first one
died, and the two remaining ate from
his body, after they had been render
ed senseless from emaciation. The
second brother died and was nearly
eaten up by the survivor. The stage
agent went out and buried the re-
mains OF the second or youngest
Q(the brothers, but he could not find
the remains of the first who died. A
man named Gibbs was the leader Of
the starved company Gibbs got in,
nearly starved, and supposes the rest,
some nine in all, persisted. The sur
vivor was left at one of the mail sta
tions, and the report is confirmed by
the stage passengers. Others report
large numbers of droves on the route,
and that many oxen have persisted
and much property been destroyed
and abandoned on the way. saw
one party which lost seven out Of
train of sixteen oxen.
By receipt of papers from the States
| perceive that the tide Of emigration
hitherward is very great. The number
of arrivals here to-day, and for the
past few days shows an increase but
the tide seems to me equally strong in
the homeward bound direction. Most,
or very many of those now returning,
go by sk'tfs, dug &C., upon the
Platte, the water of this river being
now in a good navigable state, down
stream, for such craft. l have flat
boat built, and propose launching it
this morning, and may beat the stage
which carries this letter, as the current
is about six to eight miles an hour.
About fifty boats Of one kind and
another have sailed in the past week,
with an average of four or five persons
in each. 1t is estimated that $500
persons have left here for home in the
last twenty days. This is in addition
to those whe turned back before
reaching here, induced by the intelli-
gcnce received from others on their
return. Nearly as many more reached
here in that time; but think there
are more people in the whole mining
country to-day, than there was on my
arrival here a month ago. The towns,
Tor villages which they all are, and
small ones too seem quite deserted by
whites, and as many Indians as pale
faces are now in and about this vii
lage. Yesterday dozen or more In
dian braves, of the Arrapahoe tribe,
rode in, accompanied by their head
chief, Raven, and two Of his brothers.
They collected at the office Of Judge
Smith, to hold talk with the whites,
relative to an arrangement with the
Government for sale of their terri
tory, and some aid to their nation to
become an agricultural and a civilized
one. They are already about as civil
as the whites here, and far more tenn
perate; indeed, I've not seen an in
toxcated Indian in the mining region.
The interpreter, ono Antoine du Bray,
was drunk at the meeting, and falling
off his seat as he sat down by the in.
telligent looking and dignifed Quaker
like chief, Raven, rendered any attempt
at pow-wow farce; and it was i'm
mediatcly adjourned for a day until
the interpreter should become sober.
| may yet be enabled to give you an
account of the talk.
As for the gold news, or reports
from the mines, nothing reliable is
heard; but many rumors of paying
diggings are afoat, which are not
credited by Yonrs trnly. ID.