The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-05-28
The Pike,s Peak Humbup

Vorce, dated at Fort Kearney, May I, to F.,
his brother i'll this city, will we imagine, {
cure thefew remaining persons in this city, I
(if they have not been cured already,)
who are still afflicted with the Pike Peak
fever
We reached here yesterday, after Jour-
ney of thirty-seven days from Wyandotte,
and were right glad to get your letter OF
April 18th, as this is the first word l have
received from the States since we left
But now for the information l wish to J
convey TO you. Here our journey west
ward ends. No less than three thousand |
returned goldseekers.: passed here yesterday |
on their way to their homes. The Pixies |
Peak gold excitement has turned out TO
be one of the most stupendous frauds and |
humbugs ever practiced on the American |
people, or any other enlightened people |
For the last four or five days We have
met people on their return, many of them
old California miners, who have been there
and prospected with all the improved i'm
plements, and cannot make ten cents per
day, and no one ever has, or ever will
The excitement has been gotten 70 by
spectators at Denver City and the from
| tier towns along the Missouri river. But
they will yet reap their reward. At Den
Yer City the head leaders of this excite
| ment have been shot, and the city, what
there was OF it, has been burned to the
ground. This Georgia and North CARROLL
ma company that gave such flaming re
ports last winter are nowhere to be found
at Cherry Creek, nor dare they venture
there. There is one man, you will reco!-
lect reading his statement in one Of the
Kansas papers last winter, his name is $.
4 ,,laca Of asi1anca IL
at Wyandotte whom | hope to meet be-
fore leave the Territory. We are now
meeting hundreds every day who have
begged their way back from Cherry Creek,
and some have actually starved before
: reaching Fort kearney. The emigrants
who turn back before reaching the noun
| tans sell their provisions here at the fort,
and the army officers supply the starving
thousands on their way home
There was a large emigration passed
through here in February. who were oblig-
ed to transport their feed for their teams,
and to buy at enormous prices where they
could get it. Corn is now worth FIVE dol
: lars per bushel and hay Is about the same
proportion. We have brought corn for
: the last two hundred miles and have a
little left yet Grass is not large enough
vet for our cattle TO subsiSt on. The spring
: has been very cold, and we have had some
cold. heavy snow storms since we lett the
Missouri; and since We reached the Platte
river valley We have had such rain storms
as they don t very often get up i'll any 9th
or part of the world ] think Clancy can
describe it 70 you better than can.
We are satisfied we have been sold, but
shall pat up with 1t with as rood q grace
as possible You viii not think that
lack in courage or perseverance. IN "oinl
ahead when there is Any prospect in doing
ANYTHING for III this case it requires JUDI
| ment.
We have sold our provisions and, as soon
: az our teams get rested and we have good
/ buffalo hunt we shall return Buffalo are
as plenty here as prairie chickens are
I around Ottawa, and more so. for We can
see them in droves Of ten thousand with
in five miles OF our camp, and tomorrow
we intend TO have a hunt We have seen
hundreds of antelopes for the last week
and some elk.
To-day there was q party arrived here
=. from the west The circumstances are as
+ follows \ man, think from Pennsylva
: MIA, went out to Cherry Creek and found
4 he could not make ar thing, wrote to hi.
! wife that he would be home a. soon as hc
y | could get the means To do 40, The Letter
G was taken from the Office and another pu,
7 in some way and come on, where he could
make a fortune in a short time And or
the strength Of this letter, which she sup
: posed to tie from her husband, mortgaged
: their place. raised sufficient funds and she
II and hcr brother started; and before they
- reached Cherry Creek, met her HUSBAND
{ begging his way into the camp Of his OWL
81 family. Such are some OF the scenes ~
meet with daily. | hayc -ern more lnis"r,
A. and vrercl.e..l..c>e on this trip than eve
. cav before in my life. Il c. VOICE
is PIKE's PE.E-We are inclined to thin
e that, although Pixies Peak gold diggin;
J! is q great failure, that things in that re
!. gion are near as bad as represented b,
the returned eInigrantS. There seems I,
= be a grain of truth in the following Leav
e enworth despatch:
/ Leaveuworth, May %.
u The Overland express which dates from
Denver City to the 18th inst, arrived her
this evening.
h The panic among the cmigrant. hac
Il subsidized in a great measure. and bette
- feeling prevailed Quartz had been di-
II covered. and promised to yield well
e Dust had been offered in limited guam
titles in Denver, but there has been non