Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1859 — MR. McGINNIS' LETTER. [ARTICLE]

MR. McGINNIS' LETTER. -----

[From the Missouri Democrat.

The Gold Mines Stated to be an Infamous Swindle—Suffering and Losses of Life and Property on the Plains. ST. LOUIS, May 25,1859. Mr. Editor: Having seen in your columns of the 24th inst., an article taken from the Leavenworth Times, containing “highly favorable reports from the diggings” about Cherry Creek, I am induced to write you this letter in the hope that it may be instrumental in saving some from being mislead, and falling into what I believe to be the most gigantic humbug that was ever perpetrated upon the American people. I left my home in the State of New York on the 20th day of March last, for the purpose of going to the gold mines. I visited most of the river towns in Kansas, and spent about one week in Leavenworth and three weeks in St. Joseph. During that time, I had a good opportunity of seeing vast numbers of emigrants start from all these points, and hear the arguments of the inhabitants of all the different starting points, trying to prove that their town was the best place to buy an outfit, and their route the best. I became satisfied that the old California road starting from St. Joseph, was the best, and, in company with a friend, bought a good; outfit, viz.: Three yoke of good cattle, a good wagon, six months’ provisions, consisting of every necessary article that we could, think of; also, carpenter’s tools, nails, butts and screws, window-sash and glass, and all the articles necessary to build us a good log house on our arrival at the mines. We left St. Joseph on the 20th day of April, and traveled west about two hundred miles. When we reached the Big Blue we began to meet the tide of emigration flowing back toward the East, with very unfavorable news from the mines. This did not make much impression upon us at first, and we came to the conclusion that come what would, we should go through. We continued to travel on for about six days after we passed the Big Blue, and every day the emigration to the East doubled, and finally we came to a halt for consultation. We had united ourselves to several other parties, so that we had about nineteen men in our company. Mr. John DeWitt, with a party of five, from Perry, Illinois, a party of six young men, some from Jackson, Michigan, and some from Minnesota; also, a party of six from New Haven, Connecticut. We pitched our tents, and after consultation, came to the conclusion that we should go through and see for ourselves. The next morning we took an early start, calculating to make a good days journey, but had not traveled far when we met a company returning that had been through and worked in the mines. Among them were three old acquaintances of our friend, DeWitt, from his old town in Illinois. He said they were men of truth, and could be relied upon. We had the most implicite confidence . in their statements, which were substantially as follows: They had prospected the country around Cherry Creek, and traveled ten miles up in the mountains beyond where they could find the color, and prospected all the way. They gave it a thorough, trial, and the rnost they could make was <three cents a day to the man>. They visited all the different diggings, and did find a man that pre-: tended that he could make more than from three to twenty cents a day. They also stated that almost all the emigration was turning back, and advised his friends and neighbors, Mr. DeWitt and party, to return to their homes. This was too much for them. The party began to move. Some were in favor of returning, and some of going ahead. We traveled on that day, but did not make much headway, as we met thousands on the back track, the road lined as far as the eye could reach with long trains, nine-tenths ot which were wending their weary steps toward the East, we concluded to go into camp again for consultation. We pitched our tents, and there we found a gentleman by the name of Vaness, from Jackson, Michigan, who, with his party, were on their return, after having spent some time prospecting in the mines. Mr. Vaness is a gentleman of truth, and was well known by several in our encampment. His statements were substantially as follows:

STATEMENT OF MR. VANESS. I started in March, with mule teams, and arrived at Denver City early in April. On my arrival the speculators in town lots swarmed around me and tried to induce me, to take some shares in their new town. I told them I did not wish to speculate, but wanted to engage my party in mining. I asked them if they knew where there were any diggings that would pay. They say: “Oh, yes, we can show you rich diggings not far from the town.” I asked them how much it would pay to the pan. They said they could show me diggings that would pay me ten cents to the pan. I told them if they would do that I would give them ten dollars for their trouble. So they agreed to go and show me the next morning. I called on them in the morning, and reported myself ready to go to the diggings, but they said they could not go that day and made a great many excises. I was I satisfied they were humbugging me, and offered to pay them ten dollars if they would show me where I could find dirt that would pay even five cents, then three cents, then one cent. They could not do either, for the I very good reason that there never had been diggings found in that country that would pay one cent to the pan, not even one-fourth of a cent. I prospected the country all around, visited all the claims and diggings, and positively assert that no man has ever made more than twenty cents per day in the best diggings in the vicinity of Pike’s Peak or Cherry Creek. Gold does indeed exist there. It can be found anywhere about Cherry Creek and all the streams, but the particles are so minute that it is with great difficulty they can be collected, and mining can never be made to pay there. Dever Ciiy and Auraria consist of a few log houses or huts, and there were less inhabitants there when I left than when I arrived. The towns are being deserted by all except those who own the lots, and they are hanging on in hopes of selling them. Mr. Vaness was present at the burial of Bassett, the bogus postman. He states that Mr. Bassett had been, engaged in writing fraudulent letters East. He said there were a large number in his possession and that all the letters coining form that country, giving glowing account's of the mines,

are fraudulent and downright lies. The statement of Mr. V., backee [sic] up by all his company who were with him, was a hard pill for his Michigan acquaintances to swallow, and many ot them came to the conclusion that they should retrace their steps to the East.

STATEMENT’OF A BROTHER OF ONE OF THE COMPANY. That day I saw two brothers meet on the road—the one on the return had been to the mines, had spent the winter there, went out last fall, had prospected everywhere, had given it a thorough trial, and said that there was no gold in paying quantities to be found anywhere in that country—that from three to fifteen cents per day was the most that could be made by any one—that the country is a barren waste—that it never can be a good agricultural country—that it is not fit for a white man to live in—and that if gold could be found there in quantities that would pay five dollars per day, it would bo nonsense to go there and dig it, as there are only about four months in the year that a man can work there; but, as it is, it is nownright [sic] madness for a man to go there, expecting to make money by mining, when he can have no hope of making over twenty cents per day; and if he has to pay board, it will cost him three dollars per day. A conversation something like the following took place between these two brothers. The one on the return said: “My God! where’ are you going?” “I’m going to Pike's Peak.” “What in the world are you going to Pike’s Peak for? I wrote you not to come.” “You wrote for me tome [sic] immediately, and stated you were making from five to eight dollars a day, and here’s your letter,” producing one that purported to have been written by him, and was mailed at Auraria, but was a fraud. The brother outward bound returned. I traveled in company with one who spent the winter at Cherry Creek, two days, and many an interesting talk with him. I also met a gentleman, whom I knew well in New York, who has been sutler to Fort Laramie, and has spent fourteen months there. He is on his way East. He has just come down from the mountains, and is well informed respecting all that country. He pronounces the whole thing a most <outrageous humbug>, and says that they have tried mining there years ago; that he has seen old sluice boxes lying rotten there that have been abandoned because they could not make it pay. He says that this is well known by the officers in the army and others that have traveled in this country. Same of his clerks left him and went to the mines last fall, but after their vain efforts, were glad to return. Well, after having heard all the evidence, and having seen a large number of others who had been through to the mines, and all telling the same story, we were overwhelmed with the evidence and returned.

SUFFERING ON THE PLAINS. There has been a great deal of suffering, sickness, starvation and death of men and animals on this journey. It was no uneommon thing to count the carcasses of more than fifty oxen in a single day. Hundreds of men started off' with no better outfit than a carpet-sack, others with hand-carts, and some with wheelbarrows. They got ahead of the emigration with teams, and after having passed Fort Kearney, the only alternative for them was robbery or death. They banded together in strong parties, and robbed many a man of horses, mules oxen and provisions, and many from incessant fatigue, privation and exposure, have left their ' bones to whiten on the distant plains of Kansas. THE GETTERS UP OF THE SWINDLE. There have been three or four different classes of men engaged in getting up and promulgating this infamous swindle, which has caused tens of thousands to leave their families and homes, and spend their last dollar to reach what they supposed to be a new Eldorado. A lot of land sharks who went out there and laid out towns, and then, by lying and writing back false reports to the East, made some believe that gold, in paying quantities, was found at Cherry Creek. Then these rascals were backed up by those interested in the frontier tows [sic] of Kansas City, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Atchison, St. Joseph and Omaha. They raised funds in these and other towns, to send, as they did, drummers East, for hundreds of miles, to spread their infamous lies, and to publish maps, charts and pamphlets, giving glowing accounts of what I have reason to believe they knew were false reports of the Kansas gold mines; and, strange to say, they yet persist in publishing reports of this kind, when thousands are returning daily to tell them otherwise.

THE EMIGRATION AND THE RETURN. The emigration has been very large. It must have amounted to at least an hundred thousand. I have stood upon a hill top and counted fifty teams in sight at one time, in a distance not exceeding five miles. There was an average of about five men to one team, and all the different roads were lined for hundreds of miles. At the same rate nine-tenths of that vast emigration have, or now are on their return Then these sharpers have another lick at them. They go out : and meet them, perhaps fifty miles off, with reports that there, are so many thousand returned to all the towns along the river—that their oxen, wagons and provisions are not worth anything, consequently the disheartened emigrants sell their property for a mere song. I have seen oxen that cost a hundred : dollars a yoke, sold for $30; bacon 5 1/2c @ lb; flour, $1,50 @ cwt.; rice 2c. j@ lb; sugar 4c., etc. Wagons that cost from $75 to $100, for $30. The suffering and loss that has been caused by this infamous humbug is incalculable, and it ought and will react upon those who have knowingly aided and abetted its promulgation. Respectfully, J. MCGINNIS. Of Lockport, New York. ----- ---->A party in Chicago—a commission merchant—contracted with a farmer in the interior of'lllinois, for the product of seven hundred acres of wheat which the farmer has in growth, at $1,50 per bushel, to be delivered at the depot in Chicago by the first of September next. Of this wheat, three hundred acres is spring and four hundred autumn. The party purchasing enters into bonds, with good and sufficient security, to forfeit $2,000 in case he declines the wheat at the time stipulated.