The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-04-02
AuRARIA, SnuTH PLATTE,)
cot TOEn


ifornia and, therefore, is entitled to cre-
dence:
AURARIA, SnuTH PLATTE,)
February 18th. 1859.
MR. JAMES SoMERvILLE Having an
opportunity, by our newly. appointed post
master, Mr.. Samuel E. Curtis, returning
to the States. send you this, my second
letter from here.
Although we are not without hope OF
finding gold in the mountains that may
pay, yet it is my duty to you and our
friends to inform you that the diggings,
so far as know, ioiR not pay; they do not
yield fifty cents per day to the man, with
the best appliances for collecting it In
slaices and about ten cents with cradle.
There have been exceptions to this; some
small patches paved few dollars per
day but they were soon worked out
This gold-6eld is of vast extent along
the foot of these mountains, reaching the
breadth of this Territory; and beyond. II
we can believe reports, the color is found
on every water-course, and on the open
prairie, in many places; but in general is
is so fine and light that it requires much
care to collect, aud much bulk to the
value. A quantity that a company had
been working for week and over, esti-
mated to be nearly an ounce. 1t tweighed
six dollars. Dry it, and cast it on the
water, and part of it will float, like chaii,
for time.
When Isee a stray newspaper from the
States, l find there plenty of gold found
here, and to be found" The writers OF
those are town lot spectators, aud traders,
who rely on the emigration alone to favor
their schemes.
At present there are supposed to be SIX
hundred men in these mines; some build
ing houses in towns, some saving lumber
in the pineries, many prospecting, some
working for their board, some writing
golden lies for your newspapers, profess
sionally, and few loafng.
We have had beautiful winter-clear
days and frosty nights. Our cattle are
doing well, it being such a winter as we
had last, up to this date. james Stocklin
and have but one good yoke of oxen
and wagon, but we keep them. l have
been employed most of my time saving
lumber, and digging bitches to sluice
with but as we have more lumber than
we want ourselves, and can sell only on
credit, we have stopped. am an expert
with that "long saw" and could do well
if there were buyers.
Mr.. James left us five weeks ago, on
secret expedition, believing some grand
discovery had been made, but the result
is not known. l have had two letters
from him across the "divide" at the base
of Pixies Peak. They have laid out
town at the mouth of the canon called
"El Dorado" of which town company we
are all three members.
Apart from the rumors that float about
here, as with you, of distant great things,
the rationale Of these expeditions is found
in this all the streams that issue from
beyond the front range of the Rocky
Mountains, are the only gold bearing ones.
Cherry Creek, and others, rising in the
divide" are the exceptions. Those ris-
ing in the front range have no more gold
than the prairies beside them. 1t is also
said that all of them bear samples Of heav-
ier gold farther up. 1t is hoped that in
the great range beyond this, the gold will
be found in paying quantities. The
weather in the mountains prevents free
inquiry into those matters, at present, and
the Utes have something to do with it
also.
have said my say. If was to con-
suit my own interests, as certain pious and
learned persons do here, would write to
you, and the rest of mankind, thus ::
Pixies Peak is thirteen thousand miles
above the level Of anything. Eldorado is
situated at its base, at the entrance to
the only rich gold mines in these regions.
By an easy passage up the Arkansas, you
come to our town, where you can buy lots
and build, and trade, or you will be fur
nished with long winded, sure-footed
mules, which cannot fail to take you
where you can make your fortune in q
day. Our town is the town. expectthe
President of the United States will come
and spend winter with us, when he gets
through with his other business
may 60 to Arizona; | expect grand
rush there, from here and elsewhere, this
spring. ButI must finish. Yours. etc,
GEO. STEPHEN.