The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-25
Oar Central Gold Region--The Pixies
Penk Mining District,

Oar Central Gold Rsgion--The Pixies
Penk Mining District.
We publish to day an accurate and interest
ing history Of the discovery Of gold on the
eastern slope Of the Rocky Mountains, aud of
the subsequent operations of the gold hunters
with the latest intelligence from that region
and carefully prepared map Of the mining
district
II seems that SO long ago as lSi3 the FIRST
trace of gold was discovered By some Cherokee
hunters on the banks Of the stream known as
Cache-l Poudre, one Of the tributaries of the
South Platte. The following summer similar
evidence of the existence Of gold in the Pixies
Peak district was reported by another expedi-
ton. The facts were made known to some set
tiers in the Indian country who had formerly
been residents of the gold mining district of
Georgia, and by them they were communicated
10 some friends in their native State. These
latter determined to explore the country where
the reported discoveries were made, but were
prevented from carrying out their design until
1853 when q party was formed under the lead
ership of one Green Russell, whose name has
been given to diggings discovered by the party
About the same time Spring 1859 Delaware
Indian offered for sale in the town of Lawrence.
in Kansas Territory, some scale gold which
he said be had found on the sources of
the South Platte The news spread, and
within few months numerous companies
were formed in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri
! to prospect the eastern slope Of the Rocky
Mountains The Georgia and the Lawrence
companies united in the neighborhood Of what
is now Denver City. Gold was discovered but
in small quantities, and many of the gold seek
ers returned to the settlements disappointed
and 6sheartened.
! This occurred only. two years ago. Since
then the gold fever has several times increased
almost to the degree in which the California
gold fever ragged ten or twelve years before,
and it has as often subsidized But, on the whole
such encouragement was held out to our enter
prising population as to cause very large 10.
aux of immigrants to this central gold region
The extent of the movement may be judged of
from the fact that during the month of May
last no less than seven thousand teams passed
through Denver City on their way to the dig.
! gings: and it is estimated that from the 1st of
February last to the LIST of August sixty thou
sand immigrants had arrived, most of whom
were bound for the Tarryall and Blue river dig
gings, in the neighborhood OF the South Park.
And now, 10 the language Of one Of our cor.
respondents, the countless tributaries Of the
Grand and Green rivers on the western slope.
and the sources of the South Platte aud Ar
kansas, are fairly lined with miners and pros.
pectors.
1t does OF appear, however, that the fortune
of these adventurous spirits differs materially
from that which fell to the lot Of the earliest
California and Australian gold hunters. By far
the larger number have been and are doomed
to disappointment, although many are obtain
ing rich rewards. 1t is supposed that there are
no less than couple Of hundred quartz crush
| ing machines at work, but very few Of them
have turned out to be fortunate speculations
( Still our correspondent informs us that the pay
ing mines, already discovered, are extensive
enough to secure the permanent settlement
I Of mining community half way between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Pixies Peak
gold crop of 1880 is estimated at one mil
lion of dollars, and already an assay and mint.
ing office has been opened at Denver City, and
is kept probably employed.
TIE growth of that mining town Is equal to that
On the LIST of November, 1865, il contained Just
about dozen log houses. In another year it
bad grown up to town Of three hundred
log houses. The first brick house was erected
in it in October. 1859: and now II contains about
eight hundred buildings and six thousand in
habitants. Ii has FIVE private banking houses,
two daily aud two weekly newspapers, and five
stage lines The Express Company which sup
plies postal facilities handled in one day loo
letters and their payment to the Overland Com
pany for the carriage of Eastern bound letters
amounted in the month Of July to Si,22'.
These are encouraging evidences Of the pros
perity aud growth of the central gold region,
and justify us in devoting to the subject the
space in our columns which We to-day give 10
it. The Pixies Peak mining district may not
prove 50 rich to the mere diggers as the Califor-
MIA gold regions have done, because generally
the quartz is not sufficiently disnteerated to
render the mere manual labor profitable; but
the fact is established that the district is rich
in gold and silver mines, and there is no doubt
that it will yield its riches to the power Of ma
chinery. The Pixies Peak district may there
fore he heBceforth regarded as one of the gold
producing regions of the world. and as destined
soon to become the centre Of large and -four
ishing community.
THE WATERING PL,cEs.-We publish num-
Der of letters from the watering places. giving