The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-04
TWO CENTS.
Additional Intelligence from the California
Gold Region.

Additional Intelligence from the CaIifornis
Gold Region.
[From the New Orleans Picayune, Nov. Ml
Lieutenant Loeser, u y. A., arrived here Yesterday
in tn schooner Desdemona, from jamaica with des.
patches from Gov Mason, Of California, TO the IT, s.
Government Lieut.. Loeser left Monterey In August
last for Payts in Peru, which place he made In forty
days. He came thence by the way Of Panama and
Jamaica to this city.
went out to California In the employment Of the
ment, early in the CONNER cement Of the From
the latter We learn that there excitement in
that produced by the reports from the
gold regions Of the Sacramento and its tributaries.
The mania for gold digging had reached such length
that IL was difcult procure workmen In Monterey
except at the most extravagant wages Deertons hsd
taken place from the ned States forces and from the
marine, to such an extent that the u s. ship Ohiosd
to supply men to take the sloop Warren lower down
the coast out of the way of the infection From the
latter vessel boats crew deserted, In open daylight
Company f. Sd Artillery. aud the Dragons left at
Monterey, had suffered little from dsserton, but the
citizens generally had of In quest Of the precious
metal
Lieut.. Loeser brings with him specimens of gold
obtained In the valley Of the Sacramento Some of
the pieces the frat found in the country The
tent Of the gold region has not been but
the has been found ina territory $50 miles in
tent and 80 in breadth Mr. Carter think. that many
of the of the great Of the precious
metal in the region in which Is found exsggera
TONS but that 1t is discovered In large quantities alb
soutely known He informs that the ore Is pro-
cured at risk and with great labor, yet that It
must abound In the country-considerngt the guam
MOnversy, Imperfect means
employed in separating 1t from the soil.
The Of country nstuting the gold region IL
level plain Whether the PARTICLES of gold have been
washed down from the mountains or hsaved up by vol
canic force, knows but the latter ia generally
believed to be the true theory Mr. Carter has himself
seen drops of virgin gold weighing two sndhers
are those who assert they have met with IL in buks Of
As yet ali attempts to employ capital in procuring
gold have resulted disastrouey. Those who have
ganyed company to collect the precious metal have
lost their outfits for the persons hired for such
vice varably leave their employers and set mp bust
less on their own taking with them the i'm
elements trusted TO them The gold IL not confined
scyibed limits it may be had by digging up the earth,
and washing the soil from the metal
The effect produced in California by this new source
Of wealth has been anything but beneficial to the colo
ny or advantageous to tho public service The New
York volunteers, as soon a. they were disbanded re-
paired to the gold region Col Stevenson with them,
and every article of food or clothing had
rsen in value to exorbtant extent. The epidemic
was universal. The crews Of whale ships and other
commercial vessels had deserted for the enchanted
region well the enlisted men in the United States
service
Money in coin which plenty enough for all pur-
poses before gold discovered, had grown
that the duties upon goods could not be paid
except by Experimenting dust" Those who could
not better Of collecting gold, wandered
off ts quest with tin pans buckets Ind whatever else
could be used to separate the metal from the earth by
washing. -.
We annex letter and proclamation from Col Ma
son, showing the troubles which this gold fever has
brought upon the custom house. Our informant
terek Of the United States from the depreciation of the
diggersn who form the largest most desperate, and
numbers Of them have persisted during the sicky sss
SON on of their reckless Of life and In
sufficient means Of comfortable living
SAN FRANcIsco, July % 1s4s.
SIR-We beg leave to submit to your Excellency
the proceedings Of meeting held last evening at the
We pray that your Exceenoy will take into imme-
date consideration matters Of such vital Importance
al IN fhn M hart nk.~
the country, and will be pleased to forward your
decision at as early day as your valuable time will
We are, respectfully, your Exoesney's most obedi-
ent servants, W. ID. M HOWARD.
C. v. GILLESPIE.
JAMES c. WARD.
To his Exc'y Col r. b. Mason,
Governor Of California
HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT.
Monterey, California. July 81. lS4S
GENrLEMEs-Your communication Of the 22d, tees.
Their with its enclosure, has been duly received.
will instruct the Collector at San Franciscoto re-
ceve gold dust in payment Of duties at the custom
house. with the privilege reserved to the payer Of
deeming one-hAlf by payment to the Collector in
gold silver coin, any time within ninety days, and
the other half by like payment any time within one
hundred and eighty days. This, however, is to be .
,carcity Of coin in the country.
IT would give me pleasure to comply fully With the
the hight tn. as nssp ne S1
the whole redeemabe In hundred and eighty days.
but it would have the effect Of entirely cutting the
six months to come. That Ia longer time than It will
be prudent to dry up the only source Of that
from my in.tructons which are very positive &c oe
lect the duties exclusively in gold and silver coin,,
before the goods wares or merchandise leave the
tody of the Collectors or In other words before they
suffered to 60 into market willing to allow
the goods to at once into the market aud to wait
three and fix months for the dutiss-altbouph am
ordered to collect them in cash-provided the gold
dust taken at rate low enough to make It certain
that the merchant will redeem IL at the stipustad
firpo ha d0aan mt hat fhapa will ha
that the duties be realized at by putting It
up at auction, II the money be immediately required
GU will readily perceive the situation in which am
placed; q large amount Of duties will be received at
San Francisco; should some ten twenty thousand
dollars Of this gold dust received at the house
reckoning at the rate per at which It will be
eceved fail to be redeemed at the stipulated time and
should he forced by want of funds to throw suddenly
this large amount into market to be sold cash. and
1t should not bring that sum at become and am
held personally and individually responsible
countable to the Department at Washington for the
loss sustained in consequence of the departure from
my orders and Instructions
am very that none Of the merchants of your
ing pecuniarily involved by departing from my in
structions for their accommodation; and therefore,
permitting goods wares and merchant disc to 70 At
once into the market, and waiting three and ak
months before the duties be realized that the pre-
cautens take to guard both the public and myself
from any loss, are not unreasonable or greater than
the occasion calls for.
.hsli strongly recommend n my first communioa.
ton to the department the i'm mediate establishment
of a mint In Upper California am, respectfully
your ODE mt servant, r. d. MASON.
Col 1st Drag, Gov. Of Californi
To w. ID. M. Howard, G. v. Gillespie. James C. Ward,
San Francisco, California.
PROCLAMATION.
HrApquARrERs TENTH MILITARY DErARrMeNr,1
Monterey, California, July rs, 1S4S. .
whereas many citizens have gone to the gold miusa
Of the Sacramento, without making proper pro visions
for the families they have left behind them and
whereas many soldiers, tempted by the fattering
pect Of sudden wealth. have deserted their coors
to 20 to the region, regardless Of their osths
and obligations to the government, endangering the
safety Of the garrsons and thereby the tranquility Of
the country, 1t 10 made known that unless families
are guarded and provided for by their natural pro
tectors ami unless citizens lend their aid to prevent
deserons from the garrisons Of the country the mill
tsry force in California will be concentrated in
the gold region, to the exclusion Of all unlicensed
persons.
Persons employed at the mines are reminded that