Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-01-04
Pixies Peak. Another Golden llumbug


From the Peoria Transcript, Dec. 10Th
A letter has been placed in our hands,
written BY Mr.. Jno. L. Riley to Mir f. t.
Peters, Of Mossville, in this county, desert
bling Pixies Peak, the Kansas gold region,
from which place he had just returned and
is now stopping at st. Joseph Mo. Mr.. Ri
ley is we'll known in this sec;io. as can
did, honorable man. whose statements may
be implicitly relied upon. Ills letter con
tains information in relation to Pixies Peak
which is of much interest and Importance
at this time, when so many persons, stilnu-
lated by the glowing accounts of gold in
that distant locality, are making prepare
tons to enigrate thither in the spring.
Mr. Riley writes that in coming in, their
party met ut least 500 Wagon. loads of emf
grants en- route for the digging, and ex-
press the opinion that they cannot cross the
plains, for, if they escape freezing to death,
they must starve, as the Indians have
burned Oft ali the grass, and game of every
description has departed. Provisions of all
kinds at the diggings are scarce and high.
Pork and beef sell at $50 per bbl, flour at
$50, 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 oie they can at enormous profits
These spectators are the ones who puff
and magnify what little sprnksing of gold
there is In order to induce emigration
When you hear persons 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, needing this ad-
vice of Mr.. Riley they 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 Rave been confident that
those who rushed fer that section upon the
strength of the fattering accounts that have
been brought from there would be doomed
a bitter disappointment. We all remember
the apparently we'll authenticated accounts
of rich gold discoveries on Frazers river.
Washington territory. Thousands of per-
sons, deceived by the descriptions given.
hurried into that inhospitable region, and
the consequence was an immense amount of
S"'NibS, W. ~ Turn out tD.J the new
Eldorado was pretty much Of humbug.
Mr.. Riley's account of how the enticng
stories concerning Pixies Peak reach the
States is undoubtedly correct one. That
there is gold to be found in that region is
unquestionably true but that there is a
superabundance oft, or that there is enough
to furnish profitable employment for miners
We do not believe. Let those who are has.
tening preparations to emigrate thitherward
be warned in time, and not leave their fam.
lilies or homes only to meet with disappoint-
ment 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 industrieusly, live virtuously, and in
the end they will find reasons for rejoicing
that they have not tried a more venture
come course.