Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-09
THE GOLD MINES OF CALIFORNIA.

The following Letter, received at this office, Of
later date and of no less authenticity than any letter
which has yet met our eye the subject, is enough
to shake but not entirely remove our increduli-
ty as to the briiance Of the prospects of the gold
hunters in California:
ALTA CALIFORNIA,
MONTEREY, ACGusr 20, lsfs
Messrs. GALES a. SEAToN: The gold excitement
has prccipitated all California on the mines. The
discoveries which ere made, and the quantity OF
gold taken out, throw fiction into the shade, and
casts "Aladdn's lamp" into darkness. There are
now about three thousand persons, whites and In
dams, at work in the mines. They get out at the
lowest computation, over a million IN gold per
month, and this quantity will, in all probability, be
doubled by the time this letter reaches you; for
Oregon, the Sandwich Islands, and the new emf
grafton will be down upon US.
In the mean time we have very little coined
money in California, and this gold is sold at i'm
mcnse sacrifice to keep this little in circulation.
The gold has been thoroughly assayed, and proved
to be over twenty-three and half carats line and
yet many who get it out forced 10 part with 1t
at ten dollars the ounce heavy wcig ht--a loss to
them of nearly one-half their earnings. Nor is this
ali. This grain gold must find mint and mar
ket, and goes for this purpose by hundreds OF thou
sands 10 Mexico, PERT, and Chill, where it is coin
ed and where it is lost to the metallic basis of our
own national currency. This evil can be remedied
only in ole way, and that is by sending US out
United States mint; and this should be done with
as little delay rs possible.
Take the machinery Of one of your minis that is
now nearly idle, and rash it over the ishmus into
California, and we will roll off eagles enough to pay
the Mexican war; bit neglect this, and This gold
slides from your hands never to return. You will
wake up to your loss when it is too late, and mourn
with the Scripture prototype Of folly over the loss
of his birthright.
When yop discover on one OF your barren plains
a few grains of gold scattered here and there, like
good deeds in a wicked mems lie, you as if
the world was coming to an end; but here the
streams. are paved with il, and the mountains swell
in its glowing girdle 1t sparkles in the sands of
the valley it gl!ters in the cofonet of The steep
cliffs; and yet you slumber over it, and let the
stranger desp0il you. Well, sunbcr on if you
will; but send us a mint. We will startle Europe
from her dreams, if not you. We have not taken
California in vain. and we viii vindicae the trea-
sures shehas COST US it you will send that mint.
use strong terms. But who can use weak onesl
Can man smoke his pipe under the flaming cape
OF Nesuyius, or speak in whsper when an earth
quake rocks? Yours truly, VIC.
The foregoing Letter does not, as we have said,
remove our incredibly as to the practical benefits
Of any discovery If gold in California. Even sup
posing the extent and productivenoss Of the mines
not TO have been overratcd, there are many and
rious drawbacks 10 the expectation the hope that
great advantages are to be realized either TO the
country or TO individuals from the possession oil
them. A few of these are SO plainly and forcibly
stated in the following remarks upon the subject by
one of our contemporaries that we think we cannot
do better than place them at once before readers
FROM COURIER.
CaLIFoRSiA AND lTs GeLD--l we were disposed 70 be-
cve half the aes respecting the adventures
those OF counynen who have lately visited the Territory
of Northern California, might easily 70 the PERSIA
sion that another Peru had bee discovered The region
Just annexed the American Unon assured abo1n
with gold beyond any other territory known to exist
The sell We coined into pgois by the you have
OILY to scratch the dirt under your feet and you busted
with clouds Of the precious metal Sailors away from
ships the coast. and ballast their pockets With pgs Of tie
genuine yellow stuff, tyentyiou. line No body gc
less than thousands of dollars in excursion Of week
the ninesthough indeed no. told Of mine:
IN particular, bit led, by these magnificent accounts
ther the inference that the country all god aud may bs
chopped up into bars with broad and seat to the mint
The arithmetic of story rising rapidly 'nd has already
reached respectable figure. Fifteen micns Of dollars
safely collected hagged, and lied ~, form part Of yesie
days accounts. Tomorrow expect something that will
rise far above this and make Aahuapas or the city
Of Nance egh;-penny matter in the comparison.
We do wonder that these tales have begun to turn
peoples heads Adventures starting of for California
by the dczen the score and the hundred, hardly allowing
themseyos time pun their boots, AMI put bread and
cheese in their pockets. Now, there is something ap
preaching possibility that these enerpsng individuals
may find themselves in fools paradise at the end Of their
Journey, they would do well TO ask another before they
set out waat they expect and what they have for
expecting it. We suggest this TO thom act Of
prodence prudence be expected Of any body gog
gold hunting.
That there may be gold in California is not at all improa-
be but e. prudent people be upon their guard The "god-
en- legend old the time Of the Ccngustadoes. There
have been stories of Ibis description in California and
on the northwestern border of Mexico for Centuries and
more. The Indians said kept the custody Of the
.mncs with The calous care, AMI would allow the
whites to approach them The red played the part Of
the red dragon in the fairy tale thst guarded the enchanted
treasure The spansrls however, not able to light
upon the particular tribe Of Indians that kept WEIGH over the
gold though they made many expeditions in search Of them
by what magical extraordinary good luck ccun-
Symeu have been able 10 discover in the course OF month";