New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-10-15

From the st. Louis Republican we extract the
following interesting letter, dated 0Faon's Bluffs,
october1:
Preached Denver from Cincinnati, Ohio, July Esd;
stopped over one day found much more Of city
than expected. Next day started for Gregory I
diggngs. Here found one Of the wonders Of this
age which consists in greater amount Of labor
having been performed under the same circHm-
stances in the same space Of time by any people /
upon the face Of the earth. Ihave Travelled up and
down most of the gulches there and examined the |
dggings and the quartz mills. The latter are so |
closely located that could often throw stone
from one TO another for miles. There we're at that
date over one hundred and thirty, and some eight
or ten more have gone in there since. Most OF
them are Of good substantial workmanship; few,
however, show lack Of it, The cams are OF bad
construction, not working fair against the collar,
and the cast stamps being badly fitted on to the
shaft, coming loose, and the band wheel Chat runs
quick) propelling the stamps is often out Of bal
ance, causing much irregularity of motion, and also
loss Of power. The want OF experience in working
quartz mills, as also in the best process Of aggre-
eating and saving the gold, has operated thus far
unfavorably, but each day serves to remedy this
difficulty. =i.l
have no doubt that more than onehaf Of them
will fail to pay expenses this season; others, how
ever, are doing well The gnlch diggings IN THIS
section is nearly done and will not employ more
than one-fourth the men next season that nave
been this There will be demand for some IN
crease Of men in the leads as they go deeper. and
the mills operate more expeditiously. North OF this
| reported about in the same ratio as Gregory.
| have just returned from the great divide about
| the head waters OF the Platte, Colorado and ar.
kansas rivers, lbs miles southwest OF Denver, and
1 some IS miles west by north of Pixies Peak, pass
\ ing through South Park to Tarryall, over the
| snowy range to BreckInride on. the Blue. There
are some gnlch dggings in this region that are pay
ing very well, especially the Georgia, Humbug and
American guches. They, however, are small, and
| another year will probably work them out. The
California guch is still further southwest on the
head waters of the Arkansas river, and it Is
/ fast depopuiating. There are but few gold quartz
leads in this region yet discovered and satisfae-
| torily determined, Of sufficient vaue to justify
working but it is believed by those interested that
| they are and will be found valuable.
| Twas attracted to this district by the reported
| discoveries of silver ore. There is found in all
l these high ranges or divides, in q belt OF some
twenty-five miles east and west and seventy or
eighty north and south, bright metal, varying N
4 texture some little, in which it is claimed that
/ silver exists in greater or less proportion Inc
assays made at Denver and other places here have
been so various that public confidence is lost IN 1t,
and the more prudent are now awaiting Tor reports
| from the States, whence several specimens have
| gone to be tested. have visited only some eight
or ten leads, out of at least seyenty-hye now on
| record. However, / have been favored with an
| examination of specimens from large proportion
of them. 1 erected small cupoia and bellows,
propelling the latter with horsepower, had coal
| pit burned, and with it succeeded In smelling
some from different leads; but owing to the con-
4 the surface, and more than one-haf quartz and
dirt not easily separated with our preparations,
but by the intense heat of my little testpot oil
was fused together, the stony matter forming q
thick Stag that cooled around the entrance Of the
blast and soon stopped my operations. !, however,
succeeded to some extent, and found that although
there was some considerable lead, yet a large per
cent is not, as | found 1T when cooled darker
metal and much finer grained than at first, bu
still brittle. @3' &
am a novice in the business, but Messsrs. Clark
| Gruber Il Co., the assaysts at Denver very kindly
proposed to test some of it by the cupelllng pro
cess, and reported some small portion OF silver
but hardly enough in this specimen to pay for tht
working, unless, in opening down into the lead I
should improve, which it is generally believed vii
be the case. / have employed an experienced
miner to do so and send me examples from severe
depths as he descends, which, with those am nov
in possession of, shall submit to the most thoroug
analysis aud report TO the public whether 1T shoui'
. be favorable or otherwise. There are as many
Yankees in the mountains as elsewhere IN GU
country, and no doubt multitude of certificate
will be offered in the Eastern well as the West
+ a subject not SO readily settled. The pruden
g will act cautiously in buying. Up to this dat
there has not been shaft sunk over six or eigh
Q feet, and not that upon district lead It is NOT
e SO late that it is doubtful whether there will b
II more than one or two, at the most, prosecute
6 this fall. | was fortunate in finding miner VIII
e c staying in the mountains through the winter,
# l should have failed of success in that matter M
self.
/, The multitude now leaving for the States
d America as it is loosely termed) is truly asto
IS shing. There will, however, be fair represe
q tatou left. OF those remaining, of whom | ha,
L inquired, not more than one in four propose r
+ turning next season. Should the new dscoverii
referred to above prove valuable, that will Undue
n large influx, there are notices. than 5000 CLAIM
4 taken upon the various leads, whether real {
G humbng.
The facilities for passage home are quite hume
GUS aud comfortable. The Overland Express
II the fast line, and charges SIS from st. Joseph
= Denver, and the meals will cost mostly hfty cent
/; some stations seyenty-five cents each. There Al
: = numerous private establishments carrying passe
= gers for SIS to S25 and board, making the trip
2 2 three and some four weeks The Western staf
= Company have just concluded contract for ca
: | rying the mail from Fort kearney to Denver, al
" are using every effort to complete the adjustme
J of stock and stations The coach in which q
, travelling has the second mail from Denver,
y though the contract was only closed at Washing
- ton on the Goth of August In one more week IL
= stock will be distributed land the mail then carrie
a. with thatregularity characteristic of this renowns
~ company.
u have never been in any part of this COUNT
"a where SO much just cause of complaint existed
~ regard to the mails in this, and even now, wi
n a regular weekly mail, there will still be COZ
y plant. "A trweeky, at least, should be esta
lished. The number of people here, and Z
= amount of business done, will warrant the esta
lishment. Much of the evils of thieving and 9th
W | rascality would be checked by greater mail f
o. Omaha, or $65 to Chicago crossing through low
!. by stage and railroad; $50 to st. Joseph.
i FoRT KEARSEy, October 2-Yesterday I m
n Lieutenant Tyler, I'd Dragons, at Cottonwot
e Springs. He had been dispatched by the Coz
r. mandant of this post to confer with the Sioux
If dians, with view to effect peace between the
i and their old enemies, the Pawnees, the latt
If having already signifed willingness to meet
al council at Kearney the former and their alli
Is tribes.
IF This lodge Of Sioux, after some considerab
N consultation, and the assurance Of the protects
=. Of the troops at Fort Kearney consented on ths
,e part but would require the cooperation of tht
s. allies, the Brues and Cheyennes, and immediate
,e dispatched runners to get them together.
ia The Pawnees are a theving tribe, and get t
a. hostility of their neighboriDg tribes by steai
n their horses. They have just been compelled
the government officer stationed at Genoa to retu
some thirty or forty horses aud mules stolen fro
the Delawares in Kansas. The stealing propensi
- of the Pawnees is great that it will require u
y full rgor of military rule to check it. 1t is mn
re to be hoped that Captain Steel will be SD
ne cessfu in his efforts, for while this state Of thin
exists, there will continue to be less alar
SO along this great thoroughfare to the mountains
'm The constant stream of freight trains now pas
S. ing up to the mountains is truly astonishin
IDS There cannot be any scarcity of provisions the
ny this winter There are more leaving than the mt
es chants generally believe and more provisions goi
OF up also. | notice great many small freighte
mt who, having failed to make much at digging, a
hayinr Teams are EMPLOYING them thus,