Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-12-20
TIE GOLD BUSINESS.


mass o. this county, destined soon to be-
come famous he world over, A lew weeks
since | wrote YOU long letter. informing
you how the Gold excitement had broken up
nv school. aud compelled me. in common l
with multitude oi others, 10 engage in gold
digging or do nothing. MIR Lyman with whom /
! was formerly associated in surveying, has /
been obliged to do the same. ! am now in 1
company with him. Our business thus far
Ia, been good. Yesterday dug and washed
out pound OF gold myself. A pretty good |
days work you will say; yes, aud hard one
too. iabored not less than IS hours to &C
complish il.
Labor u ell kinds /. wei paid here, and this
in my opinion, will be the cas-. Tor yesrs TO
come. II isimpossible to predict what changes
few months will produce. The rush OF Peo-
pie here is immense, The amount OF Gold
taken out OF the earth here is prodigious.--
There a re hundreds OF persons who daily OBJ
tain from halt pound TO two pounds each
some fortunate persons will obtain a pound
in an hour This cannot last long. Very
many Of the rich depo>ites have been drained
thoroughly. The business is already prcari-
Gus spending very much upon luck IN finding
a good place. Almost any Que, however, OF
common ssgscity, msy average from an ounce
| to two ounces per day. Before persons can
arrive from the States, il will in all probab bill
| ty become less lucrative. They need not,
| however, fear bat that they can do well. and
get rich, If they are healthy, industrious, and
| prudent. On the coast, this country Is I'M
commonly healthy, but on some OF the rivers
there is considerable sickness.
The N. Y. Evening Post in an article up
on gold says
The places where il is found are much more
numerous than We might at first suppose
The mines OF America. however. are superior
10 those OF ell other countries. Though OF
comparative newness, they have furnished
three times and half more gold and twelve
times more silver than those oil the old world
Silver and gold, were supposed to b~ar to
each other the relation OF 80 TO /, before the
discovery Of America. In Europe the pro-
portion is now about ID to |.
The Gold of Mexico is generally found in
argentiierous veins, as at Guaaaxunto, where
ii is found one ounce IN 500. The only su-
rlferous veins. worked ss such arc at OsXaco.
The rivers in Caliaccas flow over auriierous
sands Peru is not reported rich in gold at
present. The gold Of New Grenada is found
in alluvial soil, and is washed out in the shspe
OF spansles and grains. The gold OF Chilli is
found under similar circumstances. Brazil
formerly brou2ht the most gold TO market. not
even excepting Russia, which now, however,
sufpasses her. All the rivers running from
/ the Brazilian nountEius have gold, and the
annual product oil fine metal rs now rated at
I s. 600 900.
There are no very late tables OF the products
of American mines. We have sscertained by
accident merely. how the estimate i. made al
present.
ffom 1890 to 1880, DO years the product
OF Mexico was
Gold Es.43s, A53
| Silver Gl39 .6l6032
4 Chill
Gold co, 76s. ass
! Silver 81 ,622 1924
/ Buenos Ayres-
Gold Ca ,024 .S95
Silver G27 ~, 673
/ Add TO this Russia
Gold 3,7o3,7a3
Silver ] 500 1851
Aud we have from four countries alone 1880
millions OF pounds sterling, or az ,000, 900 per
/ aunum.
Ii we add the products Of Europe and Ash
attic Russia, of the East Indies and Africa -
which some estimate at SO tons OF gold per
snnnm, we perceive that a vast amount of
] precious metal is unesrthed and somewhere
/ In use.
The relative value of gold has changed very
much within few hundred years. and it prob
ably will change still more. But we do not
think it is likely 10 depreciate one half in our
time, Tor many reasons, though some persons
| imagine IL will.
| The true secret OF all this present excite
nlent is this; the Anglo-Saxon race for the
first in their history, own and occupy gold
mines OF very great value. Hitherto Africans
Asist tics or Indians have held them, and they
have never shown that srdor combined with
perseverance which belongs TO us. England
never had any mines OF gold, or she would
have worked them as diligently as she has
those OF coal. The Americans have now a
golden chance. and they are the first OF the
blood that ever had il. They will be sure to
turn the opportunity TO account.
We copy from the New York Commercial.
the following lis, OF vessels to sail from New
York for California, in order to show what an
excitement there is at present on the subject,
we annex list OF vessels advertised at this
port
For California and the Gold Region.
Ships Albany, Sherman; Cristovai Colon,
Coffin; Apollo, Gardner; Massachusetts,; Sam
son; Sarah & Eliza, Cobb; Florence, Bright;
WaIpole, Cutter; Seton, Eckerman.
Barques Madonna, Couch; Phillip Hone,
JOY; Mszeppa, -; Pey,ona, Brown; Cot
ton, Soullard; Warsaw, -; Rolls; Vernon.
NJ Kay.
Briggs Newcastle, Swift; Georgiana Taylor;
David Henshsw. Hickman; Gilbert Hatfield.
MuIligsn; Leveret,, Elliott; lighter Margaret,
Mclaughlin.
For Chogr,s, and the Gold Region.
Steamers Orus, Tucker; lsthmus.
Barques Harriet 7. Bartlett. Baker; Caro-
line r. Plstt,-.
Briggs, Colonel Howard, Durkee; Harriet,
Brown.
Schooner Alfred Exsll, Colder.
Besides the above, the papers teem with
Of clipper ships, barques. briggs,
&c, whose names are not given. all ready TO
take freight and passengers for the Csliforniss.
Ia Baltimore. Philadelphia, Boston aud
other ports we see vessels OF all classes sdver-
Used, aud we should say al least fifty vessels
are mp Tor freight or charter TO the gold re-
gloHs.
Since the above was prepared. we hear that
The owners OF tho STEAMSHIP p Crescent City have
been induced, By the persuasion OF d number
OF persons anxious 10 reach the gold region,
20 advertise her Tor Chsgres. Alter landing
The adyeuturers at that place she will proceed
To New Orleans. where no donht. II the own
ers feel inclined TO send her back 10 Chsgres,
they will find, lin the words oil the razor srop
man, "a few more OF the same sort leii."