Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-15
HrApoul aress 10Th MILlrARv DEPT, }

| Monterey, Caliiornit, Aug IL, io4o.
Sir: nave the honor 10 Inform you !ha'' &C
| companed by Lieut.. w L. Sherman, 81 ariil
lpry. A. A. A. General, | started on the IL h Of
| lime las, 10 make tour through the Northern
part OF California My principal purpose, how
| ever was to visit The newly discovered gold
"nlacer" in the valley OF The Sacramento had
! proceeded about tory miles, when | was over
iaken by all express, bringing me intelligence oi
the arrival al Monterey OF Inc United states shin
Soutnamp,on with important letters from Com
modore Shubfick and Lieut.. Col. Burton. re-
turned al once 10 Monterey, and despatched what
business was most important, and on the IL n re-
sumed nv Journey. We reached San Francisco
on the 2Oh, aud found that ALL or nearly all lis
ma lie inha bitans had gone 10 the mines. The town
which few months ago was SO busy and thrIv-
inc was then almost deserted. On the evening
q. inc 24th The horses OF the escort were crossed
10 Sousuleto in a launch, aud on The following
day we resumed The journey, by way OF Bodega
and SonGma 10 Suffers tort, where we arrived on
he morning ct The d July. Along the whole
rou,e, mills were lying idle fields OF wheat were
living open TO cattle and horses, houses vacant
and larms going 10 waste. Al Saers there was
more life ard business. Launches were dis
charging their cargoes al the river, and carts
we're hauling COOS to the lori, where already
we're established several sores, a hotel, &c.
Captain Snter had only two mechanics in his
employ a wagon maker and blacksmith whom
ne was then paying ten dollars day. Me-
chants paw MIN monthly rent OF 500 per room;
ami whilst | wa, there, a twc-slorY house 10 The
lori was rened as hoie tor $500 month.
a. tae ur.eut solicitation oil many gentlemen,
| DELAYED there 10 participate IN the hfsi puo
lie celebration 81 our national anniversary al
that fou, bul on ne h resumed The lou' ney, and
proceeded twenty-five mics up the American fork
lpn n
Mines, or Mormon Digginss. The hll-sdes
were thickly s,rewn with canvass tents and bush
arbors; store was erected, and several boarding
shant,es in operation. The day was IN
lensely hot. vel about two hundred men wee al
work in Inc luii glare OF the sun, washing Tor
gold -somc with lin pans, some with close woven
| Indian baskets, bui he greater part, had rude
machine, known as the cradle. This IS on rocR-
efs, SIX or eight ieet long, open a, the lot, ana
| al It's head has coarse efae, or sieve; the DOL
! tom IS rounded, win small elects mailed across
| E,nr men are required 10 work This machine
one digs The ground in the bank close by the
sueam: anolher carries il In the c.adle and emp
tirs il on the graft; third gives violent rock
| inc motion Il The machine; whilst ionttn dash
| Is on wa,er from he stream ilseli The SIEVE
| seeps lhe coarse stone, lrom entering ne cradle
| the current 81 water washes of The earthly mat
| I.r and III. gravel is gradually carried ont al the
| tool al he machine leaving the gold mixed VII!
| heavy fine black sand above Inc hrs cleeis.-
rne sa nj aud gold mixed together are then drawn
oil hrough auser holes into pan below, arc
dried in the sun, and afterwards separated by
blowing eff The sand. A parry OF four men lhn'
employed a, the lower mines averaged SlO0 :
uav. The Indians and those who have nothing
but pans or willow baskets, gradually wash on
m. earth and separate the gravel py hand, leav
ing nothing but The sot nixed with sand, which
i. .eparaied IN the manner before described The
ood In the lower miucs IS ~ fine bright scales,
which send several specimens
As we assembled the South branch Of the Ame
rican fork, the country became more broken ant
mountainous, and near the saw-mill, 25 mile
above the lower washing, or fifty miles frou
Suffers, the bills rise 10 about thousand fee
above the level Of The Sacramento plain. Herr
a species Of pine occurs, which led 10 the disco
very of The gold. captain Suffer feeling The
great want of lumber, contracted IN Septemoe
last with Mr.. MARSHALL 10 build saw mill a
that place. Il was erected IN the course Of TIT
past Winter and Spring-a dam and race con
structed; but when the water was let on th
wheel the tail race was found 10 be too narrow
TO permit the water 10 escape with sufficient IA
pidity MIR Marshall TO save labor, lei the wa
ter directly into the race with a strong current
so as to wash 1t wider aud deeper de effected
his purpose, and large bed Of mud and grave
, was carried 10 the foot Of the race. One da
Mr. Marshall, as he was walking down the rae
10 this deposite of mud, observed some glitter
ing particles al its upper edge; he gathered
few, examined them, and became satisfied o
their value. Ho then went to the fort, toll
Captain Suffer OF his discovery, and they agree
to keep il secret until certain grist- mill of SUIT
| lf hon
spread like magic Remarkable success ATTENDED
the abors of the first explorers, aud in few
/ weeks hundreds Of men were drawn thlher. A
the lime ofmy visit, but little more than ,hre
months after its first discovery, it was estimates
that upwards Of four thousand people were em
poyed AT the mill there is fine deposi
or bank of gravel, which the people respect a
the property Of Captain Suffer. although b
pretends to no right 10 it, and would be perfect
" satisfied with the simple promise of pre-
emption, on account OF the mill which he ha
built there at considerable cost Mr.. Marshal
was living near the mill, and informed me tina
many persons were employed above and below
him; that they used the same machines al III
lower washlngs and that their success was abou
the same ranging from one TO three ounces o
gold per man daily. This gold, too, is in scale
a little coarser than those of the lower mines =
From the mill Mr.. Marshall guided me up tn
mountain on the opposite or North bank of i!
South fork, where. 10 the bed Of small stream
or raSines, now dry, great deal of coarse got
has been found. there saw several parties a
work. all of whom were doing very well;
grea, many specimens were shown me, some a
heavy as four or Ave ounces in weight, and
send three pieces labelled No 5, presented BY
Mr.. Spence. You will perceive that some of III
specimens accompanying this, hold mechanical
j, ly pieces of quartz; that tho surface is rough
and evidently moulded in the creyice of a rock
This gold cannot have. been carried far By water
but must have remained near where it was frs
deposited from the rock that once bound it
Inquired Of many people if they had sncoun