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Journal of a trip to Pikes Peak by James Owen

May 24 and 25 1860 Some of our party left Chicago by the Chicago Burlington & Quincy RR 4 o'clock P.W. 24 day of May 1866 the party consisted of 7 Individuals, namely James P. Owen & Son, John Williams, L. E. Pappin O. P. Williams, Robert Owens, Mike Franey, Mathew Goar?, the latter two being paperhangers. James P. Owen & Son left at 9h 15m PM of the same day by Express, and united with the party at Mendota, here we had a thunderstorm/transition? unclear Storms and Rain that continued for some ten hours the course of the storm seemed to be in the same direction as our own. West & South of Galesburgh the whole country suffers dreadfully for the want of rain, none having fallen near Quincy for many months. Some part of the Country is litterally parched with the drought there were many Cribs of Corn of the largest dimentions, say from 1 to 2 thousand Bushel each, within 50 miles of Galesburgh it is said here that there are many larger than those we saw along the Road waiting shipment some estimated to contain 250 thousand Bul.?. So I judge that corn will not be higher this year. The City of Quincy is quite a place for the West we judge that it contains about 8 thousand inhabitants, tho we have had no means to determine the facts. Authorities differing from 6 to 20 thousand. The market held in the morning at from 4 to 9 o'clock seemed well supplied with meat greengrocers?, fish, etc.We saw a larger lot of green peas? offered for sale they looked tempting? to us northerners. We arrived here at Quincy last night, at 9 o'clock and were received on board the Boat the same evening by a set of unclear fronting subofficials andliquor beggars. in the morning we found the Captain a polite gentleman willing to see things right? also his clerk & steward we left Quincy about? 6 o'clock A.M. for Hannibal on board the Lady Pike and arrived at the latter city about 11 A.M.