Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-03-16

capt. Suffers Mill is 40 miles above thu
mouth OF, and on, the American Fork
Tins is the place where the gold was frs
discovered The discovery was made By
some of Capt. Suffers men who were EN-,
ployed 10 dig race to discharge the waste
water from his mill. All articles of mer.
chandise are carried in what are calIet
launches, which are large boats that will
carry from eight to fifteen tons. II takes
about a week or ten days to 90 from San
francisco 10 Suffers, and back, in one OF
these launches, AMI when left, the freight
on barrel of flour was $l4. A common
steamboat could make the trip in two days.
When left California, launch but shorl
time before could have been bought for $500,
could not be hired for one trip to Suffers
Tor that sum. The price of passage was
SlO-each passenger to carry his food and
bed with him, if he had any to carry
Nothing is found for the passengers, except
passage. Every man has to do as the
lrishman did, eat himself" on the pass
age.-lt is quite unnecessary for ME TO al
Jude TO the political regulations of California.
You are well aware that, as yet, we have
no government there. Congress negIects
to provide Territorial Government for the
country, and aItho' the Alcades are obeycd,
the people are not obligated to obey them
now approach that portion of my lee
! ture which will probably be of the greatest
/ interest to you, to wit the mines, manner
of procuring the gold, average quantity per
man. probable supply, wet and dry diggings,
and some instances of success within my
own personal observation. | may very
safely tell you that the accounts YOU have
in the papers, from California, are not ex-
aggerated, however well they may be cal
cuated to stagger belief in them. Gold is
| found in great abundance over an extent of
country 300 miles by 1000. | have ex-
plored only small portion of this vast area,
and new discoveries are constantly being
made. The first gold was discovered in
February. lr4S, about one year ago but
although 1t was reported i'll San Francisco
that gold was found yet it did not at first
seem to make any impression on the peo-
ole at that city. They did not believe the
reports, or rather they did not realize the
fact that gold was found in such abundance,
50 near them. 1t was not till April and
May that the whole population became full
ly awakened to the subject, when all the
men, and many of the women and children,
went to the gold diggings. 1t was rot till
people came down with the gold dust and
reported 50 to $40 per day. that the people
of San Francisco credited the reports. In
the first six weeks after the rush commcnc-
ed, SG00.00O were collected. The Quanli-
~ collected by each person varied from one
Dance to $1,000 per day. 1t is now ascer-
tanned that gold exists on both sides OF the
Sierra Nevada from latitude 4 / north TO as
/ far south as the San joaquin, and aithounh
/ the country has not been fully explored,
/ there is no doubt that the gold region eX-
! tends / 900 miles along the valley Of the
! Sacramento and San Joaquin, and still far
! ther to the south. The supply of gold is
absolutely inexhaustibc. In my opinion,
/ one hundred thousand people cOpid not eX-
! haust the supply in ten or twenty years
/ The ore is in its virgin state, and is found
umong the sand and gravel beds, i'll slate
and granite rocks, also in good iiUate soil.
Some machines were used when | left, but
tin pans were generally preferred. Some
/ Indian baskets were also used, and ere
considered good, being very light and han
I ly. ! saw, Yesterday, machine invented
/ BY gentleman of this city living, believe,
/ in EIdridge ST., which consider superior
one /; and | would advise those who intend
going TO the gold diggngs to examine it. II
is very simple, and easy to transport. HE
quantity Of gold now extracted is estimated
AT about f0ur millions Of dollars. The la
Dor of washing the gold is very severe. PeO-
pie wash gold as long as they can stand up
often paying no attention whatever 10 the
demands of their heath, living without adj
cquatc food and sleep, or when they dc
sleep it is in the open air, and thus nature
gives way, and the individual sIckens and
perhaps dies.
If person has sufficient strength OF mIn(
to build his house before commencing tC
procure gold, and can be contented 10 work
only reasonable time every day, devotlnG
proper time 10 cook suitable food, and ;
proper time to sleep, he may be sure OF re
| rain;ng his health and amassing fortune
The difficulty is that everybody is crazy
frantic with the excitement for gold. Eacl
fears that his neighbor will get more thar
himself The Captain of the vessel IL
| which came from San Francisco 10 Sal
Bias, Capt. Blanchard,) gathered IN tilre'
/ weeks gold dust Of Ge value OF $4,000
e and Of this sum $4,000 were gathered b,
/ him in the last three days he was at tn
e mines. This amount he had on board tn
j, vessel, (the brig Laura ANN lie iniorme
me that in washing out tie last, he mus
t have thrown away or ounces from eac
: TIM pan full of earth, as it would pay bette
r no, TO wash it carefully. The largest Ium
# of pure gold ever saw weighed : pounds
;, 1t was obtained by some Indians is ,he Ell
;. poy of man by the name OF Weaver.
s saw it weighed, and it was pronounced F9
d cara,s fine. 4 statement was made IN tn
= California Star, a few days before lei
# that one man obtained $4,000 IN six day
=. and that three others obtained So pounds
!, one day. OF the truth Of this have II
If doubt Whatever 1t may seem impossiti
/; but such is the fact. Such occurrences al
rs bv no means uncommon. The dry di
sr gings" are considered preferable TO the we
at The gold can be procured in the winter
A. rainy season as well as in the dry seaso
is in case the miners provide themselves WI
IL