San Andreas independent., 1857-04-25

lunches without running or receiving further at
tention. More than ten thousand uncultivated
plants are now growing, worthless and entan-
gled in one bed, too crowded to bear fruit
The variety is known as the British Queen
After admiring the fine growing state OF the
fruit trees, their great number, and some choice
specimens of blood-red peach trees oflarge size,
in full bearing, we returned to the house. On
the end of the barn was stretched the fair pro-
portions of coon skin which relict reminded
us of the defunct whig party. After taking
leave of Mr.. Beatty, we started for Upper Cal
averitas An hours delay afforded US time to
call on Judge Brant, Morris Murphy, (who by
the way appeared particularly tickled at some
perspective views in contemplation, and over
powered with good humor at the idea,) Messrs,
Mccoy and Shirley, of the Livery Stable, and
Messrs. Schulz l. Co. of the Calaveritas Bakery.
At Sharps Hotel we partook of an excellent
and substantial dinner. Decoyed to the vcini-
ty where Mr.. Armitage furnishes the ct ceteras,
we sampled the cigars took parting smile"
and started down the river. All along the
who, we were informed by our companion, pay
from fifty to seventy-fve dollars license per
month. Fifteen or twenty Cinnamon work
each claim, in the river bed, carrying all the
useless sediment away in buckets, and sluicing
out the pay-dirt Nearly all the claims are
kept dry by new system of hydraulics;
common rotary pump worked by China power;
the Cinnamon have large wheel, with long
foot-cogs on the center beam, which is worked
| by four bare-footed AsaticS " on the tramp,
each step contributing its proportion to revolve
the wheel, while the bodies the motive-power
are supported on a stationary pole passing par
allel to the wheel, on which they lean their
chests and rest their hands. We noticed four
large claims thus worked.
Passing Old Calaveritas, which appeared de-
serted, except some dozen dogs and a French
store we passed around spur of the mountain
ION which is a hydraulic claim, now being
worked,) we came to the garden and residence
of Mr.. Norman, place more fivorably located
on account of water privileges, for purposes of
irrigation, than the ranch of Mr. Beatty. At
Normans ranch are some of the largest peach
trees we have seen in the State, which are al
most covered with fruit-an advantage no doubt
obtained by the building of fires during the
cold nights few weeks ago, the remains OF
which we noticed at convenient distances among
the trees. Mr.. Norman has fine ranch, and
an excellent alluvial deposit for garden,
tered by never-faling spring, which furnishes
a sluice-head stream Passing " Uncle Johns"
hydraulic claim, we crossed the river for Fourth
Crossing, to see the quartz claim recently dis
covered by Capt Thorpe, which has caused con-
siderable excitement and will likely have to be
settled by the Courts.
Crossing mining gulches and numerous
branches of the Georgia Ditch, we struck the
main travelled road near the Live Oak Ranch,
and continued on it to Fourth Crossing (For-
mans Ranch, kept by our newly married friend,
Mr.. Alexander Beritzhoff). Mr.. Milton Ste
vens, the major domo, did the agreeable in such
a variety of ways that we almost felt inclined
to accept his invitation to stay all night smoke
his finest cigars, and drink sup 1--WE preferred
down. all his best brandy, both of which were
superb.
Leaving our companion to collect Foreign
miners Tax from party of Cinnamon, scattered
together up the guch who said their claim
was paying g muche little,n we passed on to
Rogue's Hill, where is located the quartz lode
in question, about seven hundred yards south
east of the bridge. The lode looks very ordi-
nary: to be the cause of so much feeling. A
small hole about seven by ten feet and five feet
deep is excavated, but now partially filled and
covered over with batten of boards, is all the
visible indications we could see to substantiate
its reputed richness. Three men were present,
one Of whom had charge of the lode under or
ders from the Sheriff, who very kindly allowed
us a special privilege to look at the ven We
saw but little quartz and no gold still, there
might be hundreds of tons of gold down there
and so might there be doacn in any other place
within thousand miles of the spot. The par
ties in litigation are Geo. F. Van Buren, and
Joseph Kneedler, u.s. Capt. NJ. Thorpe and Peter
Williams. Messrs. Van Buren and Kneedler
have sued Messrs. Thorpe and Williams for three
hundred dollars damages and restitution of the
claim. What the merits of either of the party's
rights were, we could not understand; but it is
understood the Sheriff will hold possession un-
til the District Court of next June settles the
question, when the public may learn more of
the richness of the quartz. We heard many
stories about its richness-many differing as to
whether it was gold-bearing quartz, or quartz
bearing gold but every body said it was
rich discovery, and what everybody says, must
be true Thus ended the object of our trip
through the mines, and with it we hastily re-
traced our steps to the hotel, joined our friend
in smiling with Milt., and mounted for home
Returning to San Andreas Uia the Kentucky
House road, we noticed considerable mining,