Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-16
to p0s hasrars saop the
pay in merchandise. They were getting
gold Of character similar to that found in

pay in merchandise. They were getting
gold Of character similar to that found in
the main fork. -
/ From this point we proceeded up. the
stream about eight miles, where we found a
great many people and Indians-some en-
gagged in the bed of the stream, and others
IN the small valleys that put into it,, These
latter are exceedingly rich, and two ounces
we're considered an ordinary yield for a
days work. A small gutter, not more than
hundred yards long by four feet wide, and
TWO or three feet deep, was pointed out to
me as the one where two men-William
Daily and Perry McCoon, had, a short time
before, obtained $4,000 worth of gold.-
Capt. Weber informed me that he knew
that these two men had employed four
white men and about hundred Indians,
and that, at the end Of one weeks work
they paid fftheir party, and had left SlO,-
600 worth of this gold. Another small ra-
vine was shown me, from which had been
taken upwards of $4,000 worth of gold.
Hundreds of similar ravines, TO all appear
ances, are as yet untouched.
MIR. Neigh, an agent of Commodore
Stockton, had been at work about three
weeks in the neighborhood, and showed
me in bags and bottles over $4,000 worth
OF gold and Mr.. Lyman, a gentleman of
education and worthy of every credit, said
he mad been engaged with four others, with
a machine, on the American fork, just be-
low Suffers mill that they worked eight
days, and that his share was at the rate of
soc day. ..f... .....
| The country on either side OF Weber's
creek is much broken up by hills, and is
intersected in every direction by small
streams or ravnes, which contain more or
less gold. Those that have been worked
are barely scratched and although thou
sands Of ounces have been carried away, I
do not consider that serious impression
has been made upon the whole. Every
day was developing new and richer depos-
its; and the only impression seemed to be,
that the metal would be found in such a.
bundance as seriously to depreciate in
valne.
On the sth of July returned 10 the lower
mines, and on the following day TO Suffers
where on the 10Th was making preparations
for visit TO the Feather, Yubah, and Bear
rivers, when received letter from Com.
mander A. R. Long, United States navy, who
had just arrived at San Francisco from Mazat-
Ian, with crew for the sloop-of-war Warren
with orders to take that vessel 10 the s9ua-
dron at La Paz. Capt. Long wrote TO me
that the Mexican Congress had adjourned
without ratifying the treaty of peace that
I lo bol r.. r l..
and that his orders were TO sail with the
Warren or or before the Goth of July. In
consequence of these, determined TO return
to Monterey, accordingly arrived here on the
1nh of July. Before leaving Suffers, salts
fled myself that gold existed in the bed of the
Feather river, in Ynbah and Bear, and in
many Of the small streams that lie between
the latter and the American fork; also, that
it had been found in the Cosummes to ihe
south of the American fork. In each of these
streams the gold is found in small scales,
whereas in the intervening mountains it oc-
curs in coarser lnmps.
MIR. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles
above Suffers on the north side of the Ame-
rican, employs about SO Indians on the north
fork, not far from its junction with the main
stream. He had been engaged about five
weeks when saw him, and up TO that time
his Indians had used simply closely, woven
willow baskets. His nett proceeds (which
saw) were about 10000 worth of gold. He
showed me the proceeds of his last week
work-four,een pounds avoirdupois of clean
washed gold.
The principal store at Suffers Fort, that of
Branan & Co., had received in payment for
goods 1000 (worih of this goldl from the
1st of May to 10th of July. Other merchants
had also made extensive sales. Large guam
titles of goods were daily sent forward 10 the
mines, as the Indians, heretofore so poor and
degraded, have suddenly become consumers
of the luxuriss of life!
The most moderate estimate | could obtain
from men acquainted with the subject, was
that upwards of 1000 men were working in
the gold district, of whom more than one>half
were Indians; and that from 900 TO s5o,-
600 worth of gold, if not more, was daily OBJ
tanned. The entire gold district, with very
few exceptions of grants made some years
ago by the Mexican authorities, is on land be-
longing to the United States
The discovery of these vast depostes OF
gold has entirely changed the character OF
; Upper California. tspeope, before engaged
in cultivating their small patches of ground,
and guarding their heads of cattle and horses,
have all gone to the mines, or are on their
way thither. Laborers of every trade have
left their work benches, and tradesmen their
shops. Sailors desert their ships as fast as
they arrive on the coast, and several vessels
have gone to sea with hardly enough hands
to spread sail. Two or three are now at
anchor in San Francisco with no crew on
, board. Many desertions, too, have taken
, place from their garrisons within the influence
; eff these mines; twenty-six soldiers have de-
serted from the post of Sonoma-tw twenty-four
from that of San Francisco, and twenty-four