The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-08-25

weary cattle over immense tTeelesS plain>!
on which the grass had hardly started
Coming in thus weather beaten, chafed
and soured, and finding but hardful OF
squalid adsenturers living in the rudest
log huts, barred out from the mountains
by snow and ice, and precluded from
washing the sands of the streams on the
plains by high water, they jumped at once
to the conclusion that the whole thing was
a humbug, got up by reckless spectators
to promote self-h ends. They did not
stop to reason, much less to explore, but
spurred by laudable even if untimely
logging to 'see Nancy and the children" T"
they turned their catte's heads eastward
and rushed pell-mel down the Platte,
sweeping back nearly all they met. | es-
innate the Dumber who have started for
"Pike's Peak" this season and turned
back at not less than Twenty thousand,
and their positive loss by the venture lin
time, clothing and money! at not less than
an average OF 500 each-or, in all, Two
Millions Of Dollars.
Meantime, few Of the pioneers of this
gion-maiuly experienced gold miners
10 Georgia, California, aud even Austral-
Iia-were quietly proceeding to prospective
Mountains, SO fast as the disappearance
of snow aud ice would permit-aud be-
fore the snow was fairly off the bither
ranges. and while it still lay solid and
deep on the central and higher chain,
Mr.. J. Fl. Gregory, an old Georgia gold
digger, had struck the lead on branch
of Nasqucr's Fork (Clear Creek) some 80
miles west of this place by an airline
and 45 by trail, which has since been the
III ain focus and support cf the gold fever
Other leads have since been opened in
the same rayine and its vicinity; Mr.
Green Russell (ano;her Georgiau) is re-
ported TO be doing exceedingly we'll in
his &c ulch DiegiDgs' three miles south
west of Gregory; we have various reports
/ of gold leads struck at sundry points ten
/ to fifteen miles west, south and north Of
Gregorys and we have further report
that quartz of marvellous richness in gold
has been found on the other side of the
snowy range, some sixty miles west Of
Gregorys aud not far from the Middle
Park, whence the water flows to Grand
River, and hence. through the Colorado,
into the Gulf of California.
| indorse none of these reports as abb
solutely true, though all but the last are
probably so. Tens of thousands will vain.
Ily raDsack these Gountains for gold
through weeks and months, aud leave
them at last ragged and respondent, as
hundreds are leaving now; yet rich leads
will continne to be struck, veins to be o.
pencd, sluices to be constructed, through
/ years to come; and [ shall not be disap-
pointed to fnd the district yet prospected
mere corner Of the Rocky Mountain
6 old region, of which the centre is very
probably hundred miles north or south
of this point. 1t may be north of La
ramie even. All that has yet been done
toward the thorough development of the
id-producing capacity of the Rocky
Mountains is very much what tickling an
elephants ear with pin would be toward
dissecting him.
/ But will dseu bowcling these mountains
in quest of gold pay? A very pregnant
question. | answer-It will pay some; it
will fail pay others. a few will be amply
and suddenly enriched by finding "leads''
and selling claims some by washing
these claims other some by supplying
the mountans with the four apparent ne
cessaries of Mining life = Whisky, Coffee,
Flour and Bacon; others by robbing the
miners of their hard earnings through the
instrumentality of cards. roulette, aud the
''little joker" but ten will come out here
for gold for every one who carries back
SO much as be left home with, and thou
sands who hasten hither flushed with hope
and ambition will lay down to their long
rert beneath the shadows of the noun
tains, with only the wind d-swept pines 70
sigh their requiem. Within this last
week, We have tidings of one young gold
seeker committing suicide, in fit Of in
sanity, at the foot of the mountains; two
more found in ravine, long dead and
partially deyoured by wolves; while five
others, with their horse and dog, were O.
vertakep; some days since. while on a
prospecting tour not far from Gregory's,
by one of these terrible fires, which, kim
died by the culpable recklessness ol
some camping party, fuds ready ali
ment in the fallen pine leaves which car
pet almost the entire mountain region,
and are famed TO fury by the fierce gales
which sweep over the hill-tops. and thus
were all burned to death, and so found
and buried two or three days since-their
homes, their names, and all but their fear
4 fol fate, unknown to those who rendered
them the last sad Offices. Ah long will
their families and friends vainly await
and hope for the music Of footsteps des-
tiUed to be heard no more on earth =
Thus, Death seems to be more busy and
relentless on these broad, breezy plains,
these heslthful, invigorating mountains,
than even in the crowded city or the ru-
raj district thick-sown with venerable
graves.
1t is my strong belief that Gold is
scarcely less abundant in the Rock Noun