The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-12
LATEST GROIN THE GOLD MINES.
LETTER FROM SAM. S. CURTIS
Our Regular Correspondent.

FROM SAM. S. CURTIS.
Our Regular Correspondent.
DENVER CRY, Dec. 80, 1858.
Mr.. ED1roR.-We have at length been
favored with small quantity of mail
matter from America, among which was
copy of the Nonpareil, Published in the
early part of October. Some two weeks
since, Little Gray, and some of the noun
taineers, brought over from Laramie about
fifty letters and few papers. | was for
tunate in receiving several letters, but no
papers, not even Nonpareil. Sanders
Express has not yet returned butt hourly
expected. 1t has been detained by deep
snow, and u trip to the Sweetwater, for
horses.
Letters from the States, speak of IN un-
pleasant fall and cold weather there, while
we are enjoying the most beautiful and
pleasant winter weather ever saw. With
the exception of about ten days, we have
had no cold weather worthy of mention;
and, during the greater part of the time,
the thermometer has been at from forty to
eighty degrees above zero. The winters in
Iowa are proverbially dry and pleasant, but
never saw one there eq:al to this. All the
old mountaineers, however, say we Will pay
for it before warm weather.
Not much mining has been done, as every
one was expecting cold weather to set in,
and gold cannot be washed, when it is
freezing. We have erected "shanty' at
the diggings on Ralston's Greek, or, more
properly, Vasquer's Fork, and shall remove
there the day after tomorrow; and, If the
present pleasant weather continues, we shall
commence mining. was, perhaps, too
large in the figures send you in my last.
The gold is in very thin scales, and does not
weigh as much rs old miners expected
The bar we have claimed, and which we arc
going to work, wiN pGHfrom three to fifteen
cents to the pan. washed upwards of a
dollar with cradle from thirty five pans of
earth. presume lost fully one-third of
the gold. The earth was taken from the
top of the bar, and wherever got below
the level Of the water in the creek, it was
shoveled from under water. We are going
to set about seventy feet Of "sluicc," and
think we can then save it all. Itcel conf
dcnt that could moke FIRE dotlars per day
with a cradle. The di.gings now being
worked, are NIL in a country nearer level
than the rolling prairies of Iowa, hut near
the foot Of the Rocky Mountains. The
mountains rise as abruptly from the prairie,
as the bluffs Of the Missouri River, and form
plain almost as level if not as fertile, as
the Missouri bottom. The mountains in
this vicinity, are about four thousand feet
above the plain. Pixies and Longs Peaks
are twelve thousand feet above the level Of
the sea, and from the estimated fall Of the
Platte, We must be about six thousand
They are wcll-named the Rocky Mountains,
as they arc almost entirely composed Of
Granite, Trap and other primitive rocks.
was lately shown some of the "Shot
Golu," from Thonpson's Fork. 1t is in
scales, but they are quite thick and heavy.
do not think it is as fine in quality as the
other gold, and they have not yet found 1t
in quantities to pay for digging.
We have laid out town on Vasquer's
Fork, at the djSgin:s, which is named
Arapahoe. There are, already, six houses
built, and about thirty more are going up
before Spring. It's beautifully situ'ted, on
a level plateau near the creek, and, from its
proximity to the mines, and the probability
Of finding more gold IN the mountains, |
think it bids fair to become place Of some
Importance.
Houses are still going up in Denver City
and Auraria. In Denver, some very good
bowed oc-houscs are being erected; among
others, a hotel Of IL feet front, by Captain
SOONER, Of Omaha: and a building sixty
By ncty f. o, by Mcssrs. BI.ASE& WILLIAMS,
Of Crcsccn, City, Iowa. think that Grout
houses will be built mostly, next summer,
rs good lime can be made, and boulders, of
the proper size can be obtained on all the
creeks.
Petitions to Congress are in circulation,
urging the necessity of building the Pacific
Railroad. Government is now paying up
wards OF three millions of dollars, annually,
for transporting supplies from the Missouri
River. This amount wouldpay the interest
on the money necessary to build the road to
Salt Lake, with a branch to this place. So
much has been said and written on the sub,
jcct, that can add nothing more, save to
speak of its additional necessity, arising
from this newly discovered FL Dorado. Its
necessity to us is evident to all eyes. |
hive conrcrSed with many upon the sub ect,
particularly the mountaincers, and they all
say that til: only possible route is ria. the
South Pass.
On Christmas, partook of a splendid
dinner, at Captain SrooHER's Camp. For
particulars, ! would beg leave to refer you
to the columns of the Omaha Times, where,
understand, they are to be published.
would like to say more, but cannot, at
present, but will probably have an oppor-
tunity to write again, in few days.
Yours, very truly,
SAN. S. Curtis.
Through the courtesy of Mrs. GRAVES,
Of this city, we have been kindly permitted
to publish the two following letters from
her husband, now at the mines on Cherry
Creek
AURAaIA, Ararahoe County. X. IT,
December 3lst, 1858.
DEAR BRoTnER--I believe, on leaving
America, agreed to write to you from the
Rocky Mountains. Well. am now living
in a log cabin, situated in a bend of timber,
on the east bank of the South Platte River.
(this river is about as big rs the Skunk.
about 20 miles from where it comes from
the mountains; about miles east of tho