The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-07-20
o. 1T NJ II Micati0ns
For the Spirit.
Pixies Peak Correspondence.

Description of the trfp-Appearance Of
the Country Waste Deserts-Fsrti1e Val-
hys-1errible Sorms-Scenery-Sufer-
ing Of Emigrants-4 new Game-Pro-
ductiveness and Ertent Of the Mines-No
Chance for Poor Folks.
DENVER CITY, June 10. |
Mr.. EDIToR:-Permit me without any
solicitations on your part, or any promise
on the part of myself, to become your
Pixies Peak Correspondent.
But before say anything in relation
to the gold mines, let me give you brief
description of our trip hither, and also
say something relative to. and descriptive
OF, the country over which we passed dur
ing our Journey from Lawrence to this
destination. We took our departure from
Lawrence X T. on the 22d of April
For the first three days we passed over
portion of country which though ut
terly timberless, can not in beauty an6
fertility easily be surpassed. After we
left this fertile tract we travelled for sever
al days over an uninhabited, barren and
urinhabtabe. ainty prairie, none of the
soil of which save the productive bottoms
on some of the creeks has nutrition sufi-
cient to sprout and give growth to eth
er white beans or blackeyed peas.
After we left this jejune and abomina-
BILE region, which, like three fourths of the
rest of Kansas, is not inhabitable by man
and scarcely by beasts, and which never
can and never will become the land of
corn and wine, we struck the Kansas river
at Ft Rilsy. -Four miles above this
we arrived at Junction City. which was
recently founded, and derived its name, I
suppose, from its being situated on the
delta formed by the junction or rather con-
auence of the Smoky Hill and Republican
Forks as they meet at right angles, and
together form the Kansas river Here at
the confluence and for several miles up
either fork, the country has delightful
appearance, is fertile aud susceptible of
cultivation, and will soon become fine
/ farming country, and home of many hap
py hlsbandmen. After days travel
westward from Junction we took the Ex-
press Route which follows the water-ridge
between the two forks.
Here we left the valleys, began to as
S cend elevation after elevation, and travel
over the stormy plains. About fifty miles
west of Junction, on the End of May, we
had whirl-wind and hail storm which
would describe if l thought it possible to
give a description. But suffice it to say,
that the Jumps of hail would average in
weight one pound, the wind was sufficient
ly strong to invert wagon though ten
, men pushed win dward against it; the cat
e tie broke loose and ran away, men were
knocked down, and frightened till they
t cried, prayed, and were sorrowful they
t had ever left their happy homes the scenes
e of their juvenile days, and the land of theil
n nativity forever; as they thought it was to
u be the grand seyeosicr of their sublunary ex
q istence. l know one boy who was in this
d storm tried to write our epitaphs on the
d head of buffalo. Some of the mer
1t have livid bruises which they got in thu
y storm, yet it is more than month since
a But this storm was but a dwarf whel
compared with the giant tornado whicl
is occurred two days previous. This lorna
e do, which happened on Tornado creek
g, laid the trees PROSTATE with the earth
e destroyed six wago g. wasted $500 wort
is of provisions, blew away horses and cat
= tie, and several men who took erial ex
q cursions were badly hurt. But fortunate
is ly there was no life lost, except one MAJ
1t who was frightened to DEATH But t,
l. enumerate the hurricanes that have occur
is red within the last six weeks would be al
le endless task, as they occur almost daily.
H. For about four hundred miles of th
le route the scenery is dreary. bewilderin
OF and monotonous. there is little or n,
'g potable water on the whole route; tn
t. country being covered with stagnan
sloughs and the atmosphere impregnate
r with noxious filth. Some days we travel
r ed from morning till night without wate1
in and cooked on fire of bois de cache
he One day we had a suffocating sand-storr
from morning till night, which brougf
ce the blood from our hands and faces; an
. on the succeeding day, gnat storm whlc
made all hands swear.
A few days before we arrived in Der
yer, we passed through the pine grove
and valleys which in their natural stat
re are attractive,ig ,igrand, picturesque and sui
q. lime. These valleys as they are, capt
nd vate person, but in settling them yo
IS would destroy fower~pot, take ava
IS. their attractive beauty, and rob them
ne their pristine and romantic grandure.
nd A great many died of disease and sta
er vation, and the iEclemency of the weathe
Re, Some were scalped by the Indians, an
tie few shot accidentally.
er On the Smoky. Hill route young ma
[e was. compelled to play the cannibal on tt
lis flesh of his own brother. Indeed so Fl
W. as the trip is concerned, it is not plea
Sc ure one, and those who made it on q
ne elephapt-seeing excursion have paid q
est exorbitant price for their whistle; for tht
to have seen none of those beautiful flower
ry, spontaneous productions, and attracti