The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-03-10
Gold and HuasbUg.

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rff sgr Gold and HunsbuE. a,rps 2,
Man is a very strange, restless and excita
bic creature MN is easily hlnbuysai. Ey'
er dissatisiial with his present coalition, b.
eagerly grasps dalusiyo paantolns, often
dropping things of real substance and value
t, snatch passing bubble. We say tina:
men are easily humbugged, and the history
Of the past AMI passing events OF the present
| will declare that we have said truly. When
we read of the foolish Ponce de Leon trudg-
ing for many weary days through an uugod
wilderness, in the vain hope Of finding a
fountain whose waters would impart perpet-
ual vigor and youth, we can hardly credit
such strange infatuation, and conclude that
Ponce de Leon mnst have been great fool,
as he certainly was. Bat he was not a
greater fool than many Of the celonists OF
Virginia, who, having discovered gittering
substance in the soil, which their itnagina-
tions soon converted into gold, instantly
dropped their pruning hooks aaa iefi theit
plows, deserted their forges and their corn
| i.lds, t, dig-a, they thought--Gold To
tear out the bowels of the earth, and to
load ships witll-worthless dirt These
men were humbiysed, and most ksenly did
they feel the result Of their foolishness in the
starvation and suffering that ensued.
Long otter this, on the 10th of January,
1913, a little more than eleven years ago
gold was discovered at Sutor's Mills, Calfor-
MA The hurry -burly and fevcrisa excite
ment that swept like wilaire ever the whole
civilized world in consequence of this dis.
coVery, We need not hAre recall. Bat this
time real, genuine, glittsriny gold hal been
found, and yet how few realized their golden
expectations How many men who nigh;
have lived in happiness and ease by remain.
| ing al home, in a thou5htless moment squan-
derel ths earnings of years and forever ru-
ined their fortunes in this new found land o:
milk and honey. How many brave hearts
| fell the willing victims Of the California hum,
bug; how many fond wives were left wild
ows, how many helpless children fatherless
There was gold in California. there is gold
there now. But who will say that there was
not more humbug than gold.
| Still later than this, misohieyous boy, te
indulge il his "cu>se,lness." scattered some
brass-hliags on the ground in the vicinity Of
i'okerssiie, our ncigAborins metropolis, and
.isa SIT ~ tn, cry of Gold! g,ld! gold T.
There WAS hut one person benefited by this
discovery, and that was the man who fer.
riei the fools across the river.
There is now another EIdorado. Pixies
Peak is now the prevailing humbug. There
il number of men in this county who say
they are gslng 10 the mines. They think
there is q cna,ice'there to a,nass an eycrlast
ing fortune in sin gle year. Do these mer
ever consider that they may be better oil
here than there? Times are hard in Iowa
50 they are everywhere else. -
But there is gold at Pixies Peak-at leas
we've heard so-we have seen none oft vet
rs, is there gold in Van Buren, county. W,
have seen it. We have seen it in the brigh
waving fields of wheat and the rich yellow
corn. Let the mines alone-qut talking
about digging for gold and 60 to growing it
We assure you it is the safest plan. Do ne
allow yourself to be humbugged in yonr ca
gsrness to yet rich. Remember that 'slov
and steady wins the race" and don't foraa
to "Look before you leap.n--Dss Loiae
1Neaas. a q. .d ssf ss1 aa.t 10