Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-08-04

craft called the Favnite, {about 40 tous,)
which Left New Bedford in December,
with crew OF six persons
The Newark Advertiser publishes let
ter from Seth Bryden who went tn Cali
fornia with party from that place. Ac.
cording to Mr.. B., gold digging is not al
ways so profitable business as II has been
supposed. We copy the best OF the letter;
CoLuMA, Saw MlIl Valley, April.
sWe reached til, valley OF Suffers
Mill at 9 o'clock, \. NJ, April Is. Put
up our tent. packed away our baggage,
and about 1 O'clock went to the di4ginS
below the saw mall with our wash pans aud
washed gu. a few grains of the gold On
Monday, the 10Th, we went to the diggins,
gathered all the Information we could from
the people We found at work there, aud
washed out or 81 dollars worth of gold
Oa Tuesday [ put tie washer together
while the others went to dig aud prepare
the dirt TO wash. la the afternoon we
washed out $40 worth, or the weight OF
an eagle. Wednesday, nth, Mr.. Daven.
port stayed at the tent while the other FIVE
washed all day, and obtained S27 So
Thursday, 18th, ell hands together wash
cd out $3.50. Friday, 10Th, obtained
S6l worth of gold, on Saturday. Goth,
$3.50 worth, having struck a good bed
of alluvial dtt, which we had TO carry
abosi 90 yards 10 the water.
On Monday 22d, collected S67 Tues
day, 23!, S635n; Wednesday, SOS.
Thursday, $40 Friday, $3.50; Saturday,
$50. On Sunday we stayed al the tent
washed MP and made a dividend Of FIVE
ounces Of gold to each person, leaving SIX
penny weights in the treasury. This is
not up TO what was represented, being not
over IS per day, and our expenses are
enormous. II seems strange, that after al!
that has been said with regard 10 this coun-
tEy, no correct idea of has been conveyed.
When person arrives at San Francisco
the Journey is not half perfolmed-the la
bor. fatigue and priyalon then commences
person may go from San Francisco on
the deck OF a small vessel, and ride across
the pralries in an OK wagon, but no person
would risA riding up and down the noun
tains 10 Columa, (SUter's Saw MILL
thence fifteen miles to the Spanish bar on
the middle branch of the American fork.
the nearest mine thai yields sufficient 10
pay for working. A good horse will car,
ry about l00lbs. across the mountains, at
an expense of about ilty cents per pound
from that a person must take his blanket,
toc4s ani ric,ua!s on his own back and climb
his way wherever he goes.
You NAV wonder why We have STAYED
here SO long. The reason is that the wa.
ter is SO high that the miners DO not work,
and It viii exceed six weeks longer on &C.
count OF the snow melting 90 the mountains.
The river here is high, aud it has risen
some three feet since we begun 10 work,
driving Us from tie best diggings. This
river is about seventy five yards wide, and
from five TO ten yards deep on descent
from two to three or four feet in one hun.
dred, and runs Ike a train of cars over tue /
rocks, making ten times the noise.
A person commencing 20 dig, selects his
place, clears away q bed Of rocks and
gravel of all sizes and OF all depths, from
ore 10 SIX feet, till be comes to bed Of
yeiiowish alluYial sand few inches thick,
and sometimes foot Of this contains the
gold IN greater or less quantities. This is
carried 10 the river and washed, yielding
few pieces, such as | send, in a shovel or
pan foil. Ii We strike 90 the lee side of
rock, or pocket in the rocks, we make g
good day work; but five strike place tha,
had no shelter when the gold aud yellow
sand was washed down, We get nothing.
This IS the character OF all the mines, as
far as can learn. IN the Tavine or rivers
aud that the gold IS universally spread over
the country,Is acknowledged BY all miners,
many Of whom have made large sums by
goot luck, saying nothing OF hundreds that
have not made their expenses | have
seen many returning poor. An if.shman /
re!ufaIaa from lhs mines 10 San Francis T.
CO, said lie got only SO. asked him the
reason. aud he said he could aoi find a
good place. Ons other man said he never
made less than $50 per day, and had made
s. 90 per day, having obtained In al! $780,
coo.
Below the mill where the gold was first
discovered, there is 4 bend 10 Tie river,
which was worn away 10 she foot of the
mountain, some l50 yards from as orgi-
nal bed, which Is the place in which We
oig Tor gold Il appears TO me thal some
thousands cf years ago some heavy flood
1foS8.t GOWN aAe aAaftaa soG aGd Golu
from the mountains. Then o.her floods
have brought rocks of al sizes from half
ton weight to gravel, and covering and
mixing II with timber, &c. Removing
this to find the gold, and washing il out, is
.he heaviest work man can do. ! learn
from the mlaeFs not one ia one hundred
would have come, IT they had seen "a
much as have, aad lhree oat Of fonr that
lave come, wcu'd nol work 81 /, II the
mines we're ia Bergea. lh.nk we shall
20 10 The middie branch Of .ae American
EoEk, instead OF tie north branch, though
ii IS OF no Use TO 60 there ua,ii tie water