The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-19
RIM ROUTES 10 rms ooLD asepEs.


10 dc EEos " hs tssioa;
When a witness Is called 10 the stand or volunteers
his tstiwlay u Is proper for him 70 tell the whole
read an article from Mr.. j. q. Mccoy Ina the Union upon
The route 70 Fixes Peak and 20 ANY person who does
not wish 10 einigate 10 that newly discovered mining To-
gion, that article contains very satisfactory information
regards roads and the Prcticahy OF routes but to
the peTson who expects 10 travel the plains Al AR
Mccoy has done, the information docs nod extend .r
enough He after mentioning that tho oniy practicable
routes twotlc Old Santa Re and Blg Platte trails
stops short of his description of the latter and goes on 10
enumeate the advantages Of the Santa Re route over the
Smoky IIill and Republican Fork route which accord
ing 70 his showing, is road an aud never can
be Therefore, say that Mr Mccoy has told the truth
bat not the whole truth.
Therefore assuming that Mr. Mccoy Is correct as 20
his SAINTS Ne road. and that il is much better than no
rs.al and better than route where no road can be
made will having travelled up the Big Platte non, its
mouth 10 where lis south fork pouIs OF the noun
tns, AMI To the points where the settlements made
and persons locating themselves for the purpose OF
collecting gold spring opens endeavor to give
impartial and correct description Of the Big Platte road
And TO begin viii say that you nearer The presen
discovered dggngs at the mouth of the Platte river than
at any point the Missouri they being located from so
TO l25 miles north OF Fixes Peak instead of at its i'm
mediate base and that the dividing ridge between the
Platte and Arkansas riyers has to he crossed by persons
going up the Santa Fe road before they reach any dggns
yet discovered that pay; and from the many times that
Mr. McCey has travelled that ridge presume he
can inform the engmnt with what labor this part OF the
journey Is made better than / But let nae
say that from the mouth OF the Big Platte
via Fort hesrney a. the mountains up the South
Fork, there Is not single obstruction TO prevent
the hauling ly span OF horses, of load of
hdf wogh, Aud before the road WAS marked out or
5roke ALL from the point where the Utah and Oregon
elled the whole distance from the mouth of the Platte TO
the dggings in Is days, with heavy loads with but
horses 90 each wagon and without doubling teams in
single instance Not slough or marsh and what is
mil
mouth Of the Platte only two very small have
to be crossed, either of which good Kentucky racer will
leap with And the whole distance is made
smooth, solid road well beaten with scarce hill
obstruction OF any kind plenty OF good grass an
abundance OF water from the Platte, and wood for fuel
except about 1850 miles.
AS 10 the means Of getting to the point have men
toned for out starting, they numerous In starting
from St Louis you go by steamboat the whole distance
From Chicago you have the Chicago Darlington and
Quincy railroad aud tine Hannibal and St Joseph rail-
road, and the boats from st Joseph and the Huring
ton and Miss ,ur River railroad to Oumwa Iowa and
stage daily from Otumwa direct to the mouth OF the
Platte, There many Of public convey
WHICH space forbis MENTION having already
extended this article too long.
Ia saying that from the mouth Of the Platte is the nearest
point the Missouri to the mines, to be under
stood that Is much the nearest travelled and practical
BILE route; for have already said To my Leayenworih
friends that if they could make road up the Republican
on the Smoky Hill or SooInons Fork, 10 run
directly those streams would Indicate road
might be made they would secure the shortest and
direct route But since my friend, Mr.. Mccoy by his
long experience the plains entitled to credit it APP
pears that my position is correct, and that the Leayen
worth and st Joseph, and all the out starting points
make the Platte river their route TO the mines
they all into road, either at Fort Rear
ney east of that point
And since the Santa Fe trail Is a good one and the
that will always be the road to Santa ~. it does not
prove that you must necessarily go to Santa Fe,
Taos, 20 Pixies Peak, to get TO the gold mines
IS
country known Cherry Greek.
III J. GRAHAM