The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-01-01
SOUTH PLATTE GOLD MINEs,)

Auioiio OieyJ ENOf. IL oOs
Ed. OF THE TIMEs:-On the 18th of
May, 1858, your humble servant, in COM
.pany with three Others, took his departure
from Lesvenworth for this point. Having
arrived at ,,Pottawattomie county, K. T.,
we joined a company of miners from the
State of Georgia. We then proceeded on
our way, and on the I'd Of june were
Joined by fifty Cherokee Indians, and a
few white men, one of whom was Mr..
Elmore King.
We then proceeded on eur way, and
were Joined by company of twenty-seven
Missourians on the 22d of June, and ar
rived at the South Platte on the following
day. Crossing said river we proceeded to
our particular point of destination, which
was seven miles north of said river, on
the creek known as Ralston Creek, where
a Mr.. Beck,* Cherokee Indian, said he
had PANIED SIS worth of gold dust to q
painful of gravel. This was done, or rath-
Ter said to have been done, in the spring
Of 1850 .---...-. NIX
I But l think Mr.. Beck was somewhat
mistaken in regard to the amount; as, af-
ter prospecting until the 9th of July, our
best panning amounted to about one cents
worth of dust to the pan of gravel; at
which, the majority of our company, (lO4
men in all becoming disheartened, de-
termined to return to their homes.
Re-crossing the Platte, we camped on
its southern bank, and on the morning Of
the 9Th of July our home bound CON-
panions took their departure, leaving 9
small company of thirteen to hunt after
the mines-the mines that would pay to
work. ~ @
s But leaving our spostate men, / will
give you short history of our mining
|, Thirteen Of US moving up the river, or the
South Platte, toward the mountains, Mr.
Green Russell, an experienced miner, dis
lowered deposit, eight miles above where
Cherry Creek empties into the Platte
This was the first mine that would pay &c
work in any shape, or with any kind Of
implements.
We worked this mine some eight or ter
days, with small cradles, realizing from
five to eight dollars per day. At the END
of this time, the mine not paying as well
as we could wish, we set out on another
prospecting tour, and discovered another
deposit richer than the first; this ws
worked some two weeks, realizing from
four to sixteen and half dollars per day
to the hand. Mr.. Russell PANIED one
painful of gravel taken from the deposit
that yielded SO As. At the end of said
time, this mine not paying more thar
three or four dollars per day, we set GU
on another prospecting tour, and discov.
cred another deposit rather more extern
sive, that yielded, on an average, the sam,
as the two former.
These deposits were about four mile.
|lapart. Having worked this mine som,
eight or, ten days, we set out to prospec
the Platte as far as the snow range in tn,
Rocky Mountains. We continued up safe
river about eighty miles, and finding only
fine drift gold, and our provisions being
exhausted, we were obliged to return t.
camp.
After recruiting ourselves for a few
days, We set out on smother prospecting
tour. which was to include Cherry Creek
Sand Creek, and their tributaries, embrac
ing district about forty miles square,
Tour prospects amounted to from one Il
five cents per pan Of gravel-being bette
on che former than on the latter. Sae
We also prospected the Fountain On
Bolt and in the vicinity of Pixies Peak
in this quarter where Mr.. King reports 3
much gold-we could not get what
I
sMr. BECK, mentioned above, is the gentlemal
alluded to In the letter Of Mr.. BurLER publishe'
elsewhere, under the head of Early Discoysrie
Of the Gold Region"