The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-12-01
CALIFORNIA-GOLD REGION.

inst. r rom the flCdyune OF the Z4tH we learn
that Lieut.. Loeser, U. s. A, arrived on the
lday before at New Orleans in the schooner Des-
demona, from Jamaica, with dispatches from
Gov. Mason, of California, to the U. S. Gov
eminent. Lieut.. Loeser left Monterey in Au-
gust last for Payta in Peru, which place he
made in forty days. He came thence by the
way of Panama and Jamaica TO N. Orleans.
In company with Lieut.. L. came David Car
ter, who went out to California in the employ
ment of the Government early in the COM
mencement of the war. MIR. Carter states
that there was no excitement in Califor-
MIA except that produced by the reports from
the gold regions of the Sacramento and its
tributaries. The mania for gold digging had
reached such length, that it was difficult to
procure workmen in Monterey except at the
most extravagant wages. Desertions had Ia
ken place from the United States forces, and
from the marine to such an extent that the u.
S. ship Ohio had TO supply men to take the
sloop Warren lower down the coast, out al
the way of the infection. From the latter YES
sci a boats crew deserted, in open daylight,
for the gold regions.
Company F. I'd Artillery, and the Dragons
left a: Monterey, had suffered little from deser-
ton, bat the citizens generally had gone offin
quest Of the precious metal.
Lieut.. Losser brings over with him speci-
mems Of gold obtained in the valley Of the Sd
cramento. Some of the pieces are the first
found in the country. The extent Of The gold
region has not been ascertained, but the ore
has been found in "a territory $50 miles in ex-
tent and so in breadth. Mr.. Carter thinks that
many of the accounts Of the great abundance
10. the precious metal in the region in which il
IS found are exaggeretions, but that it is recov-
cred in large quantities is absolutely Known
Mr.. Carter says the ore is procured at some
risk and with great labor, yet that it must a
bound IN the country-considering the "quan-
titles" brought To Monterey and the imperfect
means employed in separating it from the
soil.
The tract Q. country constituting the gold re-
gion is level plain. Whether the particles
of gold have been washed down from the
mountains or heayed up BY volcanic force, nc
one knows, bot the latter is generally believed
TO be the true theory. Mr.. Carter has himself
seen drops Of virgin gold weighing two'ouncss,
and there are those who assert they have net
with it in buiks of greater weight.
! As yet, all attempts to employ capital in
procuring gold have resulted disastrously.-
Those who have organized company to col
lect the precious metal have lost their outfits,
for the persons hired for such rice inva ri,
ably leave their employers and set up bushes:
on their own accommodating with them the
implements entrusted to them. The gold j:
not confined TO the beds of the rivers, but every
where within prescribed limits it may be had
by digging up the earth and washing the soil
! from the metal.
The effect produced in California by this new
source of wealth has been any thing but bene.
fetal to the colony or advantageous TO the pub,
lie service. The New York volunteers, as soon
as they were disbanded, repaired to the gold re.
gion, Col. Stevenson with them, and every ar
ticle Of merchandise, food or clothing had risen
in value TO an exorbitant extent. The epidem
ic was universal. The crews of whale ship:
and other commercial vessels had deserted fol-
the enchanted region, as we'll as the enlisted
men in The United States service.
Money in celia, which was plenty enough
for all purposes. before gold was discovered
had grown so scarce that the duties upon i'm
ported goods could not be paid except by by
lpothecating dust" Those who could not pro
cure better means Of collecting gold, WANDERED
off in its quest with tin pans, buckets, and
whatever else could be used to separate the
metal from the earth by washing.
i We annex letter and a proclamation from
Col. Mason, showing the troubles which this
gold fever has brought upon the custom house
Our informant says The New Orleans Picayunt
thinks it will require large force to pr tee,
the interest Of the United States from The de-
predations of the ''diggers," who form the lar
Igest, most desperate and vagrant class OF "for
Ieigners' in that territory. Large numbers o.
them have persisted during the sickly season
on account of their reckless course of life anC
insufficient means of comfortable living.
SAN Francisco, Jaly %, 1913.
Sir-We beg leave TO submit TO your ex
cellency the proceedings OF a meeting held las
evening at the City Hotel of this place.
i We pray that your Excsllency will take in
to immediate consideration matters of such vi
tal irnnnrtance To the com me rcial as well as IL