Joseph Conway Hemingray

THE KANSAS EL DORADO.

CALIFORNIA RIVALLED.

[From the St. Louis Democrat, 15th.]

We had yesterday an interview with Mr. J. C. Hemingray, of the firm of J. C. Hemingray & Co., Bankers, of Leavenworth City, Kansas Territory. This gentleman arrived, en route for the city of New York, on the steamer Alonzo Child, at 11 A.M. He courteously put us in possession of some deeply interesting information relative to the rumored gold region of Kansas.

Mr. E. Y. King, of Dayton, Ohio, arrived at Leavenworth City on the 10th instant, with a party from the Western Kansas border. He left Cherry Creek, near Pike's Peak, on the 27th of July, having satisfactorily "prospected" a rich gold region extending from the tributaries of the South Platte River to the head waters of the Arkansas. The party traversed freely over a belt of country two hundred miles long. Several parties were in the region, and they at length concentrated their forces, numbering one hundred and fifty-three persons. They join in the report that they found gold in all the places they "prospected," yielding from five to twenty cents to the panful of soil. They also found everywhere plenty of water and an abundance of pine timber. A specimen of the gold was shown us by Mr. Hemingray. It is in small particles, resembling the quartz soil washings of California.

A company of one hundred persons left Kansas City on Monday, the 13th inst., for the newly discovered gold region. Another company of fifty persons will leave Leavenworth on the first proximo.

From the Leavenworth City Journal, we extract the following:

KANSAS GOLD QUESTION — PIKE PEAK DISCOVERIES. — Frequent explorations have been made, and for several months past no inconsiderable attention has been directed to Pike's Peak, in the western part of the Territory, as a "gold bearing" region. Several parties of gold hunters left this Territory last spring. The news of gold discoveries are always received with incredulity, and this accounts for the little excitement which the frequent rumors of gold have excited in this community. Within two weeks past, however, several persons have returned by different routes from the reported gold regions, all bringing with them the most enthusiastic report of the wealth of the Kansas "diggings," and what is better, specimens of the virgin ore. We have seen some specimens of a gold quartz which, apparently, fully equals in value the richest ever brought from California. The fine gold, obtained by washing, is principally in the form of scales. This is in exceedingly minute particles, and requires care, skill, and proper implements, to collect it thoroughly and successfully. With the inefficient and rude machines, or rather pans, now used by the miners, all save the course particles are lost. Yet those who have worked diligently, have thus far realized, so says our informants, an average of ten dollars a day. This information comes through various sources, and we do not hesitate to say that it is entirely reliable.

Mr. E. Y. King, who came in the other day, is known to many of our prominent citizens as an honorable gentleman, and one upon whose statements the most explicit reliance may be placed.

We regard it now as a fixed fact, beyond cavil or dispute, that we have in Kansas placers of gold equally as rich as those of California.

It would seem, too, that the gold discoveries of California would most unquestionably point to gold deposits on this side of the back-bone of the continent. Gold, there, is found along the water courses, which take their rise far up among the mountains. The gold has, without doubt, been washed down and deposited among the sands of the beds of the streams. It is well known that, from one end of the continent to the other, streams which find their ultimate outlet in the western ocean, have almost a common source with those that flow towards the Atlantic. The only wonder is that these rich fields on the western slope, to which the experience of California so plainly points, have remained so long unprospected and undiscovered.

This discovery has emboldened some of the most energetic citizens of Kansas to start a line of conveyance from Fort Riley to the gold region. This line will be put in operation as soon as the somewhat extensive arrangements for so large an undertaking can be consummated. We have now a daily line of coaches to Fort Riley; so that in a short time we shall have regular communication with this new El Dorado.