San Andreas independent., 1857-06-20
RIVER MINING
Rich Mines on the Calayeras- -POIiticanS-The
CanOn-Riyer Mining-The Claims, their
Richness and Extent bitches GreaserVille.

&cy DC.
On the main Calayeras, from the Canon, be-
low Latimer's Store, is district of country iso-
lated from the main road, and never reached by
any ordinary travel. The place is little world
In itself, where every mining company is gov
erned by their own Republican laws; act indie
pendent, read the Independent, and independently
criticise everything in the paper, truth and un-
truth, right and wrong, politics and religion
Scheidam Schnapps and Lager Beer bean soup
and slap-jacks, love and war-all alike, univer-
sally have to stand on their own merits, and be
condemned, lin measure,) if found unworthy
of the discriminating taste of the canon-ters.-
The capital of this model Republic, is Greaser-
ville-a place located in very favorable posi-
ton, considering the bad roads, at the foot of
the principal claims In this camp each Greas
ervillian spends his money free, drinks lager,
plays poker, smokes cigars and does exactly as
he pleases, in regular 40 style, regardless of
order" law, or lawyers; tax-collectors or
tambourine girls doctors prescriptions or
times doings even the news of the coming
Tor past) comet failed to reach this benighted
kCuAiSHlcutuJ COIHCI VI Oul SOuutS OCluloSlAi-
quaver, now rendered so musical by the sweet
voices of owre true tales whispered by legions
of candidates in the lugs of sovereign voters,
seeking support TO gain the nomnation,-
to be their most humble and obedient servants.
May God in His wisdom, select men to serve
US, and not such a clan of never-sweats as some
who are now crusading through the county,
whining their sycophancy into every honest at
tentiVe ear, to secure a nomination. that must
succeed, even if taxpayers bleed to the last
farthing to support them, after elected. But to
our mining news, which is of more Importance
The main Calaveras is one of the richest min
ing districts in the State and at present is
worked with great success. The expense, how |
ever, of working few claims is heavy, on ac
count of the immense boulderS in the river bed, I
and the severe labor No harder work is now
done in any place than in these river claims
Some of the rocks weighing over twenty tons,
are often hoisted out by derricks, while others,
much heavier are moved on iron rollers.
Before more particularly describing the claims,
we will note the peculiarities of the mining pro-
CcSS, ueIc ScHcIdlly duOpteu. 1Ho PllHSipdi
wealth of the claim is down at the bottom of
the river, in crevices of bedrock far below a
grade that can be drained by natural process;
consequently, each company have pump,
driven by water from Fox's Ditch, for pumping
out the claim, while another stream of water
from the same source, supplies the sluices-
Every claim is worked differently, according to
the notions of the operators and as nearly ev
cry nation is represented, some curious mining
may be noticed. Among others, about twelve
or more Chinese companies, (very large,) are
working Some two hundred and fifty men are
employed at different places between Greaser-
vile and the Canon. Some of the China COM
panies pump their claims as at Upper Calaveri-
tas, with revolving foot-wheels, while others
assimilate the Americans, and use waterpowe
We must give the Cinnamon credit for keeping
their claims in better condition than any others.
Not a rock or pile of tailings handled by China
men but bore the appearance of practicable
utility, in the neatness and facility with which
they were slowed away or removed.
The River District is divided into two parts
the upper district is known as Latimer's, down
as far as the foot of the Baltimore company's
claim from there down to the lower Canon, is
the Greaserylle District. The mining laws, in
both districts, allow each miner two hundred
feet of the river (up and DOWN between high
water mark, and each claim must be worked
between the lst of May and middle of December
of each year, not allowing more than three days
of ntermission, after which the claim is con-
sidered forfeited. About seventy white men,
and large number of Cinnamon, own claims.
We took some notes, in detail, of the different
companies, and as the information may prove
interesting as matter of record for the outside
world, we publish them, just as furnished to US,
endorsing the information as the most reliable
on the river, and furnished us by miner who
has worked in that vicinity since April, 1851.
The first claim after crossing over the hill
from Latimer's Store, is that of Sias Fairchild
it is hard claim to work, all the larger rocks
having to be removed by derrick, like in most
of the other claims In the spring of 1855, this
claim was opened, and on account of the heavy
expense in working, although much gold has
Deen taken oR1, IL mas not Deen very ploHItple.
We saw one rock moved several feet, which
measured eleven feet long, by four feet square
at the larger end In this ciaimis five hundred
feet of the river bed the south bank OF which
Is worked by Cinnamon, they having pur-
chased it.
Next claim down the river is that Of German
Co., seven hundred feet of the river bed,
which has been worked since 1850 (the oldest
claim on the rlver), and the first water privil-
ege. The claim is paying WELL has yielded as
much as $2S4 per week to the man, and worked
regularly with seven hands, making from eight
10 twelva ounces ner daY: the laroroS4 .A;Aoa =.