The southern press., 1851-11-04
From The Sonora Herald, Sept 81.
MINING INTELLIG RNCE.

We have cheering intelligence to send by this
steamer, in respect to both the placer washings
and the quartz mines around about this noun.
tain city. In addition TO what may be fou nd in
another column, we can state with the fullest as
surance that never were the miners more en-
couraged than now, and never was there q more
reasonable prospect Of rich harvest for their
labors. Not that every company or every indi.
didua is actually washing out pounds Of gold
weekly. Many are scarcely obtaining enough to
pay their board bills, and yet they are well
pleased, and feel as though they were fast accu-
mulatng fortunes These are scattered oil
along the dry gulches and ravines, throwing mp
the dirt which they have tried sufficiently TO
know that il is rich. When the rims come, or
the water is led alorg from the rivers by the
extensive water works constructed for this
purpose during the present season, the miners
will have nothing to do but to wash out and
pocket the gold. The drains and tail bitches
are now being made, the rocks removed which
cover up the precious metal, and the earth thrown
up TO mellow in the sun and air, and thu. get
ready for an easy washing. Piles Of dirt have
thus been thrown up which could not be bought
for hundreds we might say thousands ofdollars
all the work of two or three short months
In some places also the hill-s,des are being
The mountains, from which, during the revolu-
ton of centuries, more or less gold had been
gradually sliding down along with the earth
loosened by successive rains and SHOWS. AT
Jamestown this Is especially the case.
The vast plain, extending from Shaw's Flat
northward, is also being dug, all over its sur.
face, and carted av ay There is no telling how
rapidly fortunes would be accumulated, if a
running stream of water were pre-.
sent, so that carts, horses, and all the concomi.
tant troubles could be dispensed with.
On Woods creek there are many companies,
all doing exceedingly we'll About two week
ago, we visited the claim Of the Fort Washing
ton company, one mile above Sonora. They
said they had been working in this same place
for about year, having originally purchased
the claim for $500. During a portion of the
time they had been engaged in the laborous
work of digging long ditch, nearly two hun
dred yards hong, by rom twelve to twenty five
feet deep Their "luck" has been variable, bu.
on the whole very good. Sometimes, for two
months or more, they did well every day.
Then, again, for few weeks the tide 8 emed
to turn. We saw one of the large Jumps taken
out by them, weighing six pounds ten and three
quarter ounces. Many smaller pieces were also
exhibited, one weighing SIli, another S64
another S55 Several of the largest specimens
had been deposited at Reynolds g. Co.'s office.
and we did not see them. short time ago, it
was estimated that the company had taken out
$4,000 during the preceding seven weeks
-Four shares in the company have recently been
sold for $500 each The names of the present
members are David ID. Davis, Hamilton Ellison,
Albert Grant, ]. w Vaudeville, George c.
Roberts, John SERVER, Bernard I,aurex, John
II. Milligan.
Since that visit this company have been doing
even better than before. One day this week
they took out $3.50, and offers have been made
them of $4,000 for only 80 square feet Of the
portion still unworked,