Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-02-23
INTERESTING INTELLIGENCE FROM
CALIFORNIA.-GOLD IN OREGON.

I'm EREO lNG lin lELLlUE1NCE NUM-
CALIFORNIA-GOLD IN OREGON.
The particulars below are copied from the
New York Tribune and Herald
The gold region is now understood to en-
brace territory thousand miles in length
and three hundred in width. The gold is dis
tributed over this vast extent, though by no
means equally, some parts being of surpass-
ing richness, while others are comparatively
barren of the precious metal. No limit can
be fixed to the number of men who may find
employment in extracting it, or to the length
of time for which gold-dgging may be profit
able There is room enough for all who may
desire to make their fortune by this new sort
of attractive industry, and a sufficient guam
tity of the gltteriEg dust in the earth to keep
them busy indefinitely.
But as we learn from Mr.. Anterior, the bu-
siness of mining has nothing that is agreea-
Bile except the gold that it sometimes, not al.
ways produces. In short, it requires the hard
est kind Of labor, such as only strong consti-
tutions and muscles indurated by toll can un-
dertake with prospect Of success.
| Young men delicately brought up, and are
more familiar with the drawing room, count
ing room, or lawyers Office than with the
plough or sledge hammer, had better keep
their imaginations free from all visions of pla.
GERS, rivers floating with gold dust, and big
Jumps of the real stuff to be had for the pick.
ing up. Gold is not to be procured in thai
way even in California, but yields itself only
to strength and skill. Even these are not al
ways successful. Mr. Anterior knew one
company which went cut from San Francis
co with all the proper tools, machines and &C.
cessories, and whose members, after digging
some time, with better zeal than fortune
came back each with a flea in his ear, ani
not jot of gold in his pocket
However, a man Of the right sort, in res
pect of health strength and skill, may, will
fair luck and hard and steady work obtair
three ounces of gold on an average per day
It is not often found in Jumps. Still Mr.. Ath
erton has seen one mass weighing I lbs, ans
a friend of his had seen another weighing q
lbs. The number of persons who had beer
to the mines when he left is estimated at O,
600, but there had not been more than 2,5O(
digging at any one time One man of his &C
quaintance, blacksmith, had got ten thous
and dollars worth in three weeks, A goos
many Indians had been employed as laborer
by the miners, but they are poor assistants
They do not work steadily, and never can b.
kept at it above month at a time, when thel
leave for San Francisco to spend their ear
nings in dissipation.
Mr. Anterior brings with him the bills o
ladng of gold to the value of 5000, 900, ship
ped on English account, on which he propo
ses to effect an insurance here. Mr. Ather
ton states that the Lexington has on boar
100000 worth of the genuine metal Sh
was about t. sail when Mr. Anterior left fo
the United States.
There was nothing doing at the mines whe
Mr.. Anterior left, owing to the rains, it be
ing the rainy season; there was not muc
/ sickness in the diggjngs, no robberies and n
disturbances.
The cost of living at San Francisco ha
been the subject Of statements quite as exae
gerated as some of those relating to the col
mines Mr.. Anterior says that good boar
can be obtained there at $40 per week, an
provisions are plenty at fair prices. Til
population of the place is about 900 Mr. 4
himself came to New York to purchase goods
but finding that immense quantities have a
, ready gone forward, will probably not max
very extensive purchases.
An extensive placer has been discovered
Oregon, and it was reported at San Francisc
that all the inhabitants of Oregon City ha
gone out to try their luck.
American vessels touching at MaZatla
ports will have to pay tonnage, ranging,
course, according to the size of the ship, frol
! $500 to $500. The Mexican Governmel
: had not yet given orders for the admission
7 the American mail steamers free of this duty
There was great lack of warehouses
San Francisco, and ships would find difficult
in discharging.
Ships drawing eight feet can sail one hui
dred and fifty miles up the Sacramento.
= The whole value of gold which has bee
! gathered in California, is estimated by thos
acquainted with the matter, at three millior
of dollars, two of which left there in vario,
= ways, and the remainder is on its way to tt
United Sta'es.
A pair of boots cost twenty dollars, of whc1
however, there was but a small stock on han
when Mr.. Anterior left common blank
coats are worth forty dollars, and fine froc
coats fetched one hundred dollars, readily
! Mr.. Anterior himself, sold coat which
- had worn at intervals for two years. at eight
- dollars. Liquors sold a. twenty five cents p
:. glass, and champagne was worth four dolla
. bottle in San Francisco. Real estate, to
- was selling at enormous prices-lots in So
- Francisco containing rs yards square, sellir
i for ten thousand dollars. Provisions we
very plenty at San Francisco and the digging
Flour poured in in great quantities, from Oh
Ii and Oregon, and came down in price, fro
twenty-five dollars per barrel to sixteen,
San Francisco. The probability is, that Il
article has fallen still further-perhaps to tt
dollars per barrel.
Great as the discoveries of gold are, the
are equalled by those of quicksilver. TIL
metal is found in various parts of Californi
\ and the quantity is as abundant as it is in Il
v mines of Spain. Mr. Forbes, the prophet
of the mines, had thirty thousand dollars wor
l. of the article on hand at Tepec, ready for ma
e ket 1t is found even within three miles
+ San Francisco.
About two thousand emigrants have arriv
Y in California flom Oregon, the Sandwich
IS lands and different parts of South America al
is Mexico. In fact. the gold beverages as ferc
: ly in Mexico as it does in the United Safe
# and there, as well as here, expeditions are
:, ing formed to proceed to FL Dorado. M
+ Anterior says that it is not advisable for lar
armed parties to take the overland rou
l. through Mexico, as the authorities will
d likely to interfere with them and prevent tht
]. passage. Small companies can go with il
7, punity and security,