Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-12-21

ana groceries Sulteu 10 MS CuStoHi"Ts. n
man came in, picked up box of Seidltz
powders, and asked its price. Capt Weber
told him it was not for sale The man Of
fered an ounce of gold, but Capt. Weber
told him it only cost 80 cents, and he did not
wish to sell it, The man then offered an
ounce and a half, when Capt Weber hat to
take it. The prices of all things are high,
and vet Indians, who before hardly knew
what breech-cloth was can now afford to
buy the most gaudy dresses.
| The country on either side of Weber's
creek is much broken up by hills, aud is in
tersected in every direction by small streams
or raynes, which contain more or less gold.
Those that have been worked are barely
scratched and although thousands of oun-
ces have been carried away, do rot con-
slider that a serious impression has been
made upon the whole. Every day was de-
veloping new and richer deposits and the
only impression seemed to be, that the met
al would be found in such abundance as Sc
riously to depreciate in value.
On the Sth of July returned to the low
er mines, and on the following day to SUIT
ter's, where, on the 10Th, | was making
preparations for visit to the Feather, Iu-
bah and Bear rivers, when received "A let
ter from Commander A. r. Long, United
States Navy, who had just arrived at San
Francisco from Mazatlan with a crew for
the sloop of war Warren, with orders to-
take that vessel to the squadron at La PEP
Capt Long wrote to- me that the Mexican
Congress had adjourned without ratitying
the treaty of peace, that he had letters for
me from Commodore Jones, end that his
orders were to sail with the Warren on or
before the Goth Of July In consequence
of these determined to return to Monte
rey, and accordingly arrived here on the
/ 18th of July. Before leaving Suffers sat
istied myself that gold existed in the bed of
| Feather River, i'll the Yubah and Bear, and
in many OF the smaller streams that lie be-
tween the latter and the American Fork
also, that it had been found in the Consum-
mes to the South fthc American fork In
each of these streams the gold is found in
small scales, whereas in the intervening
mountains it occurs in coarser lumps.
Mr.. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles
above Suffers on the north side of the a.
merican, employs about 50 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 net proceeds
(Which saw were about $ I6 900 worth of
gold. lie showed me the proceeds of his
last weeks worh-fourteen pounds avoirdu-
pnis of clean-washed gold.
The principal store at Suffers Fort, that
Of Brannan & Co., had received in payment
for goods $50 900 (worth ofthis goId) from
the first of May to the 10th of July. 9th
er merchants had also made extensive sales.
Large quantities of goods were daily sent
forward to the mines, as the Indians, here
tofore so poor and degraded, have suddenly
become consumers of the luXures of life.
before mentioned that the greater part of
the farmers and raucheros had abandoned
their fields to 30 to the mines. This is not
f the case with Captain Sntter, who was care
, fully gathering his wheat, estimated at 40
600 bushels. Flour is already worth tSut-
| ter's S'36 barrel, and soon will be fifty
, Unless large quantities of breadstuils reach
g the country, much suffering will occur but
! as each man is now able topay large price,
: it is believed the merchants will bring from
c Chill and Oregon aplentlful supply for the
c coming Winter.
: The most moderate estimate | could OBJ
d tain from men acquainted with the subject
l. was that upwards oflour thousand men were
l. working in the gold district, of which more
Y than one-half were Indians and that from
It $50, 600 to $50 600 worth of gold, if no
d more, was daily obtained The entire golc
n district, with very few exceptions of grants
d made some years ago by the Mexican au
n thorltes, is on land belonging to the Uni
It ted States, 1t was IA matter of serious re
Election with me, how | could secure to thu
Il Government certain rents or fees for thu
J. privilege of procuring this gold but upol
70 considering the large extent of country, tn
n character of the people engaged, and tn
!. small scattered force at my command, | re
IS solved not to interfere, but to permit all t
q work freely, unless broils and crime shout
r call for interference. | was surprised t
ID learn that crime of any kind was very IN
fv frequent, and that no theGs or rolberies ha
H. been committed in the gold district.
m All live in tents, in bush arbors, or in tn
a. open air and persons have frequently /
at bout their persons thousands of dollar
pd worth of this gold and it was to me ma
he ter of surprise that so peaceful and quiet
IT. state of things should continue to exist
es Conflicting claims to particular spots
n ground may cause collisions, but they wi
m be rare, as the extent of country is so gree
9 and the gold SO abundant, that for the pre-
as emf there is room and enough for all. SIT
nd the government is entitled to rents for til
e. land, and immediate steps should be devise
in to collect them, for the longer it is delayc
Sc the more difficult it will become. One pla
nd | would suggest is, to send out from the
he hited States surveyors with high salarle
cir bound to serve specified periods.
,is A Superintendent to be appointed at Su
ne, ter's Fort, with power to grant licenses
g. work spot of ground-say 100 yar'
lar square-for one year, at rent of from II
IN to | 600 dollars, at his discretion; the su
,se veyors to measure the ground, and place Il
of rentor in possession
tn. A better plan, however, will be to ha
ore the district surveyed and sold at public an
rec ton to the highest bidder, in small parce
me say from 20 to 40 acres. In either Ca
of there will be many intruders, whom for yea
ed it will be almost impossible to exclude,
he The discovery of these vast deposites