The Georgetown news., 1856-05-01
Tho Mines.

mines of California, and many an unlucky
miner and unsuccessful business man, heart
less and discouraged By many d fruitless ef-
fort to lay up treasure on earth, have rea-
soned themselves into the belief that the
placers of California are rapidly becoming
exhausted, and that the chances of acquir-
ing wealth by mining, or through other bu-
sincss directly dependent thereon, are daily
becoming less. 70 one who has long re-
NAMED stationary in the older mining To-
calities there is seemingly a degree of plau-
sibility attached to the assumption, false
and unfounded as that assumption is in re-
ality. In most cases this feeling is caused
by repeated failure in prospecting opera
tions 10y those who place too nigh an estl-
mate upon the value of their time, and who
unroasonably expect that fortune will be
obtained by a brief and spasmodic effort on
their part, AID hot through lons continued
patient toll and rigid frugality. Nine
tenths of those who bolster up their ener-
gies by wild hopes ofsuddeD wealth through
the medium of "big strikes" are doomed 10
certain disappointment and consequent dis
couragement, while he who takes the more
sensible and dispassionate view of the mat
ter, who is more moderate and reasonable
in his calculations, plods on to tue success
fu' fulfIment. of his desires.
Another view OF the matter calculated to
engcnder the belief that The mines are
dwindling away in richness, is the appar-
emily worked-out condition Of the older ror-
tions of the mines, the canons and gulcheq,
and more easily accessible claims of which
have been worked, most of them, many
times over, yielding still, il is true, wages
sufficiently large to satisfy The less greedy
but entirely zoo small to suit the seeker af-
ter sudden wealth. AS a consequence OF
this apparently over-worked condition Of
the mining region bordering on the foot
hills, miniug operations are fast extending
into the mountains, aud stretching away In
to the snowy regions bordering on he sdnl-
init.
Heretofo mining operations high up in
the mountains have been attended with eX-
treme difficulty, and often with hazard, 0w-
ing to the absence of all supplies Of provis
ions and facilities necessary for . successful
and easy prosecution of mining enterprises
within reasonable distance, aud in the
winter from the impossibillty of reaching
them over the deep SHOWS which cover the
lofty spurs and deep gorges Of the noun
tains.- This difficulty, however, is now DC
ing fast ohviated, and trading posts largely
supplied are being established at various
points as far into the Mountains as pros,
pectins operations have been carried or
with reasonable show Of success,
To appreciate fully the great extent O.
gold fields yet INV orked, IL is necessary tc
visit the head waters of the rivers, low
down on which most of the'gold digging ba:
heretofore been carried on. During The
past week wehaye been Oh a tramp through
that portion of the country intcrsectel by
the streams which form the head waters O
the Middle Fork Of the American, and fal
enough into the mountains TO have encoun
tered snow to the depth of seven feet; ant
everywhere, throughout the whole section
we saw unmistakable evidences ofeXtensivt
gold deposits, all Of which will undoubtedly
LARGELY reward the labor Of The miner whel
the facilities for prosecuting that labor u
advantage shall have beeu brought withil
his reach Scattered here aud there oye1
the region alluded to are small mining
camps, wherever the few trading posts ar.
easily accessible, but by far the create
portion of the country has never been dis
turI,ed by pick aud shovel Hundreds o
gulches aud canons wholly unprospectee
lie scattered among The hills, waiting fo
the hand of enterprise to open up the treas
ure buried there anu scatter 1t into the av
enues Of trade. Most Of the mining opera
tions now carried on IN that region are con
ined to tie extensive beds ofgravel whicl
cover The tops OF the ridges, and which il
many Instances pay remarkably we'll, prom
ising, when thoroughly prOspected, to riga
in richness any diggings yet discovered.
The most important locality embrace,
within the scope of country spoken of i
Last Chance, where there are about on,
hundred miners, quite number Of whom
are from Georgetown. Those Of the miner
there who have their claims opened anJ cal
obtain water. are making large wages
from six TO twenty dollars Per day each