The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-10-30
A Letter frOss a Gentleman in Cali
f0rHia to his Friend in North
CnrNlina.
Carolina.

Howard bt fore this, had not deemed il best
TO wait Ut Ill the summer mining operations
had fairly set 10. Having collected, from
ocfaai oberrofion, aud from abundant, and
snje sources, a sufficiency of facts TO write
decidedly and Understandings in relation 20
our prob bic success in gold digging. /
will now liy before you the real actual state
of things IN this country.
wrote to James about four aeehs since,
informing him Of my whereabouts; but, lest
that letter may not reach its destination,
which II is an even chance, will again say
that em, with maay others, about 800 miles
north Of San Francisco, and about 100 miles
from The river Sacramento and due eas, from
1t. The nearest point to steam navigation
is Marysville, on the liver Yube, fifty six
miles from here; so that by lnukng on the
nap, you can Put your h7ger directly on me.
lou must understand that mining IN Cali.
forRla is d7ldej into two periods lhe fall,
winter and sprng constituting one, and the
sumner the other. 10 the FIRST, mining is
confined exclusively TO what is singulary
called the Dry Diggings; but, the truth is.
we have enough, aud more than enough. water
at.those times. About the 9th or 18th of
May, all these dry diggins fail totally IN wa.
ter, and ot course, na operations, or very
few, are carried on at them. From this time
until the last of June, little or nothing is or
can bs done in ninlng-ths revines being
uaieElees, and the rivers and eeks too high.
AZ this time, thousands on thousands are
wandering over the country, prospecting. as
they cal! i-that is, looking out for places 10
work IN until the rainy season seis in, in No.
vember. 1t is, consr qneDtIy, period when
very little gold is made, and much travel, "a
igue and expense encountered AZ mining
on The rivers and creeks requires consider
able outlay ct money, and very laborious
work IN cutting canals, building dams, &C.,
&C., the miner have hitherto ciung 10 the
raslnes or dry diggins as long as possible
and the consequence is that almost ell that
were worth working have bern exhausted
or nearly so. This circumstance has driven
them 10 Tempt the river mining this SUMNER.
from one eHF 10 rEe other OF al! the streams
making from The Snow Mountains TO the Sa
cramenio people are planted es thick as cir
cumsiaHces will permit, aud an immense a
mount o! work has been done along all the
lines OF operation. For 30 miles above and
below me, Deer Creek has been forced from
lis natural channe! and made to take fresh
cut route, IN order that we may .amsack its
old bed for he presumed treasure bid there.
Deer Creek Is bout the size of Fishing Creek,
q GEAR, cnid and dashing stream, imme date
ly from Nevada. The Yuba Feather river.
Bear river and American are all much lar I
gsf than Deer Creek, and will not be low
enough to mine on hem TO any extent before
August Al! the streams making from the
Snow mountains have very few or no acces
sorry streams; no branches, as we have, are
10 be seen, because springs are hardly ever
seen, although there be mountains, and no.
thing but mountains, all around US. All the
rivers are kept going by the fall Of rain in
Inc winter and the melting of snow in the
summer. They run through lhe country
usl as boys think the intestine OF the crane
runs through it.
1t Is almost distressing to see thousands of
people Tented on he banks Of these streams.
long next to nothing, waiting the fa! of the I
Ratsrs, with only the uncertain hope to sus. $
ain them, OF hndng gold n the channels
Jn The whole, then, my opinion is roundly I
md fully made up, that u0rk and struggle as !
you may, no large amount of gold will be {
gathered by the effort. Since the race of {
nan began, never have such lies and misrto |
'eSentafio9s been told and published as have ,
ieeu IN The last two years, about the rich !
iess OF California IN gold. | dsclare, before a
ny Maker, that | do no, believe hat, .aking r
he "ho!e OF the mining population, it viii '
average 50 day TO each man. | am not "a e
one in this opinion. Thousands on thou +
lands OF The best Informed and respectable d
men are with me; many, however, ihlrk nv a
silmaie too high, aud it is likely So From {
lose observation aud trustworthy statements /
made me, can speak for Deer Creek with c
confidence aud from men of high standing, '
own 10 The humbIest individual from all
arts OF tho mining districts Of California. | r
m assured that nothing but cruel disappoint q
men: has followed the miners wherever they 1
ave gone. This is the rule, attended bv the s
ccusomed exceptions that accompany all $
uies When say that most all men who "
ave come TO California 10 make a fortune b
re sadly disappointed, BY no means would ii
nsInuale that they can make nethloe; but o
hey have come for fortune, and consume K
20 much time IN hunting after it. Some u
'w, not one IA thousand, do occasionally a
no spot where two or three ounces dav Il
an be made 10 the hand; hut such q weld a
nay not last five days. 1t is the mos uncer. a
AN business that ever man engaged in, "
ne day you may put your hand in what is g
a led pocket. and take out three or four ii
unces, and then you may work for week hi
nd not get more than IS or $40 per day, hi
nd hard work at that. On the whole, al. fo
hough gold is scattered broadcast through. OF
Ut the mountainous region Of California, vet W
wv, very few, have found, or will find, it de. I,
osiled in any locality one.tenih as rich as 81
as been represented. Nevertheless, with Ii
ard work same sk,ti orI . H. ...: -.