Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-11-30


NoSrsRgY. Oct. l, 1919.
MEssRs. GREeIv AND McELRATH This
country seems fated in regard to gold and gold
en- excitement. 1t was supposed not long
since that the limits Of the placers had been
settled and the Sierra Nevada was the great
storehouse cf the precious metal since my
arrival. however, discoveries nave oeen maze
which will induce US to believe that the "nole
country. from San Diego 70 Cape Mendoclna,
from the Pacific to the topmost ndge OF the
Nevada. aud heaven knows how much fuFtheF
eastward. has been completely seasoned ana |
spicpd with the yellow grains. news reach
ed san Francisco Of large placer having
been found on Trinity River. a stream which
rises in the coast range and empties into the
Pacific opposite the head Of Sacramento VAL
lev The story was soon YerIhed by fnteIlI-
prnce from the diggings on the American
Fork. which stated that the dIggsrs were leaV-
ing in large bodies for the trinity placer,
where men were said to wash oui slo DAY.
Ii is the best to receive the stories OF gold dig
ging, even here. with grain OF allowance, but
the main fact is true. lately saw letter
from merchant in Sacramento city to his
partner in San Francisco, In which he says
:. There is coed news from Trinity River, and
gold is very plenty and provisions scarce
We shall make great raise on the loads
have sent there"
Near the mission of San Antonio, situated
among the Coast Mountains. go miles south
of this washing of considerable richness
has been discovered. AT the last accounts,
number af people were working there, with
fair success. the traders are beginning TO send
their teams in that direction. Gold is said to
exist in small quantities near the Mission OF
Carmel, only four miles from this town, and,
in fact, there is every geological indication OF
it. That San Francisco itself Is built on
placer, am well satisfied. To my certain
knowledge boys have picked 81 and IS IN a
few hours, from clay dug so feet below the
surface in sinking a well. The story of Mr..
Harrison, the Collector. having found gold in
the adobes of the Custom House, Is some
thing more than good joke.
But by Tar the most magnlflcent discovery
is that recently made npon the rancho by
Col. Fremont, on the Mariposas river. II IS
nothing less than a vein of gold in the solid
rock--a bona fide mine, the first which has
been found in California.
saw some surcimens which were in Col.
Fremonts possession. The stone is red
dish quartz, filed with rich veins of gold, and
! far surprising the specimens brought from
| North Carolina aud Georgia. Some stones
| picked up on Il Q Top of the quartz strata,
without particular selection. yielding az. of
-
ed me that the vein had been traced for more
than a mile.
geoIogist sent out to examine the place
| arrived here last night. He reports having
traced the vein a distance o: two leagues.
with average breadth Of 81 feet. Al one
extremity Ofthe mine he found large qunnt'
lies of native silver. which ne calculates will
fully pay the expense of setting up mncht"' =
~ aud working H. The rancho upon wh.ch
IT Is situated was purchased by Col. Ere
mont IL 1916, fOI mer Governor OF the l"rrI-
r"ry. 1t was then considered npariy worth
less, and Col. Fremont only took II AT the
moment of leaving the country, because DIS
appointed in ohtainirg another property -
t,snu-aJut lue Couuyy se, sc Is 1uj ..i.
nrst OF many such. ! ue Sierra He1ad.' Is
pierced IN every part with these priceless
veins. which will produce gold Tor centuries
after every spot of earth from base tn Snm'nIi
nal! have beer turned over aud washed out.
4 town called V"non. on the mouth OF
Fca n'T River, Is rising rapidly to notice,
md another is sad To be sprnging up on
| Hnu,fy RIVER MANY persons have made
3 re- tnrJtf'les by buyiug up lots at Il lucky
.,ma and selling them stiII more luckily. A
,,sg, was old me- % 5nan who last fail boz
W = mon "nuug.i 10 pay his passage from
~ SIud~icf. Islands Jo 5 IA F'HHciSco and
VINO IS now on mis- way nunr with S3J.r0J
made IN this manner. Three or four gen
firniru w,, came Up in the Panama have al
ready mas s. 90 in similar OPT rntior,s. \
friend %. tn'nr w..o shipped lumber from New
York 10 tie amount OF Sl,COJ sold IL here
ioi' SD. 900. Houses which cost $500 sell
reality ;or So and tin. demand is con
>tauI'y 'ncr asing. AT l"ast "a houses have
been impaired from Canton, and are put up
| ser" by Chinese carpenters.
washing Is still IS IL dozsn. and fhp c0use-
ga nee :, that large quantities Of sOilrd linen
ARE sent 10 our anJipOdes 10 be purified. A
vessel just in from Canton brought $50 d"z
, IN. which were sent ont IL few months ago;
a;I' ihrr from the Sandwich Islands brought
100 doz.n. aud the practice is now becoming
general San francisco is, in fact more
metropolitan in its character than any other
port in the world. Its trade with all parts
OF the Pacific is rapidly increasing.
The overland emigration IS pouring into
the country In Il full tide. The rel orts
which reached here Of distress on the routes.
aud the certainty that many OF the emgrantS
would Feed aid before reaching the settle
ments, caused II public movement in favor OF
raising supplies To send ont on the routes.-
Private individuals and companies contribu
ted largely, aud Gen. Riley, on being applied
to- promptly gave carte blanche to Mai Can
lev aud Capt Kane the Q. NJ. Department,
TO furnish all ihe assistance In their power.
Several hundred pack mules, under the
charge of competent officers, have been sent
to Vallecitns. at the edge of the Great Des-
erf. and 10 the Sink of fiumboldt's River, in
the Great Basip-the places where emigrants
Will most require aid. Word has reached US
that many wagons have stopped at the latter
place, unable to proceed further. have
heard of 10 such distress on the Northern
route as on the Southern. The emlgrants
in the North, so far as [ learn, have not been
molested by the Indians, while the hoStllities
of the Yumas and Maricopas, at the Coiora-
do crossing, have already cost the companies
on the ella ;he loss of several lives.
An arrival from the Sandwich Islands has
hrDtIg hi the start limo irtelliUeurp of the -