St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-06-09
THE PIXIES PEAK HUMBUG,

The following letter has been re-
ceived by citizen of Chicago, from
his son, who is en- route for the "mines :"
Plattsmouth, n. T., May 18th, 1859.
We arrived here this morning our
teams have not yet crossed the river,
but will this afternoon. There is great
excitement here on account of the
great humbug as they call it. One of
the leading men Of the town is q land
spcculator in the gold mines. On the
day before yesterday he was murdered
by some returning men. There are
hundreds of teams here, most of them
bound for home, but some say they
are bound TO so ahead Our company
are going on rs soon as possible. We
have had some hard times. thought
that could stand it very well, but
find that the best men are getting
homesick and discouraged. The boat
is now loaded, and the bank is covered
with teams bound home. Many Snedr
they will burn the town, as it is these
western towns that caused so much
of an excitement. 1t is awful hard
living even in the States, but we are
going to try it further
k CHAuNcY G. SPMDs.
From the Galona Advertiser, May 2sd
Mr.. Nicholas Schanz, of Beetown,
Wisconsin, arrived here yesterday on
the Henry Clay direct from Cherry
Creek, which place he left on the Goth
of last month. Mr.. 5. is an expe-
r!enced miner, who has worked long
in the lead mines, and who has also
mined in California, and is well quail
fled to judge in regard to the produc-
tiveness of mines. He was in the
Pixies Peak region long enough t.
satisfy himself that there is no geld
there in quantities sufficient to pay for
the trouble of getting it. Nothing
but the mercst specs of scaly golden
substances are found, and very few Of
those. The whole emigration that
had reached the mines, had become
convinced that there was no gold
there, and that the whole thing was
the most stupendous humbug of mod
ern times. Everybody was leaving
there in some direction, the largest
number returning to the States but
many young men, who had good
teams and some money left, were
pushing on to California, and some
were bending their steps to Sonora.
The tOrns which had been repre-
scnted by the spectators as having
| good buildings and accommodations
turned out to be but little clumps OF
mud hots, hardly fit for hog-pens in a
civilized country. As to provisions,
there was the greatest scarcity--ilour
was selling for fifteen doiiars per hun
dred pounds, bacon six bits a pound,
and other things in proportion. Mi.
ming tools, spades, picks, rockers, &c,
were readily exchanged for a meal Of
victuals. Good mules were selling
for ten to fifteen dollars head.
Mr.. Schanz represents the returning
emigration to be in the highest STATE
of exasperation consequent upon the
gross deception practiced upon then
by the getters-up of the humbug il
hlSSOutI, NdliStS iiHu 4NcDTaShd- IuC y
had threatened the destruction Of St
, Joseph, Omaha City and other places
, He says the night he was at st. 10
seph, the town was fred at three sew
eral places and at Omaha and Other
/ towns the citizens mounted guard
: every night to protect their property
e Large numbers were met on their way
to the mines, most of whom turnet
, back when they heard the news, bu
many pushed on, discrcdtipg the dis
couraging accounts, and determined
. to see the Elephant" themselves
From this last class the returning emf
grants received bitter curses for tn,
: information they gave.
A correspondent from Denver City
recounts the most deplorable condi
tion of things on the plains. Emi
, grants are dying of starvation, ant
, others subsisting on prickly pear ane
t wild onions found along the road.
| The stage agent reports picking III
a man named Blue, reduced to skele
! ton from starvation. He started will
, two brothers, when one died, and th'
r remaining two ate his body Anothe
died, and he in turn was nearly dc
3 voured by the surviving brother.
a A man reached the mines in stary
q inc condition. and expresses the opiI