The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-02-10
From Pfke,s Peak.


We have been favored with the following
extracts from two letters written by gen.
tleman, now in Denver city, to his brother
here The letters were written-one Dec.
IL, 1881 the other Jan. 25th, 1860. They
contain the latest reliable information we
readers have notion of going to that mod
ern ophir in the Spring, we copy such Por-
tons of the letters as will be of general
interest. rf-TU4-F
In his first letter, the writer says, g think
that any one with q little capital could make
fortune here between now and the first of
March, specializing in town lots..i Indeed,
to me, who came here but little over year
ago when there were but four cabins in the
whole country, the change seems wonder
full. Some six or eight hotels are in full
operation; two theaters, billiard saloons,
restaurants, private dwellings, offices, and
stores have been built. First log gave place
to frame, and now frame gives place TO
brick. Everything abounds here. The
mines are turning out to be of unparalleled
richness, and so long as the weather permit
ted, new discoveries were being made daily.
At present the weather is delightful,
although we have had altogether about
twelve days of real, singing cold weather.
al see reports in the papers of fights and
murders here. The whole is an unmitigated
lie, and must say that for so motley
community, have never seen one more
peaceably inclined. Now, during the win
ter months, when mining operations have
ceased, fun reigns supreme and uncontrolled,
and it is very seldom that we ever hear of
even fist fight. So much for the reports
of lying correspondents. 4aa
The mail leaves, he says, every Thursday,
for the States.
In his second letter, he says: s--@
There is no money in the country. All
of the successful miners went home in the
fall, carrying their gold dust with them, and
the money that the miners and citizens had,
has gone into the hands of merchants, who,
in turn, have sent it to the States. This
leaves us in rather an Uncomfortable and
perplexing situation.
Il last week came down from the noun
tains, where / have secured two of the
richest claims yet discoyered-one a lead
claim, the other gulch. My lead claim
shall open as soon as the weather moderates,
and can get provisions; my guleh claim
not until there is water for washing, for in
the former case i can take my quartz to the
quartz mill, and have no further trouble
with it, whereas in the latter case l shall
have to sluice or tom. The weather has
been delightful for some time past, but yes
terday and to-day violent snow storm has
been raging, and the snow is now a foot
deep, and no prospect of an abatement, al
though / cannot say it is very cold.
ave look for and are preparing for a
heavy immigration in the Spring, and do
not think / shall be- disappointed. People
in the mountains are still at work in their
tuanels and leads, and at Gregorys Point
are thousands of cords of quartz piled up
awaiting the arrival of quartz mills and
a suficiency of water. The quartz is very
rich. gotssme specimens from the lead
that my claim is on, in which the gold crop
ed out all around, also beautiful crystals re-
sembling diamonds. If had one hundred
dollars now in ready money, could go to
work immediately, and conld make small
fortune before fall"