Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-09

, On the 7th of July left the mill. and crossed to small
stream emptyiDg n the American fol, three or four me
below the mill. struck this stream lnow known al
Wers creek) at I've washings Of sunol Co. They hat
ABOUT thirty Indians mpo ed whom they pay IN merchandise
They were getting o Of character similar 20 that found il
tae main fork, and doubtless in sufficient GUAM titles TO satisfy
thenL send you smai specimen, presented by this COM
pany, oi cif god From this point proce eded up the
stream about eight lles, where found great many peo
PIE aud IDdans-so engaged in the bed OF lie stream, ant
others III the small SIDE valleys that pu into it, These latte
exceedingly richs ad sHo considered
binary yield Er dars work. small gutter thar
hundred yerds Ions by four feet wide and or three fee
deep pointed oit as The where two mea--
William DAILY and Ferry McCoonhad, short time before,
obtained $1,000 worth OF gold CAPT Weber informed me
that he knew that ae .ao en bad employed four white
and about hudra IrJias and hat at the end of one
weeks work, thsy paid Oh their party, and had left Sl0 900
worth Of this gold inohsI small rayine shown me- from
which had been taktn upwards Of $4,000 worth of gold
Hundreds OF similar ravue oil Appearances yet
touched could these reports had seem
in the abundance OF ne precious metal evidence of their truth
Mr. Neigh, an agea Of Commodore Stock on had been at
work about three weeks in tbs neghborhood and showed
IT. bags and bottles over ST. 900 gold ard Mr. Lyman
gentleman Of education, and worthy OF every credit said
that ne had been engaged with four Others with machine
on The American for Just below Suffers mill that they
worked eight days. aad thai his share the rate Of $50
Gay bn hearing thit others doing better 1t Webel's
place, they had rcncv there and then the point
esnmlng operations might tell Of hundreds Of similar in
stances but to illustrate how plentiful the gold in tie
pockets Of common abe will mention simple occurrence
which took place ~ mypcseace when was Webe
This so-e was nothing but arbor of Bushes under which
he had exposed for goods and suited his
toners man came in picked box of Se1z powders,
aud asked It's price, CAT Weber told him it for
sale. The man oiltrednn OF gold, but Capt Weber
told him only SO cents and no did wish cell it.
The man heu offered ouuce and half when Capt. We
Der had 10 take it, The prces Of Ill things high and yet
ndilns WHO before hardly anew hal sbreech cloth was
afford To buy the mos. gauJy dresses.
The country eth oil much broken
up by hills ard Is ntesected in every direction by small
STREAMS asines, which contain less gold Those
mat have beea worked barely scratched and although
d ounces have been carried away, do consider
that serious impression has been made upon The whole
Every day developing and richer deposis and the
only impression Tened to be- thai the metal would be found
in such abundance seriously to depreciate ia vaEle
On the SIN OF july returned t. the lower MINIS and on
the following day to Suffers, wnere on the 10th was max
ing preparations for vs the feather Yubah, and Bear
nveis, when received letter from Commander r. Long
United States Navy, WHO mad jus: arrived at San Francisco
from Mazatan with crew Tor the soop war Warren, with
ofdTs 10 take tna vessel the squadron Paz Capt
Long wrote that the MeA Congress had adjourned
without raying hs trea of peace that he had letters for
me :om Commodore Jones' and that his orders to sail
with the Aa.ren or before the Goth of July. in
quence Of these e.mned tn return to Monterey and &C
cor insy arrived here the 18th Of July Before having
Satie satisfied myself that gold existed in the bed Of the
Feter river in The Yu5ah and Bear and in many # the
small streams thai lie between the latter and the American
fork also, that had been found in the Cosummes Il the
south OF the American fork In each OF these the
gold found in small scales whereas in the intervening noun
lains !, ocurs III coarser Jumps.
r Sinclair, whose rancho three miles above Suffers on
The aoh side Of the American employs about fifty Indians
tho north nork not far from Is junction with the main
stream He had been engaged about five weeks when stw
him, and TO that time his ndans had used simply closely
woven willow baskets His nett proceeds (Which saw
a5ou siG COO worth Of gold. de showed me the pro-
F
clean Wasked gold.
TIE principal Suffers fort that Of Brannan & Co.,
had received paylet for goods $50 900 worth of this
s'ld) nom the Isl OF May 10 The 9th OF July. Oher
chan's had also made extensive sales Large quantities Of
goods daily forward the mines as the Indians
heretofore so poor ani degraded have suddenly become
suers Of the luIures Of life before mentioned that the
create u the farmers and rancheros had abandoned their
fields 10 60 10 the mines This is not the with Captain
Suite who carefully gathering his wheat estimated At
10000 bushels. Flour is alreaty worth Suffers $50
barrel ana will be $50. Unless large qranti.ics of
creadtua reach the Country, much suffering will hut
a. ech nan Is row abe to large price, is believed The
erchrn,s viii blng from Chill and Oregon plentiful sup
ply T ne coming winter.
TIE moderate estimate could obtain from men ac-
quareG with the subject was thai upwards Of four thousand
men working IN the geld district, of whom than
oneaaf weIc Indians, and That from $780, 900 to $4,000
worth Of goi If rot more daily Obtained The
gold district with very few exceptions of grants made
yea by the Mesran authorities is land belonging
ne how could secure 10 the Government
les oi the privilege OF procuring this gold but upon
sderng The large extent OF county The character OF the
pie engaged, snd the small scattered force my command
resolved not TO interfere bot permit all 10 work freely,
less bIoils and crime should cali for interference.
prsd 70 learn that crime q any kind very unfFequeD
aud that theis roberto had been committed in the gold
district All live IN tents, in oush arbors, in the open air
and have frequently about their persons thousands OF dol
lars worth Of this eod and a Of surprise
that and quiet state OF things should continue
exist. Conflicting claims 10 particular spots Of ground may
cause COLLISIONS, but they will he rare, the extent of
Wy great and The gold abundant that for the present
there is and enough Tor all still the Government II
entcd rents for this land and immediate steps should be
devised to cosct them for The longer delayed the
difficult il will become. OEc plan would suggest is to send
out from tie United States surveyors with high salaries DO md
to serve specified periods.
superintendent to be appointed at Suffers Port, with
power TO grsnt licenses to work spot OF goundsay 100
yards squarefor year, a rent Of from 100 TO 200
dollars, AT s discretion the surveyors the ground
end place the rentor in possession.
better plan, however, will be have the district
veyed and sold public auction the highest bidder in small
prCessay from 30 TO 40 In either case there will
be inuders, whom for years il will be smost imposs
bic u exclude.
The discovery Of these vast deposes of gold has entirely
changed the character Of Upper California. lpeope, before
Engaged IN cutyatng their small patches ground and
guallns er herds of cattle and horses have MI gone 10 the
nes their way hi,heI. Lsborers Of every trade
have e their work benches, and uadesmen their shops
Sailors desert their ships fat they arrive the coast
and several vessels have gone 10 with hardly enough hands