The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-12-27
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81 5Sss
Slncla iss
miles aEoye Sntter r,s on tf.s nori desa safE
The fleaii, ginp Is Il fiJi iIs4
fipt Ia rom Its iunnti tion
ssyitt, The min siren ani b fil been
sg4gsd about hs
III sllafi eds|
.air1pt y elise sSgssD low bus yei
His sIeiss proea ds { Which II ss s,g II; sofel
sabont 600 wort 5nf gol az EIa
sed me the pro- eds sof his lnsf s.|
Work lyteaii # ror1ds aYoird Oh
sclearls gold
principal store Rt Suite q
sthat of BTlnnan ~ CO., had fecciyad ftl
spay for goods sac g DO L wort lisof this
gold from the ii al of ays to tho Bti, az
ssJd Othersl chantss iiad al lso n,aitlles
extensive sal quantili les of
Sgoods were dali y setst forward to lie mines,
Sas the indians, here sta fore 50 poor aud de-
graded, have sud- denl some consumers
toG the 5lnxufi les of J he fore mention
Scd thnt the greafe part of the ia arnle rs and
arancheros had Sabnnd doned {tfidir fields Fsto
Sgo 10 The mines. This Is noti the aensoS
with Cnptain Sutter, who was carefully
gathering liis wheat, estimated at 40, ,016;
bushels. Flour already womb at Suts
:tcr's $40 a bare, and soon Vii he
Unless large onti,iesof fbread dstufF reacTi
Ethe country, much sui tacting will occur
but Us eachmnn isIoW able 10 pay d large
price, 3itSis believed & the merchan,sS will
bring from, CbilisaDd Oregon a plentiful
SUPPLY for the coming vii, or ai i
& 81 The most moderate estimate i could obtain;
from men acquainted with subj was, that
upwards of four thousand men we're working
lin the gold district, of whom more thar, one
half were Indians; and that from SS3O, 600 to
$50, 600 worth Of gold, if not more, was daily
obtained The entire gold district, with very
/; few exceptions Of grants made some years
ago by the Mexican authorities sis on land be-
longing to the United States. It. @as mat
ter of serious reflection With mo how Icould
secure to the government certain rents or fees
for the privilege Of curing this gold; hut
upon tconsid defirg the! large extent Of country
tho chnracter OF the people ;enga Z and the
ssnall altered force at my command, Ire
Solved not to Interfere, but to permit all to
work freely unless broils and crime should
call FOR interference. / was surprised TO
|, learn TINT crime of any Kind Was very unfres
quent, and that no tliefisss Sor rohberies had
beon committed in the gold district AlEliye
lin tents, in bush arbors, or Tin the open air;
sand men have frequently about their persons
sthonsnnds of dollars worth! of gold, and it was
tome % matter of surprise that so peaceful
land quiet atate of things should continue TO
exists Conflicting clames to particular spots
| Of ground may cause collisions, but they will
Z hs the extent of copntryis so great
\ is gold 30 abundant, that for the present
there ID room and enough for al SSt;ll the
/ government is entitledto rents for this land,
and immediate steps should be devised to col
| lect them, for the longer it is delayed the
more difficult it will become. O:o plan
would suggest is, to send out from the United
States surveyors with salaries, bound to serve
specified periods
A superintendent to be appointed at sut.
tcr's Fort, with power to grant licenses t
work. spot Of ground--say 100 yards square
for one year, at his discretion; the survey.
ors TO measure the ground, aud place .h,
rentor in possession
a better plan, however, will be TO have
tho district surveyed and sold at public auc
ton to the highest bidder, in small parcels
say from 20 to 40 acres. In either case
there will be many intruders, whom for year!
i it will be almost impossible to exclude.
The discovery of these vast depositcs Q
,
Upper California Its people, before engage,
in cuitiyating their small patches of groun
and guarding their herds OF cattle and horses
have all gone to the mines, or are on thei
| way thithcr. Laborers of every trade hav
left their work benches, and tradesmen thei
shops. Sailors desert their ships as fast a
they arrive on the coast, and several vessel
have gone to sea with hardly enough hands {
spread sail Two or three are now at an
chor in San Francisco with no crow on boart
/. MANY dcscrtions, too, have taken place irar
S the garrsons within the influence OF tlics
$ mines: twenty y-sodicrs have deserted frol
| the post OF Sonoma, twenty-four from that (
: San Francisco, and twenty four from Monte
), rey. For few days the evil appeared {
threatening that goat danger existed that til
/ garrisons would leave in body; and | ref
:, YOU to my orders OF tho 25th OF July, to sho
n the stops adopted to meet this contingenc
y / shall spare no eHcrtoins to apprehcnd al
}. punish descrters, but believe no time in Il
n history Of our country has presented sui
!, temptations to desert as now exist in Gallo
" MA The danger of apprehension is sma
- and the prospect of high wages certain; p
and bountics arc trifles, as laborng men
ic the mines can now earn in one day more tn;
10 double soldiers pay and allowances fo
" month, and even the of lieutenant or capita
If, cannot hire a servant. A carpenter or IN
,d chanic would not listen TO all offer OF le
>, than fifteen or twenty dollars asday. Coz
q any combination of affairs try mans tidel
;" moro than this and really think some exit
ordinary mark of favor should be given
IN those soldiers who remain faithful to tn
'n flag throughout this tempting crisis
ne No officer can now live in California on