The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-09

Correspondence Of The Neto ORLEANS PicGtnl,
LIZ. -

Correspondence Of the Nsro Orleans Picaarlne.
lsoIASoLA, April %, 1858.
The gold fever, OF which scarcely a sign an
peared in Austin or San Antonio when | 1en il
raging at this place and Lavaca with a virulence
equal TO that which marked the California disease
IN its palmiest days. All sorts of stories are in
Circulation as TO the number of men work in the
digglngs, and The amount of the precious metal
daily washed out; quite number of persons have
already lett for the scene of action, and many
more are preparing to go. The foundation for
these stories 10 very slight, being principally from
third parties, who relate what they have heard
from others; yet the man would be secuted at who
should presume for moment to doubt the alleged
iacts In truth, since the wonderful discoveries in
California and Australia, the sill htest rurnor ia
surhclent 10 set the floating world avor and no
one DOUBTS the tale, no matter where the Ioc alton
OF the mine may be. No one expresses any sur
prise that this treasure should have remained
hidden from the keenest search for 80 many wears
30 accustomed are we now TO these trihes, that I
60 not think it would cause me more than n mo
mentary astonishment if | was Informed that a
rich ''placer had been discovered in the P,ra,,ns
ONCE, and that Barney diligently employed
"heh hot engaged IN more important matters, in
rocking the cradle.''
Gold certainly has been found in the neighbor
noOd OF Fredericksburg, but | do not think he
eager seekers will ind themselves repaid for the
labor they must perform 1 conversed with a gen.
ueman from that section day or two since and
be informed me that he had seen a uumber of men
at work, with their washbasns, and that the Weld
was not sufficient to give the most successful fair
wages. The gold is found in small lumps in the
beds of the creeks and streams, the largest niere
my informant saw being about the size of A min
head. he ADDED, however, that in Hamilton's val
ley, and several other places where be had mot
been, he was told that the yield was much greatsr
However that may be, the distance to the digyins
Is so Short and the time necessary to reach tbeTn
so brief, that large emigration from this section
TO the mines may be expected this spring OF one
thing am sure. If there is any gold there it ia
bound to come out 1t will doubtless be an excel.
lent speculation for the owners of land in the inn
mediate vicinity.
The usually quiet little town of Lavaca was in q
state Of great excitement last night The fine
weather for the last few days had brought an uuu-
sual number Of wagons and carts from the interior
into town, principally ioaded with cotton After
they had deposited their freight and turned their
oxen out to Craze, about hundred of the wagon
ers, chiefly Americans, assembled in town bent
on spree. About ten O'Clock they became sufh
GENTLY drunk to be eckess, and they turned their
arms O galnst some Mexican tsamsers, who had
quietly camped on he bluff These they drove off
with pistols and knives, and then backed three of
their wagons over the bluff into the bay fret scat
terlng the provisions of the poor devils through
the streets They performed a number of other
leafs, sucn as displacing signs, &c, accompanied
by sucn an amount of yeiuy, hootng and firing
OF pistols as TO make conc rt decidedly louder
than agreeable. A few Of the citizens eudsavored
to prevent their attacks upon the Mexcaus but
were obliged to desist, glad to escape with their
lives. This morning, viewer, all ia quiet and no
further rioting is apprehended.