The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-04-20
Correspondence of the N. Y. Evening Post.)
Pixies Peak Pinchbeck.
SUMNER. Kansas. March 25. 1859

northern portion of the territory has Civ
en- me an opportunity of observing the
character and vast extent of the emigra-
tion to the gold fields of the West. The
Pixies Peak fever is in an epidemic of
the most malignant and aggravated type,
and will take its place in the yearbook as
par ercellen:e, tie swiDdle of 1859.
There is recklessness, an infatuation, an
ignorance, about the movements of tho
larger portion of the gold seekers, which
seems to be the result of frenzy and prophe-
tic of ruin. All the river towns, from St.
Joseph to Kansas City, are full of eager,
excited crowds, bound for the mines. The
trains and steamers are thronged. and
these are but the vanguard of the great
army whose sounds of preparations comes
to US from the states and territories along
the frontier. The majority of the em-
grants are poor-in many cases landing
upon the levee without dime to purchase
bread. Their ideas of the locality of the
mines are dangerous. Inquiry is frequent
ly made whether Pixies Peak cannot be
reached in few hours walk and labor.
ing under this impression, they start off
on foot with small pack for the long
and perilous journey across the plains"
The roads are already populous with
trains. Some Of the wiser ones have teams
OF mules or oxen, with large wa gons clum-
silly made the canvass covered. containing
camp and cooking equipage and the SIM
pier necessities of life. These will get
along very comfortably after the grass has
started sufficiently to forage for the cattle
The season is mild, and the herbage quite
green on southern slopes and in sheltered
places, but those who have had experience
say that it is unsafe to start before the
25th of April, and predict great suffering
and loss of life. The most popular me-
thod of travelling is with small, two
wheeled hand-carts, drawn and pushed by
parties of four. The cart contains their
scanty store of provisions and implements
for mining, which they drag from fifteen
to twenty miles per day. 1 met at least
sixty persons short time since. in the
course OF an hours ride along the military
road, travelling on their way, and all
bound for the Peak !" There would be
kind of insanity in such an expedition,
even in midsummer, when the roads are
perfect. the streams low and warm, the
grass abundant and the atmosphere mild
and dry but now, with muddy ways, i'm
petuous, cold streams to be waded, and at
least six weeks of uncertain weather, with
harsh storms of sleet and rain, it is no less
than madness. The condition of those
who 90 with barrows and knapsacks will
be yet more deplorable, and though the
impulse which urges them westward is ir-
resstible, observe in nearly all kind
| of painful eagerness to learn the truth of
the matter; and illconcealed suspicion
that the worst is to come, and the cruel
farce of Frazer River to be reenacted at
the base Of the Rocky Mountain. The
needs and condition of success are totally
Inexperienced, and the sharpers that
throng our river and frontier are practis-
ing every species of knavery upon the
poor dupes Of their gigantic humbug. 1t
is quite amusing to see the parties moving
laboriously over the praries armed with
all kinds of offensive weapons, even to the
women and children, and every person
wearing huge pair of green goggles, as
it they were to traverse the desert of Sa-
hara and be exposed to the attacks of
Bedouins at every step, instead of the
grassy, unpeopled waste of six hundred
miles that intervenes between the Missouri
and Cherry creek.
There are already twenty towns start
ed in that region, and early summer will
undoubtedly inaugurate system Of gam
bling in corner lots more furious and reck-
less than any yet witnessed. They will
be entirely worthless, for none of the lana
has yet been surveyed, and of course no
title can pass to purchasers.
The reports are already very dubious
and conflicting. The drivers OF the Salt
Lake trains say that they passed large
numbers returning, in state of the great
est dostitution and disappointment, after
winters experience at the mines. Gold
everywhere, they say, but not in quanti-
ties to make labor remunerative with pro-
visions at present prices On the other
hand come rumors of rich depostes, shot
gold nugget ore. and hundreds Of dollars
as the result OF weeks work. | have
seen large number who returned during
the winter to make preparations to return
l =. Al Il II