Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-15

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oaa,er mr. less quantities in the numerous smali
e.,II;os ar ravnes that occur in that mountain
ON me 7lb OF July, | left the mill and crossed
10 a small stream emplying into Inc A'ne,,ea"
f,,k three OF tour miles below the saw,m'h.
struck mis- stream nov known as WeoeIs cleehj
a, The washines of Sunsol & Co. Ihey mao
anon, tbiriy Indians employed, whom ihsy pay III
merchandise. They we've getting gold OF eha
racrer sim,lar-t that found IN Inc maui ioih
and doubtless in sufficient quaniI'leS 10 sa.'sa
Them. | send you small specimen, presence s
BY this company, of ther gold. FROM ',',S pG,n'
We proceeded up the stream aoou' e,5h. - -
where we found great many people anu III
d;ans-some engaged ia the ted OF the stream
and Others in The small side valleys lhai pul mo
il. These lauer are exceedingly itch, ana TWO
ounces were considered an ordinary yield Tor
days work. a,.a ,,rd.
A small gutter not more than hundred yaios
lono nv ,eet vile and or 3 feet deep, was
noinled oul 10 me as The one where TWO hieh-
William DAILY and Perry McCoon = had, sno'l
lime before. Obtained $1,000 worth oil goia
Cant. Weber informed me that he knew ,hd
these two men had employed four white Hen ~" :,
about a hundred Indians, and thai, al Inc enu ~
one weeks work, lhey had paid on men pa,.S,
and had lell $40 900 worth OF TINS s"id. auo,ne,
small ravine was shown me, from "n'eh n'a
been ,akep upwards OF Sl2,O0O worm Vi eolu.
Hundreds Of similar ravines To all aPpedldnce'
are as vel untouched. could mol nave ei.u''.u
these reports had moi seen, IN inc abundance
of The precious metal, evidence oil lhei, uu S,,
Mr.. Nelligh, an agent ol tomthouo,e ~
ian mad been al work about three weeks IN 'ne
na,shhorbood and showed me in bags and bot
,Ies over 50 900 worth OF gold; and MI Lyman,
n gentleman of education and worthy OF every
credit. said he had becn engaged with ionr ON
ers with machine, on the American 10TH, Just
below Suffers mill, that they worked eisnt uays
and that his share was al he rate oi Soo gay J
but hearing that others were doing better d. we
bef's place, they had removed there, ana "eis
lnen on the point oil resumine operauohs'
mich, tell OF hundreds OF similar instances ou'
10 illustrate how plentiful the gold was 10 Inc
nocke,s OF common laboreIs, | will mention
simple occurrence which took place In my pres
ence when | was al WebeI's store. inns slofe
was nothing but an arbor Of bushes, under when
he had exposed Tor sale goods and groceries SUI.
Ted 10 his customers. a man came IN, Picheu
up box Of Seidl'lz powders, and asked us Price
Capt. Weber lold him il was not lor SAFE. inc
IN n offered an ounce Of gold, but Capt Weoel
told him it only cost 50 cents, and ne a'u NOT
wish 10 sell il. The man then offered an ounce
and q half when Capt. Weber had 10 lake II.
The prices OF all things are high and yet Indians
VINO before ardIy knew what a breech coih was
can now afford 10 buy The most gauoy ofesses.
The country on either side oil Wcbcf's creek IS
much broken up Ivy hills, and is interseced N
every direction by small streams or faVines,
which contain more or less gold. Those thal
have been worked are barely scratched; and al.
though thousands of ounces have been carried
away. do not consider that selious imPfes'
sion has been made upon The whole. Every day
was developing new and richer deposiies; and Inc
only impression seemed 10 b., that The metal
would be found in such abunda nee as seriously 70
depreciale lis value.
On the 6th July returned 10 The lowe! mines,
and on The following day 10 Suffers, where on
The 10Th was making preparations Tor WISH 70
Inc Feather, Yubah and Bear rivers, when re-
ceiyed elte. from Commander A. r. Long, U
STATES Navy. who had Just arrived al San Fran.
cisco from Mazatlan, with crew tor The sloop-
of.war Warren, with orders 10 lake that YES
sci to the squadron al La Paz Captain
Long wrote 10 me that the Mexican Congress
had adjourned without ratifying the treaty oil
peace; that he had letters for me IRON Cummo-
dore Jones, and that his orders were 10 sail with
HE Warren on or before The 20h day OF July
In consequence OF these, | determined 10 return
10 Monterey, and accordingly arrived here on the
I'm OF July. Be'oIe leaving Suffers, ] satisfied
myself that gold existed in the bed Of the Feather
river, in The Yubah and Bear, aud in many of
The small streams that lie between The latter and
the American fork; also, that Il bad been found
in The Costumes to the South OF The American
fork. In each Of these streams the gold is found
10 small scales, whereas in The intervening noun
Ia ms il occurs in coafser Jumps
Mr.. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles above
SUFFERS on The North side OF the American, en-
pIoys about so lniians on The North fork, not Tar
from its junction with The main stream de had
been engaged about five weeks when saw him
and up 10 that lime his Indians has used simply
closely woven willow baskets. His nett proceeds
(which saw we're about $4,000 worth OF gold.
He showed me the proceeds OF his last weeks
work-toureen pounds avoirdnpoise OF clean
washed gold
The principal store al Suffers For!, that Of
Brannan and Co, had received IN payment !ot
goods $50 900 worth OF this solt) from The FIRST
OF May to The 10Th OF July. Other merchants mao
also maGe extensive sales. Large quantities OF
goods we're daily sent forward 10 the mines, as
the Indians, heretofore poor and degraded, have
Suddenly become consumers OF the luXuries oil
life. | before mentioned that he greater part OF
the farmers and rancheros had ABANDONED lneif
fields 10 90 10 The mines This is not the case
with Captain Suffer- who was carefully gathering
his wheat, estimated al 40,000 bushels. Flour is
already worth al Suffers $50 barrel, and soon
will be $50 Unless large quantities 81 bread
stuffs reach The country, much suffering VIII &C.
cur; but As each man is now able 10 pay large
price, Il is believed that The merchants will bring
from Chill and Oregon plentiful supply Tor the
coming win r.
The mos, moderate estimate | could obtain,
from men acquainted with The subject, was, that
upward. OF Tour thousand men were working IN
the gold district, OF whom more than one hall
were Indians; and ,ha, from $50. 900 10 $50 600
worth OF gold If not more, was daily obtained.
The entire gold disfici, with very few ercep-
lions Of grams made sOme years ago by Tn;
Mexican authorities, is on land belonging 10 The
United States. II was A mater oil serious re-
Election with me, how could secure 10 the go.
vernment cerain ren!s or fees for the privilege III
procuring this gold; bul, upon considering Inc
larg- eIent OF country, the character OF the peo-
pie engaged and the small scattered force at my
con mand, resolved mol to interfere, but TO per
nit all 10 work freely, unless brois and CRIME
should call for interference. was surprised 10
learn lha, crime Of any kind was very nnirequenr,
and that no theils or robberies had been commit,
ted in The gold district. All live in MS. in bush
arbors, or in the open all; AMI men have ire
quenly about their persons thousands OF dollars
worth OF This gold and il was 10 me matter Of
surprise ina, 50 peaceful and quiet Stale OF
things should continue TO exist.
Conflicting claims 10 particular spots OF ground
may cause collisions, but they will be rare, as
The extent OF country is 80 great, and the gold SO
abundant, that Tor The present there is room and
enough fol all. Still the government is entitled
to rents Tor This land, and immediate Steps should
be devised 10 collect them Tor The longer il is de-
layei The more difficult it will become. One
plan would suggest is, 10 send out from he u.
States surveyors with high salaries, bound 10
serve specified periods.
A superintendent 10 be appointed al Suffers
Fort, with power 10 grant licenses 10 work-a
spot Of sround-say 100 yards sqnare-for one
wear, al rent Of tom 100 10 600 dollars, a,
his Discretion; The surveyors 10 measure the
ground and place The renlor in possession.
A better plan, however, will be TO have the dis
lrict surveyed and sold al public auction 70 he
highest bidder, in small parcels, say from 20 to
| 40 acres. In cijber case there will be many in
trutcrs, whom for years i! will be almost impus
sibIe 10 exclude.