The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-04-02
The Gold Mania.

dozen of travel worn and mud be-spatteI>
ed teams on their way to Pixies Peak
Not only in this region, but all the way
through Iowa and even beyond, all ac-
counts represent the roads as lined with
these teams toiling theirweaIy way through
mud and mirc of fobulous depth and per-
picking adhesiveness.
From Kansas City, Leatcnworth, and
other towns on the Missouri river, all the
accounts agree in representing the rush as
fully equal to the great California cmlgra-
ton in 1912 BY wagons overland, on
horseback and on foot, and by every steam
boa. ,ip the river, the cry is still they come
Hoosicrs Suckers, Corn crackers Buck
eyes. Red-horscs, Arabs and Egyptians
some with OK wagons some with mules.
but the greatest number Oh foot with their
knapSacks and old-fasllioned rifles and
shot-guns; some with their long-tailed
blues. Others in jeans and bob-tailed jock
cys: i'll their rounriabouts. slouched hats
caps and sacks There are a few hand
carts i'll the crowd. They form themselves
into companies of ten. twenty and a. high
a forty-five men have marched out, two
and-two. with captain and clerk, eight
men tn Il iiandcart divided into four reliefs
two at Il time pulling the cart, which con
taIns all the provisions, camp-equipmcnts,
worilin.-tools, ct cetera for the eight per-
sOns thus arranged Onward they move.
Ill solemn order, day after day, Old and
yong tall and slender, short and fat hand
some and ugly. the strong and the weak
the red-iaced rum bruiser and the lean.
l.nk Jonathan. with grilnmage sour sui
ding among saints and sinners, heads Up
and stiff upper lips. march forward rs
Lords of CREATION and seeming mon
arch~ of all they survey"
Our readers viii bear witness that we
have been more than ordinarily cautious
IN publishing accounts from the new gold
regions, aiming always rather to give the
darker than the brighter side of the pic
turc- Knowing well that the many par
ties along the Missouri river who are inter
"-ted in getting up /; large emigration to
Pixies Peak We're busted i'll publishing a.
broad the most exaggerated and exciting
accounts, we have AHMED rather 10 danpcn
than add fuel to the flame they were so
recklessly enkindling We have thus the
consciousness Of being abSOlvcd from any
share Of the blame for that uncomfortable
amount Of suffering that surely will befall
many thousands of these emicrants. not
only IN their movement across the plains.
but in the Fl Dorado to which they are
pressing The notes Of this suffering AREA
dy reach our ears, and there will be plenty
NOR" before the end of the season. \ Kan
SIS City paper announces the arrival Of .
Mr. Machett at that place fran Fort Lara
ME. and says:
Mr.. Machett met the first party Of gold
hunters a, @ Fa!lon Bluffs. conSistin. of 4
party from Iowa, with saw mill He also
met foot parties and hand carts 1T several
points this side
lie was overtakou hy several severe snow
storms. which he thinks must have proved
disastrous to iootmcn. and he cannot see
how many could have avoided feri<lIing
- they Were poorly supplied with blankets
and provisions. He advises no one TO
or four weeks Yet. as they cannot find
Grass for their stocl, for a month to come.
Doubtless, II rTits CAUTION Is needed. not
10 start too early, much suffering by the
way may be avoided: hut viii that be the
end of the business? When once safely
~ the mines. will the case of the mas of
the emigrants be any better? Is there
any adequate supply of provisions in the
country 10 meet the demands OF the cnol-
lnou, emigration pressing to it; and if
there i, VIII the emig.ants have the
means 10 buy the needed food and raj
ment? This viii depend upon the Weld
OF the mines. and what are the ce.tainties J
about that?
II Is somewhat singular hat. although it !
Is now nearly Year since We first heard of |
these auriferou> deposits at Pixies Peak. |
scarcely anything to a certainty is Vet .
known about them. Few Vet have done !
any digging. and those that have. the
highest Weld per day is seldom put above
ten dollars, while The reports generally put
II" average at from two t. eight dollars.
Let give a few extracts on this point
from what are called favorable reports from
Pixies Peak:
Mayor Brooktic!d writes to the Nrhras-
"a City News, from Cherry Creek Feb II
Perhaps before / send this we VIII get
OH Ion tlong) to work, 50 that | can in /
form you as 10 what we can make per ,lav /
One OF our companies. after o,l>ing two |
days. brought their proceeds to me to
weigh thls morning. 1t weighed Il trihe !
oyer over an ounce (S2o) | think their
ln;ciiliAe wastes good deal
Mr.. u. NJ Wooiey. writes 10 his wife I'M !
der date of January 23d. 1879. as follows:
| have been out III the Rocky Noun !
i'th7 twelve days. prospecting We have
found where we can make from two to
five dollars per day. | am going outasain
this week. 10 work.
Mr. John B. Hall writes to the same |
paper:
We think then that the mines we have |
here now Will pay from four to five dollars |
pr day, and from what prospecting we !
h We done III the mountains ws think we !
VIII find something better III the spring: |
n there Is too much snow there now, we
can I prospect them thoroughly
These are published as highly favora-
bic reports in the Nebraskapa papers Very
few reports are more favorable than these
Now this IS not the sort of news that
was received from California in ISL? In
looking over our files Il few days ago we
We notice that SIC day was about the
lowest n@ure per day, while most of the |
miners were said to be taking out from
so to 500 a day, Yet how greatly, in re-
ality. were these figures above the trp,b
And il, with such promises to lure .,o;-
grants to California in 1919, not one of /
three i'll the thousands who wen, oo