The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-01-08
The YIines and the Routes Thtther.

mi Orm0t1On COuCcTuIHS SHC uSWty "''eo'~'~
gold mines, and the route, leading to them.
Those contemplating visit to the mines,
will find much that will prove Of interest to
them, in the perusal of this letter.
Council BLUFFS, Jan. 4'h, 1859.
Mr.. J. B. RUE:
Dear Broiher-The information which
shall give you in this letter you may safely
RELY on, both as it respects the mines,
and the best route to them; for we have at
this point, the very best opportunities ior
learning everything about them both, tina
can be learned.
If you will take your map, you Will see
that the new Gold Mines-Pike's Peak and
Cherry Creek-lay along on the eastern
side of the Rocky Mountains; these noun
tains run from Cape Horn through the
entire length of the western continent, and
are the longest ridge Of mountains in the
world, being 5000 English miles. They
form the Andes, in South America, the
Cordilleras, in Guatemala and Mexico, and
the Rocky Mountains in the United States.
The same great CONFUSION of nature which
threw up these mountains, seems to nave
thrown up from the bowels of the earth
vast quantities of precious metal, such as
gold, silver, platinum, &c.
Heretofore, these precious metals have
II ko
of the Rocky Mountains, through C"l'for-
MIA, Mexico and South America; but the
late discoveries of gold, have been made on
the eastern eide, and are found in lat. 400
Ion. 1867. The first discovery of gold was
at Plies Peak, but much richer mines have
sipsc been found at Cherry Greek, some
seventy miles North.
The country has been explored near three
hundred miles along the base Of the noun
tains, and gold has been found more or
less everywhere they examined. The gold
in California is found along the beds of the
rivers and creeks, and so it is in the new
mines, but it is also found all over the surface
of the country, and is now obtained by very
little labor.
That gold has been found, and that it
does exist through the country for hundreds
Of miles, is proven beyond doubt, by the
many letters which We are constantly re-
ceiving at this point, and at all other points
along the Missouri River; and more particu-
larlv from the fact that the miners who
have families, have sent in many specimens
Of gold, and have directed their families to
come out to them as early as possible in the
spring. This is the most satisfactory proof
that we can possibly have from those per-
sons that are now in the mines; for these
miners would not be likely to 60 to the
trouble and expense of having their families
taken out into wild and unciviizcd coun-
try, some FIVE hundred miles from civiliza-
ton, if they had not found the gold, and
found it too, in such quantities as to make it
not only paying but profitable business.
The mines, from all that we can learn,
yield from s., to $40 day to each man
but they all agree in saying that as soon
rs they are supplied with ''lons-toms, -
"sluiccs" and "gold-rockcrs," they will be
able to obtain four times us much. The
gold, they say, is of the finest quality, and
appears to be inexhaustible in quantity.
Now, the question arises, which is the
shortest and best route to the mines from
the Missouri River.
There are different starting points-for
example: Kansas City, Leavenworth, St.
Joseph, Nebraska City, Plattsmouth, and
Council Bluffs. The people living in these
towns, say that the nearest and best route
! to the mines, is from the town in which they
live; this is natural, because each place
desires the benefit of the travel passing
through it.
Now, l will lay before you some facts,
from which you may decide for yourself
If you were living in any Of the States
South of Missouri, then your nearest and
best route would be by the way of Kansas
City or Lcavenworth, both of which places
are said to be good fitting out places, and
good starting points; but if you are living
in any part of the country North Of the
Missouri line-that is, if you live in any
part of Iowa, in the Northern part of
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, or in any of the
States or Territories North Of this, then,
without any doubt, your starting point from
the Missouri River. should be Council
Bluffs because the route from this point to
the gold mines, is from $50 to 2yD miles
nearer than it is from st. Joseph, or
from Nebraska City, or from Pla,tsmou,h-
the reason this is so, is because that the
South side Of the Platte is broken and hilly,
and good part of the way, these hills are
barren sand hills, and hence, 1000 people
have gone out the North side of the Platte
where 10 have gone out the South side; and,
to convince you Of this, l have gathered the
following facts:
In the first place, when the Mormons were
driven from Illinois, they went over into
Iowa and Missouri, and there they cncamp-
cd, until their agents had explored the whole
country West of the Missouri River to the
Great Salt Lake Valley, for the purpose of
ascertaining the best and shortest Route
after having done so, the whole body of
them came to Council Bluffs, and went up
the North side of tho Platte, and they have
done so ever since; and so partial have they
been to this route, even after years expert
ence, that thousands have come from St.
Louis to this point, and then gone out the
North side of the Platte.
Again, when tho great overland cmigra-
ton commenced to California, they first
made their starting point from Independence,
then from Weston, then from st. Joseph, but
after year or two of experience, the great
part Of overland emigration to California,
came to Council Bluffs, and took the old
"Nlormon .raiI'' up the North side of the
Platte.