Smyrna times., 1859-08-25
Later News from Pixies Peak.
THE DARK SIDE OF THE PICTURE.

]
The following from the Rockford (Ill.) Dailv
Register, was addressed to E. B. Clark, brother
of the miner who writes it, a respectable gen.
leman OF Rockford:
Rocky MOUNTAIN VALLEY, July "a, 80.
Dear Brother Yours of June 24th, was
received July l7Lh, and you may be sure was
glad to hear from home, my last from there
was dated May 5lh. From what | can learn
Horace Greeley has set the Eastern world in a
great excitement with his glowing accounts Of
the gold discoveries IN the mountains, and re-
port says, there are now 10000 emigrants on
their way nlther, who would have been home
had 1t been for said report. Now will tell you
what he knows Of the mines, and what | think
know. The Gregory dggings had just been
opened, and they were yielding from 10 cents
to 81 per pan. large emigration had Just
landed, and the sight Of gold, since their ex.
pcctatlOns had been blasted at Cherry Creek,
produced a tremendous excitement. Every
man felt himself worth thousands, because, for
sooth, he was in the land of gold and nothing
to do but to dig it out.
The miners, and IN fact, every one here with
very few exceptions, are the greatest liars [
ever saw. Greeley was here then IA few DAYS
and swallowed everything that was told him.
That there Is gold here, and in large qranti.
ties, do not deny; but that more than one in
hive hundred is dong better than a common day
laborer in the States, is untrue. Some say one
IN a thousand is fair average.
There are three kinds Of digginrs here, viz:
lead, guch and bar. The leads are in the rocks
on the mountains; they are found by the
" Blossom Rock" as it is called, or burned
stone on the surface, occasioned, 1t is supposed
by internal heat or volcanic action of some ear
Iler day, which opened the rock, forming a seam
now tull OF dirt or rotten stone, in which the
gold is found. GregOrys lead has only the
Hour gold, and they are or were the richest
found. These leads commence nj the foot of
the mountain, and run 10 north eastern and
south western direction. The dirt has to be
washed, which requires considerable water, and
all the water is produced of snow as it melts
and that is nearly used up. Besides this for
some cause, these leads have nearly ceased to
be profitable, or as they say, " lose the pay dirt"
Some have dug eighteen to twenty feet in
solid rock, aud have not found the object of
their search Claims that once sold for 500.
900 can now be bought for 81, 600. A company
from CIeaVeland, Ono, camped near US and
purchased one of these claims, paying down all
they had, even to guns and most of their prov-
sons. They worked it nearly four weeks with
out one cent of pay dirt, when one OF their
company was nearly killed by the unexpected
explosion OF blast What will become of
them God only kpows.
Wages here are only 50 so per day, and it
costs at least 81 per day for board, and work is
very scarce at that. GuIch dIggings are those
located IN sloughs at the foot of the mountains.
They cannot be worked when the water is
high, and when it is dry they have more
They have paid well when they could be work.
ed.
The bar dggings are on the banks of creeks
and are nearly torsaken at present. Itrequres
Two or three months to open lead, and it NAV
pay when opened, but no certainty OF it. There
are great many sick IN the mountains-fve
died yesterday, aud tour the day previous, in
our vicinity, OF the mountain fever. Our COM
pany have been sick, all OF US, during the past
two weeks.
Taking all things in consideration, we have
concluded it would be wisdom in us to make
tracks" for America Hundreds are leaving
every day, and many more coming in.
We shall start tomorrow, oxen permitting,
for home, and hope to reach Council Bluffs IN
five weeks
have great many things to write you, but
shall forbear, as | shall soon have a better way
oc Communicating thoughts.
Your brother, II. G. CLARK.