The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-05-01


than others, SO is the gold found in fine or coarse
PARTICLES, apparently corresponding to the degree
of attrition to which it has been exposed. The
water from the hills and upper valleys, in find
ing its way to the rivers, has cut deep raw
ines, and, wherever it came in contact with
the quartz, has dissolved or crumbled it in pie
ces. '.."' ~ 81.
l In the dry season these channels are mostly
without water, and gold is found in the beds and
margins Of many of them in large quantities, but
IN much coarser state than in the rivers; owing,
undoubtedly, to the moderate flow and Temporal
ry continuance of the current, which has redu-
ced it to smooth shapes, not unlike pebbles, but
had not sufficient force to cut it into flakes or
dust.
The dry diggings are places where quarts con.
grated, crumbled to fragments, pebbles and 1s dust
by the action of water and the atmosphere 49,
The gold has been left as it was made, in all i'm
imaginable shapes; in pieces of all sizes, from
one grain to several pounds III weight The ev-
ldence that it was created in combination with
quartz are too numerous and striking to admit of
doubt or cavil. They are found in Combination
IN large quantities.
A very large proportion of the pieces of gold
found III these situations have more or less quarts
adhering to them. In many specimens they
are so combined they cannot be separated with
ouL ACuuCAHS VIC WIlOc mass 10 powder. and
subjecting to the action of quicksilver.
This gold, not having been exposed to the at
triton OF strong current of water, retains, in a
great degree, its ori ginal conformation.
These dlgglngs, IN some places, spread over
vallles of considerable extent, which have the
appearance of an alluval, formed by washings
from the adjoining hills, of decomposed quartz
and slate earth, and vegetable matter.
In addition to these facts, it is beyond doubt
hat nj
cred in the quartz, from which numerous speci-
mems have been taken, showing the minute con-
nexion between the gold and the rock and ndi-
eating value hitherto unknown in gold mining
These veins do not present the appearance Of
places where gold may have been lodged by
some violent eruption. 1t is combined with
quartz, i'll all imag Unable degrees and forms and
degrees of richness.
The rivers present very striking, and, it would
seem, conclusive evidence respecting the guam
tty of gold remaining undiscovered in the quartz
veins. 1t is not probable that the gold In the
dry diggings, and that in the rivers-the former
IN Jumps, the latter in dust-was created by diff
fercnt processes. That which is found in the
river has undoubtedly been cut or worn from the
vein in the rock, with which their currents have
come in contact. All of them appear to be equal
ly rich. This is shown by the fact that labor
ing man may collect nearly as much in one rv-
through the gold region, running from east to
west, at irregular distances of fifteen to twenty,
and perhaps some of them thirty miles apart
Hence, it appears that the gold veins are equal
ly rich in all parts of that most remarkable sec
ton of country. Were it wanting, there are fur
ther proofs of this in the ravnes and dry Dig
gings, which uniformly confirm what nature so
plainly shows in the rivers.
For the purpose of forming some opinion re-
| tho probob1n Mt pry 1,,o cft
in the gold region, it will be proper to state the
estimates which have been made of the quantity
collected since its discovery.
Gold was first discovered OH the south fork of
the American river, at place called Sutter $
mill, Coloma-late in May or early in June, 1849
Information which could be relied on, announc-
ing this discovery was not received in this city
until late in the following autumn
| No immigration into the mines could there
fore, have taken place from the old States in that
year The number of mines was, consequent
ly, limited to the population of the territory
some five hundred men from Orcgon-Mexic xicans
and other foreigners who happened to be in the
country, came into it during the summer and
autumn, and the Indians, who were employed by
or sold their gold to the whites.
1t is supposed there were not far from five
thousand men employedin collecting gold during
that season. live suppose they obtained an av-
crage of one thousand dollars each-which is re-
garded by well-informed persons as low esti-
mate-the aggregate amount would be $5,GO0,-
900.
Information oft discovery spread all di-
rectons during the following winter, and, on the
commencement ofthe dry season in l549, people
came into the territory from all quarters-from
Chill, Peru, and other States the Pacific coast
of South America-from the west coast Of Mex
co-the Sandwich Islands, China and New Hol-
land.
| The emigrants from the United States came in
last, five except those who crossed the Isthmus
| of Panama. and went up the coast in steamers,
and few who sailed early on the voyage round
Cape Horn. .....-.-
The American emigration did not come in by
sea, in much force, until July and August, and
that overland did not begin to arrive until the last
ofAugust and first Of September. The Chilians
and Mexicans were early in the country. In the
month of July it was supposed there were fifteen
thousand foreigners in the mines. At place
called Sonorarian camp, it was believed there
were at least ten thousand Mexicans. They had
quite city of tents, booths, and log cabins; ho-
tells restaurants, stores and shops of all descrip-
tions, furnished whatever money could procure.
Ice was brought from the Sierra, and ice creams
added to numerous other luxuries. An enclos-
ure made of the trunks and branches Of trees,
and lined with cotton cloth, served as sort Of
an Amphitheatre for bull-fghts; other amuse-
lnents, characteristic of the Mexicans, were to
be seen in all directions. ....F .... ..saa
The foreigners resorted principally to the
Southern mines, which gave them great superb
ority in numerical forces over the Americans, and
enabled them to take possession of some of the
richest mines up in that part of the country. In
the earlier part of the season the Americans were
mostly employed on the forks Of the American
and on Bear, Uba, and Feather rivers. AS their
numbers increased, they spread themselves over
the Southern mines, and collisions were threaten
ed between them and the foreigners, The latter,
however, from some cause, either fear, or having
satisfied their cupidity, or both, began to leave
the mines late in August, and by the end of
September many of them were out of the coun-
try. a &l...egfs r..s.s Vi trf5 f5tt. ,
1t is not probable that during the first part of
the season there were more than FIVE or six thou
sand Americans in the mines. This would swell
the whole number, including foreigners, to about
twenty thousand the beginning ofseptember.-
This period embraced about half ofthe season
in the rivers. 9dg i .Ss agga;i