Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-06-28

AAAANAHaAaa IAAAAAN - ~ - .
year, and the great majority returned back
again much lighter handed, but heavier
hearted thRn when outward bound, A nu-
cleus remained. This season another exodus
has taken place 10 the Rocky Mountain gold
regions nearly or quite as extensive as the
FIRST. but as yet there has been nothing like a
returning stampede. individuals, it is true,
get disheartened in the search for gold and
at the disappointment and hardships met
with, and abandon the adventure which
they end costs more than It comes to. The
proportion OF such as yet is small, though it
is safe to predict thatas winter approaches the
current Of travel will set Eastward across
the plains in strong tide. The great ma
jOrity, however, will remain and become per-
manent settlers.
As comparatively few Of our readers have
made the Pixies Peak trip in person, we
present them with portion Of an interesting
diary Of candid and intelligent Ohioan who
has, as communicated to the Cincinnati Ga
lette His party reached Denver City after
a journey Of twenty-five days. He writes
that 'Deaver City has improved wonderfully
within the last six months, and the gulches
and cauons of the mountains are swarming
with people. Business is brisk, and the news
generally favorable, especially frOm the dig
gings on the head waters Of the Arkansas
We omit that portion of the journey
through and on the outskirts of civilization.
and commence the interesting "moving panO-
rama on the ninth day of the trip.
Njnh Day, Nay 27.-The mirage so com
mon upon the great plains, to-day revealed
to as several dreamy lakes Of clear blue water,
fringed with forest shores, two or three miles
from our road Journeying short distance,
however, changed the angle Of observation,
and the enchanting picture faded into bare
and barren sand-hills. Water was very
scarce along our route, and the dust fright
ful. After long drive over q high and dry
divide, at nine o'clock in the evening we
struck the rich valley Of the Platte, and
camped where wood, water and grass were
abundant, and the tents Of emigrants were
thick as leaves in Yallambrosa. Days travel,
SO miles
Ts4lth Day, Nay 2s.-The Platte, or Ne
braska river, which we now follow the whole
remaining distance to Denver City, is an
imposing stream to look upon, being in many
places as wide as the Ohio, or even the
Mississippi But it has proved a delusion and
a snare TO hundreds Of persons attempting to
descend it in skiffs, as it is barely navigable
4 I l.. 10 less
than two feet and It abounds in treacherOus
quicksands The name, both in French and
Indian, signifies q shallow Broke up camp
this morning at 9 o'clock, and soon after
found ourselves at the junction Of the great
road from Omaha and Nebraska City with
that from St. Joseph and Leavenworth. The
northern route seems as fully alive with
emigrants as the one we have come, and the
Nebi askans and IOwans are pouring toward
Pixies Peak, like an irruption of the ancient
Goths. About noon reached Fl. Kearney,
military post of a few frame and several
adobe buildings, not especially imposing in
appearance. At the post ofice-s wretched
little mud shanty, with dirt foOr and roof
found letters which had only been seven days
on their way from Cincinnati. As this point
is three hundred miles west of the Railroad,
it is remarkably good time for Uncle SAM
Two miles beyond the Fort, passed Kearney
City, now a melancholy looking metropolis
of ght or ten adobe houses on the bare
prairie; but still city Of magnificent inten-
tions, with business lots commanding from
5000 to $500. Corn here commands - 90
per bushel; sugar 25 cents per poundi cheese
40 cents; -four 10 cents; ham 20 cents;
raisins IS cents. In the evening when we
/ eamped on the river bank, a most Ominous
] calm prevailed and the air was wonderfully
warm But just as we had lain down for the
! night, hurricane came on, much like the
I " nOrthers" of Texas The fierce wind in
stantly prostrated our tent upon our heads,
and after one or two vain attempts TO raise it.
we g en- composed ourselves to sleep under the
! tapping canvas, while the wind hOwled fright
- without Days travel, 20 miles.
iull. ~.alb DaH Nay 29.-AWoke in the
ELss 6nd 2 lsFge ssud-bank in each
morning u 'athing completely permeated
eye, and my c. sst;sl. which had sifted in
with the same ma' The Wind still blew
through the canvas. tba syesther was
almost to q hurricane, anu ,oIzfsst in the
intensely cold. Preparing br, sop SO we
open air was quite out Ofthe ques,. q. and.
broke camp in the quickest possible tin. IA.
wrapped TO the eyes in shawls and blank,
rode shiveringiy on, eight miles, to the Ex-
press Station. Here we found some fifty
emigrants, who had already taken refuge
from tie storm before us. Several Of them
including an exceedingly delicate and fragile
lady from Chicago, an Omaha lady so weak
and reduced from recent attack Of illness
that she could not walk without assistance,
and a baby three weeks old, all on their way
to the Peak-seemed to think that plains life
was not 20 romantic after all. After warm
breakfast, we rode on, though the weather
was very cold through the day. Net several
wagons Of returning emigrants full Of dOleinl
reports about the Gold Region Passed quite
a number Of handearts, and few eniigrants
on foot and alone-domestic Aliases, with
their little worlds upon their shouldtTs.-
Went through a village Of prairie dog 3, in
which several of our company endeaKor ed to
shoot the lively inmates, as their flesh 1s ex-
cellent, closely resembling that of & gray
squirrel. But the little fellows were TOO
wide awake for them, and after one or t, 70
derisive barks, would dive into their sub
terranean habitations. Of their strange. but
constant companions, the owls and the rat
desnakes, we saw only one OF two specimens.
Days travel, 50 miles
Ttvsgth Day, May 3O.-Saw few buffaloes
in the distance, but too shy to come near the
road. Emigrants innumsrable alongour route
through the whole day The number of
those accompanied by their families exceeds
anything ever before witnessed on the plains
In several instances the wagons are accom-
panied by extra saddle horses, and the ladies
indulge in equestrian exercise to their hearts
content Wood is becoming very scarce
along the road Two wild Irishmen in our
company afforded good deal of amusement,
while on guard last night by attempting to
capture what they took for two wild horses,
by driving them in among the wagons, and,
as they expressed it, "bewildering them
This brilliant effort was unsuccessful, and
to-day it proves that the animals were by
no means wild, but horses which had escaped
from an emigrant Days travel, 80 miles.