Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-16
The GOLD REGION.
rHE coLD MINES OF cAEiroRNI..

from Col. Mason's despatch, dated Monte
rey, August II, 1913, describing the visit
he made to the gold mines of the Sacra-
mento, in the beginning of July. Col.
Mason left the garrison at Monterey on the
1 18th of June. He says: 4r
We reached San Francisco on the Goth,
and found that all, or nearly all, its male
inhabitants had gone to the mines. The
town, which few months before was so
busy and thriving, was then almost deserted.
On the evening of the Oath, the horses of
the escort were crossed to Sousoeto in a
launch, ard on the following day we re-
sumed the journey by way Of Bodega and
Sonoma to Suffers fort, where we arrived
on the morning of the I'd of July. Along
the whole route, mills were living idle,
fields OF wheat were open to cattle and hor-
ses, houses vacant, and farms going to waste.
AT Suffers there was more life and busi-
ness. Launches were discharging their
cargoes at the river, and carts were hauling
goods to the fort, where already were es-
tablished several stores, hotel, &c. Cap
tain Sutter had only two mechanics in his
employ, IA wagon-maker and backsmth)
whom he was then paying ten dollars day.
Merchants pay him monthly rent of 800
per room; and whilst was there, a two
story house in the fort was rented as hotel
for $500 month. sasaa ,a....r a
AT the urgent solicitation of many gem
tlemen, / delayed there to participate in
the first public celebration OF our national
anniversary at that fort, but on the 9Th re-
sumed the journey, and proceeded twenty
tive miles up the American fork to point
on it now known as the Lower Mines, or
Mormon Diggings. The hill sides were
thickly strewn with canvass tents and bush
arbors; store was erected, and several
boarding shanties in operation. The day
was intensely hot, yet about two hundred
men were at work in the full glare of the
sun washing for gold-some with tin pans,
some with close woven Indian baskets, but
the greater part had rude machine, known
as the cradle. This is on rockers, six or
eight feet long, open at the foot, and at its
head has coarse CRATE or sieve; the bottom
is rounded, with small elects nailed across.
-Four men are required to work this ma
chine; one digs the ground in the bank
close by the stream another carries it to
the cradle and empties it on the CRATE; a
third gives violent rocking motion to the
machine; whilst fourth dashes on water
from the stream ITSELF
The sieve keeps the coarse stones from
entering the cradle, the current of water
washes off the earthly matter, and the gravel
is gradually carried out at the foot of the
machine, leaving the gold mixed with a
heavy fine black sand above the first elects
The sand and gold mixed together are then
drawn off through auger holes into pan
below, are dried in the sun, and afterwards
separated by blowing off the sand. A party
of four men thus employed at the lower
mines averaged 500 day. The Indians,
and those who have nothing but pans or
willow baskets, gradually wash out the
earth, and separate the gravel by hand,
leaving nothing but the gold mixed with
sand, which is separated in the manner be-
fore described. The gold in the lower
mines is in fine bright scales, of which l
send eralspecimens
As we ascended the south branch of the
American fork, the country became more
broken and mountainous, and at the saw
mill, 25 miles above the lower washings, or
so miles from Suffers, the hills rise to about
a thousand feet above the level of the Sa-
cramento PLAN. Here a species of pine
occurs, which led to the discovery of the
gold. Capt. Sutter feeling the great want
of lumber, contracted in September last,
with Mr.. Marshall to build saw-mill at
that place. 1t was erected in the course of
the past winter and spring-a dam and race
constructed; but when the water was let
on the wheel, the tail-race was found to be
too narrow to permit the water to escape
with sufficient rapidity. Mr.. Marshall, to
save labor, let the water directly into the
race with strong current, so as to wash it
wider and deeper. He effected his pur-
pose, and large bed of mud and gravel
was carried to the foot of the race.
One day Mr.. Marshall, as he was walking
down the race to this depoSite of mud, OBJ
served some glittering particles at its upper
edge; he gathered few, examined them,
and became satisfied of their value. He
then went to the fort, told Capt. Suffer OF
his discovery, and they agreed to keep it
secret until certain grist-mill of Suffers
was finished. 1t, however, got out, and
| spreau ike ildSlc. ReiilarkdOie success al
tended the labors of the first explorers, and
in few weeks hundreds of men were
drawn thither. i. The
gold is in scales little coarser than those
Of the lower mines. From the mill Mr.
Marshall guided me up the mountain on
the opposite or north bank of the south
fork, where, in the bed of small streams oil
ravines, now dry, great deal of coarse gold
has been found. there saw several par.
ties at work, all of whom were doing very
we'll; a great many specimens Were shown
me, some as heavy as four or five ounces in
weight. :. You will perceive
that some Of the specimens accompanying
this hold mechanically pieces of quartz
that the surface is rough, and evidently
moulded in the crevice Of rock. Thi.
gold cannot have been carried far by water
but must have remained near where it wa.
first deposited from the rock that once
bound it. = On the. 7th of July
l left the mill. and crossed 10 a small stream