The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-01-26
About Pixies Peak
LETTER FROM ..HILL MARTINI,
DENVER CRY, Jan. 81, 1861.

| Hon. A. s. BRYANT, ]
Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Sir have been promising myself
for sometime to address YOU q letter COM
muncating my opinions Of this country, its
climate, agricultural, mineral and other
resources. | have deferred this task until
the present time, in order to fortify my mind
against doubts as to the truth of what
shall hereinafter say touching the topics
above referred to. will begin first, by Civ
ing you q brief sketch Of a trip which our
old friend Starring and myself recently made
to Boulder, town situated about 80 miles
northwest Of this city at the base Of the
mountains. We went by invitation to spend
New Years with Mr.. Brookfeld-a brother
in-law Of Starring g's-taking our wives with
US. We also visited Mr.. Norton and lady
friends and acqnaintanccs of Starring's.
We had a fine time and partook of a good
| old fashioned Kentucky dinner, which |
relished most heartily, as you know l am
fond of good things. Mrs. B. is 4 good cook.
Well, you will not take much interest in the
narrative Of our trip, farther than what re-
lates to Il description of the country, and
its capacity to grow corn, potatoes and other
| agricultural products.
Well, Judge, will proceed to give you
my homes; opinion of this country. think
it excels, in almost every respect, any coun-
try have ever lived in. | have never seen
any country, so far as have been able to
Judge, that would begin to compare with it.
In regard to its products, would say, first
that sweet creature gold, is here. know
it. have seen it, and am not humbuggcd
in regard to that important subject.
Gold exits here in sufficient quantities to
attract the attention of the world. These
mines will be worked for hundreds of years
to come. There are mountains Of rich
So'dbearing quartz. have seen them and
been over them. New discoveries are daily
being made. 1t requires capital, industry,
energy and enterprise to deveope the treas
ures which lie imprisoned in these rocks.
But, Judge, they will be developed. They
will be worked out, even at the cost Of great
capital and labor. am fully satisfied that
one hundred years from this time these
mountains will be filed with busy popua-
ton, engaged in quarrying and crushing
rocks, and washing cut the gold from the
loose dirt of the gulches. There is no end
to the mineral wealth Of the Rocky Noun
,ains. You may take in the whole extent
of this vast range, from the Wind River on
distance of twelve hundred miles, and it
abounds in mineral wealth. Judge, you may
make your calculations that this is one of
the greatest countries on this continent.
have given you my opinion about the
gold in this country, and what have said
know to be true. No gass, nor humbug, nor
hear-say about it. II is so.
Now, will tell you about the stone-coal
of this country. 1t is as good as any ever
saw, and it exists in great abundance. 1t
is found almost everywhere, as it seems to
underiie the whole country. Our streets are
crowded daily with wagons loaded with it,.
1t sells at different prices, and hardly pays
for mining and hauling, but the people can
not do anything else at this season.
There are great many idle people here.
They are willing to work for small pay.
Wood is worth only from three to four dol
lars per cord, and dull sale.
Twill now tell you what have been told
By thousand different persons. Many of
them persons with whom am acquainted,
and, l think, would not msrepresent facts
Intentionally, in regard to the silver mines
discovered late last Fall. have seen con-
siderable Of the ore, but not being competent
to Judge Of it cannot express decided
opinion of it but, from what can learn the
ore is very rich. l saw letter from an
assayer of Chicago, giving the result of an
assay of specimens from eight ferent lodes,
which yielded from seventeen hundred and
Gfty to thirtv-two hundred dollars to the
cord Of orc. Now, Judge, if that is anything
near the truth, it will pay largely to work
them. have not seen any Of the ore tested
myself, therefore cannot vouch with GER
tanty, as to its richness, but am of the
opinion that it will pay we'll for working it..
If they pay anything like the Washoe mines,
they are big thing, as we have coal and
timber in abundance for smelling purposes.
| hope they are all right.
Now, Judge, something in regard to the
asricul ;ural capacity of this country. will
only state what know from personal obser-
vation and experience. l will only state
what know to be facts. saw produced
in this country last season the finest veseta-
bles ever saw in my life, without any excep-
ton. Potatoes, cabbages, turnips, onions,
peas, cucumbers; in short, everything that
was planted yielded astonishiugly. What
wheat was sown turned out we'll. l did not
see but one small patch and that done well.
| Several patches of oats and barley were sown
which turned out fine. Also several patches
of corn which did not do very well-somc Il
total failure and others tolerably we'll.
do not think much of this us corn-produ.
cling country, but am satisfied that all kinds
of small grain will do we'll.
Here the soil is of sandy nature. Tht
reason that there has not been more farm ue
done heretofore, is that the opinion generally
prevailed that irrigation would be necessary