Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-27
nIining Opernlions at pllle,. peol,.

The express from Pixies Peak has been
bringing out larger and larger amounts Of
gold dust Tor sOlne months past and the last
brought ueafl5 800, 900, including that in
the hands Of passengers. IN addition to The
gold mines, discoveries Of silver ore continue
to be made in the Rocky Mountains. In some
places thesilveF Is found to be worth us much
as 81, 700 to the ton Of rock, while OCCASION
ally large nuggets Of pure silver are found
The silver mania is raging in the Blue and
Snowy Range regions. Mr. Hedges, formerly
Of Cincinnati, and Mr.. Wood, of st. Louis,
being satisfied that the abundant ore is veri-
table silver, have sent East for silver fur
naces. The silver districts are extensive and
inexhaustible, the only question being as to
the value of the shining substance. The silver
mania israging At the Peak to such an extent
as to partially dspopulate the gold diggings.
Such is the silver intelligence to Sept. 18th.
A letter Of Sept. 18th to the St. Louis
Democrat states that there are about ninety
steam mills, fifty water mills, and as many
ras;ers, in operation in the Gregory mines
country, and none on the Arkansas, South
Peak, and Blue River sections. Rockers and
sluices are the chief means made use of, as
yet in the southern gold fields. Quartz
crushers and machines have been located in
the Gregory and Boulder mines only. Those
in the Boulder have not done much, and some
of them are being removed to the Gregory
section. InGregory diggings only five or
six ofthe scores at work pay we'll Some of
the best yield from $500 to $500 per "a hours
running, and others from $40 to $780,
The quartz from several leads is not near SO
rich as was anticipated, and the expenses Of
carrying on the mills are pretty heavy
The writer thinks that thfee-tourths of
the mills are not making anything.
Gulch mining in the Gregory section is de-
creasing, the old diggings being about clean
ed out. In the Arkansas and other Southern
sections it is not so, and there are scores Of
miners making from $40 to S10O to the days
sluicing. In the Georgia Guloh there are
numbers making from $40 to $40 per day
Yet for every ten miners who are making
little fortunes, there hundred who are not
clearing over what they could do at less la
bOriOus occupations in the States. The
writer, who is familiar with the mines and
the miners, says;
dent think this Pixies Peak country will
ever-or at least for few yesrs-become as
rich, great and prosperous as was anticipated
and believed by everybody last season and
this year. fcapitalists viii come here next
yesr or two and pitch in, it may be that
things will become extra great and extra
profitable for the masses equal or grsater
than it was in California in its best days
but, at present, think the times and the
mines of this country will not prove as imme-
diately rich and remuneratiVe to the masses,
like it was in CALIFORNIA; history-not, at
least, for another year or two. If all the
people who immigTated here this summer had
means or capital, and had the desire or de-
termination of setting to work, as a more
general thing, to dig for, develope, or prop
erly prospect for gold, l have no doubt there
would now be great times here-but the
curse of it was, two out of three came out
here to trade, speculate, swindle, sport around
and spread themselves on their shape and
talents, without wishing or concluding to
pitch in and sink into quartz rock deep
enough for the precious ore.