The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-05-26
Rich Pixies Peak Letter

is SO genially humorus that We canno
refrain from making room for it. If yo
like fun read it. 1t is alleged, to b
from a citizen Of Horizon, Wisconsin:
Pike Peak, March l, 1859.
My Dear Brother:-I promised t,
write you good long letter as soon as
arrived here; and | take my pen in hane
to let you know that we are all we'll, anc
to hope that these few lines will End yot
enjoying the same blessing. You know
We left Horizon for the land of gold, a.
bout the first of February, aud We arriv
ed here yesterday. My wife stood thc
journey first rate, but my five oldest boy:
were nearly tired out when We reached
here. Jane, the little sis is happy as
lark, and says. "Tiss Uncle George fol
me- God bless her sweet heart.
We had all the bardships in the world
before We got here. We lost our horse.
at Dubuque-they were stolen from US
We got some extra oxen, and lost them
one hundred miles from Omaha. We
then tried wheel -barrows, my wife and
wheeling BY turns, till the Indians stole
our barrows. Then we walked, till the
Indians stole our provisions, and my fam
lily got sick, so that | had to carry the N
on my back. Our money gave out long
before, and for two weeks We Travelled
through wilderness where the foot of a
human being had never trod; in thiscon-
dition, seeing no living being and with
out money to purchase even cracker al
any of the groceries along the line, We
lived on roots till my children all locke
like pigs, from roofing SO long.
| have carried my family on my back
till | am SO round shouldred that l can
only see the blue sky and the bright sun
by looking between tny legs, aud up to
heavens canopy that way. lost two
hundred pounds of fesh-horse meat
when started from Dububue, or We
should have got along better.
read in the Milwaukee Ne1cS that
Pixies Peak was humbug. BUTT amt
and the Neacs knows it as well as | do
We got here in the morning, after walk.
iug all night, aud though We are now
twenty four hours in the country, we are
not well of, bat have good prospect
There is gold here-lots of it. The
gopbers dig it out of the ground BY the
bushels, and in the moonlight the whole
earth, for miles around, looks like HeaV.
en- with its myriad stars, or like pretty
girl with yellow freckles. The wood
chucks dig out bushels and bushels of it,
and the snakes in this country look like
solid gold ones, from crawling among
gold chupks. 1t is found in all sized pie
ces from the size of hens egg up to the
bigness of large stone, and of the finest
quality.
We have raked together what lays
loose on an acre of ground, aud have
twenty-five piles about as big as large
sized hay stack.
Last night two hundred Indians came
to rob US of set of silver spoons and a
fine comb that my wife had 10 use Oh the
children, and we barricaded our house
with rocks of gold, until they could not
gain admittance, and were forced TO beg
to make friends with US. The chief laid
down his weapons and came into camp,
when my wife used the fine comb on his
head till his gratitude was as lively his
head was, and he was so tickled that be
offered to marry my wife, aud show me
where gold was plenty. loved my wife
you know that George; but thinking
that might die before | got rich, and
feeling that | must make some property
for my children, | consented to the match,
aud she has gone IF with the Indian, who
is great chief, and taken the fue comb
with her. Coue out with your wife, and
bring fine comb, brother George.
am going to leave these diggings for
a better one. 1t is too much trouble to
tug and pry up the great big chunks Of
gold that weigh half ton or so, and are
so thick you cannot get them out without
danger of breaking your legs, and am
going up to a rsvine, where all have to
do is to 90 to the top of . high mountain
and roll it down to the river.
The country here is fine, but the wind:
are awful. Ny boys got so light with
eating roots that | can only keep them
by me or together, by piling Jumps Of
gold, about as big as mallc,s. on their
shirt tails, as the little iunoecnts sit down
on the grass to play. Everything grows
here. | can raise twenty bushels ol
wheat to the acre. Oranges, cmons, and
all such colored fruits grow wild here
while melons, pears, apples, peaches and
appe.duuplings are SO plenty that they
find no market
Sell off what stuff you have in Wiscon-
sin, and come out here. You can get
rich in little while, and 90 back in such
style that will astonish the natives.
Give my love to all the folks around the
corners. aud put notice on the school
house, that they can get an outfit in
Chicago for $500. Come out here, dear
brother, by all means.
Yours affectionately,
John SMITH.