Charles City intelligencer., 1866-01-11
Our Gold-Mines.

The organization of Colorado ~ q
State, and the expected appearances Of
her Senators and Representatives at
the bar Of the respective Houses to
claim admission to seats, with the con-
sequent recognition Of their State. are
calculated to attract more general at.
tention to the Rocky Mountain Gold
region, whereof Colorado embosoms
the earliest discoveries, though her
northern neighbors. Montana and Ida
no, are equally rich 10 the precious
metals, and haveprobably more exten-
sive and richer Pla0rs wherein Gold.
liberated from the inclosing rock by
the action OF water and OF frost. most
readily yields itself to the rude process
ses of the prospecting pioneer. In the
abundance Of her gold. bearing quartz,
Colorado 10 probably unsurpassed but
for mining with pick and pan, or even
with spade and rocker. the States still
in embryo have decidedly excelled her.
But no one who has observingly ira.
versed her steep sides and narrow val
leys, and noted the profusion Of their
mineral veins, can doubt that they con-
tain more Gold than is to-day in the
possession of the civilized portion OF
mankind I; and the progress Of disco.
very and invention in machinery, aided
by that of the Pacific Railroad, must
very soon render the reduction and
separation Of the fpck and mineral
abundantly and extensively profitable
Meantime, let us endeavor to give
some idea of the extent to which Min
ing 10 the Rocky Mountains is already
prosecuted by setting forth the princi
pal facilities whereby they are now at
tained
The great Overland Stage Line,
whereof Mr.. Ben. Holiday is proprie.
tor, starts coaches daily from Omaha,
Nebraska City, and Atchison respec.
lively, to their point of junction, Fort
Kearney. 256 West, on the Platte, on
the Tooth parallel of West longitude,
where the branches from Missouri and
from Iowa are to unite to form the one
Pacific Railroad beyond. Hence, the
Overland stages run nearly on the 10th
parallel of North latitude tn Denver -
now quite city-and TO Idaho City
(Colorado)-450 miles from the Fort.
Thence the line to Utah. Nevada. and
California. runs through Bridger's Pass
to Great Salt Lake City-65O miles.
From Salt Lake. branch line 500
miles long turns sharply to the north
east. traversing Northern Utah, Idaho
and Montana Territories. reaching
,Bannock and Virginia cities; while
another. $50 miles long. runs north
west by Boise City, Idaho, to the Dal-
les (Falls) Of the Columbia, which is
the head of navigation from the ocean
on that great river. On these routes,
there are now employed 825 men, l56
and express wagons. and
8 $50 horses and mules I. 400 Of these
being required by the 264 stations
where changes are made and passen-
gers as well rs employees fed and cared
for. The number Of stations on the
several routes respectively are as fol-
lows:
From Atchison by Denver to Salt Lake l1O
From Nebraska City to Fort Kearney Is
From Denver TO Central City
From Salt Lake TO the DalIes 76
Prom Salt Lake to Virginia City, Montana IS
Such is the principal provision yet
made for maintaining postal and bust.
ness intercourse between the States
this side and the Rocky Mountain
Mines. which have barely begun to be
developed. With the Pacific Railroad
even half built. those mines will soon
attract and profitably employ popu-
lation Of millions, aud will be recog.
nized as one Of the most healthy, mos,
thrifty, most inviting regions of the
globe. lA t#i3}S