The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-01-27

Pixies Peak-.-Another Golden Humbug.
A letter has been placed in our hands,
written by Mr.. John E. Riley to Mr.. f.
E. Peters, of Mossville, in this county,
describing Pixies Peak, the Kansas gold
region, from which place he has just re
turned, and is now stopping at St. Jo-
seph, Mo. Mr.. Riley is well known in
this section as a candid, honorable man,
whose statements can be implicitly re-
| lied upon. His letter contains informa-
ton in relation to Pixies Peak which is
OF much interest and Importance at this
time, when 50 many persons, stimulated
by the glowing accounts of gold in that
distant locality, are making preparations
to emigrate thither in the spring.
Mr. Riley writes that in coming in,
their party met at least 500 wagon loads
of emigrants en- route for the diggings,
and express the opinion that they can
not cross the plains, for if they escape
freezing to death, they must starve, as
the Indians have burned off all the grass,
and game of every description has de-
parted. Provisions Of Ill kinds at the
diggings are scarce and high. Pork
and beef sell at $50 per bbl., -four at
S25, and other things in proportion.
In regard to the character of the gold
discoveries at Pixies Peak, Mr.. Riley
says:
There is just gold enough to excite
certain class OF excitable persons to
leave their homes, and that is all. There
are plenty Of spectators laying out
towns all through the Territory, who sell
shares to every one they can at enorm-
Gus profits. These spectators are the
ones who puff and magnify what little
sprinkling of gold there is in order to in
duce emigration. When you hear per-
sons talking of going TO Pixies Peak,
just tell them to stay at home, if they
can make an honest living"
The gold-dreamers, who have had
visions OF fortunes could they but reach
Pixies Peak, will act wisely if heedin .
this advice of Mr.. Riley's, and conclude
to stay at home, at least for the present
We have never doubted from the first
that there were two sides to the stories Of
gold at Pixies Peak, and have been con-
tident that those who rushed for that
section upon the strength of the hatter-
ing accounts which have been brought
from there, would be doomed to bitter
disappointment. We all remember the
apparently we'll authenticated accounts
of rich gold discoveries on Frazer's riv-
er, Washington Territory Thousands
of persons deceived by the descriptions
given, hurried into that inhosptable
region, and the consequence was an i'm
mense amount of suffering, for it turned
out that the new Eldorado was pretty
much of a humbug.
Mr.. Riley's account of how the enti-
cing stories concerning Pixies Peak
reach the States is undoubtedly a cor
rect one. That there is gold to be found
in that region is unquestionably true :
but that there is superabundance of it,
or that there is enough to furnish prof
table employment for miners, we do not
believe. Let those who are fastening
preparations to emisrate thitherward, be
warned in time, and not leave their fam
lilies or homes only to meet with disap-
pointment Our people will find, in the
long run, that the rich soil OF an Illinois
prairie is the best gold mine in which
they can labor. Let them stick to their
farms and families, work industrouslv,
live yirtuously, and in the end they will
find reasons for rejoicing that they have
not tried a more yenturesome course
Peoria transcript, Dec, 2oM.