The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-06-06
Indiana Pixies Peakers.

There are many saddened and sober Pixies
Peakers who left the State with excited
hopes in March, returning, with all their
means exhausted, TO begin life anew Mr..
A. G. Norman has got back to Sullivan
county, and gives the Editor Of the Sullivan
Democrat sad account of his trials
We left home, with q company of four
others, on the 23d of March last, and arrived
in the vicinity of Fort Kearney abou! the
10th of May. They shipped their wagons
by river from St. Louis to St. Joseph. On
arriving there, the first man Mr. \. met vas
James W. Bond, formerly of this county,
who had buncombe letter written for
publication in regard to the beauties and
richness of the Peak, and the advantages of
Nebraska City as starting point He urged
Mr.. y. to go on up the river to Nebraska
City to buy his outfits, and showed him a
hat full of bogus letters from citizens of that
place, who gave the usual fav orabe reports,
among others that famous letter from the
Nebraska City Mayor, which has obtained
such an extensive circulation in the papers.
The company halted in the vicinity of
Fort Kearney. 4 week previous to stop
ping they commenced meeting returning
emigrants bringing unfayorable reports but
refused to believe them, supposing they were
lazy fellows who had not courage TO endure
the hard.hips of the trip. Each day, how
ever, the returning tide increased in volume,
and the pitiable, starving condition of the
deluded victims told a tale not to be mis-
taken. Gradually their golden dreams of
wealth faded, as countless numbers of half
starved wretches passed by, all telling the
same tale of disappointment and suffering,
until the conviction forced itself on them
that they had been cruelty deceived, and
they reluctantly concluded to turn back
DR.. Norman says tina, the excessive suffer
ing is beyond Fit. Kearney. The returning
men there meet the spring emigration, and
their sufierings are relieved. He cheerfully
fed a number of half-famished creatures. Ii
would be impossible, he says, for train Of
wagons with provisions to 20 from the
Fort to the mines the disappointed, hun
CRY men to be hourly met would strip il in
quick time Starvation is staring those in
the mines full in the face. Many were offer
ing TO work for one mea! day, but could
get no employment at that. lie could not
hear OF man making twenty-five cents n
to live. lie confirms the report ofthe shoot
ing of postmaster named Bassett for tam
periug with letters-saw the man who shot
him.
Men who were quiet peaceable, and gen
| tlemanly, at home, he says, have thrown
off all restraints, and become wild despera-
does. He learned, on good authority, that
hundreds had signed an agreement to burn
and destroy the border towns whence had
emanated the fictitious reports of the great
! yield of gold. No idea can be formed of
the immense number congregated on the
! plains-as far as the eye could reach were
| to be seen the string of trains; the great
mass vending their way homeward, spirit
| less and detected Some few were pressing
onward with the intention Of going 20 Cali
| forna
The ferry owners on the streams along
the route have been reaping rich harvest.
! They charge two dollars for ferrying u
wagon and team, and from that up to four
| dollars for four yokes of oxen and a wagon.
( This eXorbiant price they paid pretty
cheerfully going out, but it was bitter pill
on their return. Mr. n says he saw one
fcrryman make about a hundred dollars
in the course ofan honrl
The emigrants, without exception, are
now fully satisfied that Pixies Peak is "a
stupendous humbug, which has produced
an incslculable amount of mischief and suf-
fering.