The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-12
ROUTES no PIXIES PEAK.

M
.ptabIe urce Ia represented BY reputable persons us
!. Containing important and reliable information ON the
.ulsets o. which treats We copy it from the Kansas
ety Journal Of Commerce
Mr. Epnom The r,oent discovery Of gold at the base
a The mountains Pixies Peak has been the means
N shedding perfect fool Of light Ia regard 10 the geog
.py Of the great plains which lie between the western
boundary % Missouri aud the Rocky Mountains. The
various articles editorials and the subject Of
Inc best 10 Pixies Peak aud the best point Tor start
ing aud Quitting which have been written within the
,st three months would ii collected. form yolumnous
and magnificent collection OF lire kindng, and would
IN my humble Judgment, be just about useful Every
town and city from Fort Smith 20 Sioux city has its
writer's who 90 be afflicted with cacoethes sciib
eudi than the years itch. every mothers
son them ready and anxious to 10 h geography
and statistics, albeit nine out of ten OF them have never
teen hundred miles west OF Missouri. IL is rather
amusing and shat singular. that, although
the premises and arguments laboTiousy set forth by
each writer widely differ that they all wind up and
come 10 the oonelusionnafneiy that their
PARTICULAR town city the proper and only safe
ta ting point Tor the gold huntersI free 10 admit
thst this fast age aud fast country and that very
ttst people live in IL bat confess that of these
writer's le too FAST iof old tugy like myself
For more than quarter OF century have yearly been
trayersing these plains from the Red river 10 the Big
Platte between Missouri and Arkansas and this moan-
tans about years Of that time from 1880 to 1881,
Icing almost continuously employed under the govern
ment in surveying and marking exterior lines OF Ia
dian lands in what then the Indian territory. ihad
trayered this region in almost every possible direction
had eampd upon almost creek and stream of any
note having many lines OF departure, lar west
from the Missouri and Arkansas boundaries four hun
dred miles and in my ignomnee had supposed that
had acquired pretty ir knowledge OF the great plains
the West Bat, however Illuminating it may be to do
so have 10 confess that have travelled these
plains but very little purpose tenth part of what
these various writers put forth is 10 be believed l. how
prefer to stick to my first impressions in regard to
the country, and also TO try 10 that great number
of the writers aforesaid Il make several honorable
ceptions,D moved by the insiigation of the -- and
their cupidiy have had total disregard of the com
nadnlent Now, it is not at all surprising In view Of
the great emigration which is certain TO pour these
plains during the next summer and perhaps Tor all time,
that every the border should every effort to
obtain prominence starng-point by misrepre enta
ton any other means but il is certainly very cupable
and very wrong to do and although certain towns
may acquire some prominence and profit through mis-
representation to the best route for emgrants ii will
only be temporary, and will scarcely, think pay for
the hearty they will be to receive from their
dnpes.
it is very vel known there are but tws good practical
Die wagon roads from the Missouri TO Pixies Peak and
Ia my humble Judgment there will be any Others
which compete with them. One is the Santa fe
road which was thoroughly surveyed and established
under authority OF the United States government by
Commissioners George G.. Siblcy and Benjamin Reeves
than thirty years ago and has been the only
great thoroughfsre since that time to New Mexico
The other Is the route travelled up the big fatte
river, by Fort keaTney.
TO those who start from the Missouri river any point
below Nebraska City the former is infinitely the best
route but for those starting from above Nebraska
City, the Platte route think would he the best. As
regards the Smoky Hill route, about which much has
bern written il is all in the maginatons of the writer's
there is not. and there will be- good wagon road
mp that stream the Saline Sclomons Fork, FOR the
that the country is too billy and broken The
whole line OF the road would be succession OF imassa
bic creeks rayines and hills and half million of d,
lars would not, in my opinion construct road up the
valley Of the Smoky Hill which would at all compare to
that OF tile Santa Fe road and then what would be tie
OF for this road would at several points have to
within less than twenty mikes Of the Santa fe road
itself-rom Lost Spring, the Santa Re road to kaw
river is not that far The truth u.s. Mr. Editor the thing
Is impiacficablc which could clearly show il it would
NOT extend this article 10 too great length The Santa
Pc road is without doubt the best natural road of its
length the continent and from Council Grove west
ward IL is unsurpassed
The great plains of doubtless at
mote period Of time the bed of ocean the country
between the Smoky Hill and Republican Forks Of Kan
sas, and the mountains eastward, would seem to have
been tongue of land extending eastwardly into that
ocean being generally broken and hly, and in many
places extremely The hills covered with ironore and
sand stone and cut up by innumerabe creeks and
vines And give it my opinion that wagon-road
viii be constructed between the Smoky Hill and Re-
pubcan Fork although it would he saving in distance
90 do
have been upon those routes erery ynr for tie tIf
trogy eight years. though, course not travelling over
their entire length frisnd of mine now dead had
travelled the entire length of the Santa fe road
times and it il universally admitted to be, said be-
fure the best natural road the continents Persons
coming up the Missouri river who intend to go to Pike
Peak by the Santa Fe route, know of course if they
know anything about the route that every mile they
up the Missouri river beyond the mouth of kaw,
they will be Increasing the distance to the Peak for they
will have TO come back again to the Santa Fe road
II is well known that during the Mexican war the gov
eminent at1he suggestion of officers at Fort Leayen
worth, expended large through series OF years
to make practicable route from the Fort to the Santa
Re road and that the whole thing finally abandoned
and the trains sent down by way of the Delaware
ferry within miles of the mouth of Raw river, 10
get into the Sante Fe road.
have passed the ground between smoky Hill
and Republican Forks six times, twice To point within
less than two hundred miles of the mountains, every
time different route and have been able to
discover the good rouc for wagon road through that
region country As regards the best point for the
gold seekers to start from it is in my opinion but little
difference, they go upon the Santa Fe road whether
ii be Kansas City Westport, Independence, or Wyan
dott--the best route is the main point
As it regards distances, every one, of coming
up the Missouri river by his map that the Santa
Ee road Is much the shortest route. Yours,
j. C. MCCOY.