The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-16


gold, presume is only intended, although The cpmpre
bensive word Fsiaerai 5 useda word which compre-
henAs all the common and useful and metals, coal,
medical waters, IRON, copper lead TN Under this b,
not merely the gold was pings, but all the common aud
useful metals may be locked up from public use until
valued bN 1mneIaogst and then sold two acre lois
The provision evidently intended FOR gold but the wold
ainera includes all ores, all metals all natural substances
capable oil chemical attraction. IL * ooseness and a
comprehensveness OF language not he tolerated in law.
Bat consider i intended-as confined these gold
washiBgs-and how unwise the idea of selling them, and
IN two acres, and upon valuation As washngs, they are
bret ana TRANSIENT exhausted IN few months or years.
The gold IN these washngs temporary crop-as tenn
porary crop OF grass. harvest OF acorns and who
would think OF selling the fee simple where oly one crop
was to be gathered mine is one ihins-a wash
is another Mining requires great capiial-a fee simple
esate-and large tract OF landand is worked for age
or centuries. After these washings exhausted mi
ming may follow and that is the time 10 sell the fee sim
pie, bur not in patches oil two To the washer two
acres is an hundred times too much to the miner, is a
thousand tunes too little. IL suits nobody, and goes
upon wrong principle. goes upon the principle that
every two is alike, and that the value can be told by
looking at IT. No such thing. The value can only be
told by digging, and many two acres Will contain gold,
and many patches of twenty thirty feet square will
contain rich deposte The object to find it, and that
otherby trying many places For this purpose il snot
lee smpes IN two acres that wanted, but permits to
hunt, and protection in the discovery when deposite is
| found This is the only rational mode OF work ng these
gold washes 1t Is the mode followed IN all countries
| where they exist
These washngs called in Spanish placer, from the
~
find the shining gold under ones feet But is tran
silent pleasure There is no fee simple in 1t: there is not
even life estate IN it not even lease for year.
month, week, or day. The pleasure is gone
Exhausted pdeerS now exist in New Mexico, formerly
yielding much, now some twenty-five or fifty GEMS a
day, and only pursued by the poorest Mexicans Regu
lar mining has followed there, and is now yielding con-
siderable quantities. These wasbings OF California
maveousIy rich for have 10 believe what is certified
10 Us by many witnesses; but they not the rich
est that ever were seen. Far from it, Those OF Brazil
in the mountains back of RIO Janeo, in the time OF Lord
Ansans voyage, say hundred years ago, were far
cher and yet they have beep exhausted long that all
memory of them is lost and their history only lives old
books Two millions serling-ten millions of dollars
were annually sent 10 Europe, for years, from these
washngs. They worked by slaves, who, secure
their fidelity and industry, were usually allowed by their
masters all the proceeds OF the day upon given
and in that way many slaves became rich purchased their
freedom, and then bought slaves of their own, lived in
splendor and opu'ence, and lad the foundation OF am
hes. Yet these washngs are exhausted time out of
mind and so will be those OF California and the
the better.
am friend to gold currency, but not to gold min.
ing That is pursuit which the experience Of nations
shows to be both impovershng and demoralizng to
nation. regret that we have these mines in Cafor
MIA; but they are there and am for getting rid Of
them up and selling in dribets, lay them open to in
dustry and enterprise. Lay them open to natural cap
ato laborto the man that has stout arms and will
| Ing heart Give him fair chance. Give all fair
chance 1t is no matter who digs up The gold where
it goes. The digger will not eat it, and it will go
where commerce Will carry H. Inc nations which nave
industry which have agriculture commerce. and manu-
actures-they will get the gold, provided always that
they keep out small paper money, Not sales but per-
ms. is the proper mode 10 follow, and the only prac
cable mode People are going to California to dig and
dig they will wise legislation would regulate not frus
ate, their enterprise. Permits would put them the
side OF the law for it would give them protection and
security sales and boarding would put them in oppos
ton TO the law, and they would disregard it. Sir This is
in which the law giver must go with the current
and then he may regulate ii: if he goes against the
rent his law will be usaory, and his authority will be
despiscd The current is for hnnng, ana fnlag, and
digging permits follow this current, and by granting
them, the legislator may control and regulate The current
! III you want revenue, raise II from the pcrms--a
snail sum for each-and upon the coinage. In that
way would be pEactica BILE 10 raise much ought
be raised. But revenue is object conparel 10 the
great object ot clearing the ground OF this attraction
which puts an end TO- all regular industry, and com
pared to The object OF putting the gold into crcula
/ lion. | not who digs it up | want il deg up I
want the fever to be over want the miang finished
Let all work that will. Let Them ravage The earth
extrpae and eytermnate the mines. Then the sober
industry viii begin which enriches and ennobes
ton. Work as hard as we may, we cannot finish
soon These gold indication: cover more than two thou
sand miles. They are in New MeXicooh the waters
OF the Middle Cooraio-on the mountains bOth beyond
and this side OF the Sierra Nevada, Professor
Dana, who geologist TO Captain Wkes's exploring
expedition, and who examined the country between the
coast range and the cascade range Of mountains found
| the gold bearing rocks, gcologsts call them, on
| the Ump1ua the Shastl and the Klamath rivers
and at the head of the Sacramento valley. He did
not visit the Sierra Nevada, but said there gold
yet 10 he discovered in the Sacramento valley 1t has
been discovered, and tell where it is TO end
The Sierra Nevada is six hundred miles long, ten
or twelve thousand feet high, and has a slope of
from forty to seventy miles; and all this seems to be
an aurferous region South Of the Sierra Nevada are
proongailons OF the same chain and OF the char
ac,er, and known to possess gold. In New Mexico the
gold and mineral region Sdescrbed large and various
by the learned and enerprising Dr. Wiszenus, who
was making exploration when the with Mexico
broke out and whose work has been printed by order of
| the Senate. | read an extract from him:
"The mountainous parts Of New Mexico very rich
in gold, "copper" iron, and some silver Gold seems to be
found to large in all the mountains Santa Fe
south OF it in distance of abon 100 miles, far Gran
Sange de Criso Throg hoat this whole region gold dust
has been abundanty found by the poorer classes of
Mexicans, who occupy themselves with the washing
of TINS metal out OF the mountain streams At present tho
most attention, and oaly gold washes, but
gold mines too worked there. They are, far my
knowledge extends the only gold mines worked now in
New Mexico Several rich silver mines Were in Spanish
tans, but present Oopper is found m abundance
throughout the country. but principally at las TJoras
Jemas Abiquin, Gnaielupifa de Mora, etc. heard OF
but copper mine worked ut present south OF the
PAGERS lon though also abundanty found, is entirely
overlooked Coal has been discovered different loo iies
in the Ration mountains, the village of Jemez
southwest OF santa Fe, place south OF the Placers
Gypsum, and seene found in large quantities
IN Mexico extensive layers of understood, exist
ia the igolnnes, Rio del Nore and
uscd commoa lime Tor whitcwashng and the crys
miiinc, seene, instead of window glass, About four
days travelling (probably 100 mlcs) souh.souheast Of
Santa Fe. on the high tabeiand between the RIO del
Norte and Pecos salt lakes sin1s
from which nil the salt (mursts sola) used in New
Mexico is procured. Large go there every year