The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-01-11

Letters to insure attention must be directed
post paid to the Editor.
No paper discontinued until all nrrearagcs be
paid, except At the option Of the Editor.
CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION.
As the 'sfcver' has reached this portion
of the West. wo will endcavor to commu-
nicate all the correct information we can
obtain in respect TO the gold region. The
following document, received by the Sec.
Rotary Of War, was transmitted with the
Presidents message to Congress. Col.
Mason 10 the military commandant in Cal.
iiurnia:--
HEADQUARTERS l0rH Mn. DErARrMrSr,(
Monterey, California, Aug II, 1895
SIR: have the honor to inform you that,
accompanied BY Lieut.. w. I. Sherman, Sd
artillery, A. A. A. General, | started on
the 18th Of June last, to make a tour
through the Northern part Of California.
Ny principal purpose, however, was to Wis
it the newly discovered gold placer in the
valley Of the Sacramento. had proceed
cd about forty miles when was overt aiken
by an express bringing me Intelligence OF
the arrival at Monterey, of tho United
States ship Southampton, with important
letters from Commodore Shubrck and
Lieut.. Col. Burton. | returned at once to
Monterey, aud dispatched wha, business
was most important, and on the 18th re-
sumed my journey. We reached San
Francisco ON the both, and found that all
or nearly all its male inhabitants had gone
10 the mines. The town which, few
months ago, was 80 busy and thriving, WINS
then almost deserted. On the evening Of
the 9th, the horscs OF the escort were
crossed to Sousoieio in launch, and, on
the following div, we resumed The Journey
by way ot Bodega md Sonoma 10 Suffers
fort, where We arrived on the morning of
the ID July. Along the whole route, mills
were living idle, fields OF wheat were lying
open To cattle and horses, houses vaca Ut
mud farms going To waste. At Suffers
there was more life aud business. Launch
rs were discharging their cargoes at the
river, aud carts were hauling goods to the
fort, where already were established scve-
raj etores, a hotel, &c. Capt. Suffer had
only two mechanics in his employ. "a wag.
on maker and blacksmith,) to whom he
was then paying &lO a DIV. Merchants
pay him monthly rent Of 500 per room,
and while ! was there two story house in
the fort was rented AS hotel for $500 u
month.
At the earnest solicitation Of manv gen.
tlemen, delayed there to participate in the
first public celebration Of our National An
niversary al that fort; but on the 9th rcsu.
med the journey, and proceeded twenty
five miles up the American Fork to point
on il nov known as the lower mines or
Mormon diggings. The sides Of the bill
were thickly strewn with canvass tents
and bush arbors; store was erected, and
several boarding shnntes in operaiion.-
The day was intensely hot, yet abou, two
hundred men we're at work IN the full glare
Of the sun, washing for goid-some with
tin pans, some with close woven lndnn
baskets, but the grenter part had rude
machine known ns the crndlc. This is on
rockers, six or eight feet long, open at the
foot, md at its head has coarse crate or
sieve; the bottom is rounded, with small
cleals nailed across. Four men are re-
quired 10 work this machine; one digs tho
ground in the bank, close BY the stream;
another carries it to the cradle and emp,ics
it on the grnte; third gives violent rock
Jog motion to the machine; while fourth
dashes on water from the stream itself.
The sieve keeps the coarse stones from en-
tering the cradle, tho current Of water
washes Of the earthly matter, and the gray.
ei 10 gradually carried OIL, at tho foot ofthe
machine; leaving the gold mixed With a
heavy black sand above the first cleats
The sand and gold mixed together are then
drawn of through auger holes into pan
below, next dried in the sun, aud after
wards separated by blowing off the sand,
A party Of four men thus employed At the
lower mines, average 500 day. The
Indians, and those who have nothing but
pans or willow baskets, gradually wash out
the earth and separate the gravel BY hand,
leaving nothing but the gold mixed with
sand, which il separated in the manner be-
Sors described. The gold in tho lower
mines i in fine bright scales, Of which
send several specimens.
AZ We ascended the South branch Of tho
American Fork, the country became more
bsoten aud mountsinous; and st the saw
mill, twenty miles above the lower wash.
ing, or fly miles from Suffers, the hills
rose 10 about thousand feet above the lev.
81 ofthe Sacramento plain. Hero species
Of pine occurs, which led to the discovery