Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-01-04

least four or five hundred At the time the
excitement broke out, was repairing the
United States bark Anita The workmen
we're receiving SO per day. and lived on
board the vessel They struck for higher
wages, and one man finally left and forfeit
ed all his previous earnings, rather than
to continue at work a few days more at So
per day. Common sailors demanded 800
per month for work on schooners in the
bay Freight from this port to Suffers is
from 50 to 81 per barrel The distance is
little more than 100 miles. Common four
OK wagons are hired at $50 per day In
one case have known negro cook to be
employed at $25 per day, for his profession
al services, among the pots aud kettles in
the gold regions.
This was the condition of things about
three months since, and under its influence
this village was almost absolutely deserted.
1t had been one of the most busting little
! places ever saw, and in few days it be-
came desert Two or three merchants
and few soldiers constituted the male pop
ulaton. Recently, however, there has been
reaction, which brings many back from
! the mines, and AN active emigration is flow
ing in from abroad. Sickness has broken
out among the miners, and many have re-
turned Frustrated with fevers, while others
! have come to avoid being so. There is now
large number of laborers here but many
of them refuse to work on any terms, while
those who labor do so at exhorbitant prices
The ordinary compensation for white labor
ers is from S6 to so per day am now
paying these prices for men | am forced tc
employ for repairing the government light.
err, and for dlscharging the ship Huntress
now in this port At the same time, every
thing is high in proportion. Butter sell:
by the barrel at 81 per ID. and hams at the
same price; flour is S25 per barrel, and pi
lot bread forty cents per pound. For the
last three pairs of boots have had, have
paid respectively, SIS, IA, and IL per pair
Other things are at corresponding prices il
this place, but at the mines everything i.
much higher. Flour and pork vary in the
mines from $40 to $500 per barrel. Com
mon shoes, worth in Boston about IS cents
apar, sell at SO or even Sl2 per pair
There is kind of rccklessness about these
prices which would be sought after in vain
in any other part of the world. L saw bo!
of Seidlitz powders worth so cents in Sal
Francisco, sold in the mines for $24 il
grain gold; aud was credibly informed tina
brandy had been sold at S4S per bottle.
From this very imperfect price curren
yon can infer the cost of other articles ii
California. With the prices in the mines
however, the cost of almost every thing il
California has increased from one to severa
hundred per cent Rents have advanced il
some sections of the country to an incredi
BILE extent. Store-houses of the most frag
lie anu insecure character vent tor NOR
than the best warehouses Of similar dlmen
sions in Boston or New York.
/ was at the mines about the LIST of July
at that time the weather there was insuiler
ably hot. thinksit by far the most oppres
sive climate / ever was in, 1t is much NOR
uncomfortable than the climate of Brazil a
the warmest season of the year, and ever
thing was literally parched up after Il drout
which had then continued for near month
and which had months more to run to til
rainy season.
: The sea breezes which extend up tn
valley of the Sacramento never pass the 5
era Nevada, and seldom penetrate even tn
lateral valleys and ravnes of those mour
tains, and there was not breath of air me
wing among the mines The sun was biz
2 zing down with more than tropical iervo
{ while his rays were reflected III ten thou
. and different directions from the sides
S the hills, until the atmosphere gowed an
glimmered like the air in a furnace. the
foresaw (what has since happened) TIL
there would be much sickness among I'll
n miners. These people had deserted the
d regular occupations; and complete chang
/. of life and an unnatural climate could ~
d fail to act uniavorably upon health, The
e diet was bad, their labors were severe, al
y they were exposed completely, without she
a ter in the day time, to a burning sun, al
l. at night to the chilly atmosphere of Il
i. mountlns Many of them worked wit
n their feet in the water, and inflamed the
(, blood, in ieversh climate, by free Us
t. of ardent spirits. The natural consequent
is followed. Many are now sick with billio
lie and intermittent ievers, dysenterics, can
ID feyers, &c.
~ Most of the streams upon which gold
70 found are mountain torrents flowing TIN
II rocky, precipitate channels, and Yellow
r. red soil. There is apparently much iron
as the earth, and where most of the gold is q
Il tanned the bed and the bank of the rive
lie are composed of coarse gravel inlermingl
a with sand and yellowish earth. So far
as | have observed or can ascertain from OF
IN ers, the gold is always found in the strait
ne Of drift" or dlluvium," unless it i
he been displaced by mountain torrents,
- through other comparatively modern age
or cies. The fine gold is found on the low
nv portions OF the streams, and is extract
,st from the earth by means of washing in co
st. mon tin pans, and vessels of every XII
*. which can be substituted for them. +
b. finest portions of the earth are removed
b. washing and kind of gyratory motion
Ut the pan; the gravel is taken out with I
es hand, and the gold is left in the vessel W
nd kind of black, ierruginous sand not unl
err that used in writing. The residue (g,
DC and sandy is then left upon a board or cl'
err to dry, when the sand is blown off witt
It'll common bellows or the mouth, while
ess greater specific gravity of the gold eau
ew 1t to remain behind. Much of the finest
lad the gold is thus blown off with sand ;
Mt. lost.
- Vast numbers of rude machines rest
ere bling nursery cradles are used in this b,
Sc ness. The rocking of the cradle answ
ere to the gyratory motion of the pan, the
haI AL e.