The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-05-18
Late From California.
Cerospendenoe of the Ottawa Free Trader
SACRAMENTO CRY, March 9, 1880


wrote you, was from my fortress on Mud Hill
the first mountain from the valley below my
winter quarterSD where lay mud bound watch,
ing "Ihe sun 6gddy dndHe moon by night for a
propitious moment when might slide home be-
tween the showers The time ut length arrived
when the road became firm enough to entitle il 10
the name OF Terra Firna and moved my boots
with my wagon and its load Of truck and plum.
der to Dolby town. There to compensate me for
the weeks Of toll ! had endured in getting up
from the city, the pleasant bath took in the Yu.
ba where very nearly lost my life, wagon, goods
and cattle, another three weeks Of repose was de-
creed me by the fatee in the shape Of Neuralgia,
with which ! suffered all the pain of "Goblins
damned, but which doctor Willoughby assured
me would leave me in better health than had
seen for years. Thus far his predictions have been
verified, and am now capable Of enduring more
fatigue than | ever was before and Heaven knows
have encountered it. An excursion in the noun.
tains about the frat of January followed, which
occupied Il week during which it r.uncd night and
day constantly and increased the weight of our
packs most sensibly although I'VE carried weight
without 1t, consisting of seven days ratons (which
We ate up in six, and ieas'eG ON cold water on
the scventh) our fire arms, ammunition and pros.
pcctlng tools. We penetrated about fifty miles
among the hills, wading through snow, fordng
streams deeper than our boots, clingng To rocks
in passing precipices, keeping good lookout for
the aatiucs who were ready 10 mink" N. s corght
mapping, and faring sumptuously upon hard
bread
made one happy discovery--that the noun
tans are decidedly the most cold water country
ever saw, and give 1t as my decided opinion
mark met Is only my own private opinion,
from which all men may dlfier-that Temperance
4 =.
that it is wholly useless 70 preach Temperance
principle upon those mountain peaks. arrived
at TIN, important conclusion from twosmple facts
list. Because there are neither eTog shons nor
people there and I'd The most confirmed tppler
cannot carry enough Of the ardent with linn to
last week aud he is compelled to use no other
beverage than pure cold water. We finally made
n claim on two bars on the South Fork Of Feather
river which are held ty our company of nine men
and where We are now engaged IN the work which
brought Us to California These bars Of which |
speak are low places along the river bank where
a deposile of sand. gravel and loose rock made by
the water and when An opportunity il piv.p tn
cut Il race by which to drain the stream from its
bed The gold being deposited from the hill, by
the rains aud mountain rills into the river are car
ried by the current into ci,lirs, AuleS or rockets
20 that 1t il generally found most abundant IN the
main bed If streams. and Wien tie wafer can In,
turned off it has penerall, been fund 10 ,irld =
golden harvest. OF course these bars are sot,,l,
fr and j, is considered fortunate 10 obtain one
The South Fork Of Feather river had been but
little prospectcd until late last fall aud ~ late as
December there were tu, three or four c. in, FIR
the distance Of twenty miles above Dubv Town
started out the moment my health permitted
though at great risk the second day Of january
when To our grca, surprise We found a cabin near
" every mile, and sometimes little ,cttl,mci',5 Of
five 10 ten houses, 50 great had been the rush up
t. the fprk when it, deposits became known
These were almost Wholly those per,cu, who
had rcmain,d ON Longs 4 Bdw,lis blr. CL.
latter where | made nv fr,t ds5Hl and who hnd
supplied themselves with provisions To remain in
the mountains during the winter. thu, having the
advantage 0f those who might come ON in the
>pring When ! arrived ut BiwrllS, or Dohy
Town, irum my last trip tu the CITY, a great change
had taken place Tents and people had c,ap
pcarcd, and the population wa, reduced nearly
three iuurths hwt un going up the Fork found a
great part Of our olI friend, in various lnrations
living snugly IN comfortable log cabins on their
claims. lie utmost respect is paid by mnyrs 10
each others claim Some little difficulty occurred
last fall between two companies respecting the
right Ia can ur portion Of II, when u gene.
raj convention was called at the Oregon Bar on
the South Fork on New Years day, for the pur.
pose Of defining what constituted claim and tp
have a general and mutual un nicrstanilny with
regard To each others rights. Among intelligent
and liberal men, hi, matter was soon settled up.
on just and equitable principles
Every man or company making a claim to n
bar or to portions, to put up three written notices
giving the boundary Of lis claim lie then must
take actual possession within ten days, and com.
mcnce his work in some tangible form 80 that it
WAS apparent hr would be Iona fide occupant
and not clam 10 the exclusion of Others. He then
registered his name or bar ON the books If the
Association thus iurmcd) and became a member
and IN the event Of others attempting to drive
him oH he was entitled to the protection of all
the companies constituting the Association lie
was allowed all the bed cf the stream which he
drained to n medium stage of water and then 10
feet front and thirty back from that point. This
is general outline Of the plan although there are
Of course few minor details as the condition Of
things required. but this is looked To aud spoken
Of along the river with rs much Difference and
respect as # it was the law of the land Indeed,
as things are now situated in the mines any ac.
ton Of congress or Of our own Legislature is Who'll
" unnecessary and if either undertake to erect n
Miners cod,. without practical experience shall
then look for difficulties which will not occur so