Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-16
MINING IN CALIFORNIA.
FROM THE ALTA CALIFORNIA.

FROM THE ALTA CALIFORNIA
We gave to our readers yesterday very interesting
letter from our old Nevada correspondent Shap"H To-
day have another, of Aoantdaees letters, from
Columbia Both of these correspondents write In the most
encouraging of the prospects Of the miners in their
respective localities and give evidence OF more healthy
tone Of public sentiment in regard to the policy OF our
mining population Ii is now becoming liked fact
that the gold in California is but just fairly discovered
that the gold region of the State is founded on aurferous
hills and that those portions which have been worked
different from the remainder in this respect The gold
the surface has been ree and in the ages
as the rains have washed away the dirt the gold has
worked into the gulches and creeks to larger amount
than has usually CHANGED to be in other places These
creeks the first to get worked out and many sup
posed that when the gold exhausted in these places
there would be little left worth digging for But it is
proved otherwise In those sections where the dggngs
have proved richest the hills if they have been thoroughly
prospected, have almost uniformly proved rich Leads
found running in all directions through the hills and
it requires only close observation and good judgment to
render the deep dggings not only reliable but extremely
profitable
II was formerly thought that it would pay to dig
long and large tunnels and if it suspected that there
was gold in any particular spot it the practice to
sink shaft and by Of windass and bucket raise
up the dirt, and in this way prospect the ground BY
this they could only prove little spot with great
deal of labor but the faith in deep dggngs is
improved they confidently strike in at the side OF HILL
and drift away till they find something which they always
do, if they continue long enough Sometimes they work
month after month with very little show, and To- when
least looked for perhaps they strike the rich deposte
that repays them for all their labor.
The letter of Shswmut contains an account OF the
improved method which has been adopted in the vicinity
of Nevada for supersedng in measure, the use OF the
pick and shovel If this method results as expected-and
have doubt it does-then it will save an immense
amount Of labor and will tend very much to the develop
ment of the resources of the mining region.
We know of various locations where it has been long
thought by experienced miners that there every pros
pect of there being rich, deep digging and high above
which the water could easily be brought and we shall
look it harnessed to the work fexcayatng the hills
and revealing their treasures.
The Mokeumne Canal Company's operations involve an
expenditure Of s25o,0O0. The fume is eighteen miles
long four feet wide and four deep There fifty
aqueducts from 500 to ! 800 feet long.
Reuiesc Of Mining IN Negaaa.
/ NEVADA, JUNE 3, 1853.
The past month Of May unlike its predecessors in for
years. has been distinguished by alternate sunshine
and rain highly beneficial the husbandman and miner
giving both assurance in the future of glorious harvets
in the vegetable and mineral worlds unbghted and I'M
limited for the Of that indispensable agency for
cess-water
4 A new method of mining in hill-diggngs has lately
been introduced in this place, novel it is efficient
The usual cut is made from the edge at the base
into the centre of the hill From reservoir its
nit made with BARREL to preserve steady pressure)
the water conducted by leading hose of strong
terminating with pipe, similar to that Of hre-engine.
The column Of water thus produced ranges from twenty
to hundred feet according to the height of the hill
The pipe is taken into the of the cut and brought
bear upon its sides and such is the immense the
escapes from the no
resist the force for instant The toughest clay
dissolyes like wax, thus disintegrang much fine gold
greater part of which has heretofore been lost The
ceence Of the plan and the wonderful celebrity with which
the work progresses must be to be appreciated.
Fancy huge boulder weighing several TONS lying mid
way in the side of of those cuts held there by de-
posJe Of sand gravel and clay hard enough to require
pick IN the hands OF ordinary workman to be sharp
ened once twice daily Then witness the operation of
the appliance the hydraulic apparatus is brought
IN contact with the debris encrclng the boulder, which
rnaf kn MI a,I lo
less time than it requires describe the operation the
huge is released from its diluyian home and
tumbing down into the space below. The advantages of
tls important auxiliary TO "suicing st. The re-
ducton Of manual labor least twothrds ID II opens
to miners locations heretofore unremuneratge where
they may realize handsome returns consequent on
the great additional quantity Of aurerous soil that may
be washed within given time and sd. The dangerous
process Of undermining with the fatal results which
frequently attend it, may by this invention be
rely obyiaed the operator all times be wholly
out Of the reach Of the overhanging embankments.
1t will appear somewhat strange to those who believed
but short time since that every thing about this noun
tain city gave indication Of rapid decline 10 learn
that Nevada since its settlement in the paluy
days Of 40 and so, in a fourishing and
prosperous condition than at the present time Unmis
taxable evidence Of steady onward growth continually
greet the eye Few or none are idle the miner comes
into town. not in the rags Of former days. but neatly and
comfortably clad, and returns to his camp sober The
gaming its very best days and every thing
done between and man is performed with decency
and respect truly commendable Crime dminishes from
day TO day throughout the county, and its Jail here now
stands with its door wide open No Grand Jury is re-
qured to be summoned the present Of the County
Court TO sit in judgment respecting the misdoings Of
people numbering thirty thousand
Mining affairs IN the Southern Mountains
COLUMBIA, JUNE 5, 1853.
With June the dry season seems fairly to have COM
menced 1t has been waited for impatiently by some
who have claims that can only be worked during the
dry part Of the year But Notwithstanding the loss Of
time that the longconnued rains have caused to the
owners Of such claims and the injury that will result
those who are depending the beds Of the rivers think
the great body OF miners and the community generally
are and viii be benefited the whole as much larger
number Of men find employment on the dry dig
gngs, now well supplied by water from the various
bitches, than could find profitable employment under