The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-06-02

deep excavations Of the rocks above alluded
to. Mining is not . surface digging as for
meriy, but actual mining or delying in the
earth from 8 to 40 feet in depth.
The days Of speedy fortunes have passed
away, and all the gold thatis now obtained
is by the most .toilsome efforts, and faithful,
industrious exertion.
Many men who visit this country, frs.
take a superficial survey of the repulsiye
means for money making, and then If they
have the means they turn their backs on the
scene and begin speedy march home wards
Others who are destitute of sufficient means
TO get home again, appropriate what little
they may chance 10 have in mining tools,
and a small stock Of provisions. Then after
seeking out a favorable place, begin opera
mons and delve in the earth for the hidden
treasures. {
/ The mines are divided into wet and dry
the west diggings as they are commonly
called, are in the midst, or on the banks Of
streams where the miner excavates the dirt,
gravel and rock in which the gold is found.
This he does with a coal pick and crow bar.
tie then shovelsit into cradle, made much
like common nursery cradle, with sieve
like fixtures for separating the gravel from
the gold. He then uses dipper about the
size OF a tin wash-dist, with handle to it,
with which he dips up the water from the
stream, or.pool, near where he places his
cradle, and by pouring the water on the
gravel and shaking the rocker or cradle, he
succeeds in separating most of the gold from
the substances with which lit was mixed.
he then empties it into pan holding or
| 8 quarts, and completes the washing by
hand, the cradle not perfectly separating the
gold from all the sand.
The dry diggings are such as are at con-
siderable distance from the streams. The
miner prospects, i. e., hunts place among
the ravines that affords gold. He then goes
to work in the dry season and throws up
large quantity Of dirt, then when the rainy
season begins, stream will be sure to pass
through the ravine where the dirt has been
excavated, and in which he places long
trough with sieve in the lowere called
a "Long Tom" He throws the dirt he
wishes to wash into this "Long Tom," and
the curren. washes the gold out, or rather
washes the dirt away from the gold, which
fails into a receptacle placed under the
sieve. Occasionally the gold is in pieces
sufficiently large to be taken up without
washing. Pieces have been found worth
from 50 to 400-such luck, however, quite
unusual.
| The success of the Miners ic very variable
Some do not make enough to pay for the
food they consume. Thousands are in thi:
condition, other thousands do not make morC
than enough to pay their board. A few
others make from So to IS each day, clear O
expenses. These are called very lucky fel
lows. We are often told of rich digging
from 80 to 300 miles distant, but when W
go there we find them no better than thos
4 we left. Spectators who have goods the
wish to dispose of, cause hue and cry to b
raise concerning the richness of certain pla
ces favorable to their purposes, and THEREBY
cause current of gold seekers TO turn in tn,
direction Of the famed rich region that otter
turns out to be mere farce. The specula
tors become rich while the miners become Of
remain poor. The spectators cause the
wonderful stories to be circulated that becrazt
so many men with California dreams of gold
never to be realized, and their stories in the
States will be believed long before that o
the poor honest laborer who tells the honest
open, naked truth concerning this country.
! The report Of Mr.. King, to congress, con
cerning this country, was tissue of unadul
terated falsehood, that has lured thousand.
10 destruction, induced the separation O
men from their families and prompted al
the misery incident to banishment from home
country, friends and the comforts of life
without lin thousands of cases) the least re
muneration for all their toll, suffering anC
deprivation. If an obscure man had tolt
the story that Mr.. King did, it would no
have been believed, and on the other hand
the truth told by an honest, obscure man
will be put under foot by all who have reaC
the report Of Mr.. King.
This California excitement is monster
humbug, perpetuated beyond all that coult
have been imagined by any person accustom
ed in the least to look on the realities of life
The morals of this country are in a deplo
rable condition. Most of the business dont
by the traders of this country is done on Sun
day. On that day you may see in any little
village, preaching, auctioneering, gambling
drinking, peddling, selling Of goodsand labol
of all kinds, in space Of 40 rods square.
Lynch law is the code by which mos
mcoted points of right and wrong are adjudi
Gated, If man stabs or murders his fellow
man, he is grabbed by the first that can sieze
him, tried by hasty tribunal of men fortu.
itously collected, condemned and executed
forthwith. If thief, he is sometimes exc.
cuted, whipped or whipped and then branded
on the cheek with letter R. Occurrences
of this kind are of daily note.
The expense of living in this country il
very great. Board in the mines varies from
$l5 to 80 per week. The following are tn,
prevailing prices of the most common arti
cles of food &
Flour from 10 to 40 cents per pound
II porlr g On q 60 . C iI