Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-08-03
For Tie inquirer.
California News.
GENOA, CARSON VALLEY,
CAL, May 27, 1860.

Mr. EDlTOR.-l VIII endeaVor 10 give you
some OF the news of this country, and ask you
to give my letter au insertion 10 your paper
for the benefit of my numerous friends.
have great many friends to whom / would
like to write, bnt can't take time to do so,
aud if you will give my letter place ip your
columns, you will honor and oblige your hum
bic servant.
No doubt you hear large stories of the dis
ooyery of rich silver and gold mines in this
country, known as the sWashoe Country" the
"Eastern Slope" &c. And no doubt you have
heard by this time of Indian troubles in this
country, and of bloody battle being fought
between the whites and Indians on the 18th of
this month, in which the whites were badly
defeated. Through the Pony Express AMI the
telegraph, the above news has no doubt been
spread throughout the whole Union, and have
no doubt but that said news, aud all other
news from this country reaches the Atlantic
States in an exaggerated form, as a story sell
dom loses by travelling. | know that a
great many people in this country would SOON
er tell lie on credit than tell the truth for
cash. What little tell you shall be the truth,
TO the best of my knowledge. | will try TO
present things exactly they are. There has
been q small bit of an Indian war stirred up
IN this country, aud DO mistake; aud it will
retard the progress and development of ii
to some extent, no doubt, but | don't
think IT will amount to much, though some val
liable lives have been lost already, and the
probability is that more will be before the saw
ages are subdued The first outbreak was the
murder of three men and the burning of 3
station on the mail roate and emigrant road
ntIla of Oh fho
bend OF Caro- river. The house was burned /,
and the bones of the tbree men were found in
the ashes. The station was kept by three
brothers, named Williams. There is report
of more brutal outrage baying been commit
ted against the Indians by the men of said
station, for the truth of which cannot vouch,
but there is 10 doubt the murder was commits
ted by the Indians, as large herd of cattle
was driven off by them at the fame time from
the same vicinity. On the strength of this,
volunteer force oi los Inen were raised in FIVE
little towns in these valies, viz: Genoq, Car
son City, Silver City, Gold Hill, and Virginia
City. They were not mounted on very good
horses, and rather poorly equipped, both in re-
gard TO arms, ammunition aud provisions. l
don't think they calculated to have fight;
they thought it was only necessary to 90 out
and show themselves, frighten the Indians
away, aud take their horses. They followed
the trail of the cattle driven off by the 1ndi-
ans about 100 miles north of this, to near
Pyramid Lake, tho sink of Truckee River,
where they met, as they suppose, about 600
ludian warriors, who gave them very warm
reception. Our men stood them no show at
all; the most of them were badly scared, and
didn't half fight. a friend of mine who was
IN the battle, says that on the retreat be pick
ed up loaded rife which had been carried to
the war BY Dutchman, and, from the appear
ance of the gun he was satisfied that it had not
been fired at all The Dutchman escaped nm
burt, and claimed his rife after my friend Bob
Pooler) bad carried it all night. The battle
was fought IN the evening, and night coming
On, enabled many to secrete themselves and
escape. The Indians followed the whites In
hot pursuit for 20 miles, and no doubt slew a
good many on the retreat. Our men were
coming struggling in like lost sheep for week
after the battle. The leader Of the expedi-
tlon, Maj. Ormsby, one of our best citizens, is
still missing, and supposed to be killed, he
was kEown to be wounded, aud .hree horses
shot under him. But three of the returned
warriors brought their horses with them
hands of the Indians. % or 80 men are yet
missing, supposed to be killed. About 500
men, part Uncle Sans men, and part volun-
teers, have started out against the Indians the
pas: week.
In regard 10 the mines, there are some very
rich silver mines in operation, gold mixed with
the silver IN the same rock or ore. The ore
has to De crushed 10 a mill or smelted n a
furnace TO extract the metal. The ore taken
out OF some of the mines is worth $1,000 per
ton.
Mines that can be worked on a cheap scale
are scarce, and would say to my friends who
haye anything of chance of making a COM
Portable living in the old States, stay there
and porsegere. The wages for laboring men
here are about $40 per month and board; me-
chanics 81, and board themselves am get
ting 81 day and boarded, driving an ox-leam,
hauling savlogs. Good bye.
Your friend, JNo. 7. PIPER.
The Saltwater Minnesota) Democrat Doug
las paper, speaks as follows of Breckinridges's
associate:
''As to Joe Lane we have few remarks to
make. Ar inebriate by habit; low, vulgar
man by instinct and association; has become
intoxicated by position, aud will naturally be-
nckied with the straw Of candidacy for Vice
PRESIDENT, even though there is less than
ghost of chance for election. 1t is fattery
20 such men as he to be thought of, even for
Tue second office in the gift Of the nation; and
ula4sv Il 1t. 4 !