The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-08

tiers for me from Commodore Jones' that his orders
to sail with the Warren before the 10th Of
July. In consequence Of these, determined TO re-
turn to Monterey, and accordingly arrived here on
the 18th Of July Before leaving Suffer g. satisfied
that gold existed In the bed Of the Feather river
strssms that lie between the latter and the American
fork that It had been found In the Cosummes to
the south Of the American fork. In each OF these
streams the gold is found in small scales whereas in
the intervening mountains IL in Jumps.
Mr. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles above SUIT
ters on the north side of the American employs about
80 indiana on the north fork not far from its junction
with The main stream. He bad been engaged about
Indians had used simply closely willow bsskets
His net proceeds (Which ssw) were about $40 900
weeks work-fourteen pounds avoirdupois of clean
washed gold
The principal store at Suffers fort that of
worth of this god from the lst of May to the 10th OF
July. Other merchants had also made extensive sales
Lsrge quantities Of goods daily sent forward to
graded have suddenly become consumers OF the luxu
res of life before ptioned that the greater part
of the farmers and rancberos had abandoned their
fields to 60 to the nines. This is not the with
Captain Suffer, who was carefully gathering his
wheat, estimated at 40 600 bushels Flour Is already
worth at Suffers $50 barrel, and will be fifty.
Unless large quantities of reach the country
much suffering will occur; but as each maH is now
able to pay large price, 1t il believed the merchants
viii bring from Chill and Oregon plentiful supply for
the coming wiz ter.
The most moderate estimate could obtain from men
acquainted with the subject that upwards OF four
thousand men working in the gold district, Of
whom more than onehalf were lndians; and that
from $50 coo to $4,000 worth Of gold If not more was
daily obtained The entire gold district, with very
few exceptions of grants years ago by the
Mexican authorities Is sndbeloneing to the United
States 1t was matter of serious reflection with me,
how could to the government certain rents
fees for the privilege OF procuring THIS gold out upon
Of the people engaged and the small scattered force at
my command resolved not to interfere but to permit
all to work freely unless broils and crime should call
1nttrftrenCe /
of any kind very unfrequent, and that thsfts
or robbe1ies had been committed the gold district
All live in tents in bush arbors, or in the open air;
and men have frequently about their persons thou
sands Of dollars worth of this gold, and 1t was to me-
matter Of surprise that peaceful and quiet state OF
things should continue to exist Conflicting claims
to Particular spots Of ground cause collisions, but
and the gold 70 abundant that for the present there
room and enough for all Still the government Is en-
titled to rents for this land, and immediate steps
should be devised to collect them for the longer it is
delayed the difficult 1t will become One plan
would suggest s to send out from the nied States,
with high saares bound to serve specified
PERIODS.
A superintendent to be appointed at Suffers fort,
with to grant licenses to work spot of ground
say 100 yards square for year. at rent of from
100 to COO dollars at his discretion; the surveyors to
measure the ground and place the rentor in possess
sion.
better plan however, will be to have the district
surveyed and sold at public auction to the highest bid
der in email parcels, from 20 to 40 acres either
there wl be many iptruders, whom for years it
will be almost impossible to exclude.
The discovery Of these vast depostes of gold has
tirey changed the character of Upper California Its
people before engaged In cutivatng their patches
Of ground. and guarding their herds of cattle and
heres have all gone to the mines or are on their way
tbther LaboTers Of every trade have left their work
benches, and tradesmen tbeir.shops Sailors desert
IL chips fast they arrive the coast aud
yeral vessels have gone to sea with hardly enough
hands to spread q sail. Two or three at an
cher in San Francisco with no crew on board. Many
OF s'e as
soldiers have deserted from the post of SSnoma twen
ty four from that of San Francisco and twentyfo
from Monterey. Fer few days the evil appeared so
threatening that great danger existed that the garr-
soHs would leave in body; and refer you to my
order Of the 25th of July to show the steps adopted
to meet this contingency. shall spare no exer, ions
to apprehend and punish deserters, but believe
no time in the history of our country has pre-
in California. The danger of apprehension is small
and the prospect high wages certain pay and boun
earn in ole day more thar double soldiers pay and
allowances for month; and even the pay of lieute
nant OF captain cannot hire servant. A carpenter
or mechanic would not listen to an offer of less than
fifteen or twenty dollars day. Could any combina.
ton OF affairs try mans fidelity more than this? and
ally think extraordinary mark Of ia should
be gwen soldiers remain faithful to their
flag throughout this tempting crisis. No officer
live in California his pay, money has little
value the prices of AIRY articles of clothing and
subsistence exorbitant and labor high, that
to hire cook servant has become impossibity,
save 10 those who earning from thirty to fty dol
lars day This state Of things cannot last for
Yet from the geographical position of California, and
the character II has assumed mining
prices of labor will always BE- high, and will hold out
Temptations to desert therefore have to report if
the government wish to prevent desertions here on
the part OF mep and to secure zeal on the part of
Off their pay must be increased very materially
Soldiers both of the volu nteer aud regular service
discharged in this country, should be permitted st
OF ce TO locate their la nd the gold district
Many private letters have to the United States
giving accounts vf the va.t quantity gold recently
discovered and 1t may be a matter of surprise why
have made report on this subject at carrier date.
The reason is. that could nst bring myself to be-
eve the reports that heard Of the wealth of the gold
district until vistedit myself have hesitation
in ayipg that there 10 gold in the couu try
GRAINED by the Sacramento and San Joaquin ers
than viii pay the cost Of the present with Mexico
hundred times over. No capital is required to OBJ
tain this gold as the sboring wants nothing but
his pick and shovel and tin pan, with which to dig and
wath the gravel and many frequently pick gold out
Of the crevces Of rocks with their butcher knives in
pieces from one to six ounces.
Mr.. Dye, a gentleman residing in Monterey, aud
worthy OF every credit has just returned from Feather
river He tells me that the company TO which he be-
rage Of fifty Indians (washers and that their gross
product two hundred and three pounds of
penses is about thirty pounds which he brought
with him. and exhibited in a1ontery see no aborng
man from the mines who does show his two three
or four pounds Of gold. soldier of the Artillery
papy returned here, few days ago, from the mines,
hsviIg been absent, on furlough, twenty days. He
made, by trading and working during that time 81 500
During these twenty days, he was travelling ten or
eleven days, leaving but week, In which be made q
sum money greater than he receives in pay clothes
and ratons, during whole enlistme mt of We years
There statements appear incredible but they
Gold is aso believed to exist the eastern slo,e
the Sierra Navada; and when at the Mines was In
formed by an intelligent Mormon that it had been
lou nd near the Great salt Lake by OF his ater
nifty Nearly oil the Mormons leaving California
to so to the Salt Lake, and this they surely would
do, unless they of fin ding god there in the
same abundance as they now do on the Sacra mento
The gold "placer' the mission of Sau Ferna ndo
has long been known, but has been little wrought tor
want Of water This is in spur that puts off from the
Sierra Nevada (see Fremonts map) the same in which
the present mines There Is, therefore, every
reason to believe that in the Intervening spaces of
hundred miles entirely unexplored) there must be
many hidden and rich deposites. The placer gold
is now substituted the currency Of this couny in
trade freely at $40 per ounce a. article Of
commerce its value Is not yet fixed. The only pur-
chase made Of the specimen No Z, which got of
Mr. Neigh at S12 the ounce. That 10 about the pre-
sent each value in the country although it has been
sold for Less The great dema nd for goods and provi
sons made by this sudden development of wealth has