The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-08-20
LETTER FROM SAM. S. CURTIS.

| LETTER FROM SAM. 5. CURTIS.
We publish below letter from our resi-.
dent correspondent at the mines, SAN. S
CURrIs. This letter it will be observed i,
Of very late date, all owing to the prompt.
ness of - somebody. Verify, the FEEDER
al Government should have leather medal
for the " mastery inactivity" it has mani.
Tested in the matter of affording mail facil
tiles to the people Of the new gold mines
Our Government has surely learned " How
not to do it" to perfection. But comp lint.
are useless-the great Northwest must bt
placed in abeyance, for the behoof and az
vantage of our Southern task masters. Suct
is the policy of the administration of jaime.
Buchanan, and to this policy are we indebt
ed for the receipt of the following letter il
just thirty. one days from Auraria.. Nut
ced.-here's the letter:
Correspondence of the Nonpareil.
ARAPAnoE, July 18th, 1853
Mr.. EDIroR.-I am once more q
home in the land of humbug and gold. Du.
ring last winter, there was but little doub'
but this was the land of humbug and gold
In the spring it was all q humbug, and now
again it is all gold. Truly, the mind Of the
American people is moro tickle and volatile
than even that of the French. had LONG
and tedious journey coming out, with bad
roads and some bad weather. The river
was SO high, l could not cross at Ft. Kear.
ney as expected to do, and was COMPEL.
ed to 60 to Ash Hollow. The road from
Kearney to Ash Hollow is bad, and should
never again travel on the north side above
kearney. After crossing the North Platte
at Ash Hollow, We kept on the North side
of the South Platte, to a point about sixty
miles below here. This part of the road il
superior to that on the South side of the
river, from kearney to Cherry Creek the
South side is decidedly superior. In COM
ing again, I should expect to cross at Kear.
ney, but if that were impossible, should
cross at Shinn's ferry.
find great change has taken place in
Denver and Arapahoe, much greater than
from the tales of the returners had been
led to expect. Ipresume you heard of the
many threats made against the lives Of
CoURTRIcHr, myself and others. We saw
some of the men that made the threats, bu,
none of them appeared to be very danger
Gus. We also saw graves in places along
the road, purporting to contain our mortal
remains, and men who said they were per-
sonally acquainted with both of US, who
who saw US killed and buried. am re.
joiced to be able to state, however, that We
have passed our grave: exclaimins, I" oh
grave where is thy victory" and can be
found near the old place at Arapahoe, at
the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Some Of
those we met at this end Of the road, admit
ted that there was gold in the m ountains, in
the diggings discovered this summer, but
insist that the mines worked last winter are
humbug. and that those who wrote at
that time, were writing falsely. We are
making preparations to work our old claim,
as soon rs the creek falls a little. There
arc soma now at work along the creek and
waiting for it to fall and the Arapahoe
ditch to be, finished. The ditch will prob
ably be completed far enough to commence
work at the upper end of the disgings, with
in ten days, and it will be complete some
time this fall. 1t will supply water for
about FIVE hundred sluices, as it is now be-
ing dug, and it will probably be enlarged
before winter. There are now about 100
men at work upon it and the force will
be doubled within three days. A great ma
ny miners, now in the mountains, are max
ing preparations to winter at this place, as
they can DO some mining here, even in winter.
1, is impossible to give any just ilea of what
miners are making in the mountains. A
great many are prospecting and making
nothing. Some again, are making large
amounts, and believe one-half Of those
who follow mining as business, are max
ing from FIVE to thirty dollars per day. All
of the company who came out with me have
got claims, which they think will Iisld them
from eigh. to sixteen dollars ~ day. l
have been through the most extensive dig
gings in the mountains, and am satisfied
that large amounts of gold are being taken
out. There are several instances, where up
wards of four hundred dollars have been
taken out in a,day, TO- single sluice. 1t is
as useless for me to undertake to say what
men can make here, as it would be to say
what they are making In Iowa. While some
are getting rich fast, others are making
nothing, or losing, but the greater part of
those now here are making money. | am re-
ceiving the dust every day for goods, and
it is offered every day at very low rates for
coin. 1t has been offered to me at fifteen
dollars and a half per ounce, and have
heard of it at fifteen. Some are still going
back dissatisfied, and there are many here
now who will 60 back.
Denver is growing finely, and looked up
on by nearly all, as destined to bo the prin.
ciple point in this country.
find our old friends, BLAKE, WILLIAMS,
CLANCY, STour, LARMER, and many others,
all we'll and perfectly satisfied. HESsHALL,
HUNTER, RUSSELL, PIPER and all the rest who
came with me from tho Bluffs and vicinity,
are in the mountains and are we'll pleased
that they came through. Hoping some of
the gold may reach the citizens of the Bluffs,
the patrons of the Nonpareil, and the edi.
tor thereof, remain,
Yours, truly,
SAM. S. CURTIS.
BABBITT AS A LEGISLATOR.