Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-16
THE PIXIES PEAK swINDLERs.


one limit of the country TO another His real
name, with particular account of his methods
of operation were circulated in the newspa-
pers. But his nefarous business went on;
and it continues still, with no material change,
save that he now occasionally puts his real
name in his advertisements. He began penni-
less adventurer and has accumulated fortune
The attempt to save people from being de-
ceived, misled, and robbed by humbugs, is,
very often, a thankess business. This is seen
in the history of all such rascalities and sad
it is to see it.
The most inexcusable and villainous opera
ton in the line of false pretenses that has very
lately made victims in this country, is the
Pixies Peak affair. From beginning to end,
this has been one of the most atrocious cases
of swindling that has occurred for long time.
There had not been discoveries of gold at
Pixies Peak. Whether it shall or shall not
appear, hereafter, that the mountains in that
quarter are full of gold,-that the earth-cover-
cd rocks are all pure nuggets of the precious
metal, ready to become heaps of eagles and
sovereigns at the miners first touch,-or that
such wonderful nuggets of gold are imbedded
in exhaustless heaps of diamonds,-it is never
theless true that the Pixies Peak infatuation
did not originate in any actual discovery of
gold. twas continuance of land spectators
and other financial adventures. We find no
satisfactory evidence toprove that a single grain
of gold has been dug from the earth at Pixies
Peak, while there is abundant evidence to
show the rascality of measures that have
been employed to draw emigrants to that part
of the country.
A gentleman who resides at Kansas City,
Mo-, called on us yesterday at our office He
is very intelligent and has much acquaintance
with men and movements i'll that part of the
country. We made particular inquiries of
him in regard to the Pixies Peak gold stories
which have come to us so abundantly from
Leavenworth, st. Josephs and Kansas City.
We knew that he had no connection with the
spectators, and believed he could tell us some
truth His report fully confirms all we have
said or imagined in regard to the matter. In
his opinion, nobody in Kansas or Western
Missouri believes that gold ever was or ever
will be found at Pixies Peak. The gold sto-
ries have been invented and circulated to turn
emigration in that direction for the benefit of
spectators, railroad and steamboat companies,
and traders who can furnish supplies and out
fits. He represents that all these interests
have acted in concert. Men in Western Mis-
souri,, in Kansas, and in some other localities,
combined to raise funds to send agents to the
III,
this Pixies Peak villany; and many Of those
concerned in this combination have realized
very handsome profits by selling outfits to
miners. 1t has made thriving business for
the Missouri River steamboats,, and for
of the railroads. What ;t will do for land
spectators may appear in time. What it has
done for some of the paid agents employed to
write and circulate gold stories has been told
by telegraph in every part of the country
They have been lynched, shot and torn to
pieces by their infatuated victims
If exposure could put an end to the bust
ness of these swindlers we should hear of it
no more. Its victims have told their story of
terrible suffering and RUM their story las
been published everywhere; and the towns in
the far West most responsible for this wicked
ness have trembled with fear of the summa-
ny vengeance threatened. One would suppose
it impossible under these circumstances for the
contrivers Of that Yillainy to renew their oper-
ations; and SO it might be in some cases But
the fright of these fellows was not lasting;
they again at work At Leavenworth an
other series of wonderful gold stories has
been started, which now promises to show us
some of the biggest falsehoods in this line that
ever had circulation below the sun
The latest account is that somebody "from
Leavenworth'' is on his travels, exhibiting six
hundred dollars worth of gold, dug, as he al
leges, from the Pixies Peak mines ga much
larger amount" might have been obtained land
of course he was fully prepared to buy any
amount), but the greedy miners demanded
twenty dollars an ounce for it. At this ex-
travagant price he could not afford to buy
much; only little for exhibition, in order
that an incredulous world may be convinced.
We are not told that this selfsacrificing, pains
taking missionary sheds pious tears over the
growing lack of faith in Pixies Peak but he
does so, of course, and also groans in the most
heart breaking manner, at the mention of
"claims" that have suddenly become worth
from $4,000 to $4,000" and of "other claims
that had changed hands often at prices ranging
from 500 to $1,000" Such disinterested zeal
for the public good is very wonderful; and it
should have the reward it merits.
Is it necessary to say word to expose the
falsehood Of such testimony to the existence
of gold at Pixies Peak We think not. We
will not undertake to say that gold will never
be discovered in that part of our western ter
ritory but tits our belief that no such discoy-
cry has been made there yet, or, at any rate
none worth attention, and also that no gold
mine will be worked successfully in that quar-
ter until the world is considerably older. In
Mr.. Greeley's last letter, which we publish, he
states that after leaving Leayenworth he heard
nothing to contradict the representation that
Pixies Peak is an exploded bubble. We shall
soon hear from him the result of his own OBJ
seryations at Pixies Peak There will doubt
less be great effort to deceive him. but he is
likely to tell us what he sees or believes m mo
true.
DEMocRATIc STATE CoHvENrioS.-The
State Central Committee of the Democratic
party have issued a call for State Convention
in Worcester, September 9TH, to appoint dele
gates 10 the Charestown Convention and 10