The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-01-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
The New Gold Region.

Several gentlemen who were members
of the company which started last
Spring from Lawrence, Kansas, on a
prospecting tour into the country abou.
AID give, through the Courier, Of that
city, an account of their trip. After
prospecting in the neighborhood of
Pixies Peak few weeks, they took a
trip down into New Mexico. going as
far as Fort Massachusetts,, distance of
s95 miles. We publish portion of
their account:
"Messrs. French and Dickson con-
firm the reports heretofore made, that
the principal paying diggings yet de-
veloped are to the north of Pixies Peak
about sixty or seventy miles, in the vi
cinity of Cherry Greek and South Platte
river. They also confirm the reports
that in the immediate vicinity Of the
Peak the yield of gold is not large. and
say, indeed, that it is less than at Fort
Massachusetts,. 225 miles south. The
Cherry Creek diggings are about 40 or
SO miles in length, north and south. and
extends westward into the mountains an
unknown distance. The gold thus far
taken out consists of the scale or drift
variety. and is said to be about 22 carats
6ne. 1t is generally found at depth
varying from six inches to as many feet
below the surface, in formation com.
posed of quartz aud granite cobble stone,
black-slate, etc., varying in thickness
from 3 or 4 to l2 inches. This drift
yields from ten and twenty cents up to
one dollar per pan. and even in some in
stances as high as three dollars and
hardly pan full can be taken up which
will not yield something. 1t rests upon
strata of hard clay, or upon strata re.
sembling sandstone. Whether depos.
its of gold exist ben oath this. is ques.
ton as yet unsolved. Messrs. French
aud Dickson are Of the opinion that ex.
tensive developments Of quartz gold viii
yet be found in the mountains. and tell
us that they observed many lodges o.
this rock cropping out. They say, and
in shis they also but confirm other re.
reports. that persons may realize from
one to fifteen dollars per day with buI
the ordinary pan for washing-depend'
ing in q great measure upon the indus
try and taste of the miner, and upon The
proximity Of the diggings to water and
declare it their firm conviction that, with
the modern improvements Of long-toms
rockers, ETC., at least from thirty Il
forty dollars per day may be obtained.
"They give as their opinion that, ir
the extent of country which they ex
amined, about one-third Of the gold re
gion is covered with timber. This is
10 great extent. pine. both white ant
yellow. but principally Of the so.callet
Norway variety. There are also grovs'
of cottonwood, and some spruce, box
eldorsdo. etc. In some sections th'
timber is confined to the banks of tn
many streams which find their way dow
from the mountains, while in other psrt'
the great forests of pines. shooting VI
one hundred feet clear of limbs, spreat
out for scores OF miles upon the plains
They report finding but little hard prop
or. the spruce being mostly Of not NOR
than FIVE or six inches through. Their
lie. however, no lack of timber such q
it is. and the pine atains very larg
siSe.
"Watsr cousses are abundant; and
in the spring and early summer months
are mostly full of soft water. As au
tumn approaches many of the stream
become greatly reduced in volume, an
some Of them entirely disappear, lea,
ing their beds dry. These, however
evidently but take an underground char
mel; /; for. by digging down from one
five o, six feet. they are usually found