The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-19
LATEST FROM THE MINES.


5AIhAhbNTO ClTt, uWcu 20, 1919.
Winter with Its ''heavy wetp Is about over and
spring. warm, genial and soothing, has opened upon
Sacramento. No angry skies brood over, nor flood
led plains impede locomotion: the winter lethargy
that had bound captive thousands throughout the
valley has been suddenly broken by the FIRST bland
breath Of spring, and every whereall are awakened
to an energetic renewal OF business. warm sun
and mild southerly wind have during the past month,
worked wonders in dspelng the vapors Of the EARTH
and drinking the moisture from path and highway
the roads from this place 10 different parts Of the
Placer rendered passable, and communication
with NIL points is easy and frequent.
The spring season, the "openng Of the bal-a
period In the flight Of 40 which our entire country
has looked ticaly forward,-having return
ed spring trade may be considered fairly commenced
and this was announced last week by divers arrivals
From, and sundry departures for the various dig
Xgings" Of the great Placer. Pack horses and pack
mules heaped upon by, and nearly hidden under the
great loads Of supplies, and huge packs of merchan-
disc, might have been seen grouped together about
stores and landng places, or jogging on at easy
pace along the roads lending hence across the great
plains to the different mountain " Diggngs." And,
then too, might be seen grey clouds Of dust in
other direction, proclaiming fresh corners at hand,
last and furious, with empty pack saddles and par
set for trade. Yesterday witnessed the arrival Of
schooners Catherine" and "Antonita" each of
forty tons burden and upward, and also of three
launches at our Embacadeto, all from San Francisco:
it also saw the departure from the Fort of eighteen
or twenty heavily loaded OK wagons all destined for
the North Fork (Americun RIVER and Dry Giggings
3adlaoent.
EGold washing has been carried on during the past
winter win varied success. AtiDry Diggings snow
Hell to the depth OF three feet, and remained on the
ground several days after each storm. Little gold
has been procured but drcary winter has been
worn away and with comparative comfort, il is said
At Cnl ona, or the Saw Mill, where the gold was
first discovered the season has been uniformly gen.
te and the abors of the gold gatherer attended with
partial success. On the Middle Fork, the average
mas been about Two ounces per day each man, but
high water retards the work, and little more will be
done, II Is believed, until the latter part Of May. Al
large number principally Oregonians, have wintered
on fuba river agreeably and with fair success attend
ing mining operations, the daily average being one
and half and two ounces throughout. The stream
rs much swollen, but promises golden harvest
when the waters subside Feather river Bear Creek
Dry Greek, Mokelumne and Costume rivers have all
been worked in or inhabited, and their respective
enthusiastic little communities are with feverisl
anxiety awaiting stall of the water" But IL Isl
Sfdnisaus that has alured the uninitiated gold hum
ter to the early copguest-S tanislaus that has gath
cred the oating population Of the mines during the
last month" Stanslaus" that hus gone forth rail-
il is said have washed out the shining beautiful gold
as 1t was never washed out before. We yesterday
was shown a piece of remarkable beauty and purity
weighing eleven ounces and hree.fourths, for the
gold from thnt stream Is generally In large pieces
more generally termed sugS Or coarse, but rery nc
gold, II you please The borders of this Stanisaus
stream form an inexhaustbly rich portion of the
Placer, though because II Is a. this time oerflow-
ling full" the heavier deposites cannot be reached
and labor generally is suspended In consequence
The Sierra Nevada as seen from the fort is covered
with snow-a sublime feature in the scenery of Sa-
cramento is this range of mountains. This great
body OF snow has 80 10 find the ocean through the|
various streams flow to the Sacramento and San
Joaquin rivers and thc waters must remain high I'M.
~ ill May or June.
i has been commonly stated that gold does mott
-. Sc NT.f.xl IA. y
found as far south as explorations through hostile
bands OF Indians have yentured; while tho "goldI
regions" has been limited TO strip of fifty mles|
breadth on theswestern slope of the Sierra Nevada.
This conclusion has been derived from vniiety of
sources the most positive said to be the result Of AMI
actual examination last fall Of the Sierra Nevada
submits; but the parties engaged In this work dol
mot appear to have pierced the earth 10 any depth
IN the search, and finding no gold the result of their
abors ON the surface, forthwith abandoned the sum-
init for the slope; and at little distance down dis
covered first indications of the precious metal near
or on the surface, OF course where the rains Of hea
5ven have washed for centuries. "rhe earth hns|
wonders as the water hath" and doubt not that
gold will continue to be found for years TO come andI
las abundnntly us during eventiul '46.
The general health of the mining community,
land of our thriving Sacramento city in particular,
remains good, although number OF cases of actual
lscurry are reported In the several "dggings." An
|enre absence of vegetable food and coarse irregu
liar Dict have produced this disease. Two deaths
InnVe uuTlHH the Winter. teamSteT naneuU
Kains was drowned on Sunday )nst, in The dyke in
|rear of the fort He was intoxicated, and fell ink
land sank before assistance could be rendered. Sac
|ramento city Is building up rapidly, and its "man /
Hest destiny Is too Perceptible to require comment
Hts worn and crumbling Fort Sacramento has been
converted into an immense mart and business cen
tire and at the Embacadeto good substantial houses
loom up, or great white tents glance among the trees
lin every direction. Houses IRE erected about us
when the means Of building are atainabe, and
|canvass is substituted where not; 1t is by means
rare to see frame house singlcd eiM canrass here
|abouts. The printing Office Of the "Placer Times
Ia little weekly" to be published here is nearly com
|pleted, and the first number will be issued in few
days
The mania for making cities ION paper In this
section Of the country, squite exravagant as that
(which peryadcd the People of the Western States in
|l937 and '3S. Several new town sites have been
actually surveyed and regularly laid off each claim
ling OF course prior and superior advantages to each
land all of its competitors. D
Among novelties first and foremost, however
comes I'M application Of the diving bell to gold gath
Iering This Is seriously intended and the bell Is now
Ibcing constructed at this place by the protector a
practical mll-wright, and who is very sanguine OF
success. Scuttes and "crades'' will be entirely SUI
Iperseded by this pondrous machine. Companies are
FORMING and making preparations to bring the hid
Iden treasure within human grasp by dverting the r
course OF the streams in many paces from their nat
Iural channels. II Is supposed immense wealth will
Ibe realized from the rivers beds.
In few days this place will resume Its wonted
business hustle, when rare aimes are anticipated
We will have but little rnn from this time until the
setting in Of another winter. A cloudess sky Is
above u.s. verdant plains and woodlands stretch for
leagues away in the disance-but in the interval Of
anohcr year. what changes shall be rung In the beau
Itful valley before ns. The floods to fortune is
Opened with the balmy breath Of spring. but in the
resistlcss torrent pouring in how great must be the
sacrifcc OF heath-how many shall "by the way side
|ia and perish" in the struggle for wealth many
VERY many who are now setting out strong in hope
land heart, and buoynnt In youths full vigor.
Goods are plenty here, and the advance upon San
francisco prices j. but proporllonae with the times
Lumber is with the greatest difficulty obtained al
Though tho Culloma saw-mil is running necessarily
eighty cents per foot is not baked at in many in
|slances--we should marvel not TO see II at one dollar
Horses are worth from $500 to $500 each; (,sorM
did we say gross libel upon horse-hesh,) Oxen
bring $500 per yoke. Freight from this place to the
DRY Dggings is $50 per hundred Flour sells at $50
Beef on the hoof si5 lscarce and dried beef s75 per
|cwt, ETC. Board at this place, exclusive of lodging
lis $40 per week. 1t would be well were one Of those
boarding house vessels, advertised in the United
States 10 arrive. We would undertake TO insure her
Owners fortune sup Feather river" as the saying
goes. Certainly ut the rate proposed, such an enter
|Drse yyOud hp Hnt arip olu ,nad