Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-12-21
OF North American and U. s. Gazette
From California.

MONTEREY, Alta California, Aug %, 1913.
MEssRs. EDIToRs New and important discover
les are made every day in the gold region Instead of
being confined to stream as was at first supposed
has already been found on the banks of five and in
many dry avnes, where the streams take their rise in
the chain of Mountains which runs Moth and South
through California and are tributaries of the Sscara
mento The discoveries extend already two hundred
miles North and South and some seventy Fast g. West.
The strong probability is, that the entire chaln-at
least five hundred miles of it is richly impregnated
with gold The ore has been found in tie deepest
valleys and on the highest hills-at the bottom of
meadow streaG,s and on Mountain cliffs where only
the eagle has been accustomed to pay his visits It is
nexhaustibe. AS an evidence of this one fact will
be sufficient Seven men, with their Indians, working
on Feather River took from space measuring two
hundred yards by twenty, two hundred and seventy
five pounds of gold.
1t is difficult to ascertain with much precision what
the gold hunters average day per man. But can
state this fact have met great many of them and
not with one whose daily average was less than TWEEN
ty dollars and some, it is well known have ayeraned
from week OR month, over hundred dollars dav.
and this without employing any Indians or engaging
in traffic. When man finds he is gathering only his
eighteen or twenty dollars day. he changes his To-
cality and looks up rchor spot From all the facts
can gather on the subject must believe that the
white men now at work in the Mines average each a.
bout forty dollars day.
A man who has done considerable team work for
me, went to the mines, engaged in drawing sand for
Others from dry spot to the stream where the gold
might be washed out; he received sixteen dollars the
load, and drew five loads day, quit it, and went to
work on his own hook, and more than doubled his ear
nings know little boy, who has been at the mines
for the last two MONTHS and who has made his twenty
dollars a day during that time with no other material
than little wooden bowl. | know woman who took
her tca-ray, went 10 the mines, sqaed down. on
one of the streams, and in six days worked out her
two hundred dollars in gold. She said she should have
worked out MORE but she spent SO much of hor time
in thinking about her children.
The gold diggcrs generally work in email compa-
MES of six or eight. They have a tent, provisions
cattle, and horses, Each takes his turn in cooking &
keeping camp Four or five are engaged in getting
out gold, and two in what they call prospect.
ing that is hunting for some richer vein of deposit
They are merry set of fellows full of excitement
and fun. TheJ undergo great fatigue and make sport
of their hardshps They throw an air of levy about
the acquisition of gold which makes bullesque Of
the anxious faces which you sometimes see on Change
You would little think, from the careless gaiey of
their demeanor, that they were getting out of the
earth that eemrRt which shakes the commercial world
They lose their earnings at the gaming table with
little concern you would an old garment with new
one to take its place. There is more where that come
from, is their expression, and the next day they prove
it true, The whole economy Of society is changed
The dtcher, hand hopper and butender, are the most
independent men in the COMMUNICATED has his bag
of god and can fill it ten times as fast as his wants
can empty it.
II is impossible to procure labor at any price
The offer Of ten dollars day would not detan any
one from the Mines The consequence is, our fields
are without farmers, our shops without mechanics, ON
forts without soldiers, our ships without sailors. The
pay of a soldier, exclusive of his provisions ant
clothes, is about eight dollars month. One of them
got Through for twenty days from Col. Mason, wen
to the mines, spent six days in going, and many
IN returning, leaving eight Tor WolK there, and Drough
back with him eight hundred dollars, Just abou
what he would make in eight years soldering it. 1
it to be wondered a then, that they desert? doub
tif there will be any, by the time this letter reache
you, fifty soldiers at all our military posts in Cafor
MA They will be in mines and il you send the fey
that remain to bring them back, they will themselve
go to digging gold
Nor does the Navy fare whit better Let a ma
of war anchor In our harbor tomorrow, and in tire
weeks she would hardly have men enough to get he
, to sea. Seamen who have been on this station fly
years, and who have four or five hundred dollars du
them forfeit the whole and escape to the mines. TIL
. only way merchant vessel gets to sea is to give til
men strong interest in the voyage There is no di
: ciplina except what they choose to establish anon