Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-12-23
Tbaeold Mines Of California.


The sl.t j - :tober, has some further news
in regard to the gold mines in California.
He says:
! We hear a great deal of talk here about
The lately discovered gold mines OF Calilor-
MIA. Every new arrival fton that land of
promise confirms the previous intelligence
Of their innience value. AT first, we set
down much To the natural eXaggeraton of
n gold fever and when Lieut.. Beall, Of
the Navy passed through here, as bearer of
dispatches from the Pacific squadron, we
received even his statements with many
grains of allowance but great number of
private letters have lately arrived TO the
hands of English aud other merchants which
leave no longer ground for doubt. The
Californian, and American newspaper,
brings dates To the l4th of August, and ac-
counts Of the most fatterng character. |
have read a translation of the leading ed
itorial in So sh, the substance of which
j. as foIlaR A few months ago, it says
we wers habit OF speaking of the ag-
riculp; commercial resources of Cali
fornisI hing of its greatest wealth !;
and aid Aay these are not inferior
/ 10 those bther part of the world, ag-
riculture ties "a very small portion of
il. becau, y interest has become alb
sorbed Or of the mines.
Some time hf Spring, Messrs. Marshall
and Bennett, Wien opening ditch to make
some work in mill which they had built
on the bend of the Sacramento, found gold
which the current had deposited under It,
aud after examining, found it to be pure.
Immediately this began to attract the atten-
ton of the neishbors. They soon discov-
cred gold ii. such quantities towards the
middle of the river, and also some distance
above the rp;ll, that several persons who had
before gveN but little credit to the runors
abandoned t.eir homes and went to work
in the mines@y In few weeks almost all
the populatiec Jturned out to gather gold.
! The result Was, that in less than four
months total revolution was effected IN
the prospects and fate of Upper California.
Formey, capital was found in the hands of
n few persons engaged in commercial and
other speculations but now labor prevails
over capital. and the laborers have in their
hands The great mass of the wealth of the
country. There are about four thousoud
whites and a few Indians who have engaged
in the labor Of the mines. The city OF
San Francisco, which then contained a pop
ularon of about two thousand souls, is en-
tireIy discretionary twelve or fifteen per-
sons remaining there.
Il In part of the mine called the I" dry en-
cayation," no other instrument is needed
than strong butchers knife to dig the gold
from the rocks. In other places, H. in Geor-
gia and North Carolina, the machinery is
: very simple for collecting and separating
i il. The greatest number, however, Use
nothing but an lndian basket in which they
place the mud. and shake it until il settles
To the bottom, and the dirt passes out through
the sides in The form of muddy water. As
to the wealth oi' the rune, says the writer,
ii we were tar believe the half of what is
|, said, it would be- Considered IN other regions
rs the story of Siuhld the Sailor or the
history of Aladdin's lamp, which only re-
> quireh Us pos>e>sor la wish thing u see
the desire j. satisfied. Many persons have
co,t@Ied in one day, in gold Of the pures.
kind, from three hundred 10 eight hundred
dollars: and for many days together, al
from seventy 10 one hundred and fifty
!. dollars II day. Although this is not general,
!. the mean proportion is ~ well determined,
that when man does not collect, with ia
city, thirty r f,rfy dollars "a day, he
:. moves with his basket 10 another place.
But a. many oi lh I>e who Labor are chill
, drcn, women aud ignorant Indians, the av-
erage ot all the laborcrs ought IL he
set down AT considerably less. II would,
however be safe to say that, taking the
general average AMI including the time in
changing places ald seeking better "cxca-
vatiuaS," one ounce of geld, daily Is the pro-
duet of each man. Surprising that there
are four thousand laborerS, they ADJ four
thousand ounces, or $4,000 day 10 The
wealth of the country. As TO the future
prospects o.. California, lis progress vii be
so rapid rs To astoni>h the world. It's un-
rivalled mines ot gold, silver, iron, lead
and quicksilver, together with its delight-
ful climate and its uuexampled richness OF
soil, will make it the garden spot Of crea-
tion