Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-24
Abe Stest IL Quite 10 the Gold Mines.

The Hest u out. 10 the Gold Mines.
\ former citizen of Burlington,
whose veractv is answered for by the
Hawheye, gives the following regard
my the best route to the gold mines ::
Town spectators on the Misso ur
rives are very anxious to have it I'M
derstood that they have selected the
very best point, and would like to have
the gold seekers believe that theirs is
the only place where an outfit can be
obtained, or that the route from that
place offers facilities superior to any
other above St. LOUIS. For one, |
think that no man who has sense
enough to 90 to the gold mines, anc
who will, exercise a little of it in this
matter, need be deceived as to the
most direct and best route, although
the land sharks of certain Mormon
town have got ont and published to
the word a ialschood, in the shape Of
map of the route from the Missouri
river to the mines, wherein Council
Bluffs is represented as being on the
Missouri river, when the truth is, it is
some four miles distant from said river,
and wherein 1t Is represented that
there are no large streams emptying
into the Platte on the north side, but
Loup Fork, which is shown to be a
small creek ten miles long, when the
truth is that the said Loup Fork is
a more difficult stream to cross than
the main Platte, and nearly as large,
and more rapid. Then there is the
Elk Horn and Wood river, and the
main Platte, or else both the north
and south forks to cross before you are
IN the gold region. And'wherein it is
represented that the mouth of Cherry
creek IS directly west from Omaha :;
when the truth is that the mouth of
Cherry Creek is some thirty miles
south Of line drawn due west from
the mouth Of the Platte river, which is
in town. H., while Omaha is in town.
10, Is miles north,) and the great
bend OF the Platte runs into town. Is,
about 20 miles yet north of Omaha,
which makes forty miles you must
travel to Get around said bend. And
wherein it Is represented that on the
south side of the Platte river there are
two large streams; when the truth is
that Salt Creek is the only stream on
tAc south side from the mouth of the
Platte to Font kearney, where all the
routes strike the Platte river, and all
the [ tab trains have crossed this Salt
Creek, during the last summer at a
ford where the water runs about
eighteen inches deep over smooth
ledge Of rocks.
said that no man need be deceiv-
ed, who would exercise common sense
in the matter, even though this north
side map had been published. and for
this reason, there are reliable maps all
over the country, made up from the
surveys. Now let any man take such
a map and examine for himself, and
see where his starting point will be-
let hum remember that the mouth of
Cherry Creek is about thirty miles
south OF a line drawn due west from
| the mouth of the Platte river, then he
will observe that the course of the
Missouri Is nearly south cast, so that
after he gets to the proper point on
that river, every mile he goes south
from that point will be out of his way,
and but increase the distance he has
to travel to get to Cherry Greek, which
is about five hundred miles 10y the
road) from the mouth Of the Platte.
From what has been said above (sub-
stant'ated byour map) you can see that
the best route is on the south side of
the Platte, and that somewhere within
| thirty miles from its mouth should be
the starting point. Nebraska City lies
south nearly that distance, and would
seem to be the place. and would be.
could We travel directly west from that
city, and have also the advantage of
the earlier grass (some two weeks) of
the Platte bottom, but we can do Meth
er-we cannot 60 directly west, for
the reason there is no road, and it has
been found impracticable to make one,
as there are several small but trouble
some streams to cross, (Stone Creek,
Little Nemaha, and three forks of Salt
Creek, which has ever kept the en-
terprising citizens Of that place from
attempting the task, and in fact be-
lieve there is now bill before Con.
gress asking for such a road. And
there is another fact in this CONF ection
which speaks volumes. The contrac-
tors for carrying the Utah supplies,
Messrs. Majors, Russell L. Co., who
are large property holders in and
around Nebraska City, and who, fol
this reason, made that place their de.
pot on the Missouri, have crossed All
their trains at this ford of Salt Creek,
which said ford Is two miles north Of