The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-07-06
A Portage County Boy Writing Home from Piksi

use, OF some letters written home by Alfred
G. Mowbray. soa of -- Mowbray Esq
Of Nelson, who. with a party from that town
started for Pixies Peak, about the first of May.
Young Mowbray writes with good courage,
and manifests the right kind of spirit to win
success anywhere, but be speaks the mind of
Of all who have, gone away from
their homes of comfort, when he says FL
. Were in Ohio again. think should stay
there for all of Pixies Peak, r. @ s55. "a
The first letter is written from Auraria City,
z. T, under date of May 26th, to his mother.
= ~ *sa- l an sorry any false rumors
should get sfloat concerning u.s. We are oil
well and alive. Wells CLARK never was drown
ed, If be was be is alive now and merry as q |
lark. am somewhat at loss to know what
to do. some reports are favorable, some very
unfayorabIe; some making fortunes, some, yes
many calculating to return to the States. Wei
don't know what to believe, but guess we'll
try the mountains for ourselves shall at any
rate. The weather here is of the most extep.
siye kind possible. The twenty fourth was a
hot summers day. Last night snow fell to
the depth Of eight inches, and freezing, too
l have walked around the City some, and in
every direction are men building boats to en-
able them to float down the Platte River, for
the States. o. r
The City is situated on as beautiful site
as man could wish for. On the South eide
runs the Cherry Greek, very small stream
/ should judge there are about three hundred
houses already erected, and many more in
progress. but at present at a stand still, be-
cause the builders being out of provisions. are
compelled to go to the mines TO live. As we
are talking about provisions, will give you
few current prices Flour $50 9p ID ;Pota-
toes SIS 9e busbel; Tobacco 81 7p H.; Bacon
Scots y ID. So you see If man has no mon.
ey, he must starve or go and take his chance
in the Diggings, or run home as quickly as pos !
sible. Probably many will en-.
quire what the prospects are here. / tell you
they are slim at present. would say to all,
liz you are making anything where you are,
stay. / may make my expenses this summer,
but guess shan't do more But there il no
knowing what viii happen. i tool no quick
silver with me to sell for we heard such hard
reports even from Pittsburgh that concluded
not to take more than needed myself 1t is
only worth o. Sp 10. anyhow.
You ask if I wish I had not come here p
I guess not I have not repented yet, that i
came here but we're lin Ohio again, would
stay there for all Pixies Peak. III
1t is now sundown. / must say good bye
once more, for must bake bread for supper,
and then retire, for have to walk thirty miles
tomorrow. am in Auraria City to find out
the truth if possible, but there is no such thing.
have not seen an honest man since Eve been
in the Territory. Iasked man yesterday as
| / was walking toward the town, how far it was
to the City, About ten miles, he said, FIVE
minutes after found myself sitting comforta-
BILE in Mr.. Smiths house. So you see what
truthful men there are here. Ransom Smith
is in the mountains prospecting. expect to
see him Sunday, then shall get some reliable
news. We are all WELL every one of US. I
will write You soon again lses
The second letter written from the same
place is dated May 29th.
The whole Of the distance from
Kansas City to Auraria is eight hundred miles,
The frst two hundred miles are as beautiful
rolling Prairie as there is in the world. After
this the land grows poor and very level We
have travelled all day, and the road is almost
as level as aoor. l hesitate not to say it is
the best natural road In the world It is we'll
watered, for we followed the Arkansas river,
/ think, four hundred miles and at no time,
; were we farther than two miles from it. We
were troubled considerably to find grass for
1 our teams the whole of the route. At the
present time it is not more than four inches
high, and very thin on the ground, yet our
teams look pretty we'll, considering they have
travelled thirty four miles regularly for twen.
ty seven days, Sundays excepted. But I am
aside from my subject. The last two hundred
miles are but little better than barren desert
for nothing but kind of wild sage and rat
tle-snakes thrive here. I enclose rattle
took from them. We have killed any quaint
! ty of them lately. Game of all kinds except
Buffalo, is plenty. Yesterday I had the pleas
ure of dining upon part of an Antelope the
boys shot. They shot it through the hear, ,an6
yet it ran half mile afterwards, the boys il
full chase. Bears are quite plentiful. mum
Der have been shot. saw one yesterday abou
hundred rods off. rs
know not, what to tell you concerning th
diggings Some reports are very favorable
some entirely the opposite. Tomorrow, W
leave for tie mountains to prospect, each indi
viduaI, for ourselves. ss..f 81 z-1-s
understand Ransom Smith has grant
claim, paying from forty to fifty cents pc
pan. intend 10 be with him soon. The mex
: letter write will probably contain more il
: teresting news than this, for then can Civ
you my own experience as miner. Hur
: dreds are daily arriving, and hundreds are da
3 " returning to the States, with blighted hope
~ and empty pocket books. Cattle are sellip
= for twenty dollars per yoke. ShoveIs an
alpicks for twenty cts. by the immense emigr,
tion, at the City.
10 | am very willing that they should retur
m but intend to dig Pixies Peak over in scare
'e Of the hidden wealth. before return empt
'c oh'it is just like this, there's wealth for no
est laoorers expended in these mountains
lat know It, and did not come this far to tn
ost round for nothing There are auy ouantitv
on them going down the Platte River in boats.
IS: understand many of them are being browne