Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-08-05
PAX E's PEAK CORWEsPON D.
ENCE.
NEVADA CRY, Rocky Mountains, |
h. I. july 4th, 1859.

| -He83Ty, GuftOFc WOos0 havC
written to you ere this, but reports
were 20 numerous, both good and bad,
that q person could not believe any
thing, until he seen and tried for him
self. Indeed, met when within a
few miles Of Denver young man, q
fellow citizen, who told me that he
had been to the mountains, aud had
not As much as got the color. Not.
withdrawing the advice OF this friend |
was determined to see for myself. |
arrived at Denver City on the 18th Of
Nav. The first thing that attracted
my attention was large crowd in
front Of the Express ofiice-and on
going up found ii to be an Auction,
where they were selling picks, pans
and shoyes, at from 5 to % cts. Den
yer and Auraria are not consolidated
as reported, but they have had several
meetings for that purpose, without
avail. On the 18th | started for the
Jefferson diggings. On the evening
of the 18th we arrived at Boulder
City, 20 miles north of Denver City.
Boulder City is on the north bank of
Boud der River. Doth the river and
town are well named) at the foot of
the mountains. 1t contains 81 houses,
all owned by shareholders. Boulder
City has taken up 1880 acres for the
town site. A part Of this 1880 acres
was formerly taken up by another race
Of beings. A part of their ruined vii
lagos, and few Of the original inhab-
itants are yet to be seen, where the
city of Boulder now stands. l am not
now speaking Of Indians, or other abo-
riginal race. l am speaking of q poor,
harmless tribe, generally called prairie
dogs.
Although having three yoke OF oxen
and light wagon, with only about
600 weight, we were compelled, before
we got far in the mountains, to leave
our box and fore wheels, and make
cart of the hind wheels. We arrived
at the Dead Wood digglngs on the
18th, where we remained one day.
On the 18th we went to the Jefferson
diggings, miles from the Dead Wood
diggings. We bought claim on the
river Green Horn River) for $50
$40 in hand, and the balance to be
taken out of the claim. We worked
> days and sold out for SlOO-s4O in
hand, and the balance to be taken out
of the claim. In the Dead Wood
diggings the highest We got was 4
cents to the pan-in the Jefferson
8 cents, and had to strip 5 feet for
that. We then retraced our steps and
made for the Boulder diggings, -
miles from Boulder City. Here we
bought a claim e of us, Mckenzie Of
Omaha, Davis of California, and my
self for $50 down. We worked here
IL days, for which we averaged 81 q
to the hand, with rocker, there
not being water enough for sluice.
On the 10Th Cay we sold out for $37
in hand, and started for the Gregory
diggings, which had been recently dis
covered, and was causing great excite
ment. When we arrived here McKen-
zie and Davis bought an interest in
claim on the East Lead, and I, in
company with three others, bought a
claim on the Dickson Lead, for which |
we were to pay $4,000 if the claim
paid 81 90 to the pan-and if 1t paid
IS cents, $1,000; so cents, $500;
and under so cents to the pan we
were to pay nothing. We worked at
this claim 9 days, and sunk it % feet
through rock, the most of which we
have had to blast, and at no time did
we get over cents to the pan. Up
to this time no person has worked on
the gulches, all being to work on the
leads. But one morning a man tried
a claim on the gulch. He said he
made it pay, and then was the rush
made, and before noon that day, the |
gulch was claimed at both sides for the |
distance of l-2 miles. The man |
owning the opposite claim to mine
and l went in company. We worked |
a rocker for about 5 days, with which
we averaged Sc Is to each. We then
put in a sluice, and hired 2 men, and |
we now cleared 1923 per day on the |
sluice for 2 of us. The claim Joining |
Us sold last week for span Of mules
harness and wagon, and $50 in hand,
and 5000 to be taken out of the claim. |
Those who bought Gregory out are
clearing 81 900 per week. They offer
to sell out for 100000.
Thus while many are making for
tune here, many cannot content them
selves in one place long enough to
make it pay. Some get disheartened
and home sick; some arc too lazy to |