Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-29


vernment wish 10 prevent assertions here on
the part of men, and TO secure zeal on me
part Of officers, their pay must be Increased
very materially.
MIR. Dye, a gentleman residing in Monte
rev, and worthy of every credit, has Just re-
turned from Feather River. He tells me
that tho company to which he belonged,
worked seven weeks and two days, with an
average of fifty Indians, (washers,) and that
their gross product was two hundred and
seventy-three pounds Of gold. His share
(one-seventh,) after paying all expenses, is
about thirty-seven pounds, which he brought
with him and exhibited in Monterey. see
no laboring man from the mines who does
not show his two, three, or four pounds Of
gold. A soldier Of the artillery company re-
turned here a few days ago from the mines,
having been absent on furlough twenty days.
lie made by trading and working during that
time $1,000. During these twenty days he
was travelling ten or eleven days, leaving
but a week, in which he made a sum of no
ney greater than he received in pay, clothes
and %rations, during a whole enlistment Of
five years.
Gold is also believed to exist on the east
ern slope of the Sierra Nevada; and when
at the mines | was informed by an intelligent
Mormon, that it had been found near the
Great Salt Lake by some of his fraternity
Nearly all the Mormons are leaving Califor-
MIA 10 go TO the Salt Lake; and this they
surely would not do, unless they were sure
OF finding gold there in the SAN abundance
as they now do on the Sacramento.
The gold "placer" near the mission of
San Fernando has long been known, but has
been little wrought for want Of water. This
is In a spur that puts of from the Sierra Ne
vada, (see Fremonts map,) the same in
which the present mines occur. There is,
therefore,, every reason to believe, that in
the intervening spaces of five hundred miles
(entirely unexplored) there must be many
hidden and rich deposites. The placer
gold is now substituted as the currency of
this country.
l would recommend that a mint be estab-
lished at some eligible point of the bay of
San Francisco; and that machinery and all
The necessary apparatus and workmen. be
sent on by sea. These workmen must be
bound by high wages and even bonds 10
secure their faithful services, else the whole
plan may be frustrated by their going to the
mines as soon as they arrive in California.
n y
Before leaving The subject of mines | will
that on my return from The Sacra-
mento, | touched at New Almoder the quick.
silver mine of Mr.. Alexander Forbes, Con-
sui OF her Brittanic Majesty at Topic. This
mine is In a spur Of mountains one thousand
feet above the level of the Bay of San Fran
cisco, and is distant in a southern direction
from the Pueblo de San Jose about twelve
The ore, (cinnabar,) occurs in a large
VEN dipping at a strong angle to the hori- {
zon. Mexlcan miners are employed in work I
Ing it, and driving shafts, and galleries about ,
SIX feet by seven, following the vein. i
Fhe fragments of rock and ore are re- c
on the backs of Indians, in a raw-hide (
sacks. The ore is then hauled in an ox-wa- e,
gon, from the mouth Of the mine down 10 a !,
valley well supplied with wood and water, u
IN which the furnaces are situated. The I
furnaces are of the simplest obstruction c
exactly like a common bake oven, in the
OF which is inserted a whaler's irving +.
kettle; another inverted kettle forms the lid. /
From a hole in the lid a small brick channel '
eads 10 an apartment, or chamber, in the /
,oiom OF which is inserted a small iron ket- !
lie. This chamber has a chimney. ,
In the morning of each day the kettles are
liled with the mineral (broken in small
'ieces) mixed with lime fire is then applied
"i Wy Il nc lltICuIy is VOId-
ilised, passes into the chamber, is condensed
m the sides and bottom of the chamber, and
into the pot prepared for it. No water
S used to condense the mercury.
During a visit | made last spring, four
'uch ovens were in operation, and yielded in
he two days | was there, six hundred and
fifty pounds of quicksilver, worth at Maza-
can $3.50 per ID. Mr.. WaIkinshaw, the
gentleman now in charge of the mine, tells
ne that the vein is improving, and that he
'an afford to keep his people employed even
m these extraordinary times. This mine is
very valuable Of itself, and becomes the more
so as mercury is extensively used in obtain
ing gold. 1t is not at present used in Cali
fornia for that purpose, but it will be at some
future time. When ] was at this mine last
spring, other parties were engaged in search.
ing for veins; but none have been discover
ed that are worth following up. although the
earth in that whole range of hills are highly
discolored, indicating the presence of this
ore. | send several beautiful specimens,
properly labelled. The amount of quicksil-
yer in Mr.. Forbes watts on The 18th of July
was about two thousand five hundred lbs.