Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1849-01-06
Gbe Gulo Region.
INTERESTING DESPATCH FROM
CALIFORNIA.
ICON cLUsIo ny

On the 7th of July left the mill, and
crossed to small stream emptying into
the American fork, three or four miles be-
low the saw-mill | struck this stream
(now known as Webster's Creek) at the
washings of Sunol s. Co. They had about
thirty Indians employed, whom they pay i'll
merchandise. They were getting gold OF
character similar TO that found in the main
fork, and doubtless in sufficient quantities to
satisfy them. | send you small specimen,
presented by this company, OF their gold.
From this point we proceeded up the stream
about eight miles, where we found great
many people and lndians-some engaged
in the bed of the stream, and others in small
side valleys that put INTO it. These latter
are exceedingly rich, and two ounces were
considered an ordinary yield for days
work. A small gutter not more than a
hundred yards long by four feet wide and
two or three feet deep was pointed out to
me as the one where two men William
DAILY and Perry McCoon-had short time
before, obtained $4,000 worth of gold.
Capt. Weber informed me that he knew
that these two men had employed four
white men and about hundred Indians,
and that at the end of one weeks work,
they paid Off their party and had left So
600 worth of gold. Another small ravlne
was shown me, from which had been taken
upwards of $4,000 worth of gold. Hun
dreds of similar rayines, to all appearances,
are as yet untouched. | could not have
credited these reports had not seen, in
the abundance of the precious metal, evil
dence of their truth. Mr.. Neigh, an agent
of Commodore Stockton, had been at work
about three weeks in the neighborhood,
aud showed me in bags and bottles over 49,,
900 worth of gold and Mr.. Lyman, a gen.
tleman of education and worthy of every
credit, said that he had been engaged with
four others, with machine, Oh the Amer
lean fork just below Suffers mill that
they worked eight days and that his share
was at the rate of fifty dollars day but
hearing that others were doing better at
Weber's place, they had removed there
and were then on the point of resumlng
operations. | might tell OF hundreds of sim
liar instances but to illustrate how plenti-
full the gold was in the pockets of common
aborers | will mention a simple occurrence
which took place in my presence when
was at Webel's store. This store was
nothing but an arbor of bushes, under which
he had exposed for sale goods and groceries
suited to his customers. A man came in,
picked up Il DOA Vi SSiulitH poNueio, duu
asked its price. Capt. Weber told him it
was not for sale. The man offered an
ounce of gold but Capt. Weber told him it
only cost fifty cents and he did not wish to
sell it. The man then Offered an ounce
and half when Capt. Weber had to take
il. The prices of all things are high, and
yet Indians, who before hardly knew what
a breech cloth was, can now afford to buy
the most gaudy dresses.
The country on either side of Weber's
creek is much broken up by HILLS, and is
intersected in every direction by small
streams or ravines, which contain more or
less gold. Those that have, been worked
are barely scratches and although thou
sands of ounces have been carried away, |
do not consider that a serious impression
has been made upon the whole. Every
day was developing new and richer depos-
its and the only impression seemed 10 be
that the metal would he found in such album
dance as seriously to depreciate in value.
On the Sth OF July returned to the
lower mines, and on the following day to
Suffers, where on the 10th | was making
preparations for a visit to the Feather, fu-
bah, and Bear rivers, when | received a
letter from commander A. Il. Long, United
States Navy, who had arrived at San Fran
cisco from Mazalan, with crew for the
sloop of-war Warren, with orders to take
that vessel to the squadron at La Paz.-
Capt. Long wrote to me that the Mexican
Congress had adjourned without ratifying
the treaty of peace that he had letters for
me from Commodore Jones, and that his
orders were to sail with the Warren on or
before the Goth of July. In consequence of
these, determined to return to Monterey
and accordingly arrived here on the 18th
of July. Before leaving Suffers satisfied
myself that gold existed in the bed of Fea-
Their river, in the Hubah, and Bear, and in
many of the small streams that lie between
the latter and the American fork also,
that it had been found in the Cosummes TO
the south of the American fork In each
of these streams the gold is found in small
scales, whereas in the intervening mountains
1t occurs in coarser Jumps.
Mr. Sinclair, whose rancho is three miles
above Suffers on the north side of the
American, employs about fifty Indians on
the north fork, not far from its junction
with the main stream. He had been en-
gagged about FIVE weeks when | saw him,
and up to that time his Indians had used
simply closely woven willow baskets. His
nett proceeds (Which | sa } were about
Sic, 900 worth of gold. He showed me the
proceeds of his last weeks work-four-
teen pounds ayoirdupois of clean-washed
gold.
The principal store at Suffers fort, that
of Brannan SCo., had received In payment
for goods $50, 900 (yyorth Of this gold) from
the LIST of May to the 10Th of July. Other
merchants had also made extensive sales.
Large quantities of goods were daily sent
forward to the mines, as the Indians, here
tofore so poor and degraded, have sudden
Iv become consumers OF the Injuries of life.
before mentioned that the greater part of
the farmers and rancheros had abandoned
their fields to 20 to the mines. This IS not
the case with Captain Suffer. who was