The New York herald., 1850-04-06

shvsr, DC.
(From the Pacific News NarchII
MINES AND MINING
We do not wish, nor de- we intend, 10 lend our
selves 10 The encouragement Ut the excitement
existing ~ the United States, IN relation 10 CALI
fornia and her mine raj resources; but at all times
10 give such authe nicated facts come to from
The different placers. From large number Of
miners with whom We have receniy conversed,
direct from the various dIgglngs," we are well
santht that, generally, profitable business has
ceeb done by those who wlntered In the mlnes
and that the re is no dlmnuon the yield of dust
II sonr places are apparently worked out, others of
equal richness are being discovered almost daily,
so thai II becomes more evident that the business
OF mining is as yet only in It's infancy In this
country.
There will be vast amount of mining done the
coming season, WIN quicksilver as on many OF
me rivers The PARTICLES OF gold are extremely ne.
The Virginia, or "Burke Rocker" Is gong ex-
teDsvely into use, either by purchase, or manuac-
ture here-the pnce being about $3.50 each BY
Inc use OF steam or water power, gang ot hve or
ten rockers may be put in motion, and ted with
water, reducing the number OF hands necessary
TO supply them with dirt al least one- halt and more
than doubling the quantity that be daily washed.
In "banks" that contain no more tnan fifteen
cents to the bucket or rsniull the quicksilver
rockers thus worked produce from ten 10 twenty
ounces per day each. D,r that pays less than
twenty-five cents TO pan-fail, is rarely considered
prohtabe 10 wssa with a common rocker
friend OF ours, resident of this city, recently
paid visit 10 the Georgetown dggings, situated
some ten or twelve miles from Suffers Mill, (the
point OF the frst discovery OF goid,) between the
South and Middle Forks OF the American River.
The snow at that time was several feet deep on
the hills. and comparatively few were then at
work. Those who were operating had first 10 re.
move the snow, then the top dirt and stones tre-
quently to the depth OF several feet. before coming
10 the strata OF earth on the bed rock In which
gold Is always found most abundant; At George
town, the richest ravine IN the Northern mines,
located. it is an lmmt nse gulf; running through
volcanic hills, and about mile and half in
length, known by the name of "Oregon canon"
Only portion of half 10 three quarters Of mile,
has been found very rich; but IN this portion, those
who occupy the ground have for months been lite.
rally shovelllng out the god IN coarse grams, and
pieces varying from dollar to several pounds.
Our friend spent day or two IN the camp, In one
OF which he saw four men take out eight pounds,
working but four hours; another party Of four,
pound each. This was of daily occurrence In
that locality, and the miners were averaging more
Than hall pound per day, each man who worked.
But II was Only in this particular canon that such
results were obtained. Elsewhere in the neigh
borhood one or two ounces was considered fair
days work. II Is known that several hundred
thousand dollars have been taken out OF "OregOn
canon" alone since the first Of October last.
Al Mormon Island, where the ground was dug
over last summer " from Dan TO BeeTsheba," till
hardly hall an ounce per day could be realized, the
recent great freshets have so changed the depo-
slte," that nints have slnce been able to do bet
ter in the very same localities than at any time last
day. This seems to have been the effect OF the
floods on all the nvers, to greater or lesser ex-
tent.
People who come 10 California to make money
by MINING, should be prepared tor the haTdships OF
a mountain life, and not only possess good const-
tutions, but AVOID the dsslaons which are too fire.
quently the cause Of greater portion OF the SICK
ness that has given the mining sections OF the
country their reputation tor unhealthlness. We
Can do without that class OF good.for-nothing
thrifttss fellows. who wont work at home,
but who think if they only get to Cali
lorna their fortune Is sure 10 be made 10 few
mouths. Men Of nerve and industry will here, as
everywhere else, be successful and as to health,
no one with good constitution and using common
prudence need fear sickness any more than IN the
States. We deem California. in every respect, as
healthy as any equal extent OF territory on the face
OF the globe.
There are now about one hundred and twenty
thousand inhabitants in California. mostly male
ADULTS. H. can well sustain population Of mil
lions; and even In the mineral regions, several
hundred thousand men could not occupy the whole
ground.
THE SOUTHERN MINES.
Gu. readers have no doubt observed the fact,
heretofore been comparatively mesKre but THIS
has been enrreiy owing 10 the great difficulty Of
communicating with the interior during the wet
season, from the almost Impassabe csndifion Of
the roads across the plains. We hope, however,
10 be able TO present hereafter more satisfactory
summary oi news from that aurifenous portion Of
our State. What iItle We have CLEANED highly
isuerng The idea heretofore prevalent that sue
CO ssiul digging was out OF the question during the
WINTER, is found by actual experiment to be erro-
nsous. In fact, II IL the only time when many
Of the richest deposits can be worked with
any advantage. Clutches at distance from
water, and beds Of creeks dry during the whole
summer, are OF this class. II the deposites are
small PARTICLES, water Is absolutely necessary to
the separation Of the metal and il there lis mix
ture OF the coarse and fine, the difficulty ia only
lessened, not obvisted as all the smaller particles
are lost IN the dr,.wssh: Asa proof OF this, per-
sons at the beginning Of the rains worked in dirt
thrown away In the dry washing, ane were aolr 10
make from one to three ounces day. During the
prevalence oi the rams, suthcleni water is always
to be had NJ these places, and the stream Is seldom
go large that few hours labor cannot turn IL from
the natural course, leaving the bed Of the run for
theatre OF operation.
The largest number OF persons congregaied
in any single section OF the Southern mines
is in the Maripssa country AT the close of
the dry season there was general rush thIiher
from all the tributaries OF the san joaquin,
and there ~ no doubt that large amounts oi
gold will be mined there during the wiater The
whole region OF country, extending from the
Mercedes TO the main Mniposa, exhibits exter-
nally better evidence OF gold than any other Sec
ton OF the Southern mines. Vast quantities of
slate crop out IN every direction, and the surface
ls literally covered with quartz pebbles and large
rocks II the sanse maerial. scanned with granite.
Wherever water was afforded during the past sum-
nler and tall IN sufficient Quantities, miners cId
establishment of the usual communication to be
assured that those who have wiatered IN that sec
tion nave been libtray rewarded for their labors
The Mercedes rlver was nearly deserted during
the months Of September and October, although
lees work has been done thls than any other of
the Southern streams This was owing, not 80
much Co the unproducuveness OF labor on lts bars
end banks as to the belief that better fields of
opers tien were afforded on either side at short
distances. 10 witi the Mouposa ON the south an A
the Tuolumac on the norlh. Drcembsr however
found numbers gong there, and up to the middle
Of the same month, with tattenng prospects.
Since that time we have no definite lnf1rInation
Between the Mercedes and the latter ryer new
diEgines have been found. and those operating in
then are dong well. averaging from one to two
ounces per day The place Is known as Marsell's
Greek. though the diggIngs are not confined to a
single run.
rpon the Tuolumne and its branches large num-
bers of persons are winb nng Woods Creek and
lie immediate vicinity stil maintains lie reputation
as rich SPOT. Upon the river itself not 80 much
is doing IN the wey of actually taking out gold as
getting IN readiness to DO lucrative business the