The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-02-17
In every locality almost, wheresprospect-

IN every locality almost, where prospect
ing has been had the color is.obtained
Miners are puzzled to know the source O
the gold the mountains are - miles dis
tant, there has been some prospecting done
in them, but ithas not been by no means thor.
ough; and all gold found there, is almost, il
not quite as fine as that discovered along the
course of the Platte and Cherry Creek.
Ic s"Auraria" contains 800 or 3o0inhabitants;
100 cabins have already been built, and
about 100 are in course demonstration. The
town is built in the forks Of Cherry Greek
and South Platte. Above, miles, and ,on
the Platte, is "Mountainia," town of 30 or
40 houses. There are about 500 men on
the river They are well supplied with pro-
visions for meat, hunters go to the noun.
tains, where deer, elk aul mountain sheep
are found in myriads. ..-. ...,.
What have said you may rely on, an d
I have no hesitancy in in advising all my
friends to come out in the spring, and come
early. The richest diggings have not yet
! been discovered, they will be discovered next
summer, and when found believe man
can make fortune in a day.
am with Mountain men who are acquain-
ted with the country, who know all the In
dams, and who can venture farther out than
other men. These men have in their camp
an Arrappaho Indian, who guarantees, for
the consideration of II horses, to show them
a Creek in the mountains, in the spring, in
| the bed of which, Jumps of gold as large as
as eggs are plainly visible. The Arrappaho
says his people have long used this for rifle
balls, pounding it FOUND. ....n.... n..
There is no money in the country, but
fortunately everybody brought sufficient pro-
visions. Flour is selling at $25 per 1OOlbs;
bacon 40 cents per ID; sugar and coffee 50cts.
will add, that almost every place that is
being worked pays from to 25cts per pan.
No danger need be appreh nded from the
Shyenne, Arrappaho, Camanche, rSioux In
Indians, as there men enough in the country
to "clean OUT twenty such tribes. They
have threatened, however, to visit the whites
early in the spring, and drive them from the
country, and in consequences Of this threat
may whites have returned to the States
through fear. The country belongs to the
Arrappaho Indians, and they are anxious to
Isssu it to the government. ."
heal estate has not yet attained high
figure yesterday - lots sold for second
class American horse ..'.a'"
1t is 300 miles to Toas, in Mexico, and
the road is reported lined with Mexican emf
grants, many ofthem packing" flour which,
on its arrival, will probably sell for So, per
100 D. -. ...
A wagon has just returned from the noun
tains, after being out 5 days, containing 70
deer and elk; two hunters accompanied it,
In six months there viii be but little game in
the country, what is not killed viii! be run
away no buffalo within 100 miles Of this
point 90. .-. be-. .''a
There is but one white woman on the river
an old maid
We have an express which makes monthly
trips between this place and TT. Laramie
Postage on alettcr, SOC papers, 25c :; passen-
gers are charged the sm III sun 1850, each
way.
If you conclude to come out in the sp ing,
take the "Republican Route" as it is 20o
miles shorter than the other, but as vet but
title Travelled. You will find plcnty Of guides
In the Missouri river
Bring plenty of sugar, coffee and -four,
and all the money you can possibly get hold
OF. If ! had $4,000 on hand now, | cou id
swell it $780, by spring, buying gold dust !;
there is no money in the country people do
not yet know the real aiue of the gold and
have no true method Of weighing it, 1t is
said however, to be worth $1,000 an ounce
J. w. SMITH.