The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-01-16
CALIFORNIA CORRESPONDENCE.

RouGH AND READY, Sept 20, 1850.
Friend SAsDERs:-
In my last promised your
readers that would write them something about
the gold psnes in my next. Twill now, as brief.
" as possible, fulil that promise. have been
here some two or three months and mined some
six weeks. There is what is called wet and dry
diggings. The beds OF rivers being the wet, and
rsyine. and small creeks being dry. Although
ia reality they are all wet diggings, for worked
in water up 10 my knees in ~ha, they call their
dry diggings, and as jumped into the cool water
some eight teet below the surface, Of a morning,
assure yon, Twas well convinced that the dig
gins were at ieast damp il not ied. IN the beds oi
rivers they wash nearly all the dirt, in the dry
diggins they wash only a lew inches above the
bed rock, which is usually covered with clay and
gravel. The bed rock lays from three TO ten feet
below the surface, and the ground above very
hard, being impossible 10 dig only as the pick is
used. The mode OF extracting the gold from the
dirt il by rocking in . crade--in shape the same
as all maj ried men use who have any babies to
rock-irtley use cradle at all. On the head Of
this cradle is placed square box, with sheet iron
bottom punched full Of holes, which rests upon
the top OF the sides of,he cradle; about two-hirds
the way down is board nailed to the bottom Of
the cradle 3 inches high. The dirt intended Tor
washing is poured into this box and the cradle IS
SET in motion with one hand and kept constantly
going while the other hand is busly employed 10
pouring on water. With the motion OF the era
ale and the stream OF water constantly running
upon the clay, il soon dissolyes and runs through
the holes in The bottom 1.-THE box aud falls upon
the bottom ofthe cradle, the foot Of which being
placed lower than the head The wa,ersoon carries
the dist through hole made at the loot Of the
cradle, the gold being heavier than the dirt IS
lodged above this cross piece at the bottom oi The
cradle. So much for the mode oi extracting alter
finding.
Isuppose you all want to hear OF the big Jumps
Well, saw piece that was found lew days
since, that would have started my f'iend Sqaires
from his Jack plane and saw certain. II weigh
ed thirteen pounds and was mixed with quartz; u
wa. the most beautifsl specimen have seen;
have heard Of much larger pieces being found
Some Of the new emigration have made their p'Ses
hough small one. already and left for the States,
and some are taking out their pounds day and
many. their ounces, all OF whom you will doubt
less hear Of as having acquired a fortune in lew
months. But on the other hand, there is still Q
larger portion Of whom you will never hear
They are OF the class who are not making theii
board, and who are continually regret,ing theii
folly, as they cali it, Of ever leaving the States
While was mining hired some, aud could
have hired hundreds, at one dollar fifty cents
(i,50) per day and board Bnt notwithstanding
oil this, must say that in my opinion, any indus.
triou. man who will push ahead and not be dis
couraeed can do much better here than in the
STATES. lie could make, clear Of board, iour dol
lars per day at almost any thing But then, who
would crosstl,e plains and leave home, family ana
friends foI such small pittsnce, surely no such
prospec /, would ever have induced me to have
done so Bnt those who are here should make
the best OF their time, and not sit down as thou-
sands do, and mourn over blighted prospects aud
c.rshed hopes. Those persons in the Sta'eswho
loaned money a, 80 10 SO per cent to persons 70
emigrate here, could now loan many OF the same
persoas money at double that rate to return with
There have been millions OF dollars expended in
building dams across the different rivers and all,
with few exceptions, have failed. Men who had
thought they had their piles within their reacn'
and thinking Of the pleasures ct reuh'o"