White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-06-09
More Arrivals from the Mines-Hor.
rible Tales of Suffering.


More Arrivals from the Mines-Hor-t
rible Tales of Suffering.
Two young men, named Erastus b.
Giffin and Preston Gates, Of Williams
burg. Wayne County. Indiana. arrived
here on Sunday week, direct from Denver
City. They went out last October, and
left Denver on the 9th Of May. A gen.
tleman in this place was acquainted with
them, and pronounces them to be per-
fectly reliable. They prospcctcd two
months, and made $40, all told. They
prospected up and down the Platte. and
on the head waters Of the Colorado. They
think there may be some gold in the
mountains. but there is no chance to get
it, as there is deep snow all the year round,
with the exception of about two months.
The best days digging they did, paid
them LOG. This was on another mans
claim, who wanted to sell it, and come
home. They asked to try it first, when
they worked one day at washing dirt
which the fellow had thrown up. They
worked with long tom and sluice, and
washed ont s1.O6. They then worked
four days longer. digging up the dirt for
themselves and in the four days, they
took ont fifteen cents After that, the
pay was still smaller, when they gave it
up. They are confident that the fellow
had prepared his pile of dirt. as bait.
They report horrible Sufferings on the
Smoky Hill route, which has been so be-
pufed in some of the papers. When
they left, but ten persons had reached the
mines by that route, who reported that
three hundred had died on the way. One
of the men reported that he had seen six
dead men lying within reach of each 9th
or and another said that he had himself
buried twelve men. These men came
struggling in, one by one. One Of them
had lived ten days on the flesh Of his dog.
They reported that some had lost their
way. Scouts were Immediately sent out,
and some Of the lost ones were found
within ten miles of camp, so weak, that
they had to be fed with spoons.
In Denver City, several months since,
lots were selling as high ns $3.50. When
the young men left, donation shares, con-
tanning eight lots, could be bought for
IS. Denver has several hundred small
cabins, many Of which have no roofs
They are occupied by any ono who
chooses to do SO. The proprietors have
made a poor speculation, as there is
not money enough in the country to
pay house rent. Provisions wero very
scarce, and bread was selling at Is cents
per pound. The baker was the only per-
son who had any gold dust, for those who
got any, were compelled to buy bread
with it. One of our informants gave the
baker a gun, which cost him S26, for
four pounds of bread.
These young men threw their tools into
the Platte, and started home on foot, ia
king only two blankets with them. For
two hundred miles they lived on prickly
pears and wild potatoes. They built but
two fires from Denver to Fort Kearney.
Once they killed prairie dog and roasted
it. Another time, they came 10 where a
man and his family were encamped, and
asked for bread. The man at first refused
it, bat Mt length agreed to let them have
some. for which he took their blankets ss
pay! They then had to sleep on the bare
prairie, and once the Cheyenne Indians
came near taking their coats from them |!
Ayoung man named VIM. H. Joslyn,
and another person, from Monroe County,
New York, have since arrived, and report
similar to the above, and much more,
which would be interesting. had we room
for it. They spent a great part Of their
time in the company of old mountaineers,
who assured them that gold could not be
found there in paying quantities. We hear
enough every week to gil our paper, and
are enabled to give but few of the prin-
cipal items.