Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1864-12-08

mountain Territory, | have concluded
to drop you letter, giving sketcl
of our journey, features of the country
&c. left Charles City on April 9Th
1864, for this the then new Eldorada
where gold was to be gathered almos
from the trees, and nuggets lay scat
tered through the soil in abundance
This was the ideal of many disap
pointed goldseeker, but must say fol
myself that my expectations were hard
ly on so grand a scale.
Before reaching Council Bluffs w
fell in company with w. II. Hurlbut
who said he was the original discover
er Of gold in Idaho that he never
went to the same diggings twice, SC.
but that he now knew where there
were rich mines, and that he wanted
to 60 there and wished $50 men to &C
company him. He soon had the com
plement, and as many more His
destination was the Big Horn noun
tains. Here he had found plenty oi
the precious metal. When We arrived
there. neither Hurlbut nor any Of the
train could find single color" Then
burst the 'bubble ;" not quite equal
though. to John Laws Mississippi
Bubble"
At this time Mr.. Bozcman came up
with US, and about so ont Of 1875 wa
gons "seceded and went on after
Bozeman. We crossed the Big Horn a
few miles from where it makes its exit
from the mountains kept our course
to the Yellow Stone, which stream we
followed up for about 25 miles, and
crossed Clarke's Fork then up this
stream 90 miles, and struck Bridger's
rouu, wurun was rHe nrst intim .'~a
we had of any white man in the coun.
try, except in our own train. We left
the Platte Bridge on June 18th. and
had no track to follow until the 18th
of July, when we arrived at the above
road.
The country through most of Me-
braska is fine along the Platte river,
the valley being from five to twenty
miles wide, but good deal is sandy,
consequently not very fertile. As
soon as you rise upon the bluffs from
the valley, the country becomes very
broken and in many places covered
with large sand-hills wholly destitute
of vegetation. The worst road we
had to encounter was west of Fort
Laramie, through the Black Hills. All
of the country from here to where We
left the Platte, l25 miles from Lara
mie, is entirely worthless. From here
to the Big Horn mountains it is mucl
the same. East of this range there
are some small valleys, very fertile
but all this country wonld have to b.
irrigated. 1t might be made a graz
ing country, but it never can be made
an agricultural one, it being very roll
ing.
The valleys Of the Big Horn ant
Yellow Stone are in some places rich
alluvial soil, and in others are covere'
with stones and prickly pears. tn
most abundant "fruit Of the country
From Powder River to Virginia Cit.
the whole distance seems at diferen
times in the past to have been the the
atre Of upheavals. Indications of in
tense heat are visible on almost ever,
hill. ledge of rocks, aud even in man
parts, the earth is burnt to the appear
ance Of brick dust.
| Last Monday. Oct. Gath. was til
first election Of Montana Territory, an
Jerry Rider and your humble servan
like the school, boy who rides down hi
to have the pleasure of walking u
again. rode to Virginia and roted, an
had the pleasure Of walk;ng HON
through snow about three inches deeI
The candidates for Office We're, Unio
men, nominated by the Union part,
on one side /; and, on the other sid
secession men," nominated by ira
tors. The latter party, calling then
selves Democrats, in this section al
mostly from the ould coonthra I
Dooblin" and from Prices old Misso
ri army. The rebel party have ca
ried the election, unless the soldier
in the Territory are allowed to vot
which is improbable. On election da
this party hired a brass band and
four-horse hack. which ran the street
all day, playing such airs as the "Bo
ny Blue Flag" &c. The horses an
hack were decorated with rhite flag
aud Mcclellan banners. Vocifero,
cheering was given for JEFF. Davis an
the Southern Confederacy. ! saw OF
! man, with the whiskey almost gus
ing out at his ears. singing
A ain Dxies land III take my stand.
To live and die a Southern man !"
Such is the Democracy of Montan
who endorse the Mcclellan platforr
If there are any deluded men in low