New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-02
Important Gold Observation-Disclosures.

Important Gold Discover1es-Mafiposa'
The California Courier of Dec. 5, gives
the following interesting particulars with regard
10 the recent remarkable discoveries of gold IN
Bear Valley:
Perhaps there Is no feature in the history OF Cali
fonia more calculated to establish the fact that her
mineral wealth is inexhaustIble, than the remaika-
bic discoveries recently made In Bear 'auey' MATT
pOsa County, and notwithstanding the amount al
ready extracted from the various pacers and quartz
veins in California Is without precedent, We are
constrained TO entertain the belief that the oscoVe-
rles are but yet in their infancy.
Our more particular purpose In this hotce is 70
place before readers In the Atlantic SLAVES sucn
reliable information as we have In our possession
relative TO the recent discoveries alluded TO-
In the immediate neighborhoOd oil Bear 'aley,
there are a series OF quartz veins OF extreme rlcn-
ness, extending from Mount Ophlr" TO Kldleys
Ferry distance Of some seven miles. AT the for-
mer point the "Merced Mining Companys woiks
are located and at the latter Mr.. r. LOOMS OF this
city, and Mr.. Edward Smith are erecting extensive
works which promise great degree OF per'ecnon
in their application, and as prncey returns as any
works now erected, or In course OF erection IN the
State Ii has been the opinion of the gentlemen
interested In those mining locatlons) Tor several
months past as well as the opinion entertained by
intelligent men in QuaItzourg ana aqua tIo, ina.
sooner or later deposits OF unparal ed richness would
be discovered in Bear Valley, witch opinion was IN
duced by the peculiar character OF the goldDearpg
quartz IN that locality, together win the TACT tnat
thls valley IOrDlS the DdSe VI Tango W
VEINS in the State far discoveries thus far have
de;erm ned.
1t seems that party Of Sonora, numbering some
seven or eight persons, had been prospecting IN the
valley for three or four weeks. and as no evidence
of success was manifested, they were not interrupt
ed by an accession OF Americans but pursued tneli
own course without attracting any attention until
the amount of gold obtained became so large that
further coDcealment of their gains was utterly i'm
possible The news spread rapidly, and In the short
space of four days, Bear Valley, numbering some
forty fifty souls previous to these discoveries be-
came place of three thousand inhabitants, some
hundred yelling houses eight ten stores and the
usual number of gambling and drinking saloons.
town was laid out mapped and suodlvided into
streets and squares. within twentyfour hours rom
the setting in OF the first great tide OF emigration,
each komIre, of course, possessing town lot SO
much for American enterprise.
Mr.. Smith, the gentleman previously alluded TO IN
this article, and whose opinion is entitled to the u'-
most respect, writes TO Mr. +. X. Looms who has
bndly furnished us with the facts,) under date Of
oath inst that he has Just visited the newly discoy
cred diggipgs and says that the statements which
have already obtained publicity are worthy OF me
utmott confidence. He then proceeds to detail the
results Of his own observations, which were made
simply with view to ascertain truth.
The gold extracted from vein OF quartz and
slate, perfectly cecomposed as TO admit OF oeing
reduced almost to powder by the hand. The vein
is found from IS to 80 feet below the surface, and the
discoveries up 10 the 24Ih instant had not SHOWN
greater width OF vein at anv point than SIX inches
The earth found on a level with this vein is tho
roughly impregnated with gold, which may be ac-
counted for by the reasonable supposition that the
work of decomposition had been completed. Not
vhstanoiDg the people Wliedit into placer digglngs,
and into placer diggings II was made
Much earth, decomposed quartz and slate has
been taken out, which paid fifty per cent. OF gold,
Ia pound of the mixture yielding one half pound
OF gold) The average may be safely computed az
twenty-five per cent OF GOLD. With the smallest
degree Of experience from $500 TO $500 dollars per
day for each man can be easily realized. In four
working Gays over $4,000 vas taken out by the
original discoveries
Ii would in our opinion be absurd to suppose that
Bear Valley viii long stand uDequaled In her i'm
mense production. We are but inst beginning TO see
what advantages may be derived rom science but
what Will our position be when the application of
science In obtaining gold beco mes general.
Ire Inumate connection which must naturally
exist tctseen the called placer disgngs III Bear
Valley ana the range OF quartz veins, extending
from Mount Ophir 10 Ridley's Ferry tends to con
firm the opinion which We have long entertainer,
IL the quartz mines, when properly developed ana
uncerstC d. IN become The leading interest OF the
State, and will afford profitable employment for cap
ital science and labor for centuries vet To come ;
and may IemaJh IN connection with TINS SUBJECT
that is mater OF astonshment to Us that quartz
mines have OF been more extensively worked. IL
is tue that III portions of the Northern well
Sonlhern mines, a number Of mills have been
erected, many OF which had neither talent, skill
judgment or experience 10 direct them, yet almost
without exception they have paid beyond the most
saIguine expectations OF the proprietoIs. We pre-
that The Important why this great inter
est has not received larger snare OF public atten
;lOE is the fact that the mines cannot be worked 10
any eyent without the use % considerable capital,
while the placer dlgeings have afforded certainty
OF exiStense. ard promise Of profit to the indivd
We shan take Oc caSlon 10 treat this subject more
fuzzy beIt after.