The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-05-26
Pike Peakers Returning.


testimony that that golden hunbug, under
the influence of which 10000 more or less
Of our too credulous countrymen have been
allured from their homes and led a wild goose
chase across half the continent, in pursuit of
the dust that perisheth, has busted. For
days past small companies of Pixies Peakers
have been passing through our streets headed
eastward, the numbers increasing each sue
ceeding day, from which fact, and from re-
ports which they all agree in making, there
can be no doubt but that the road from here
to Fort Kearney is now swarming with these
disappointed, discouraged and to great ex-
tent suffering men, YEARLY retracing their
steps back to their homes.
pixies Peak Humbug," was the in
scription on one of several wagons standing
in our streets one morning this week. 1t be-
longed toa company principally from Illinois.
One man in the crowd had been through to
Cherry Greek, the balance had been only a
few miles west of the Des MONIES. We con-
versed some time with the Cherry Creek
man, whose name was Rockwell, from Sum-
nit county, Ohio. He spent some weeks in
the so-called mines, prospecting over pretty
much the whole of the mining region, and
he gave it as the result of his observations
and experience, that the quantity of gold
tn re was insignificant, entirely too much so,
to justify or palate the stories which had been
told about it, and that it is now conceded by
every disinterested person who has been
through, that the whole story was the basest
kind of fabrication. He stated that II, 600
teams, averaging over four persons to- team,
besides multitude of footmen, were on their
way back to their several homes, and that the
country would be full of them for some weeks
to come. The news of threatened vengeance
against prominent letter writers, presses, and
towns on the Missouri, was fully confirmed,
with the additional item that Plattsmouth
had been burned, several stores having been
previously robbed. 500 teams were said to
be within few days drive of this place
The company above mentioned had means to
get home with, and such was supposed to be
the fact with most of the later emigrants :;
but those who had advanced to Fl. Kearney
and beyond, were destitute and generally in
starving condition. Samuel Buchanan from
Abba, reported starved to death on the plains.
Notwithstanding the evidence of this most
fatal delusion which is encountered now at
every turn, and which is increasing the furth-
erwest they 60, there are thousands who will
not believe it, but still persist in pushing, on
towards the Peak This was demonstrated
on Tuesday morning in our streets. Two
companies met at the ferry, one headed east,
the other west; the eastward bound told
their stories to westward bound but were
listened to with stoical indifference by the
latter, who proceeded to cross the ferry, de-
claring that humbug or no humbug they were
bound to see the elephant for themselves.
Since the above was in type, portion of
the company who went from this place have
returned, and report the balance Of the com
pany only few days behind. They went
IS miles beyond Fort Kearney, and were sat
isfied with seeing the buffaloes, without wait
ing to see the elephant! They report the
Wapello boys generally on the return; a
few only have gone to California. John
Oyerman was one of the latter. They rep
resent provisions plenty, and the stories of
burning towns on the Missouri exaggerated.
PERsoNAL-We received a call on Monday