Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-05-04
The Great American Gold Mines.


Putting California out of the question, Pro-
lessor Ansted of Kings College, London, esti-
mates the total value of the gold mined in all
parts Of the world at &c, 100000, or about $780,
500 900 year. This includes an estimate of
100000, or a million Of dollprs, from North
Americas; but California is left out as not yet af'
fording any data on which to fonnd rational
estimate, different persons guessing for her, ac.
cording TO their various moods, product OF from
one TO Two hundred thousand up to twenty or
thirty millions month. We cannot ourselves
pretend to assign the value of the gold which is
supposed to yield twenty millions year. Al
that rate, indeed, California will do wel-very
we,l-wel enough and most persons, we fan
cy, will be perfectly we'll satisfied, and perhaps
ugreeably surprised, when she is proved 10 be
capable Of pouring into the world such an annu-
al flood Of treasure.
But, after all. what is there in this to be so
very much excited and delighted at-to make
so much nois5 aboutl Twenty millions of dol
lars is not such an astonishing sum TO be yield.
ed by an American gold mine. We have some
dozens of mines that yield far richer returns
among which we may especially mention those
which are wrought by American farmers. There
is no such placer in the world as well manu-
led field; picks, aud 8hoves, and bowie knives
are lrAng mining instruments when compared
to the plough and harrow; the stream OF water
that washes the gold will never compare with
The rains of heaven that make III the harvest
mans cradle is u more efficient piece OF mach-
merry than The gold miner's-to say nothing OF
the reaping machine by which the golden pro-
duct is gathered off whole acres in an hour, d
The thresher by which the golden grains are sep
arated, hundred or a thousand bushels OF them
day. Take The gold mines-such gold mines
such gold mines Of almost any respectable
State in The Union, and balance their wealth a
gainst all California promises. We take the ag-
ricutural estimate, in the Annual Patent Office
/ Report for 1848, and we find that in the single
, State Of Ohio, the gold dggers Of the home
stead mines turned out some twenty millions ot
bushels of wheat-worth in these latiludes, full
as many millions Of dollars; so that Ohio's
: wheatfields produced as much gold as the whole
= Russian empire is supposed and all California
n is expected 10 produce. Her maize fields, a
= the same time, gave seventy millions of busheI;
a of Indian corn, worth upwards of forty million:
i. of doIlars-or twice the estimate OF California
d gold. There are thirty millions of bushels o
i. oats worth ten millions ofdollars, raised in OhiC
e for the purpose of being fed away to the horses
J. Twenty millions of dollars worth of gold viii
l. not bring California up TO The level of the SOt
5, Of Ohio.
d In fact, one cannot but feel a disposition Il
W smile ut all this excitement about the wealth o
/. the valley of the Sacramento who, by lookin
n. over these tables is reminded of the vast weall
IL # dou onriou my
,e character-of the United States. The whej
if crop alone was worth $4,000, 900; the maz
e. crop as 60 cents, 1859 100000; the mere hal
Il, ten dollars, was worth $l57 100000 If "
add to the oats, rye, barley, and buckwheat, an
potatoes, merely, rejecting all other farming pr,
On ducts, seeds, roots, fruits, and truck crops
every kind, we have total annual value
VS. S76S 900, 900 as representing part only OF Il
~, products OF these gold mines here at HON
I'm The truth is, if we add the animal food, &C
MS raised, making the proper deduction from Il
hay and other crops for the cost Of raising it,
,as we'll as of sustaining the animal labor emplo
nd. ed, not forgetting the tobacco rice, cotton, hen
&C., of the South, we shall find that the ag
Lo cultural mine Of the United States yields eve
m wear TO the farmers Of the United States upwar
Ir of thousand millions Of dollars; that is mo
nic than the whole British national debt, which Am
led rican farmers could pay off, if they iel! incline
ed in "A single year. No, no; these goId mines
is California are not so amazing as people 'hIl
them.
htokes some four or five hundred dollars
,sd corry gold seeker from Philadelphia TO the S
nm cramento. The same sum will carry him
i've Iowa or Minnesota, and buy him quarter Sc
q. lion of land with cabin and the necessary ia
- ming outfit. Now, on such mine as that, '
DO no. suppose any one would be likely 10 d