Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1859 — From the Kansas Gold Mines. [ARTICLE]

From the Kansas Gold Mines.

[From the Kansas City Journal, Sep. g ,

New and Rich Discoveries—Gold on the Arkansas. We had the satisfaction of meeting, on Saturday night, Captain A. F. Garrison, one oi the most substantial and intelligent citizens of this county, who has just returned from th • Gold Country, which he left only nine days before. Our inquiries were particularly in regard to the new South Park mines on the head waters of the Arkansas and Rio Grande, and we give the exact account of Captain Garrison, as we took it down at the time. In the South Park, where the South Platte rises, the prospecting that had been done for the few days before Captain Garrison left, the yield was from five to seventyfive cents to the pan, to the hand, where sluices were used. The diggings, so far as discovered, extend some ten miles along the streams, and are what is known as “gulch diggings,” or washings from the mountain streams. THE ARKANSAS AND RIO GRANDE MINES. Over the rim of the basin, or park, from the above diggings, some twenty-five miles on the western slope, on the head waters of the Arkansas and Rio Grande rivers, are situated the richest discoveries yet made, the miners panning out as much as $1,25 to the pan of dirt. There are now about one thousand men employed in these diggings, and in all localities on the head waters of these rivers, the same rich deposits seem to exist, all tending in a still further direction south-west, toward the Colorado. Upon the surface, in all this extended region, the “color” is found, indicating beyond question the great riches of the mines now beginning to be developed. It is the opinion of the most experienced miners, that the western slope is the true golden locality of the Rocky Mountains. Coal beds have also been found throughout this region, in all parts that have been prospected. The South Park is on the summit of the Rocky Mountains, and like all others in that great range, is perfectly level country, covered with blue grass, clover, and other mountain grasses, snread out for an immense area of country, like a meadow, intersected with streams of pure, limpid water, distilled and filtered from the eternal snows of the ranges surrounding The sides of the mountain are well wooded, and covered with the “safvis” or “June berry,”'and wild raspberries, where, Mr. Garrison says, a bucket lull can be picked in an hour.

NEW QUARTZ VEINS AT GREGORY’S. Within a few days previous to Captain Garrison's departure, new discoveries of quartz veins had been made in Gregory’s diggings. This is the hard flint quaitz; the former workings have been in what is called ‘ rotten quartz.” The flint quartz are much the richest of the two. A specimen which Capt. Garrison had with him, intended for a breastpin, was the finest specimen we ever saw. In those diggings heretofore, on coming to hard quartz and parites, the miners have desisted, but on penetrating this formation three or lour feet, small “pockets,” like those of the California mines, have been discovered, which are some of them very rich, as high as SSO to $75 being taken out of a pocket to the pan. These pockets, however, are not found every where, but experienced miners will understand the character of such diggings. As an aggregate, the Gregory mines are not yielding as much as formerly, owing to the fact that all except the hard quartz seem to be worked out, and having no means of crushing, the yield has fallen off. One crusher, the first yet taken out, was met a few miles this side of Denver City. YIELD OF RUSSELL’S MINES. In Green Russell’s gulch diggings, increased quantities of gold had been raised within the last thirty days—the aggregate yield of the diggings being about SIO,OOO per day. CLIMATE OF THE SOUTH PARK. The seasons in this elevated region are very short—three months being about as long as can be made available with present modes of mining. Ice was formed one night in August, one-fourth of an inch thice. One thousand' people will probably winter in the South Park on the heads of the Arkansas this winter. LOCALITY OF THE NEW MINES, FhC mines of the South Park and of the Arkansas and Rio Grande are from 100 to 150 miles south-west from Denver City, and all of them lie south ot parallel 39 degrees latitude, being south of Pike’s Peak, and in the vicinity of the celebrated Coochetopa ! Pass, of Col. Fremont. They lie on a line about due west front the city of St. Louis, and about 25 miles soutli of a due west line from Kansas City. They are preci-ely upon the great route of Fremont, Beale and Gunnison, explored for the Pacific Railroad from the mouth ofj the Kansas river through the Coochetopa Pass, and which can be lound on any map of the country published since 1850. AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY OF THE COUNTRY. In regard to the agricultural capacity o. the country in the vicinity of Denver City, Capt. Garrison says that the bottom of the Platte and other streams, will produce vegetable and small grains, wheat, (spring,) oats, barley, etc., abundantly, when irrigated, but the rains will not of themselves afford a certainty of moisture to insure ciops. He never saw finer vegetables than those now growing in the country. For an industrious man it will be the most profitable business that he can engage in, at least for a few seasons. TERRITORY OR STATE. The convention for the purpose of taking steps for the organization of a government for that country, and of which Capt. Garrison was the President, was divided between a State and Territorial organization. In order to meet the difficulty thus presented, a constitution fora new State was framed, as vjvell as a plan for a territorial government, which were to be submitted to the people, the first Monday of September (yesterday) for their decision, and upon the vote cast will depend the form in which their application will be made to Congress. Douglas makes a good speech,” said a gentleman, on reuding his Cincinnati effort. “He ought to,” was the response,“for he has made it often enough.”