Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-03-09
THE "GOLD DIGGINs."
Here is something taken from the Shclbys-
vile Patriot, on the gold mines
D..

Here is something taken from the Shclbys-
willie Patriot, on the gold mines -
PIkE's PEAK, Nov. IS, 1868.
Mr.. Editor Me and my wife left the OLD
Sucker State on the first of last September,
and arrived here on Pixies Peak on the 17tls
of the same month, being just IL days on tho
road. Short trip, say you. But the route tra-
yelled was not by the Arkansas, neither that
of the Platte, but just midway between the
two, uniting the advantages of each, without
the drawbacks of either. The route was new
er travelled till me and my wife passed along;
il iuIns neither to the right nor TO the left, but
goes straight along, right to the mines, aud
furnishes an abundance Of grass, wood and wa
ter; nutritious is the grass that when me
and my wife got here our cattle were ssbutter
fat" At the urgent request of the halt starg
ed miners, me and my wife killed them and
sold the shanks at thirty three and one-eghth
cents per pound the fieshy pieces We snapped
for gold nuggets pound for pound. But aint
rich Tell all your folks to come my
route; no difficulty in finding it, as me and
my wife took pains TO blaze all the trees. We
think of putting up toIl-pole my wife can
tend it while 1 work in the mines: There is
truth in all the exaggerated accounts about
gold just now my youngest child a year
ling) brings in shirt tail full of very rich dirt
which my wife will wash and send yon tho
yield. l supply me and my wife with meat by
my gun. Buffalo. bear, deer and antelope arc
in abundance yesterday / killed an antelope
$50 yards. y gun will kill further here than
any place l ever saw. Strange as it may APP
pear, right on the peak and close 10 our house
is little lake filed with honey a few yards
from this is gushing spring of pure MILK
There is a peculiar species of tree here. tho
fruit OF which is better than the best buck
wheat cakes you ever saw. Ny wife thinks
she has discovered indications of soap mine
Tom Trousers has discovered 4 rosin mine
and Joe Boottee is making preparations to
manufacture turpentine. The boys are all do
ing well; l have 90 or 100 pounds of gold
which l intend sending back to my wife's poor
relations the first express. Sickness and sor-
row, pain and death strangers here. When
me and my wife left Punkn Hollow, in llli-
nois, she was poor, little, scrawny, wasp
waist creature, weighing 50 pounds; now she
weighs 240, and looks like a huge moIasscs
hogshcad, only when she wears hoops-and
then and then. The color of my wi.e's skin
has changed to deep yellow; some peculiar
property of the atmosphere communicates
this shade to the cuticle. This is taken as an
indication of the abundance of gold.
Ny wife stops me to say the shirt tail Of
earth was not very rich, only making SIS 80
cents, mills and fraction over. NV wfic
sends her respects to you, and says you must
send the Patriot to the Peak. My second boy
just brought in the point of two edged sword
doubtless the one that guarded the garden OF
Eden. There is an old Indian here who saws
he well remembers Noah and the ark. Ny
twelve sons are all hearty, and my two dangIl-
tiers are fine looking girls. Farewell.
AMARIAH BLLDAD, AND HIS WIFE
We Judge there is about as much truth ia
this burlesqne as in many of the accounts that
are written in sober earnest.