The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-01-12

e"e'SS", Win no crew on U0af0.-
u Many desertiens, too, have taken place
% rom the garrisons within the influence oil
;. 'hese mines twenly.six soldiers have de.
serted IRON the post Of Sonoma, twenty.
IS TOUR IRON that Of San francisco, and
y tweniy-!our from Monterey. For few
(; days the vllappeared so threatening that
i great danger existed that the garr,sons
9 would leave in body and refer you to
my orders Of the 25ih Of July, 10 show the
:. Steps adopted TO meet the contingency.
! shall spare no excrtions to apprehend
and punish deserters, but | believe no time
/, IN the history Of our country has presen.
Z ted such temptations TO desert as now OK.
8 list in California. The danger of nppre.
hension is small, and the prospect Of high
or wages ceitnin; pay and bountes arc
t trities, as laboring men at the mines can
2 now earn in one day more than doube a
soldiers pay and allowances for month,
and even the pay Of lieutenant or captain
cannot hire servant. A carpenter or
Inschanic would not listen 10 an offer Of less
than fifteen or twenty dollars day. Could
any combination of affairs try a mans &.
deity more than this and really think
some extraordinary mark of favor should
be given TO those soldiers who remain faith.
full 10 their flag Throughout, this tempting
crisis. No officer can now live in Cali.
fornia on his pay, money has so little val.
ne; the prices Of necessary articles Of
clothing and subsistence are so eaorbitant
and labor SO high, that 10 hire cook or
servant has become an impossibiity, save
to those who are earning from thirty 10 &c.
iy dollars day. This state of things can.
not last forever. Yet from the geographi.
cal position Of California, and the new char
acter it has assumed as mining country,
prices of labor will always be high. aud
will hold out temptations to desert. I
therefore have to report the Government
wish to prevent assertions here on the part
of men, and to secure zeal on the part of
officers, their pay must be increased very
materially.
Soldiers, both of the volunteer aud reg.
ular service, discharged 10 this country,
should be permitted at once to locate their
land warrants on the gold district. Ma.
ny private letters have gone to tho United
States, giving accounts Of the vast guam.
,ti,y Of gold recently discovered, and it
may be matter OF surprise why have
made no report on this subject at an earlier
date. The reason is, that could not bring
myself TO believe the reports tina, heard
of the wealth Of the gold district until
visited it myself have no hesitation now
in saying that there is more gold in tho
country drained by the Sacramento and San
joaquin rivers than will pay the cost of tho
present war with Mexico hundred times
over No capital is required to obtain this
gold, as the lnboriug man wants nothing
but his pick and shovel, and tin pan, with
which to dig and wash the gravel; and
many Frequently pick gold out Of the crew..
ces of rocks with their butcher knives, in
pieces from one to sig ounces.
Mr.. Dye, gentleman residing in Mon.
terey, and worthy Of every credit, has lust
returned from Feather river. He tells mo
that the company to which he belonged.
worked seven weeks and two days, with an
average of fifty Indians, (washers,) and
that their gross product was 81 8 pounds Of
gold. His share Zone sevenlh,l after pay
ing all expenses is about 81 pounds, which
he brought with him and exhibited in Mon.
terey. see no laboring man from the
mines who does not show his two, three.
or four pounds Of gold. A soldier Of the
artillery company returned here a few DAYS
ago from the mines, having been absent on
furlough twenty days. He made by trading
and working during that time 81 .5OO.-
During these twenty days he was travelling
ten or eleven days, leaving but week, in
which he made sum Of money greater
than he receivesin pay, clothes, and tations
during whole enlistment. Of five years.
These statements appear incredible, but
they are true.
Gold is also believed to exist en- tho
eastern slope Of the Sierra Nevada: and
when at the mines, was informed BY an
intelligent Mormon that il had been found
near the Geat Sal, Lake by some Of his
fraternity. Nearly all the Mormons arc
leaving California, to 60 to the Sal, Lake
and this they surely would not do, unless
they were sure Of finding gold there in the
same abundance as they now do on the
Sacramento.
The gold "placef near the mission Of
San Fernando, has long been known, but
has been but little wrought, for want Of
water. This is in spur that puts of from
the Sierra Nevada; (see Frement's map,)
the same in which the presen. mine occurs.
There is, therefore, every reason to be-
lieve, that in the intervening spaces Of FIVE
hundred miles (enlirely unexplored) there
mus. be manx hidden and rich deposites.
The "placers gold is now substituted a.
the currency Of this country in trade il
passed freely at $40 per ounce 40 an Or.
ticle Of commctes its value is not yet fix.
ed. The only purchase made was Of the
specimen No. I, which | gotof Mr.. Neigh
at Sl2 the ounce. This is about the pre-.
sent cash value in the country, although it
has been sold for less. The great demand
for goods and provisions made by this sud-
den development Of wealth, has increased
tbcc e G..