Nebraska advertiser., 1860-06-14
PLEASANT VALLEY, Nat 81
Russell GULcH ]. T.
]. w. COLEMAN.

FRIEND FUREAs:
Since I last wrote you, some four weeks
ago. we have been diligently searching
,boso .,nta;ns the location Of
our fortunes. Our prospecting, however,
has not been very successful. We have
served our apprenticeship as miners, and
are now prepared to take our second de-
pree on the Arkansas or Colorado,
whittier we are now about to direct our
march. We do not, however, abandon
this region so much because we are dis
satisfied with the prospect it offers, as
because we are confident that thereis a
better opening for US in the new diggings.
Our prospecting thus far has been
principally confined to those localities
which were discovered last season.
AS / promised in my last to i've you
an idea of the extent and character of
these mines, / will now endeavor to do
so, as completely as I can from the limit
ed data that / have been able to obtain:
The mines in this region, so far as yet
discovered, are located upon what is called
Clear Creek and its northern tributaries
"a stream about the size of the Little
Nemaha inyour own county-which finds
its way in nearly a northeast course from
the summit of the Rocky Mountains to
the Platte, neal St. Vrains Fort.
The first discoveries on this creek were
made in the winter of 1889, near the
base of the Mountains, first at AIrapa-
hoe, and soon after on a small branch
farther up the stream, the boulder Dig
gings were opened. In the spring of
1850, from what these discoveries indi-
Gated, parties were encouraged to extend
their search farther into the mountains,
by following as nearly Is possible the
general course of the creek, and having
advanced some thirty miles over, perhaps,
as dificulta journey as was eve %traversed,
they found indications of a rich mining
district. At this distance the creek forks
one branch coming from the north and
the other from the west. Following the
northern branch a few miles Gregory
and Russell made their discoveries; other
discoveries were made about The same
time, on the western branch. II. the Yicin-
Try of what is called the Clear Greek Bar
fDiggings. These discoveries embrace a
tract of country between the forks of
Clear Creek about ten or fifteen miles
square, which has been pretty thoroughly
explored and prOspected nearly all the
gulches have been mined and have gene
rally been found proftable-probably two
thirds of the gulch claims will pay at the
rate Of five dollars per day to the hand
on an average. But the most profitable
source of mining in this region is, doubt
less, the quartz leads, which have been
found in all places yet prospected. Little,
however, can be done in working these
unless more extensive preparations are
made for crushing the quartz, as but few
of them yield %crevice dirt enough TO pay
the expense of working. 1t is only in
the vicinity of mountain city, near Greg
ory's discovery, that the leads have been
opened.
There is a rumor a1oat that other dis
%coveries were made last fall-too late in
the season to operate in-within a DAYS
travel of this vicinage, which for reasons
best known to the discoveries have been
kept secret, but will soon be made public.
There seems to be a general expectation
that what has yet been discovered here
is but a beginning Of what this season
will develop.
Yours, &C.,
O. B. H.