Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-12-30

j
nyersary at that fort, but on the 9th resuin-
ed the journey, aud proceeded twenty-five
miles up the American fork 10 point on u
uow known as the Lower mines, or Nor
mon Diggirs The hll-sldes were thIckly K
strewn with canvass tents and bush arbors
a store was erected, and several boarding
shanties in operation. The day was iiiteiise- /
ly hot. vet about two hundred men were at
work in the full glare of the sun, washing
for gold-some with tin pans, some with
close woven Indian baskets, but the greater
part had rude machine known as The era
die: This Is on rockers, six or eight feet
long, open at the foot, and at its head has
a coarse CRATE, or sieve the bottom Is rouii-
ded, with small elects nailed across. -Four
men are required 10 work this machine one
digs the ground in the bank close by the
stream another carries IL to the cradle
and empties il on the CRATE ; third gives
a violent rocking motion TO the machine,
whilst a fourth dashes on water from the
stream itself The sieve keeps the coarse
stones from entering the cradle, the current
of water washes off the earthly matter, and
the gravel is gradually carried ont al the
foot OF the machine, leaving the gold mixed
with heavy fine black sand above the first
elects. The sand and gold mixed together
are then drawn off through auger holes into
a pan below, are dried IN the sun, aud alter
wards separated by blowing off the sand.
A party of four men thus employed az the
lower mines averaged one hundred dollars
per day. The Indians, and those who have
nothing but pans or willow baskets, gradu-
ally wash out the earth and separate the
gravel by hand, leaving nothing but gold
mixed with sand, which is separated IN the
manner before described. The gold IN the
lower mines is IN fine bright scales, OF which
J send several specimens.
As we assembled the south branch OF the
American fork, the country became more
broken and mountainous, aud AT the saw-Inlii
25 miles above the lower washings, or fifty
miles from Suffers, the hills rise to about
u thousand feet above the level of the Sac
ramento plain. Here species OF pine oc-
curs, Which led 10 the discovery of gold.
Capt. Sut,er feeling the great want OF lum-
Der, contracted in September last with n
Mr.. Marshall to build saw-mill at that
place. IL was erected in the course of the
past winter and spring--a dam and race
constructed but when the water was let
on the wheel, the tai-race was found to be
too narrow TO permit the water to escape
with sufficient rapidly. Mr.. Marshall, TO
save babor let the winter directly into the
race with strong current, so us 10 wash 1t
wider aud deeper. He effected this purpose
and large bed of mud and gravel was car
ried to the foot of the race. One day Mr..
Marshall as he was walking down the race
10 this deposit of mud, observed some glitter
ing PARTICLES ut its upper edge he gath
cred few, examined them, aud became
satisfied of their value. lie then went TO the
fort, told Capt. Suffer Of his discovery, aud
they agreed TO keep ii secret until u certain
grist mill of Suffers was finished. Ii,
however, got out, and spread like magic.
Remarkable success attended the labors of
the first explorers, and in few weeks hun
dreds Of men were drawn thither. At the
time of my visit, but little more than three
months after It's first discovery, il was esti-
mated that upwards Of four thousand peo-
pile were employed. AT the mill there is n
fine deposit or bank of gravel, which the
people respect as the property of Capt Sul-
ter, although he pretends no right to it, and
would be perfectly satisfied with the simple
promise OF "A pre- empton, on account of the
mill which he has built there at considerable
cost. MIR. Marshall was living near the
mill, aud informed nIe that many persons
were employed above and below him that
they used the same machines as at the low
or waShngs, and that their success was
about the same-ranging from one to three
or. OF gold per man daily. This gold. too, is
IN scales little coarser than those oi the
lower mines. From the mill Mr. Marshall
guided me up the mountain on the opposite
or north bank of the south fork, where, in
the bed OF small streams or ravines, now
dry. great deal of coarse gold has been
found. there saw several parties al work .
all at whom were doing very we'll great
many specimens were shown me, some
US heavy as four or five ounces IN weight,
aud send three pieces labelled No. D, pre-
scented by MIR. Spence. You will perceive
that some ot the specimens accompanying
this hold mechanically pieces OF quartz
that the surface is rough, and evidently
moulded IN the crevice ot rock. This
gold cannot have been carried far by water
bui must have remained near where IL was
first deposited from the rock that once
bound Il. | inquired of many people it
they had encountered the metal in It's matrix
hut IN every instance they said they had not;
but that the gold was invariably mixed with
washed gravel, or lodged ia the ereyices OF
other rocks. All bore testimony that they
had found gold IN greater or less quantities
IA The numerous small gGllies or ravines
that occur In that mountainous region.
.HFA \