The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-12-27

90. ...:.:sl ss!,
3, sollth d aroli lill b
saw seral parties ht work al Sof HlldIn
We're doing well ;las4 grent many
mems were shown me, some as heavy aS4iolf
2orfiye OUNCES in. bit, ant send tiiiaey
places labelled SfJe iprese,itcd by al Mr..
{sspenc ou viii :presss;ye that soma Of Esallaa
specimens acnonpn yinn hiss hold smechlnis
pieces qpartz that suT
3ropgiiy and eyitle yflnodlde in The cres
ofsn rock. S. s. ~ gslt II ss 81
SsS5sI This gold cannot hnve bsot ca rfint ffi.rS
SbYswater, but must have remained sisfsrs
where twas deposited from the rock t5atI
once bound inquired ofSmaflY \ poo.
pleSi fthey hnfls encountered slhc inatfix.
hutlin every, instance they said they had
NOT Sbnt That The gold Was iInivafiahIy mix:
ed with wished gravel, or lodged 'in mo iIif
cysviccs Of o,herrocks. All bore testis3
nony,tthat they had found gold dir gtcnssr3
or less quantities in the numerous sntall
gullies or rnvincs that occurin that n1oinss
famous region. On The 7th Of JULY xlnfti
the mill, and crossed to smull stream!
enptying ihtoaho American fork, sthfees
or four miles below the saw.mill kkaIi
struck this .stroam (nowgknown as Web
ser's crcekl nt the waatlings Of Sunni 81
Co. They had about thirty lndiansien-
+ployed, whom they pay in merchandise.
They were getting gold Of character
similar 10 TINT found in the main ahd
doubtless in sufficient quantities to satisfy
them. ltscnd you q small specimen pre-.
sented by this company, of their gold.
From this point, we proceeded upsthe:
stream about eightinniles, where we found,
"a great many people iand Indians some
engaged in the bed ofthe stream, and 9TH.
crs in the small side valleys thatEput into
it. These latter are exceedingly rich,
and two ounces were considered m o.dt-
nary yield for a days work. a sblalt
gutter not more than n hundred: Yards
long by feet wide and 9 2ortthfee deep,
was pointed ont to me as the one whdra
twotmen--W illiam DAILY and Perry lny
Coon-hdd, n short timo before, obtained
900 worth of gold - Capt. w Vebefins.
formed mo that hcS knew ttGtS StIlcsedtWo
men had employed four white men snnd
about a hundred Indians, and l!thnt, I'd tho
end of one week. work. they paid off their
party, md had left ST Q, 900 worth of.tfliis
gold. Another small rayine was sliasgn
me, from which, had bcen' taken upwards
Of $4,000 worth Of gold. IIlnd dredssof
similnr ravines, toall appearances, areas
yet untouched. seonll llnot have credjlsd
these reports and Iilot seen, the abnni
tlance Of Tho precious ine etil, g eYidc chssSa
their truth. ~ eligh -an asg,eIs. 4 8
Commodore .Stap pkton bad been el .WprE
4abo,lt three wet: jill The neigh 4
and showed me in bags and bottles owe
$4,000 worth Of gold; and Mr.. Lyman, ,
gentleman Of education and worthy o
every credit, said that he had been en-
gagged with four others, witt, n, achinc OF
the American fork, just below Suffer-
mill; that they worked eight da Us; ant
Tint his share was Mt the rate ol' $50
day; but hearing that other were doiny
better at Wcbor's place, they had remov
cd there, and were then OH the TX >int Q
rcsumins operations.
Imight tell Of hundreds of si.nil ar in
stances; but, illustrate how plcnti fIl III
gold was in the pockets Of common labor
crs, | will mention simple occur rene
which took place in my presence, VI hen
was ut Wcbcr's store. This store wn
nothing but an arbor Of bushes, :iundc
which he had exposed for sale goods an
groceries suited TO his customers. A ma
came in, picked up box Of Scidl,z POW
dcrs, and asked IFS price. The mnr, of
cred an ounce Of gold, but Capt. W clio
told him i. only cost 30 cents, and he di
no, wish TO sell it. The man then of ere
mn ounce and q half when Capt. ~ cbt
had 10 take it, The prices ur all q ing
nre high, and yet Indians, who ,fol
hardly knew what brccch cloth wa :, ca
now afford TO buy the most gaudv Dir ssc
The country on either side Of W, Der
creek is much broken up by Lats, and
intcrscctcd in every direction by smo
streams or ravincs, which contain m orc
less gold. Those that have been orkt
are barely scratched; and although tho
sands Of ounces have been carried ava
do not consider that n serious imF rcssi
has been made upon the whole. Eve
day was developing new and ric her q
positcs; and the only impression seem
10 be, that tho metal would bts found
such abundance as seriously to & ,prccii
in value.
On the 9th Of July rcturne | TO ,
lower mines, and on tho following day
Suttcr's, where OH the 10th wa ,maki
preparations for visit 10 thu Fcath
Yubah, md Bear river, when rccci,
letter from Commander a. r. Lo
United States Navy, who had ju ST .arriy