Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-04
Prom the Council Bun. B,0ls
FROM THE MINES



following private letter; for the bene-
fit and information Of onr readers.
Mr.. Allen is kn own all over this
State TO be man of truth and veraci-
~. lie has been a member Of the
House Of representatives, and was an
Alderman OF, and Post Master in this
city, which offices he resigned when
he left last fall for the Nebraska Gold
Mines. The letter was written to his
wife and Mt intended for publication,
and hence if he we're man who
would try to mislead others, it cannot
be supposed that he would deceive his
own family. We will remark that the
.eords are his. The italics and caps
are ours, which We have used for the
purpose of calling attention to that
portion of the letter that is Of the most
Importance to gold seeking emigrants.
Here is his letter:
AURORA, n. T. Dec. l, 1858.
DEAR WIFE AND DAUGHTERS IL
am now seated in my own Log Cabin,
and if only had you all here l would
be truly happy. hope by next sum-
mer to have you here. There is but
two white woman in this country that
know of. We have had large dep
utatlon of Arapho Indians on whose
lands we are. They are very friendly,
and appear to be pleased that we are
here.
Ihave been about thirty miles south
Of here on Cherry Creek. prospecting
for gold, and pauned out, FoRTY-FIvE
CENTS WORTH IN ONE PAN FULL OF
DIRT. 1t is very fine think with
the right kind Of tools person can
make from FIVE TO TWENTY DOLLARS
PER DAY.
Wagstaffs boys are abont thirty
miles below here; but l Lave not seen
them. l understood they brought a
letter for me which got lost on the
way, and | am sorry it got lost as !
have not heard a word from the Bluffs
since l left. l have just completed a
bedstead for Jim and me, and have
filed the bed-tick with Prairie feath-
ers, (grass) 1t is now showing hard,
and 1t looks like we are going 80 have
deep one. Jim has just wrote to
Wiley.
Ia this letter send you little
gold dust. 1t Is worth about seventy
five cents. This l got out in TWO
PANS OF DIRT. Show it to DR.. Craig :
he can tell whether it is as good as
Calif'r nia gold.
know where there is diggirgs that
the gold is larger than this. ! have
seen some about the size of common
white beans; but it is impossible to co
anything like work in the winter but
as soon as the spring opens we will he
in certain. You will no doubt see some
who have returned from here dissatis-
fed with the country and everything
out here but such persons would not
be satisfied in any place. This l car
assure all Of my friends; that any ont
who will work, can make money fast
but there is some here that will not dc
well in any place. But here all that il
wanted is industry to insure fortune
While am writing to you half {
dozen Araphahoos are sitting beside
me talking their language and calling
me chief. have been elected Directo
of the Town Company and Presiden
ofthe Claim Company, and the indians
seeing whites come to inc On business
think certainly must be chief ane
have dubbed me chief accordingly
One thing want YOU to be sure ant
tell all our friends that come out in tn
spring, that old Caliiornians have N
advantage over the rest Of us, from
the fact that the diggings here beat
them out--they,are not confined to an,
particular location but are scattered
all over the country, for a distance o
over two hundred miles. The who'll
country appears to be impregnatet
with gold.
We have organinized claim laws 70
farming and mining while l think ar
very good and liberal. We hav,
preaching every other Sunday by (
Methodist brother by the name O
Flshcr-a very clever and good man
though "Fisher for souls" he is her
like the rest of fishing for the filth,
lucre." Those who come out SHOULD
start early in the Spring.
There is about eight hundred per
sons in this country.
If the girls could only be here to se
the Rocky Mountains in the mornin!
or evening, when the sun is shining
they would see one of the most beau
tiful sights they ever beheld. 1t
about s miles to the mountains. TIL
} first tier is covered with Pine timber
and looks as black as can be. TIL
second tier is covered with snow tn
whole year round; and looking a
both, with the sun shining upon til
peaks of snow, the craggy rocks, an,
upon the pines below, forms the grand
est sight | ever saw.
1t costs fifty cents to get lette
from here to Fort Laramie, and tn
same to get one back from there.
, used to cost dollar.
We are going to have train com
in in July, and bring out our familie,
If any one comes out soon, write me
letter and send it by them-if nc
} send your letters by Mail to Fort t
Laramie.
remain Yours Affectionately,
HENRY ALLEN.
The PRINcE lMpERIAL.-A gres
crowd collects every day in the TUT
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