St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-07-05
correspondence of the St. Charles City IntelIgoncer
Letter from the Plains.
UPPER Crossing, Platte River, !
May -, 1860. J

As sat alone in my wagon to'aaS'
my mind took retrospective Vlc"'
nor rested till St Charles City, Iowa.
came within the scope OF its VISION.
There | mentally dwclt awhile.
Though have spent but short por-
ton of my time in that thriving young
city, yet | am wont to speak OF 1t as
my home when interrogatcd upon the
subject. When, by chance, l meet
with any one from Iowa, and especial
ly from Floyd county, am sure to be
rather particular in my inquiries con-
corning persons and things generally.
And here allow me to say, parcn-
thetically, that have yet to find the
first man disposed to speak dcprc-
ciatingly Of our part of the Cedar
River valley, as compared with any
other portion Of the state. "onIy
this and nothing more" will they say
sometimes as oLjccting TO it Think
the climate is too cold for fruit We
submit that we can grow the harder
kinds of apples, but dare not hope for
the luscious peach. Time, however,
will settle the question and while
we arc waiting, let us cherish a hope
for this, as well as many other good
things that we expect to enjoy both in
this world and the world to come.
Perhaps, Mr.. Editor, ought to
apologize for thrusting this epistle
upon you and your readers. | have
not time to do this properly. 1t is OK
pcctcd that person will be acquaint-
cd to some extent with those living in
the vicinity of the place he calls home.
Such, with me, is not the fact, only in
a limited degree Now do not think,
good neighbors, that ! am cndcavor-
ing to get myself advertised as a per.
son with whom You should become
acquainted. Not by any means; al
though, on my part, when return
again to your vicinity, being naturally
of social disposition, shall be most
happy to meet my old friends, and
form the acquaintance Of any others
who may think they would be inter
csted in a genuine specimen of wild
Hoosier. But here is the idea
Through the kindness of dear fricnd
| hear from You oftcn-as church
going people, as Good Tcmplars, il
the Sabbath school capacity, in YOU
lyccums, and in those charadc evening
entertainments which, opine, are q
great improvement upon those sociaI
parties sometimes dcnominatcd sur.
prise parties" but by others more prop,
erIy called bussing bees
Seeing that | am thus kept advised,
and am always made more or less in.
tcrcsted in your affairs, it occurred to
me that you might be pleased to learn
something Of the passing events il
this far-Uif region. Our cncampmcut
to day is about two hundred miles
above Fort kcarncy on the south sid,
Of the Platte River, en- ro0/e for Pixies
Peak, the Mecca of the gold hunters
The "root of all evil is certainly
prevailing to an alarming extent
among the people Of the Western
States, and especially those Of Iowa !;
which State appears to furnish more
than her proportion Of the " Pilgrims, y
as the cmigrants are dcnominatcd. 1t
may be that the bump Of go-ahcad,
ativcncss is more fully developed
among the Hawkeyes, and that it is
not the "root Of evil" (thc love oi
money! that induces them to leave
their fair fields and ncw-nade homes
in Iowa for the uncertainties Of that
Eldorado of the Rocky Mountains
yclept Pixies Peak.
BE this as it may, certain it is that
the Hawkeyes are going by the thou
sands,-old and young, male and fc,
malc,-in every possible way, the
pedestrian with pack upon his
back, and ranging up through the cat
alogue of vehicles from the Mormon
hand-cart to the easy spring car
riage-some drawn by men, some by
horses, mules, oxen, and cows. The
latter, aside from making very good
team, afford a plentiful supply of milk,
enough at least for the little folks
and luxury no doubt it is; remind,
ing them of the many good things
they have left behind, not to be en-.
joycd again, in my Judgment, until
they shall have re-traccd their way
back again.
But they appear determined to see
for themselves, and all of them say
they are bound 10 go through, sink or
swim. The emigration this spring is
composed Of a better class Of people
than it was last year. They arc bet
ter prepared to make the journey, and
they have fully made up their minds
to yield to no discouragcmcnts. Still
we meet from ten to fifteen teams dali
lly, now on their return from the Peak.
Some started early, loaded with -four
and other provisions, and having sold
out at good prices are going back for
more. Some teamsters from Iowa re-
allied from $50 to 500 per cwt. for
their -four and from 80 TO 80 cents
pcr Id. for their bacon. Such men