The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-05
The Wealth and Resources OF Nebraska
OUR OMAHA CORRESPONDENCE.

OMAHA, N. T., Sept 0, 1850
Report Of Tie Special Commissioner sent by Governor Black to
Examine into the Wealth and Resources Of Western Ne
brdskd, DC, de-
Mr. Williams, Of Council Bluffs, came in from Denver
City, in the Western stage last evening" bringing the latest
from the gold fields of Nebraska and Kansas, which
is of most favorable character He but days
in making the trip from Denver to Omaha, and had the
Leavenworth express arrived few hours sooner at
Kearney and made the connection with the Western stage
that point he would have through Omaha in five
days What will the good people the say
when they read this: From New York to Omaha in five
days, from Omaha Denver and the Rocky Mountains in
five days"
extract the following from a letter received by this
mail from Hon. W. f. Moore, the Special Commissioner
sent out by Governor Black examine and report upon
the wealth and of Western Nebraska and upon
the feasibility OF organizing counties in the mining dis
tricts
Our party, consisting of fteen left Aurara August g.
with view Of visiting the South Fork the of tho
Of the Colorado. We proceeded TO the Gregory dggings
passing inferior points without examination and there
found about men engaged in working lead claims and
from personal observation and reliable found that
the more successful were making from fifteen TO twenty
five dollars per day but the majority not perhaps averag
ing five dollars per day In some cases they had en-
countered hard substance known the patese Of iron
and from the difficulties and the absence Of
proper implements for drilling IL, many had become dis
couraged, and abandoned their claims. Tho
more persevering, however, have succeeded in getting
through and again struck the vcn greatly enlarged and
yielding immensely probably than before. From
Gregorys we passed up five miles to Russes diggings
and there found about 800 men at work These guch
diggngs and average about $40 to the hand per day In
this vicinity many other dggngs, equally remunerave
but less extensive From this passed west to the
Spanish dggngs, and found force of about hun
dred men, These diggings less remunerative than
any of the proceeding, not perhaps averaging s.
the hand Other rich dggngs also in this vicinity
from this place my company struck into the mountains
IN attaining the snowy range. From the summit Of the
mountains We obtained a view of the South park, and
lhe prospect equals, If does not excel, any
point on tne American continent for subHnity,
grandeur and beauty After two days travel and much
dmcuty we reached its northern limit, and here the
park is from fifteen TO twenty five miles width gently
undulangi with occasional hills knols covered with
excellent fine timber, coursed by several streams and
covered with the rakcst growth of nutritious grasses
Buffalo, elk, antelope and other animals scamper
abroad in every direction, imparting degree of at
Effectiveness to the country that only be realized by
being seen.
We skrted the western side of the park for twenty
miles, and until we reached stream where gold had
recently been discovered That evening all present in
that region convened, and we formed six companies to
explore the streams flowing into the Platte The result of
investigations the finding Of gold in paying guam
titles only the south branch Of the Platte and the
gold seems TO be generally distributed, in quantities
paying from three 70 fifteen cents pan, than at any other
dggngs yet discovered If the intervention Of bouiers
should not interfere doubt not but that these mines will
be successfully worked the coming spring Little can be
done this year, owing to the extreme elevation and
hcspecdy termination Of the working season.
this place we crossed the second snowy range the
divide between the head waters Of the Platte and Arkan
sas Travelling twenty five miles to the northern branch Of
the Arkansas, came to other diggngs and witness
ed better indications of golden region than at any other
point previously explored While stopping this stream
miles below and had found thy bodies Of some eight ami
mails, killed by the Indians To-day gentleman came in
camp who had discovered the bodies Of nine Americans
ne leader OF this party destroyed being Williams OF
Fountain city, the Arkansas, and for sonp months in
Tue country. From tho indications they were attacked