Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-08-23
LErrER rRom CALIFORNIA.
For Inc IeIegrapH'
YUBA RIVER GOLD MINES,
June 18th, 1850.

from as and so deg in the morning to rs and 80
at noon. for the last month and half. To the
great disappointment and disadvantage of the
miners the rivers keep up high yet, consequently
they can not work in the mines to much adVan-
tage yet and probably cannot until August, from
the fact that there is perpetual snow on the Sler-
ra Nevada mountains, which melting in the day
time keeps the streams full. There is not more
than four or five months in the course of the year
that the miners can work to much advantage In
California, in consequence OF rain, snow, and
high water and there is but little chance Tor tar
mers and mechanics. The seasons vary here,
but generally the best time for mining is from the
middle of July to the middle of December. In
the winter, the snow falls in the mines from one
to twenty feet deep. The market prices at Eos
ter's Bar, which is on Yuba river, 35 miles from
Mary's vile, which is the head of steamboat, in
fact, of all navigation, and 25 miles from the foot
Of the mountains, are generally as follows Flour
from 35 to so cents per h.; pork from 80 10 70
cts; beef, fresh, from 80 to 80 cts; beans so to
rs cts; dried fruit 81; coffee from so to IS cts;
tea, 30 to rs cts; sugar 80 to 81; picked fruit
and cucumbers in glass jars dolls. per half gal
lon; sweet and irish potatoes from 80 to rs cts.
per Id. The price of dry goods is so variable
th at it is useless to say any thing with regard to
them. Fosters Bar is as far up as teams can
get with wagons All the provisions and bag
gage that go above have to be packed. The
packers charge forty cents per H. for packing up
to the forks of the river, distance of 80 miles
above. Any surprise you may entertain at this
would vanish on seeing the country, or would
change to wonder that it could be got at all.
The packing is mostly done on mules, as it would
be impossible to do any thing of the kind with
American horses.
Perhaps you wish to know what the miners
can average per day. 1t is difficult to tell, but
will refer you to one instance. There is COM
pany of my friends, four in number, located at
the Forks of the river. was up there last week
prospecting and call'd to see them. Some dis
lance back from the river they found place
where there seemed to be a considerable depth
of earth. Being men of Industrious habits and
wishing to make every day useful to themselves
and to society, concluded they would try their
luck by digging a hole there. They dug four
teen feet and found no gold the next foot they
found some; the next foot they come to the bed
rock, which seems to extend all through this
country. Here they found gold, and took out in
one day $4,000. The day | was there they
took out $4,000, but from the appearance it will
soon fail. Some men owning claims between
where they dug and the river, encouraged by the
success of my friends concluded they would dig
a hole. So they commenced nearer the river
with much better prospect; dug down to the
bed rock but did not find particle of gold. At
the forks the gold is coarser than in most of the
mines and not so equally deposited in the earth
saw in some places at the forks Of the river some
men who worked very hard and did not make
more than three or four dollars per day, but then
many have good luck after a time. person
blest with uninterrupted health and OF industri-
Gus habits may do well here; for those who are
deficient in either it is probably the worst coun-
try in the world. Vice of all kinds fourshes
amazingly here, and in its impious daring threa-
tens almost the battlements of heaven, for all its
instrumentalites may be found even here within
few miles of the towering summit of the Ser
ra Nevada mountains.
| have seen that the President recommends to
Congress to make provision for surveying and
bringing the gold mines into market and sell
them in small lots. His Honor had better rec
ommend to Congress to make provisions for sur
veying the moon and bringing it into market.
1t is about as possible and will not be SO much
expense. The rivers occupy all the valleys and
the mountains are from one to two or three miles
high and in many places so steep and rocky that
it is impossible for man or beast to descend TO
the river. But were it possible do not think it
would pay the expense as the people that will
lion iiFCo anu 10 COllG anu WOrK
in the mines, have paid tax enough for all the
gold they get, and if the hon. functionares don't
believe it, they had better try the experiment of
digging awhile, when think they will become
convinced.
There has been some marvellous discoveries
in the gold mines, if we may believe all we read.
The California True Deta published at New
Orleans contains the following: "Whatever
speculation may have existed respecting the re-
cent stories of gold in quartz beds in California
is rapidly disappearing before practical demon
STATIONS of there correctness. Thousands of
specimens have been exhibited in this CITY of
gold in quartz, answering to the description OF
the California press of the quartz beds in Calfor-
MIA extending four hundred miles, A large rich
specimen OF that rock was brought from Calfor-
mia by the Hon. Mr.. Wright, one of her delegates
to Congress, which was broken from the native
rock, and is valued at $500. Mr.. Wright states
ne has traceda vein of that stratiication for dis.
ance of II miles" Thousands of specimens
have been exhibited in this city! don't wonder
at it, for understand by Sacramento paper that
they are made there. The quartz beds extend.
ing hundreds of miles and the discovery of Mr.
Wright, are either marvellous or spiritual for the
common vision of mortal man has not and car
not make any such discoveries. The N. Y. Tri
pune contains statements of gold being found at
San Francisco and at Sacramento city, and that
this country at a certain depth was one mine oil
gold. These statements are too foolish to be.
lieve. EDWARD HOPKINS
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