The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-23

|
Others the gold always found in the stratum OF "drft"
or "duvIum III less It has been displaced by mountain
torrents, or through other comparatively modern agen-
ces The fine gold is found the lower portions of the
streams, and Is extracted from the earth by of
washing IN common lin pans, and vessels Of every kind
which can be substituted for them. The finest portions
OF the earth are removed by washing and kind of gyra
tory motion of the pan the gravel taken oat with the
hand and the gold is left IN the vessel with kind oil
black ierrugnous sand, not unlike that usned il writing
The residue gold and sandy then left upon board
cloth dry, when the sand is blown Oft with common
bellows the mouth while the greater specific gravity of
the gold causes TO remain behind Much of the finest
of the gold is thus blown of with the sand and lost
Vast numbers OF rude machines resembling nursery
dies used IN this business The rocking OF the cradle
answers the gyratory motion of the pam the water,
mud and fine sand escaping from the foot OF the machine
series OF small cross bars its bottom, which
sufficient mpedments TO Stop The more particles OF
gold Over the head OF the cradle Is seve upon
which the auriieous earth placed, and, the machine
being in motion, water is poured upon the seve and the
god sand and hne earthly matter is thus taken INTO the
body OF the machine, while the gravel is rejected All
these methods more less imperfect and the pro-
cess by amagamaton with quicksilver has not been
adopted up this date 1t is supposed that at least
hail the gold contained in given quantity of earth lost
by the imperfect measures taken for cleaning IT.
As the worknen ascend the streams into the noun
the gold becomes and more massive On the
lower portions OF the is found IN thin Hat par
tcies resembling small golden fish scales Higher in the
mountains II is found varying in size, from the hnest
particles pieces of five weight and OF
all conceivable forms Many OF the largest pieces
tain small portions of quartz and other granite rock
bedied IN them. The gold is dug out OF the
ices among the rocks, in the dry beds OF mountain
rents, with pckaNes, small iron bars, spades butcher
knives sticks &c, &c In many places the streams How
strata of coarse slate shae standing vertically,
and between the different layers the gold is deposited by
the water
AS one yet has ouad the gold in its native matrx,
question often suggests itself as 10 It's origin believe
the gold found the spots where 1t orgi-
nally lay It's native bed and that much of the fine gold
has swept do from the mountains by torrents OF
water. Almost all the rocks in Upper California
perfectly organized being soft and rabe, and incapable
of resisting the action OF the weather In the process OF
time the mountains have gradually crumbed away into
fine dust, and the gold has been liberated The
gold from lis massveness and great specific gravity
removed from the mountain sides, whereas the fine
gold was swept of to the plains below.
The extent OF these golden depostes is impossible 10
conjecture. Gold has been found hundred and fifty
miles above Suffers Fort 1t dug great quantities IL
almost all points along Feather, Juba, and Bear rivers,
and upon the American Fork and all It's tributaries upon
the Costumes and Stansaus rivers and upon both sdes
of the San joaquin river 1t has been found at Bodega,
the seacoast, and at various points IN the cham oil
mountains which separates the waters flowing into the San
Joaquin from those which enter the Pacific far south
Ciulai de los Angeles Ii has also been found in
siderable quantities in the earth of The plains the
mission OF Santa Clara 1t is thus known 10 exist through
region of country of more than six hundred miles in
/ extent, and it probably extends into Oregon.
/ There subjects upon which one cannot write the
truth without exciting ncredulty, and IT rs with great
diience that shall attempt 10 speak OF the richness OF
the mines went 10 them iii the most skepcal frame OF
mind, and away betteUsr, From all that | can
Learn as similar deposites OF gold elsewhere believe
these TO be The richest placer mines in the world am
satisfied, from personal observation, that active workmen
gel from 2j 10 $40 per day, estimating the gold al
Sl6 per ounce, troy. Many Instances known OF per-
sons having obtained iron $50 to $1,000 IN day or
each am meeting persons daily IN this place who
have been absent less than three months and have re-
turned with from $4,000 to IS 900 IN gold dust While
among the mines collected large number OF facts
from which the following are taken at random as spe
cimen:
On The most southery tributary of the American Fork
sixteen miles from the nam stream, saw where Messrs
Nelly and Crowly got with six IN SIX days ten and
a halt pounds of gold, avoirdupols weight In the bot
tom OF dry rayine of the stream MessrS. Daily
and NcCooms removed, with party OF Indians and
| white men, $1,000 in two days, and within two hun
ired yards OF the main stream From another dry ra
vine within few rods OF the last mentioned IT is said
that $4,000 collected in three days. Mr.. I. ).
| Lyman, clergyman, unaccustomed to labor informs
me that he got $50 for about five hours work each day
NJ Vaca, q New Mexican, who resides about thirty
miles from Suffers, told he with four other men,
got seventeen pounds OF gold ayordupois weight IN
seven days | the gold Major Cooper late Of
Missouri, with two men and one boy, got 1000 IN
two days. Mr. Sinclair had been engaged IN Dig
ging gold about five weeks with party of Indians
numbering about forty: sometimes and some
times less He gave his Indians meat, sugar. coffee
-four, and rice, and they ate three times per day Tney
were mostly Wild Indians, and worked altogether with
pans In FIVE weeks after paying all his Indians and
the current expenses of the party, he had ~ 1900, or up
wards OF ninety pounds, troy weight OF gold dust fhe
gold was shown Mr. Norris and companion took
from dry ravine, not far from those already mentioned
$4,000 in days, and the dirt packed horses
more than two hundred yards to the water Mr. Aaron
days after his arrival al the mines, S22Oo But might
90 stating facts like these until should tire your pa
tence
You will be anxious to know where this ia to end.
see no prospect 81 eXhaustng the mines. The gold
/ found extending immense tract of country and
ii is so universally dfuse1 in the earth OF the gold
gions tn At ii may be SAID TO constitute portion OF the
soil is most abundant the valleys and the beds of
streams because the earth has been removed by water
and the gold remains; but 1t IS found the tops and
sides OF the mountains hundreds Of feet above the water
When in the mining country, | endeavored 10 obtain
what information the miners and others could afford as TO
| the value of the mines, and the number of people
ployed in them. The lowest estimate ! heard made OF
The Yotkmen was three thousand, including both whites
and Indians: but this number augmented by daily
access from all parts OF California from Oregon and
Sonora and from the Sandwich islands There has been
such dram from the islands that there is scarcely
cbanc left at Honolulu. The same is likely TO be the
case in Oregon, as every vessel IN from there
crowded aud we hear of "A large overland emigration
Among the people engaged in the mines, however, there
tappes anl mouDlaineers, who naturally idle, DIS
spaed and dssoute; in short taken IN the aggregate,
the miners are the worst kind OF laborlng population.
have asked for estimates OF the average gains OF all the
miners at work IN the gold regions, including both whites
and Indians and have heard them stated al less
than six dollars per day for each person beeve, TAX
Ing these minimum estimates data, am fully justified
in concluding, that during the year commencing July J.
1853 there viii be 5,5O0,00) removed from the mines
reckoning the ounce troy at Sl6 This sum Is consld-
erakly greater, according to McCaoch's CONNIE rcia
Dictionary than The total amour; OF gold taken from all
the mines in the United States for ae fifteen years ending
in 1888 and is nearly three times great as the entire
gold coinage of the United States Mint aud all lis branches
for the same year