The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-04-12
From the Nountaineer.
Exciting Gold Story.

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from Santa Fe and other points in New
Mexico, whose name has escaped oul
memory, we learn the following startling
rumors, said TO be facts. in regard to mat
ters transpiring in the Mexican country
A party of Uas recently arrived in Taos
bringing with them quantity of gold in
nuggets. one hundred and three dollars
worth of which was bought BY Mr.. Pfeiff.
er, Indian agent at Taos, for two pairs Of
blankets; also, that a missionary who has
labored among the Navajoes for a mum
| Der Of years has volunteered to lead par
ty, some time during the coming fall tc
the place where the Navajoes obtain the
nuggets from which they make their bul.
lets. But by far the most exciting por.
ton of the report is as follows: Some
time since party Of Americans and Mex
leans pursued and attacked large party
of Navsjoes who had been committing
| depredatlons. and succeeded in routing
them. Among the prisoners taken was a
Mexican who bad been with the Navajoe:
twenty years. On their arrival at Taos
ascertaining that the object Of the Ameri-
cans visiting the country was to obtain
gold, he gave them to understand that the
Indians made bullets of gold, obtained by
turning the waters Of the Gila and other
rivers in that section. In order to test
his knowledge of the precious metal, &
| piece of copper was shown him, which he
at once SAID was not the metal. A piec
of gold was then shown him, which be
pronounced to be the metal from which
/ bullets were made. Some of the bullet.
were then produced; they are made by
pounQing and rolling the nuggets unit
quite round, and some of them wouc
weigh an ounce.
Kit Carson took the matter in hand
and by promise of reward induced the
fellow to lead company TO the place, ano
will leave Taos on the 9th of this month
His Mexican friends, however, told him
that if he did not find the gold, the Amer
leans would hang him, upon which he
made his escape. He was pursued and
overtaken, after he had crossed the first
range of mountains, and after repeated
assurances from Kit, consented to act as
guide. The party are to leave Taos Oh
the first day of April. This is the story
as we get it, and our informant appears tc
be gentleman of a great deal Of inteli'
gence, and one whose mind would not be
liable to be biased by mere rumor.
Another from the same source:
| FRoM SAN JUAN.-The following ex
tracts we take from letter addressed to
Mr.. K. II n. Patterson, OF the Meas of
flee. by his friend John Corson, Esq, dated
Maxwel's Settlement, Cimeron River
January 10Th, 1861" Mr.. Corson is
we'll known in the mountains as a gentle
man whose statements can be relied on
| He says:
From the most reiiabe-and what
consider the most correct-information
that have been able to gather in regard
to the mountains west Of the Rio Grande
del Norte, am well satisfied thet there
is large extent of country, there, that il
rich in precious metals, and also the baser
such es copper. iron, lead, &c. | have
seen specimens of argentiterou5 and auri,
ferrous quartz from that section. which
look very well. II is a well established
fact. that from point west Of Fort Gar
land cluster of leads eau be traced for q
distance of nearly 400 miles. in a soutl
westerly course nearly to tie ella river
| How wide this belt is, in the section | re-
fer to- I canLot determine with any degree
of certainty, but, judging from the geo
logical data afforded by government sur
veys, | would estimate the width at abou,
! 100 miles. 1t is undoubtedly a continu
alton of the same cluster of leads that out
crop so richly in the Clear Creek and
Boulder regions, and which can he traced
from the Coche la Poudre, on line S. &c
w. into Sonora. In Arizona they bear
mostly silver-in Sonora, gold and silver
the former predominating.
look upon this as the busy field fol
prospectors, for the next year or two, thai
exists on "top Of ground" | would not
encourage any one to come herc-certain-
( ly not any one who expects to realize /;
fortune in day. speak of the country
as field for the prospecter, who mus
demonstrate the existence of resources
which the miner will not be long in devel
opiug.
The mountains show the long continued
action of water-that the ranges have
| been subject to the action of ocean cur
rents long after the more northerlv noun
tains had risen above the fields, is very ap
parent-aud this would indicate that i
gold exists in this region at all, extensive
placer dig9ings will be discovered.
There is plenty to feed several Thousand
| persons, in this country, until after bar
vest, and extensive preparations are now
being made for the coming crop. Floul
Of a first rate quality is now so pei
quintal-inferior s. to SS. Groceries
are about the same price they were il
Denver when | left, and of an excellent
quality merchants here having learned
that the best quality pays best for freight
ing. Beef of superior quality retails a
7c to 12c per pound, aud pork at 15c II
zoe. This country beats all the wori,
Except California; for growing wheat
as much as eighty three bushels of supe
rior spring wheat having been harvested
on one acre, last crop.
At this point, Mr.. L. B. Maxwell ha
built. and is now running a very fu
Touring mill. 1t makes an article Of flou
t.1s Ill 4