The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-11

airy, and we arrived here yesterday. Ny
wife stood the journey frst-rate, but my
FIVE oldest boys were nearly tired out when
they reached here Jane, the little sis, is
as happy rs q lark. and SAYS, " tiss uncle
George for me. God bless her sweet heart.
We had all the hardships in the world be-
fore We got here We lost our horses at
Dubnque-they were stolen from ns We
got some oxen. and lost them one hundred
miles from Omaha We then tried wheel
harrows, NV Wife and me wheeling by turns
till the Indians stole our harrows Then
We walked, till the Indians stole our pro-
AiSions, aad my family got sick, so had te
carry them all on my back Our money
gave out long before. and for TWO weeks We
travelled through "A wilderness where the
foot OF a human being had never trod, in
this condition, seeing no living being, and
without money TO purchase .syeR a cracker
at any Of the groceries along the line. We
lived on roots till my children all looked
like pigs from roofing so long. and have
carried my family on my back till am so
round shouldered that | can only see the
blue sky and bright suu by looking between
my legs and mp TO heavens panoply that
way. lost two hundred pounds of flesh
horse meat-when we started from Dubuque.
or we should have got along better.
| read i'm the Milwaukee Ners that Pixies
Peak was a humbug. But il amt, and the
AeVs knows il as well as do. We got
here in the morning. after walking all night,
and though We are now twenty-four hours
in the country. are not well of, but have
good prospect.
There is gold here-lotS of il. The gopherS
dig il out OF the ground 10y the bushel and
in the moonlight the whole earth for miles
around looks like heaven with its myriad
stars, or like pretty girl with yellow freck-
les. The wOodchncks dig out bushels and
bushels of it, and the snakes in this country
look like solid gold ones, from crawling
among gold chunks. ID is found in all-sized
pieces, from the size OF hens egg up to
the bigneSs of large stone, and of the finest
quality. We have raked together hat lay
loose on an acre of ground, and have twenty
two piles about as big as large sized hay
stack. Last night two hundred Indians
came 10 rob us of n set of silver spoons, and
n fine comb my wife had to use on the
children, and we barricaded our house with
rocks of gold till they could not gain admit
tance, and were forced TO beg TO make friends
withus The chief laid down his weapons
and came into our camp, when my wife
used the fine comb on his head till his graft
tnde was us lively "a his head was, and he
was so tickled that he offered to marry my
wife, and show me where gold was in plenty.
j loved my wife, you know that, George,
bat thinking thai might die before ! got
rich, and feeling that | must make some
property to leave NV children, | consented
TO the match, and she has gone of with the
Indian, who is great chief, and taken the
fine comb with her Come out with your
wife, and bring tine comb. brother George.
am going to leave these diggings for bet
teI one. IL is too much trouble to ting and
pry up the great big chunks of gold that
weigh hall ton or So. and are So thick Won
cannot get them out withou, danger of
breaking your legs, and am going mp to
ravine, where all | have to do IS to 90 TO
the top of a high mountain and roll Il down
To the river.
The country here is fine, but the winds
are awful. My boys got so light with eat
ing roots that can only keep them by me,
or together, by piling Jumps OF gold, abont
as big as mallets, on their slIirt tails, ss the
little innoeents sit down on the grass 10
play, Everything grows here. can raise
twenty bushels of wheat 20 the acre.
Oranges, Lemons, and all such colored fruits.
grow wild here while MELONS, pears,
apples, peaches aud apple dumplings are so
plenty that they find no market.
Sell of what stuf' you have in Wisconsin
and come 0nt here. Yon can get riclr in a
little while, ana go back in snch style that
i, will aStonish the natives.
Give my love 10 all the folks around the
corners and put a notice on the school-houSe
that they eau get an outfit in Chicago for
H2O0 Come ont here, dear brother by all
means Yours. affertionately,
JOHN SMITH.