Year: 1860

Messrs. REEVE CAPRON.


Gents AS you wish to hear from me and the
mines and have friends there who wish to hear
the same, will write you a letter to have pub.
lished il you and Alex. see proper.


am on the head waters of the Arkansas river.
supposed to be in the Kansas Territory, on
"gulch"' called the "California" considered the
richest yet discovered in the mountains) some 100
miles away in the mountains Although it is
nothing in comparison with the place it is named
after, it has some claims that are paying big as
high as $lOO per day to the man; but where
one does that, twenty pay only expenses. How
ever itdoes to elbow" about, for the correspond
ents Of the Chicago St Louis and other papers,


There is nothing said by them about the great
majority Of claims, for they pay no profit. Plenty
of gulches in this vincinity look as we'll as this,
most of them not that,


The big name of this gulch brought some 10000
or $4,000 persons here, when they are not more
than 100 paying claims in the gulch perhaps few
more. The name brought all kinds Of business
men over the mountains and all kinds Of business
is over done. Provisions are as low as in Denver
being sold by returning cmigrants. while freight
from Denver here is $500 per 100 lbs Saloons
and Gambling hells are the principal business
houses The largest the Saloons The prep
arations are the largest ever saw. California is
'uo whar." All the kinds of musical instruments
they have in the mountains are called into req
uisition to attract the miners and get their dust
for whiskey at the bar, or gambling at the table.
The latter business is overdone and the gamblers
look lean over it. We have the snow in sight
nearly all around us. Nights cool. Froze at
night until in July. Strawberries are in bloom.
Snow falls FIVE feet deep here in the winter and
spring, while at Mountain city none lays on week
on the south side of the hills. There were great
anticipations of finding good diggings over the
Snow range on the western slope and over 1000
men have been prospecting the mountains News
came that good diggings had been found and every
horse, mule and jack was called into requisi.ion
that could be had to pack GRUB and tools. and
many oxen were packed. Some of them gave the
boys great fun, one in particular waseacked with
grub and untensils. He made a stampede and
took in among the tents and against the wagons
About 100 men and boys commenced holering
and some dozen of dogs took after him Ills pack
turned under him, and the way the "bread and
dinner" and cooking 6xins ere scattered was
sight He Fl nally tumbled into ditch and laid
there until the owner came up. He was too mad
at the and dogs to dc justice to good hard
swearing 20 could only mutter and shoot mis- re-.
volver.


The excitement is about over for truth telling
men say they cant fined nythng that will pay over
the range.


No leads have been discovered yet iu these dig.
gings and there is no indication Of any. Hun
dreds leaving for the States and for other dig
gings almost every day. There is TOO much ami-
grafton this year for the diggings yet discovered,
and those will not prospect Not one man out Of
ten digs a hole to prospect in. They cut for home
and say its all hurnbug. After more than
years experience must confess that more than
one-half you see in TIE papers favorable to the
mines is humbug' The most of the big reports
are written by spectators and not miners yet
there is lots Of gold in these mountains, but there
is about nineteen men to one gold dollar makes
it perfect lottery. Tho leads in the Gregory
and Boulder region will keep up the mining bus
mess for many years. More quartz mills have
come and are coming than were expected and it
will add much to the mining interest Between
80 and 100 mills of different kinds here now.
Some do good business while others do less. 1t
is quite trick to the gold after it is crushed
New leads are discovered continually. This
year will pretty well wind up the "gulch" diggings
in and about Gregory, but it will take some time
here yet. Many men make money, but at lea st
twenty to make nothing. should advise q
man in the State who has family and is doing
well and has not scoldinS wife to stay there; but
for all those who think of coming here another
year, now is the time to prepare their mic macs"
such as dried berries, corn preserved sealed pick
led tomatoes, potatoes, turnips, parseneps, green
peas and beans pumpkins &c for they hard to
get here and are very dear. Bring no more car
penter smiths tools than is necessary to
the road Get no mining tools at home such as
picks pans and stoves, for they can be rad at the
border starting point for so per cent less and made
right. This season most all brought out sheet
iron cooking stoves of all patterns invention
could contrive Not much use for guns, revol-
vers and bowie knives. few of the prices cur.
rent are as follows. Flour 25. per humid Bacon
Csc Coffee 35c per 10 Beef a Is. All groceries
can be bought from 25 "a so per cent cheaper than
these figures out of wagons in the mines. Wages
are So with board or So without, per day If you
were to read the Denver papers, you would think
they had as large and various assortment of sup
plies as Chicago and other large cities, and as
cheap, but its mistake. They have greater
assortment at Mountain City than at any store !
could find in Denver, and small articles retail as
cheap. could find no articles running together
that belong there, except men and women, -four
and bacon, and whisky and water. Such articles
as sugar and coffee, pepper and SALT powder and
shot. picks and handles, we would find at different
places mostly, and not kept together.


There is considerable numbering done abou:
Denver, and they pretty good at hanging too
unless big man happens to kill poor one. Oc-
we have some shooting here in the
but only enough to keep up excitement.
Two free fights last Sunday


Give my lore to the ladies'. respects TO every


A. II IL l. ~