Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-12-22
LETTER FROM SAN FRANCISCO.

] 10 his friends in this city, giving his expert
ence in gold seeking:
Among the Mountains in the Gold Digg'ngs,
26O miles from San Francisco, at To,ral,t-
mares, Oct. 12h.
We have arrived here from Stockton, hav-
ing in all about so pack mules and so or GO
person on foot We went down TO place
where no one thought of looking for gold. 1t
was among the rocks, and had all been
worked over. said 10 Mr. p, Il am going
TO raise that rock pointing 10 it. Said he
10 me, Il don't think you can do it, 'Wel,'
| said, G'll do nothing else, for think smell
gold there left him, walked up the hill
and borrowed an axe up the mountain. |
went in search of tree, TO make a lever.
Gu, down white oak, about five inches in
diameter cut it some eight or Ten feet long,
went to the rock and fixed my pry, as we
used to call il at the saw-mill, under the edge OF
rock. put my weight on it a little. 'rhere,'
says P, you shake it, said, g'll shake it
worse than that when get the air under it,
Sure enough, did turn il over; it weighed
about a half tom We went to work, and
took day four ounces of gold, which paid for
our rocker twice over the first day, Well,'
says p you are one of the b'hoys.' The
next day we took out three ounces more;
that made seven ounces under that one, and
if il had not been for the water, we could have
got more: however, tried some other rocks
near by, and took out in six days % ounces
of gold, of the very best quality, and have
more than % ounces of gold, of the very
best quality, and have more than 25 ounces
of gold, which in Philadelphia will be worth
more than $50 the ounce The gold on this
river is said to be worth 81 the ounce more
than any that is found in California. 1t is
| very fine; the largest lump found was fifty
cents worth tried to keep persons from
seeing me get it; they would come sneak
ing around, saying. guess you've got a
pretty rich spo,' Not very hard work.
said q think shall get two or three dollars
to-day P. would say 10 me, Il expected
you would certainly see gold to-day Not
very much. That day we got out over five
ounces. Thus far beat any of the new be-
| SlilUeIs, duu Sdiu " iou uhuOiS'"iu
it, Yes | said, 4 have quarried stone, but
never quarred gold before No one ever
thought of raising the rocks till they saw me.
If keep my health and strength, there is
gold in California for me. 1t is hard work.
How it made my back-ache when only got
an ounce day; but when one gets three or
four ounces a day he don't feel any back-ache
Gold is here beyond doubt; but to look at
il you would think there was none There
was one poor fellow who came out in the
same steamer that we did, came also to this
place. When he saw what gold digging was
he sit down and cried. lie has left; with
many others that never take held Of the sho-
vel and pick, they expect they can pick 1t up
like gathering walnuts, but they are very
much mistaken. 1t is hard work, hard fare,
hard sleeping and hard road to travel TO get
at the gold. There is company Of one hun
dred engaged in digging canal, six hundred
feet long, in order to turn the channel of the
river. We have been a, if little over a
week. 1t will be completed tomorrow,
suppose we have near pound out. We
shall drain the river about quarter OF mile
There will be digging for us all for at least
six weeks, il is thought. In every instance
where this has been done, it has always pait
well. There were party OF thirteen tha
made dam and turned the river only abou
thirty feet, which took about twelve days
, and the first days digging they got ten pounds
The rich deposit of gold is in the bed of The
! river. There was one yesterday who haC
damned small hole alongside of the rive
where we are now draining,
( He hired four or five men to bail out th
a water for him, and he took out a little over II
: ounces, in about space so one of the mel
d told me, of not more than 20 inches square
The men that helped him he paid S 10 day
and out of that very hole there has at leas
been taken out some three or four thousan,
) dollars. There have been many instances
: under my own eye of over pound taken il
d, less than half day. There are some yer,
= rich spots in the bed of the river. A mine
told me TO day that he thought we woul,
). take at least fifty pounds out of one hole tina
. he pointed out 10 me. | hope so. There
one lhing-if l had all the gold that will b
G taken out of where we are draining, woul
n have enough would soon start for the State
Is 1t will have TO be divided amongst one hun
:, dred men. 1t could not be done unless man
y Joined together. There are many that wis
e to Join us but we will not consent; and SOM
i want TO buy others out. Very few have an
e desire to sell. One man told me he woh'
no, take ten thousand dollars for his chance
would. | have no idea OF making any
l. thing like that; if get one thousand, woui
k be well paid. There are not less than te
s. or fifteen thousand dollars taken out dali
h on this river alone. don't believe ther
is a mountain stream but what gold ca
: be found on ii, and it is the hardest kind
- labor to obtain it, although some have mad
:, fortune in very short time. II every graf
!. of gold could, in the space of one mile
!, and down this river be got out, believ
there would be from one two millions OF do