The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-01-11
Letter from LOran Clark.


Friend Richardson:-I designed writing
to you long time ago, but have been de-
laying it from week to week, till at this late
hour I have undertaken the task have
done but very little writing the past year,
and it is hard work to get at it.
You have probably lost all track of me
by this time, so I will tell you where have
been, and hope to renew our acquaintance
I received copy of the Times and read it
while was yet in the mountains-thc only
thing Of news have heard from McGrcgor
since last winter. have been to Pixies
Peak; yet how many can tell the same tale
to their sorrow. But Pixies Peak is not so
great humbug as it was the first of last
May; then, there was nothing known of it
except the lalsiIed reports that were herald
ed from one end of the Union to the other,
through the newspapers of eastern Kansas
and Nebraska. l am prepared to say that
it was then the greatest humbug of the
day, but now, although am not one of the
fortunate ones, am satisfied that there is
plenty of gold there; the mines have been
sufficiently developed, the past season, to
warrant me in saying that there are thou
sands Of fortunes in the gold mines of the
Rocky Mountains. But all that run don't
win the prize, and all that 60 to Pixies Peak
will not make fortunes.
l have prospected on the western slope
of the mountains, in Middle and North
Parks, and farther west; was down Grand
River, principal tributary of the Colorado,
about hundred miles; was west of the
North Park about fifty miles, and in part
Of the mountains that few white men have
ever seen; I made two trips over Snowy
Range, passing, in July and August, snow
banks fifty feet dcep-the last time was
gone forty-five days, subsisting on fresh
meat, without pepper or salt, twelve days
so you may know that have travelled some
in the mountains, and l am satisfied that
the richest mines are yet to be opened in
that section Of country which is yet little
known
The quartz leads that have been opened
the last season, will, without doubt, yield
rich harvest next year; in fact, every man.
with scarcely an exception, that has had the
'pluck' to stay till fall, is satisfied to return
again in the spring, Some have gone to
New Mexico to spend the winter, others stay
there, but more have come back this fall to
return in the spring, all confident of their
success next year. But with all the conf
dence l have in the gold mines, would not
advise any friend to leave paying business
to go to Pixies Pcak-in fact, l will not adj
wise any man to 60; l can tell them the
facts, and they can do as they please.
Denver City and Auraria, situated on the
south bank of the Platte River, divided only
by Cherry Creek (Which is dry at that
point nine months in the year,, are the larg-
est towns in that country; there arc prob
ably two or three thousand inhabitants there
now. A good many nice frame buildings
have been erected the past season, and they
were commencing some brick buildings
when came away.
left the mines in October, came down
the Arkansas River route hearing nothing
of the Indian difficulties till we were two
hundred miles on our road, too late to back
out, and just below the Santa Fe Crossing
twenty kioways undertook to make ten of
us believe that we had no business to live
any longer, but we used very iorcible argu-
nents and soon convinced them that they
were wrong. We killed four of them, and
the balance were glad to leave US; we did |
not allow them to get close to us, or they
would probably have had better luck. Four
Of our number got slight arrow wounds; |
had one cut through my coat sleeve, but |
had the honor of firing the first shot and
killing the first "red-skin.' They have
killed some twenty-five or thirty persons.
some before and some since we came
and no doubt it will be dangerous
travelling that route next spring; shall re-
turn the Platte route.
expected to sec several of my old Nc
Gregor friends at the Peak-JonN H. KIN
NAIRD, and several others that heard start
ed for there before did-but | have heard
that they never went through; would
write to several more at McGregor, if I
knew they were still there Please tell all
the boys to write to me, and then I will
know who to write to. Just give me an &C.
count Of what is going on at McGrcgor, and
who of the old "b'hoys" are there, if YOU
have time. will write more another time
Yours, truly, LORAN CLARK.
Buy AYERS AGus Cure for Int ern,;tt.nss Av,n,.