The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-02-01
Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune.
CALIFORNIA.
GRASS VALLEY, Dec. l3, Is


GRASS VALLEY, Dec. 13, 1852,
| The early setting in of the rains, and tho
way tho windows of heaven have boen opened
or rather broken out reminds old Californians
of the doleful times Of I849-only notc we have
houses TO li,e in, and society of a better sort
| which in abe carly days we w0t rot OF, save In
the memory of departed times. AS told yor
in my last, the rain began in earnest on the It'll
of November, and continued, with short inter
vals, till the 2sth, when it really began to sprin
kle. and for eight following days and nights
without intermission, there was strong susp
cion up hore in the mountains that the wealth
or was little damp and the roads little slop-
py. put out n tin pay one afternoon, and in
an hour found it to contain more than half an
inch of rain-water That would give only
foot a day, but the shower did not show such
returns every hour Of the eight days.
Our town is losing nothing Of its Importance
since winter set in. Speaking of tointer, We
don't know what il is in an Atlantic sense, fol
snow is scarcely is rarely seen in our Valley
though plenty OF it in sight. At this time, tho
| frosts are not unfrequent, the days are sunny
and warm--when it don't rain. The grass il
starting into new life. and the face of good ole
dame nature newly washed, begins to look as
verdant as the grefnest son of the Emerald
Isle, who falls victim to tho attrociously np-
parent tricks prac, ked upon that unsuspectins
class in sanity Gotham.
Our pine woods ahd gulches are swarming
with busy and hsAdy population, to whom
the floods arc godsend, and tho results will
soon show themselves to you i'm the monthly
shipment Of about thirty tons of gold to your
city-merely however, as living tangible proof
that tho miues of California are not yet exhaus-
ted.
In quartz we are able 10 report uniform, ste-
ady and satisfactory results-though little noise
is mode about it. You may put it down for a
fact worth nothing, that if quartz crushing be
tho humbug some that would-be-wise people
say, it is pertinaciously followed up, night and
day, at Grass Valley, and costs good deal of
pine wood and steam. Strange that men sho' d
pursue such a losing business, and stranger
stillthat others are rushing into it so heedless-
ly.
The only comfort to be drawn from these
facts is that there arc always to be found peo-
pie who are opposed to entering upon pursuits
that don't pay less than fifty or an hundred pei
cent upon tho capital invested In New York,
such small profits would be no temptation but
here we take SMALL favors thankfully.
1t is such an old story that pass all illusions
TO quartz, except to remark, that he Rocky Bar
Company is emerging from its difficulties, and
soon to resume a higher position than ever
'Ts we'll So Mr. Whitney, the new superin-
tendent Of thnt Company came up with his
family few DAYS ago, and entered upon his
duties. DR.. DELAvAN, than whom no more a
miable. sinole-hearted, or energetic man lives
in our mid, has left things in a capital condition
on his retirement from his arduous labors of the
past eighteen months. The machinery is more
powerful and more effective, aud 1 see no good
reason why the stock of the Rocky Bar will not
be among the best of mining stocks, and its
products large next season. This is gratifi-
cation to us all. for there was no reason why
the Company should not be eminently success
full. except for want of necessary means to de-
yeop its known rich claims
The delay in the arrival Of tho Monterey and
Fenelon, which ships, with parts of tho heavy
machinery for my Company, were some seven
or eight months on the passage will prove in
furious; so now we cannot operate except at
heavy cost. nor obtain transportation, for less
than 5000 to $3.50 per tun from San Francis
CO. On somo necessary pieces of my engine, |
paid go tun, steamer freight, from San Fran
cisco to Sacrimerto. But now all our engine,
boilers and saw machinery are on the ground,
and the operations in lumber manufacturing
most profitable busncss-will be under head
way i'm five or six weeks. The necessary set
ting Of steam fixins' is going on with large
force.
Itis wefito be patient and 'bide ones time
in great or difficult enterprises for the reward
of those faithful to the end is surely promised,
and will hardly fail. AS certain as that Gen.
Pierce has been elected to tho Preside cy, just
so surely will there be a revelation in the pub
lie mind in relation to the extent and produc-
tiveness of our Gold Mines, and particularly OF
Quartz And when tho results, now family
shadowcd forth, shall grow into an NJ nual pro-
duct Of millions from the Quartz Mills, tce who
are the pioneers, and have for long months or
years faced the sneers Of the simple, and felt
the cold shoulder of the capitalists, will be en-
titled to monumental piles of quartz for our
nerves and pluck.
AS have said--and wiser than have shown
it true--there is no such word as FAIL, when
perseverance,. industry and common sense IL
mite to push forward worthy enterprise. We
show it at Grass Valley, and will prove it by
stronger testimony ere many months--'Wait a
| little longer
The news that the Vanderbilt Line uia MIC
nragua had changed hands was received in Cal
ifornia with lively satisfaction by the public
The news Of the election was oppressed from
Sacramento to Nevada-75 miles-in nine
hours partly in the night, and during that eigh
davs' rain l told you of. The fearless rider
swan rivers and experienced hair breadth
'scapes. as wonderful and exciting os ever hap
pened in VS. of knight-errants. His namo j:
Ryan, and he is live California. Yours tru
! ly. j. WINCHESTER.
zyy- Tho rates of fare on our Railroads are