Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-11
Late aid Interesting from Cali
iOrnla,

The "som official" letters written by Capt
Folsom to Major Gen, Jcssup, are now before
the rublic, and we think our readers cannot tail
to be interested in some extracts thorcrom.-
They are written by q man Of character ana ed
ucation. who has been at San Francisco during
the whole excitement and yet has not been car
rod away by the tide. They may therefore be
read with perfect confidence by all who. desire
TO form correct opinion on the topics trIted.
The date of the first letter is Sept. 18th. In
it, the writer thus describes the discovery Of the
mines:
In the latter part of February, 1913, me-
cbauc. named James Marshall, was employed
on the south branch Of 'ar r VEN "A; 9u.s}
fornia us the American Fork; some fifty 3 lies
from New Helvetia, or Suffers Fort On IRE
mont's map this river is called Rio de los Amer
icanos. 1t is the stream by which Capt. Ere
mont descended into the valley Of the Sacrament
to river by a perilous march, in the winter a.
spring of 1913 While employed in cutting
MILL race or canal for this improvement. W.
Marshall discovered the pieces q COL NV
plistaned in the sunlight at ors,f the
sluices. Pieces of considerablesize we're taken
from the water, and in few days gold to the
amount Of one hundred and fifty dollars was re-
moved in this manner. The laborers on the
works, mostly Mormons, soon became satisfied
of its precious nature, and the news spread rap
idly about the country.
After describing the mania which succeeded
this discovery, and the almost complete depopu-
aton of the towns and villages, Capt. Folsom
says:
Recently, however, there has been a reaction
which brings many back from the mines, and an
active emigration is flowing back from abroad
Sickness has broken out among the miners, and
many have returned Frustrated with, fevers, while
others have come to avoid being so. There is
now a large number of laborsrs here, but many
of them refuse to work on any terms, while those
who labor do so at exorbtant prices.
| was in the mines about the first Of July: al
that time the weather there was insuferaby hot
| think it by far the most oppressive climate
was ever in. 1t is much more uncomfortable
than the climate of Brazil at the warnest season
of the year, and everything was literally parch
ed up after drought which had then continued
for near three months, and which had five months
more to run to the rainy season.
Capt Folsom says that gold is known to eXiS
in a region of country 600 miles in extent anC
that it probably extends into Oregon. In regart
to the richness If the mines, he remarks:
went to them in the most skeptical frame o
mind, and came away beLieuer From all tina
can learn as to similar depoSites Of gold else
where, believe these to be the richest place
mines in the world. | am satisfied from person
al observation, that active worknen can ge
from $25 to $40 per day, estimating the gold a
SIG per ounce, troy. Many instances are know
of persons having obtained from $500 to $1,000
in day tor each man.
| have asked for estimates for the average
gains of all the miners at work in the gold re
gons, including both whites and Indians, ant
have never heard them stated at less that SIX dol
lars per day for each person. believe, taking
these minimum estimates at data, am fully JUST
fed in concluding, thai during the year common
cling July LIST, 1913, there will be $5,500,00t
removed from the mines, reckoning the ounce
troy, at SIG. The sum is considerably greater
according to McCulloch's Dictionary than tn
total amount of gold taken from all the mines II
the United States for the fifteen years ending IL
1888 and it is nearly three times as great as tn
entire gold coinage Of the United States Min
and all its branches for the same years.
Of the moral condition Of the country, b
gives dark picture:
In the solitary recesses Of the Sierra Nevad
are little clusters OF men, with nothing but IN
trees for their coverng, and no protection br
their own vigience and strength Many
these people are known to possess very large .
mounts of gold sometimes as much as $20,00g
wrapped in their blankets, where there is no ey
to see and no agent to pursue the guilty. Is
strange, when the temptation is SO great, thatth
robber and the assassin should be abroad anon
the mountains p Many robberies and som
murders are known to have occuTedS but litf
attention is excited by these events, where a
are in eager pursuit of wealth. Noeae can cor
lecture the extent of these outrages, for llvin
witnesses are not ut hand and dead men tie
no tales"
Something should be done here at once fc
the establishment of peace and good order
the country. All law, both civil and mlitar.
is at an end Among the mines, and indeed
most parts of the country out Of the villages, u
authority but that Of the strongest exists an
outrages of the Goet disgracelul nature are col
stantly occurring, and the offenders 60 unpul
ished. ~.
: The last letter, dated Oct 9Th, relates prime
paly to the prices of labor and confirms all pr
vious accounts, as will be seen.
Kannakas, or Sandwich Islanders, the wor
of laborcrs, are now employed constantly abo