The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-04-14
Pixies Peak.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.
AURORA, X. T., Feb. IA, 1859.

AURORA, X. T., Feb. IA, 1859.
After wearisome d ay's toll and walk
of miles down the Platte River, sit
down on three-legged stool at pine
board for a table to write you my first
letter. | arrived here on the 18th Of
November, after a moDotonous trip of As
days from Kansas City, across uniDterrup-
ted prairie. On my arrival, | found
fast population engaged in building log
cabins and telling great gold stories. l
thought them mostly hunbug until lately.
agreeing with Frenchman here, who
told me there was "Do water, no gold. no
wood but cotton wood, no, nothing good. >
| have spent month prospecting, and
reached the same conclusion. We could
find gold. but not enough to pay. Men
may write about SIS orS30 per day the
fact is. that this is done only after two or
three days preparation. But few men
are pretending to do a regular mining
business. They can work "sluices' or
"long toms" but two or three hours day,
and SO they use rockers, with which they
can average only from 81 to S. per day
The greatest days work yet has been by
three Georgiaus. who washed out 49 pen.
Dyweights and 8 grains in one day with
a rocker. Shot gold has been discover
ed on ST. Frain's Greek, and worked e.
nough to show that men can make from
$40 to $50 per day, each man. with long
toms and sluices. Here the dirt pays
from near the surface to the bed rock. =
There are now more than a hundred men
prospecting and mining here. Old Cali
fornians say that there is nothing yet to
compare with California, but that they
expect in the Spring to 6nd the source
from which this fine gold has come
There are about 1000 men now in this
vicinity; here and in Denver City, across
Cherry Greek there are about 400 log
cabins, built and being built. The Indi-
ans are friendly. We have had no snow
of any account. and the climate is delight
full. Excepting the bottoms, the land
will require irrigation. Groceries and
provisions are about for times as dear as
ir the States. Flour is selling at 5 cents
a pound; corn meal, 10; coffee, so; sugar
SO; bacon, 40; beef, 20; venison, 8 to 10;
beans, SO per bush; molasscs, S4 per
gall; whisky, SO per gall. Mr. S. S. Cur.
tis, by whom | send this, has just receiv
ed the appointment Of Postma aster here,
though We have no news of any mail route
being established to any point nearer than
Laramie. Lots here will sell as high as
$3.50, with cabins from 5000 to $500.
An extra of The Omaha NebraSIaan
contains letter from Mr.. S. S. Curtis
rroborating the above He also says
"Where water can be obtained to run
sluices, feel confident that from Ss to
$50 can be made. Gold has been found
on Cherry Greek, Dry Creek, Platte Riv-
er, Vasquer's Fork. Thompson Fork, San
Vriau's Fork, Cache lie Pondre, and the
Boiling Springs. believe that the best
diggings now known lie on the first four
,f the above named streams. They are
all of them branches of the South Platte,
except the Boiling Springs. which empties
INTO the Arkansas. Shot gold has been
found in small PARTICLES Oh San Vri.n's
Fork, and that is, believe, the only
place where it has been found in that
,ountry. | have heard of no gold quartz
'eing found, and think that. up to the
late Of my leaving, none had been discov-
red. / do not know single California
miner who thinks of returning at present,
md but very few who are at all dissatis. t
led, and even they will wait to prospect {
n the mountains. Wages for labor was
% at the time left. and plenty work to I
10. was twenty-tbree aud half days a
oming from the Table Mountain diggngs,
n Vasquer's Fork. OF this time, I laid
p d days on account of storms, and for h
grest part ofthe way the roads were in
cry bad condition. believe this to be !;
be nearest point on the Missouri River =
, the mines, and it is SO regarded there :
he road following as it does, the great
'latte Valley, cannot be surpassed, and
is already supplied with settlements, to
ie government crossing of the South
latte, $50 miles from this place, | had u
difficulty in crossing any Of the streams r
pom this route, save Prairie Creek, which :
other times, | have jumped across, and y
pom this. the Military Road bridge.
hioh was destroyed last year will be re-
lilt in few days BY the oitissns of Co. /
mbus and vicinity There is a good 81
rry over the LouD Fork AZ Col,nh.s