Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-04-25

son OF lS49, people came into the territory
from all quarters-from Chill, Peru, and
other States on the Pacific coast of South
America-trom the west coast of Mexico
the Sandwich Islands, China and New Hol-
| land.
The immigration from the United States
came in last, if we except those who cross
ed the lsthmus of Panama, and went up the
coast in steamers, and few who sailed ear
ly on The voyage round Cape Horn.
The Americans did not come in by sea, in
much force, until July and August, and those
overland, did not begin 20 arrive until the
last OF August and first ofSeptember. The
Chllians and Mexicans were early in the
country. In the month of July it is suppo-
sed there were fifteen thousand foreigners
IN the mines. At place called Sonorian
Camp, 1t IS believed there were at least ten
thousand Mexicans. They had quite city
OF booths, tents, and log cabins; hotels, res
taurants, stores and shops of all descriptions,
furnished whatever money could procure
Ice vas brought from the Sierra, and ice
creams added TO numerous other Injuries.
An Enclosure made of the trunks and branch
es OF trees, and lined with cotton cloth, SER
we'd as an amphltheater for bul-iights other
amusements, characteristic of the MexIcans
were seen in all directions.
The foreigners resorted principally to the
mines, which gave them great superiority
IN numerical force over the Americans, and
enabled them TO take possession of some of
the richest IN that part of the country. In
the early part of the season the Americans
were mostly employed on the forks on the
American and on Bear, Uba, and Feather
rivers. As their numbers increased they
spread themselves over the southern mines,
and collisions were threatened between
them and the foreigners. The latter, how
ever, for some cause, either fear, or hav-
ing satisfied their cupldity, or both, began
to leave the mines late in August, aud by
the end OF September many OF them were
out Of the country.
! Ii is not probable that during the first
part of the sason there were more than five
or SIX thousand Americans IN the mines
J THIS would swell the whole number, Inclu-
ding foreigners, 10 about twenty thousand
/ the beginning of September. This period
embraced aoout half of the season during
which gold may be successfully collected IN
the rivers.
/ Very particular and extensive inquiries
respecting the daily earnings and acquisl-
tlons ofthe miners lead 10 the opinion that
they averaged an ounce per day. This Is
believed by many to be low estimate; but
! from the best information was able TO pro-
cure, am of opinion 1t approaches very
near actual results The half of the season,
up to the LIST OF September, would give SIX
/ iy -ilye working days, and to each laborer,
at SI6 per ounce, l.O4O. If, therefore,
we assume ! 900 as the average collected
/ by each Iaborer, we shall probably not go
/ beyond the mark.
/ This would give an aggregate of $780,
900, 600 for the first halfoi the season-I5,-
O00, 900 oil which was probably collected by
/ foreigners. During the last half of the sea-
sou the number was very much diminiS he'd
and, perhaps, did not exceed 5000. At
this time the American emigration had come
IN by land aud sea. aud the number OF our
! fellow citizens IN the mincs had. as was es-
tImated Increased between 40 ,00U aud 90,
| 900. They were most of them inexperI-
enced in mining, and it is probable the re-
suits of their labors were not as great as has
been estimated for the first part of tie sea-
son and experienced miners, ASSUMING that
the average ofhalf an ounce per day ought
to be considered as reasonable, it would give
an aggregate of about so, 200, 900. Ifirom
this we deduct one-iourth on account of the
early commencement of the wet season, we
have an estimate of SIS, 000, 900; at least
FIVE of which was collected by foreigners,
who possessed mdny advantages from their
experience in mining aud knowledge of the
country.
( These estimates give, as the result of the
operations in the mines for IS4S and lS49,
the round sum of $40. OO0, 0O0-one half of
which was collected and carried out of the
country by foreigners.
From the best information l could OBJ
tain, am leo TO believe that at least $780,
coo, 900 of the 100000 were taken
/ from the rivers, and that their richness has
not been sensibly diminished, except in a
Few locations, which had early attracted
dies of miners. This amount has
r.ra"J =" taken from the northern
mento the southern riYa,s, -. -
flow into the San Joaquin, has,S. n.en
comparatively, but little resorted to unui
near the close of the last season. These
rivers are, however, believed, by those who
have visited them, to be richer in the pre-,
cious metal than those in the northern par,
of the gold region.
I There is one river which, from reported
recent discoveries, and not included in the
description of those flowing into the, grea
: plain west of the Sierra Nevada, is as ricf
in gold as any of them. That is the Trim
ity, which rises north of the head-waters o
the Sacramento, and discharges into the
/, Pacific not far from the fortieth degree o
north latitude.
There are, as near as my recollection
serves me, twelve principal rivers in which
gold has been found; but most ofthe $40,
O0O, 600 in the above estimate was takeI
from six or seven of them, where it wa,
first discovered and most accessible.
Adopting the hypothesis that the golt
found in the beds Of these streams has beer
cut or worn from the veins in the quartz
through which they have forced their way
!. and considering the fact that they are al
rich, aud said TO be nearly equally produc
tive, we may form some idea of the vast a.
mount Of treasure remaining undisturbed il