The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-01-06
The Western Gold Fields.

doubling the existence of extensive aur-
ferrous deposits along the eastern slope of
the Rocky Mountains. Every account
from the region Of Pixies Peak not only
corroborates the first statements as to
the presence of gold in quantities that
will justify working, but the range of
country in which these deposits are be-
ing found is constantly enlarging. Along
Cherry Creek, the Fontaine qui Boulle,
the South Platte, and the smaller streams
flowing eastward from the base of the
Mountains, the precious metals have been
found in amount sufficient to repay con-
slant toll, even with the rudest imple
ments.
The old mountain trappers are begin
ming to relate what has fallen under tEeir
observation, and what they have learned
from the Indians, for the last twenty
years, respecting the gold bearing char
acter of an immense region of country,
stretching westward from Pixies Peak
across the mountains, and north and
south over many degrees of latitude. In
deed, the well authenticated existence Of
gold in SO many places, on both sides of
the great central elevation of the conti-
nent, from the Isthmus to Frazer River,
warrants the anticipation of the discovery
Of treasures, surprising in quantity and
richness any that have yet been found.
Mayor Gilpin, whose interesting papers
upon the physical geography of the
great interior plains and mountain ranges
of our continent prove him to be we'll
informed as TO the resources of that re-
gion, gives it as his opinion that gold
will yet be found there in solid mass. cor
responding, to some extent, in quantity,
with the immense iron deposits in the
valley of the Mississippi.
But coming from the domain of spec
ulation, the discoveries actually made are
quite sufficient to insure an immense en-
igration next spring to the new Ell Dora
do. Thousands upon thousands of en-
terprising and adventurous spirits will
so out to dig gold and help lay the foun-
dations of new State in the wilderness.
The st. Louis Democrat thus sketches the
stirring scenes that will be enacted upon
our Western border.
With the opening new year, when the
grass grows green, and nature, assuming
there her garment of rare loveliness, shall
invite to the exploration, what a scene of
adventurous industry will be witnessed
in that now silent Territory. More than
twenty thousand men will be toiling.
digging, searching through every nook
of fhaf votoon;o cantfon n1ip, biprr
the mountains, penetrating the valleys,
turning the streams, breaking the rocks,
burowing the earth, polishing the
stones, smelling the silver, cleaning the
gold from every crevice. The throng
of wagons, and accumulation of provi
sions, and collection of herds and focks
along the western lines of present settle
ment, will resemble the outgoing of an
army of invasion. The tramp Of free la
Dor, as it marches to the conquest of the
new Ophir, will be heard above the din
of politics, and the restless eye of specu-
lation will wander from government con-
tracts and Congress lobbying, to watch
this exodus to the centre-this crusade
!. against the mountains-this evangel to a
new commerce. The West-the far West
the great West, will loom up in the
eye of the nation in proportions of i'm
measurable grandeur. Where the deer
and the elk now frequent, cities will
spring up within the year rivalling those
of the valleys and the buffalo path will
turn into highways for hurrying mer-
chandise.
The tradesman who can now scarce
get together enough in his narrow home
to buy an outfit, will return the million
aire of a new gold field, or the shrewd
realizer of successful town lots. The
ox-driver will merge into the proprietor
of the express line; the farmers boy will
boast of the possession of a rancho with
cattle on hundred hills. Nor will
there be wanting dark lines in all this
gilded pagentry. The broken gambler.
the youth whose bright hope has been
extinguished in crime, the impoverished
miner whose "bad luck" has become
the proverb of his associates-the hus-
band, the father, the child returning to
plant the willow over the graves OF those
for whose sake he struggled so brayely
after fortune-all these will mingle in the
panorama.
And yet the good will surpass the evil,
the gladness greater than sorrow, the
contribution to national progress far
transcend the cases of individual suffer
ing. Altogether, it is contempla-
ton to rouse the spirit and make US proud
of our country and our time. What
other land can hold out such unspeak-
able inducements to thrifty toll And
what other age can parallel such irrup-
tons Of people fastening to pioneer the
wilderness ? Such, however, is the COM
ing marvel of the coming year.
AN OLD MUM An Indian named