San Andreas independent., 1856-10-18
Correspondence.


Improvements at Angefs--Quartz Mning-Arri-
Ual Of Emigrants-Discorery Of human skele-
tons at Col6rooEs Ranch, de-, DC.
Il ANGELS CAMP, October 14th, 1856
Mr.. Editor Things, business and mining
are progressing in this town, with increased ve-
locity, since l last wrote to you have been
in nearly all sections of Calaveras county, dur
ing this season, and / think that there is no
place that can compete with Angels, in the
amount of business and improvements and sue
cess in mining, which has attended the citizens
here. Since last May, six stone buildings have
been put up, and two more are under contract
Four that are just built, are two stories high !;
among which are the Odd Fellows Hail. and
Lakes Hotel, which form a most imposing front
of eighty-four feet on Main Street, and ffty-six
feet deep. This Hotel is one of the most COM
modious and substantial buildings in the South
ern mines. The Odd Fellows Hall, is complet-
ed and ready for the Lodge, which is the old
est in Calaveras county, having been Instituted
in 1854.
been, and are constantly being undertaken and
completed. And the miners were never as
busy, in the dry season, as they have been dur
ing the past summer. The consequence is, that
there are as many claims, probably, in this dis
trict at this time that are paying from $40 to
SIG day, as there were four years ago. But
these claims are nearly all quartz mines, and
they are not all found get; for since last wrote
to you, the following success has attended the
mining operations in this vicinity. Mr.. Peter
4 Williams Co., struck lode about two weeks
since which has paid, by panning, one hundred
and fifty dollars per week to the hand besides
the quartz which is piled up for future grinding.
Mathews, Codington and others struck the same
lode, and are taking out quartz, that may be
called incredibly rich, and they are grinding it
with arastras; but have not yet washed out as
| have heard. One of the Company offered to
bet that they could get fifteen hundred dollars
out of three sacks of the quartz. French &
Minard struck another vein, and washed out
with pan and hand-mortar, about fourteen hun
dred dollars; when French sold his share for
. twelve hundred dollars. Another rich lode was
struck last week, near the Hawk-Eye House,
and some six hundred dollars taken out the first
afternoon. Messrs. Davis & Co., sold out their
claim, few days since, to some gentlemen from
San Francisco; they were paid ten thousand
dollars for the claim. They still have shares in
the Cherokee Claim, which is a pocket larger and
richer, than any other State ever had, except
California and there is scarcely a day, but
witnesses some new discovery in quarts.
large number of emigrants have arrived
this fall, in the place, by way of Murphys and
the Big Tree. Some have gone down the STAN
islaus river; others to the plains, to ranching
while number are camped near this place, and
engaged in hauling rock into town, for
building. They all unite in saying, that the
the new road is the best they ever travelled,
over the mountains, and nearly all the men
persons who have crossed before,) and that
there is plenty of good grass for stock.
Some time since a man named Colbrook,
murdered another man here, and was hanged.
Since that time much has been said of the char
acter, that he and company have ever borne, at
their place of residence the Stockton trail,
in Salt-Spring Valley report had got round
that somebody had found sir human skeletons,
buried in one pile; then the story got to seven,
and said that he had seen them Then
it was tscenty four human skeletons, heads in
one place and bodies in another and this eve
ming they are in town, (that is, the skulls,) and
how many are there? you may ask: There are
tacenty-three skutks that sdv and counted in Dr.
Boon's Office and report says, that in all, about
forty were found. ANGELS