Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-04-14
Letter fronl. tint Gold Mines.
BOULDER ClrY, March 9Th 1859.

DooLbEh SlTi MAScu o.n AooJ.
+. NJ. ZIEBAcH, Esq:
DEAR SIR-I have put Of writing to
you this long in order to become well sat
isfed in my own mind before making any
statements with regard to the gold mines
in this country. The conclusion I have
come to is, that the diggings in two places
That is all can answer for) will pay from
five 70 ten dollars per day. The platte
River m ines, commencing Eve miles above
the mouth Of Cherry Greek on the Platte,
extending up the stream for ten miles
will pay five dollars per day, but the dis
lance from water is disadvantage tina,
will prevent them being operated in ex-
tensively while other mines are being dis.
covered. The mines on Boulder (formely
St. Vrain's creek, branch of the South
Platte thirty miles below the mouth Of
Cherry Creek, are tho richest yet diseov.
cred. This stream has been prospected
twenty miles into the mountains, besides
several of its tributari The gold found
in these mines is coarse and has the APP
pearance ofthat taken from the California
mines. Owing to the snow and cold wealth
er prospecting cannot be done hroughly
but when the spring opens, with sluice
or Long Tom, these diggings will pay ten
dollars per day without doubt. At the
mouth of Boulder Creek Canon, or at the
entrance cfthis stream into the flats, banks
prospect three cents per pan. The dirt
pays from the bottom Of the soil down to
the bed rock, is easily worked with a sui,
ficient quantity of water at all seasons,
and with sluice will pay FIVE dollars a
day per man. These diggings are Exten
sive, and over one hundred miners have
already taken claims, and some are en-,
gagged in turning the stream to prospect
the bed of the same, which is supposed to
pay much better than the banks.
Boulder City is located a. this point on
the north bank OF the creek, and is thirty
miles north from the mouth of Cherry
creek. The situation Of this place is as
good as can be found in this country,
being; directly on the Fork, Laramie
trail to the mouth of Cherry Creek, and is
the first diggings arrived at by emigrants
from salt lake and Fort Laramie, and the
first point reached by the emigration from
the States, coming in either by the Pole
Creek or the South Platte route, besides
being the nearest point to the best and
most extensive mines yet discovered in
the country. The Boulder City Town
Company was organized February 10th,
1859, and has at this time eleven houses
completed, and sixty more in progress to
be completed in sixty days from the above
date.
Aurora is the largest town in the coun.
try at present, and contains, one hundred
and Fifty buildings, with a populati on of
five hundred, whom are eager principally
building, sporting, and trading with the
emigration. The Cherry Creek mines
have proved IL be a failure. 1t is true
that gold exists there but is very fine, and
not in sufficient quantity to pay.
The Spanish diggines, three miles above
the mouth Of Cherry Creek, on the Platte
were in good repute in December, but
have since been worked out-not being
OF suiiiciedt extent to pay more than .w G
or three men.
| have promised to write to friends in
Dakota, but if you will be so kind as to
publish this, or as much as you think prop.
per, it will answer the same purpose, and
oblige yours, respectfully,
j. L. WILLIAMS.