The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-02-01

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recklcssness about these prices which
would be sough, after in vain in any other
par, Of the world. saw box of seidli,z
powders worth 80 cents in San Francisco,
sold 10 the mines for S24 in grain gold; and
was credibly Informed that brandy had been
sold at as dollars per bottle.
From this very imperfect price current,
YOU cun infer the cost of other articles in
California. With the prices in the mines,
however. the cost Of almost every thing in
California has increased from one to seve-
raI hundred per cent. Rents have advan-
ccd in some sections nt the country to an
incredible extent. Store. houses ot,he mos,
frngi'e and insecure character rent for more
than the best warehouses of similar dimen-
tiuns in Boston aud New York.
WINS nj the mines about the lst Of July;
ut Tint time the weather there WAS Insult
fcrably hot. think il hy ar the mos, OPP
pressive climate ever was in. |, is much
more uncomfortable than tho climate in
Brazil in the warmesi senson Of the year
md every thing was literally pnrched up
after drought. which had then continued
iur near three months, and which had five
months more to run Ia the rainy season.
The sen breczes which extend up the
valley Of the Sacramento, never pass the
Sierra Nevada, and seldom penetrate even
the lateral valleys aud ravines IL those
mountains, and there was not n breath al
air moving among the mines. The sun
was blnzing down with more ,hnn tropical
icrvor, while his rays were rehecicd in ten
thousand directions from the sides ot the
hills, until the atmosphere glowed and
glimmercd, like the air in n furnace. 1
then forcsaw (what has since h,ppened)
that there would he much sickness among
the miners. These people had deserted
their regular occupations; and n complete
change of life mud mn unnatural climate
could not fail Ia net unfavurahly upon
health. Their diet was bad, their labor
was severe, md they were exposed COM
plctely without shelter in the day time, ~
a burning sun. and at night 10 tho chilly
atmosphere Of the mountains. Many Of
them worked with their feet in the water.
and inflamed their blood, in icvcrish cl-
mate. by free use of ardent spirits. The
natural consequence followed. MANY arc
now sick with bilious and intermittent ie.
vcrs. &c.
Most Of the streams upon which gold is
found are mountain torrents flowing through
rocky precipitaic channels ard ,ellnwish
red soil. There IL apparently much iron
in the earth, md where mos, Of the gold is
obtained the bed nrd banks Of the rivers
nrc composed of coarse gravel intcrmincled
with snnd md n yelowish earth. So Ear
rs have observed or can Ascertain from
others, the gold il always found in the sira-
tum of "dirt,' or ssdiluvin,n,'' unless il has
becn displaced BY mountain torrents, or
through other comparatively modern ngcn-
cies. The fine gold is found on the lower
portions Of the streams. and is extracted
from the earth by means Of washing in
common lin pans, and vessels Of every
kind which can he substituted for them.
The fines, portions Of the earth are remov.
ed by washing aud kind Of gvratory mo.
tions Of the pan: the gravel il taken ont
with the hand, and tho gold is left in tho
vessel, with kind ot black fcrruginous
sand. not unlike that used in writing. The
residue (gold and sandy is then lei, upon
bonrd or cloth TO dry, when the snnd is
blown Oft with q common bellows or the
mouth, while the greater specific gravity Of
the gold causes il 10 remain behind. Much
Of the fines, &c the gold is thus blown of
with the snnd and lost.
Vast numbers Of rude machines rcsem-
bling nursery cradles IRE used in this bu.
siness. The rocking Of the cradle nswers
to the gyrntory motion Of the pan. the wa-
ter, mud, and fine sand escaping from the
foot OF the machine over a series Of small
cross bars on it's bottom, which are suili-
cient impediments 10 stop the more coarse
PARTICLES Of gold. Over the bend of the
cradle 10 n coarse sieve. upon which the
nurifcrons earth is placed. and the machine
in motion. winter 10 poured upon the sieve,
and the gold sand. and fine earthly matter
is thus tnken into the body Of the machine,
while tho gravel is rejected. All these
methods are more or less imperfect, and the
process by amalgamn,ion with quicksilver
has not been adopted up 10 this date. II
is supposed Tint Ut least one halt the gold
contained in given quantity Of earth ie
lcst by the imperfect measures taken for
cleaning il.
As the workmen ascend the streams in
to the mountains the gold becomes coarse
and more massive. On the lower portions
q! the streams il 10 found, 10 thin fist par
ticles resembling small golden fish scales.
Higher in the mountains il is found vary
ing in size, from the finest particle to pieces
Of five or six ounces in weight, and Of all
conceivable forms. Many Of the largest
pieces contain small portions Of quartz and
other granite rock, imbeddcd in them.