Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-02
Hol FOR COLORADO.
Tidiags from The Memphis EmiHFants-En
CoufsgIHg Accounts and Prospects.

We are Indebted to Squire Bleckley for
the first Of the two follow ing letters from
the Memphis and Shelby county emil
grants to Colorado. The writer looks at
things out there through rose -COlOred
specJacles:
GREEN CITY, COLORADO, March 8.
Messrs. W. Madison, William CLARK, A
Hurt and William O'Neil; also Thomas
Bleckley:
Dear B0y8-Benesth the shining glory
Of a Colorado sun, and in full view OF the
beau ties of the Rocky mountains, we
grasp the pen for the purpose Of giving
you a brief history of ourselves since we
left Germantown. We are situated on
the Platte river, seYenty-hve miles east Of
Denver City, In what was once called the
Great American Desert, and Tor miles and
miles We can see nothing but the rise and
fall Of the vast prairie. The climate Of
this country is something similar to that
OF Tennessee, with the exception Of heavy
winds we have every night. Il comes di-
rect from the mountains, on whose top
lies sixty feet of snow. Pixies Peak is
some eighty miles south west of US, while
Longs Peak is sixty miles north, and,
thOnoh so far, we can see them as plain
as you can see the church fgom the depot
We are in the midst Of Inuiaus-the
Cheyenne tribe twenty miles east, the
Sioux thirty south. Red Cloud, with bis
band, crossed only seven miles below our
camp ten DAYS ago. We see them every
day or two, and haVe hEd several fights
with them, resulting in the total flight of
the Indians. A man out here has TO carry
two army revOlYers and Winchester
rifle, with large knife in his belt. We
are having suits O. buckskiu made, with
wOlfskin caps, trimmed with coyote fur,
and VIXEN we get them on We will present
a fair picture OF Colorado pioneers. As for
game, we have buffalo, antelope, Jack rsb-
bits, prairie dogs, coyotes, elk, wolves,
eagles, beaver, deer and numbers of
other things Loo numerous to mention.
Out here owls, prairie dogs, rattle snakes,
and Jack rabbits all live in Tie same hole.
The rabbits are almost white, wish black
ears and tail. They are four feet long,
two feet high, and can run out
of sight before you can count two.
There is no timber her5; We have not
seen wood enough, since we left Denver,
TO make one good tire In an Ofice stove.
We use buffalo chips to cook with; they
are very dry and burn well. We have
/ entered 100 acres Of land each OF us, and
| win be able in six months TO get ten dol
lars per acre. II we sell we may come
/ home, but have almost decided TO go TO
| California; if we 60 there We viii be at
| home in about ten years. How We wish
/ you all were out here with us to eat ante
| lOpe, fight Indians, and live IN q hole in
/ the ground. There are twenty boys OF
Us, and every night we sing, smoke, and
! have more fun than you can Imagine,
| We are tanned already By the wind 30
! much that Ws look Ike Indians, and
have grown so savage that we would eat
a city man blOOd-raw in five minutes.
How are all the girls, and how do they
/ look2 We have not seen a woman ia 50
/ long thaG We have forgotten how they
look, and would run from ono quicker than
/ A dog from popping crackers. Tell Pat
| Cornelius he would have a hard time out
here, for there ia no whisky Ia $50 miles
Of this place, and when you get 10 it, It is
worth three dollars per drop. we wsni
you to come out here this fall, and BY that
time VIC can show you the ropes aud vii
take you up in Bhe mountains non-hunt
ing, and there show you lynx and wild
cat Is big Is Ed. GOrman's dog. Yor
can start out Of a morning and Walk fol
half the day, and when you stop it seem
as though you have not gone tWo mile
from where you started. Ihs atinosphen
ia 50 clear ven can Bee q pin sticking "a
8 nan's coat twelve miles, end viii pp