Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-04-06
MIR. KINGS REPORT ON CALIFORNIA.

, The following synopsis of the report OF The
Hon. T. Butler King, just submitted TO Con
gress, upon the resources of California, &c.
we copy from the Journal Of Co1nmeree:-
The topics of which it treats are-The pop
ulation Of the country its agricultural re-
sources; extent and production Of the mine
raj region; the commerce and navigation of
California the legislation necessary for the
territory; and especially in regard 10 the dis.
position of the gold-bearing lands belonging
TO the United States.
The population Of the country is now about
10000 An accession to the population by
immigration: during the year beginning at
the next dry season--on the lst of Mays
estimated at 200, 600.
The agricultural capacities OF the stale are
vastly grealer than has been heretofore re-
presented. There is vast extent of pasture
lands, unsurpassed anywhere in the world, in
verdure and richness. The wild oats grow
spontaneously all over the plains yielding an
annual crop at the rate of forty bushels, per
acre. Any number of cattle and sheep may
be raised. Two hundred thousand head of
cattle must be brought into the country du-
ring the next two years.
The cattle were formerly killed for their
hides, which was the chiet article of export
and they were worth but S4 a head but now
they are worth $50 or $50 a head
California is especially adapted to WOOL
growing a gentleman was about 10 import
ten thousand sheep from Mexico with a view
10 90 into that business. The future value
of the vineyards is represented as very great
As TO the commerce Of the country, he es-
Inmates the value Of imports, needed in Cali
fornia from the Atlantic states, for the next
year, al four millions Of dolIals in -four, six
millions in lumber, and two millions in other
articles.
As 10 the article Of lumber, its price is now
S75 per thousand, and cannot be lower, be-
cause ii is below the cost of labor necessary
for cutting and saving lumber in California.
It can be carried 10 California for S24 a thou.
sand and supposing it cost 500 here, it will
continue 10 pay.
The gold region is described as extending
five or six hundred miles from the south TO
the north, and from forty to sixty miles in
width from east TO west. II rises gradually
in an inclined plain, from the Sacramento
valley, to the elevation of 1000 feet, at what
are called the Foot Hills, Between these
hills and the Sierra Nevada, a number of
streams have their source, and take their
course through the Foot Hills westward.
Mr.. King examined twelve Of these rivers,
and found them all very rich in gold; and
the conclusion is inevitable. from all the facts
that the whole quartz plain, containing three
thousand square miles, is full Of gold bcdded
in the quartz, and some of which, disinte-
grated from the quartz by the torrents, may
be found in dus, and humps in the beds of the
streams.
The whole number of foreigners in the re-
gion who are gold hunters, is fifteen thousand
There have been but seven thousand kmeri-
can gold hunters. The Chilians and the So
nora people came in crowds, and have car
ried off twenty five millions. The Americans
have procured fifteen millions. The Chilians
are. expert diggcrs,
The amount Of gold already procured, is
forty millions. But forty millions more will
be procured during the coming dry Season
say from May TO November.
The regular mining operations in the solid
quartz rock will soon begin, and eau be con-
tinued during the wet as well as the dry sea-
son.
Mr.. King estimates the amount of gold
which will be procured from the lst May
1850, ill the ist November, 1852, at one
hundred millions.
He recommends that the lands be retained
as public property forever-and as a perpetu-
al resource for the public cychcquer.
To the workers and diggers of gold he pro-
poses 10 grant permits at the rate of an ounce
of gold for each pound.
For the encouragement Of regular mining
operations, he proposes 10 grant leases of a
limited number Of acres, TO persons or COM
panes, at a small per cenlage on the amount
Of gold procured.