The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-07-05
PIXIES PEAK GOLD MIN rs

tionai democratic party.-fNew York Herld.
PIXIES PEAK GOLD MINES.
| Late and Authentic Accounts
Correspondence Of the Boston Journal.
/ GREGoRY's DleGINos, Rocky Mountains,
Thursday, June q 50. !
CROSSING rHs RIVER.
i On Tuesday morning, In company with
Mr.. Greedy and several other gentlemen, |
left Denver City for this region, forty niles
defiant northwest Our conveyance was one
Of the Concord coaches of the Express Com
pany The South Platte, which we crossed
on starting is clear, swift stream, some
200 feet wide 1t is ordinarily fordable, but
the melting mountain SHOWS render 1t inn
passable in spring and early summer. Some
enterprising individual has stretched q rope
across it, attached to which little ferry boat,
that will hold but one wagon. passes to and
fro, propelled by the current. A caravan
of emigrant wagons, aquarter ola mile IN
length, were waiting their turns to cross At
B., SO each. The boat and fixture may have
cost 5000; two men run it, and its daily re.
ceipts are from $3.50 too 400. the proprie-
tor enjoys monopoly and certainly has
the richest lead in the whole gold region.
VALLEY OF THE PLATTE.
/ Crossing q narrow strip OF cottonwo God
timber and sandy SOIL we came upon the
smooth, prairie valley Of the Plntte, and fol.
| lowed it several miles. The soil, though
somewhat sandy, produced fine grass, and
has some agricultural capacity. Many farm
in claims are staked out, mainly by spec
ulators, and few gardens commenced. In
two or three places some blowing has been
DONE Wheat oats and potatoes may be pro.
duced; but corn viii hardly thrive where
there are frosts every month in the year
unless the new species raised in Oregon,
| which encloscs each kernel in a separate
husk, shall prove equal to the hard task
Many ranches are established, where the
cattle and horses of the miners There being
no good grass on the mountains) are kept
at from 81 to 81 ,5Oper month. Watched by
the herders, they grace by day, and are cor
raled* at night Some of the ranches con-
tain several hundred CATTLE and arc quite
profitable The raDcherors, or keepers, live
in tents. Only three or four houses are com
menced en- the route, though two embryotic
/ cities are staked-on paper. New countries
generate town sseculators as naturally as
dog days bring mosquitoes.
ASCENDING THE MOUNTAINS.
Almost from the start, the mountains had
seemed within stones throw and the
snow range, sixty miles away, appeared
within an hour walk After II miles travel
we were among the spurs. Table Mountain,
plateau surmounted by stone walls, so reg
.uiar as to appear artificial, rose six hundred
feet on our right, willie the main range
lowered to thrice that hight on the left
Clear Creek ID miles) could not be crossed
by the coach so we left it, and packing d
few indispensables upon our mules, mounted
them and went on. The clear cold mountain
stream, some Az yards wide, has a very swift
current, which our mules could barely stem
" bile they were staggering through it,
dripping Us in cold water to the knees, a
hundred or more of the emIgrants, from
either bank, gave three rousing cheers for
Horace Greedy Like most editors. he is used
to being in hot water; but in this wintry
bath he did not respond to the compliment
The road was literally covered with emf
grants, and hundreds were camping in the
valley, waiting to hear from the companies
who had gone on to prospect At the foot
OF the mountain, an appalling hill almost
precipice, more than a mile in length-rose
before us. The roof of an ordinary cottage
would almost seem an easy grade to it. That
any animal less agile than mountain goat
could climb it, appeared incredible but a
road only five weeks old, yet beaten like
turnpike, led directly to the summt and
far ur, men, horses, mules and oxen, were
ciimbing-pigmies upon Alps We dis
mounted and commenced The weary ascent
Mr. G.--lame from his recent accident-was
unable to walk; SO his mule was cen COM
t3nl 49, I A
after some hesitation and resistance, finally
accepted his fate, and climbed away like
eat upon liberty pole. Polion upon Ossa
on reduced scale After witnessing ii, l
am hardly prepared to deny the old theory,
that the earth rests upon the back Of a pa
tient turtle Six yoke of oxen, with n light
cart, could barely draw up 500 pouads.-
Many teams which we met coming down had
great pine trees attached to their wagons as
brakes
AMONG THE PEAKS.
After toiling an hour and a half we reach- |
ed the summit Far below US on the top of |
table Mountain, a little lake cleaned in the |
morning sunlight Beyond, at the foot of |
the mountains, were the pigInies again the
valley OF the Platte stretched far away, a |
beautiful panorama-dotted with Lilliputi. |
ans, hills, and a strip Of dark timber along |
the river Before Us were mountains piled on /
mountains. few were covered with |
grass others were walls and peaks Of bare |
rocks
"Bald old heads of nature"
while upon the most, rose the coniferal- |
pine, fir, spruce and hemlock straight and |
pointed arrows For hundreds OF acres
there was often but desolation--m many Of |
the trees eyeIed to the earth BY hurricanes |
and the backened trunks Of others, branch |
less, showing the track Of wide spreading |
fires. Though the bark Of the larger trees |
(often very tall, and two feet in diameter) |
had yeliovish tinge, the pitch pine is the |
only variety. The aspen--c closely resembling |
the cottonwood-was frequently seen among |
the slopes; its leaves quivering when we |
could not detect the least stir in the air.
The formation was granite, containing a |
great deal OIL mica, some quartz and cong!nm
crate rock A few. flowers of remarkably |
pure and clear colors nestled among the |
rocks A new made grave by TIE roadside
marked the resting place of young emf
grant Killed by the accidental discharge Of a |
pistol Numerous casualties from the care
less use OF firearms have occurred among
the emigrants within the last two weeks
Above, .around and bc.ow us, much sof the
mountain scenery was grand and the snow
range, in its mantle of white, was so hsh a. |
to leave in view no peaks beyoni Our road
was such as man would travel for nothing
but goid-lending us up and down the steep
sides OF mountains; across swift cold monn.
tain streams, over beds 81 jagee ed rocks. and
along narrow canons,f from which it would
again abruptly turn up PERCEPTIONS hills
Atnoon our weary animals were turned loose
for an hour, in little valley and our own
repast Of bread ham and antelope meat,
was disposed Of with relish which
only travellers know. During the
whole day we were passing many emigrants
with every description OF mules and pack
animals. Several old and familiar acouain
tances whom met was utterly unable to
until they toll their nauana. liz