Grass Valley telegraph., 1858-06-12

| NOAeolHo very Iu6eISSLlHS hrGtCle on tu'
| first gold discoveries of California. The ar
tlcle states that considerable excitement haG
enlisted on the subject Of mining discove
ries in California, for some time previous tc
the discovery of gold at Coloma. Quicksjl
yer was the principal mineral sought after
as the Almaden mines, at that time were
paying largely 900 worth of quicksil
yer having but recently been sent to Mexico
| the product Of three months working of the
mine. The two papers then being published
at San Francisco were making notices o
new mineral discoveries In almost every is
sue.
The California Star, after noticing at some
length the Almaden mines, adds - ''Hali
dozen other mines have been discovered
in the neighborhood of New Almrden."
There has been found a vein of this a.
bundant material QUICKSILVER ] in therange
of hills in which the gold is situated on the
American river" Again QUICKSILVER has
been discovered at the extreme northern end
of the Sacramento valley" The proprie-
tors OF the Santa Clara quicksilver mine on
ly await the arrival Of machinery, to en-
ploy 500 men," Monterey, our capital s
said to rest on bed of quicksilver" "Mr.
j. F. Read, of San Jose, left on a prospect
ing expedition, and four miles distant from
that place, on the side of hill near the
edge of the plain, found a vein Of silver,
which is undoubtedly the richest ever dis
covered in the Mexican Republic. ~ The
vein is 81 feet thick" etc.
The Valley of San Jose is called "our
most wealthy mineral district" Silver as
well as copper has been found near San Di-
ego. Don Juan Bandini is the proprietor of
rich copper mine in that regien. We al
SO learn that the country in the vicinity of
Clear Lake is very richly provided with this
ore. A company of men is now examining
that extensive region"
Two extensive caves Of sulphur and salt
petre are known to exist in the vicinity Of
Clear Lake" Black lead has been found
in the North.' "a silver mine has been
found about three miles from Sonoma, on
the land of Mr.. 1llig." The discovery Of
new quicksilver mine in Napa Valley was
announced, situated "twe leagues from
Yount's MILL" A silver mine was spoken
of as being in operation near Monterey,
for some time past, said to be very rich"
One of the papers Of the time announces
Diamonds at Sonoma /" but is afterwards
Informed by correspondent that it is only
very pure chrystalized quartz. The same
correspondent, however, states that there
is though, and no mistake, mine of Gold
near the reported diamond mine, for Ihaye
seen specimens"
The discovery of Iron and Platina are al
90 noticed. Mineral Coal had become an
object of search, from fatering indications
of its presence at different points, especially
In the lower country. In alluding to coal
discoveries, one of the papers said " Stone
coal, of geod quality, has been found in the
bed of a small creek, in Ultas Valley, ~
north of the Bay" Again We were yes
terday shown a specimen of salt taken from
a large bowl spring, twelve miles west of
the Sacramento river"
With such scraps of mineral information,
says the Union, we're the papers of the time
filled. The dates of the papers from which
these extracts are taken run through March,
April. and part Of May 184e, or up to the
period when the famous discovery was made
at Suffers mill.
When the extent and supposed Importance
OF that discovery was first promulgated, the
reports were received by the papers with
many expressions of doubt It created but
little excitement for a while, from the fact
that the public ear had grown familiar with
reports Of "Gold Discoveries" and il was
not until the gold began to find its way down
the river, in considerable quantities, that
any special excitement was produced A cor
respondent of the Californian, of May oath,
who, it appears was still unbelieving in the
matter, INDUCED in the some very severe
NOnHlChVo upVu CAS kUlu lSFeE WHICH WdS
just beginning to rage. After calling upon
the editor to raise his voice against it, he
went so far as to hope " that Governor Ma
son wOnld dispatch the Volunteers to the
scene Of action, and send those infatuated
people to their homes, and prevent others
from going there!"
For several years prior to the American
rule in California. a gold placer was known
to exist near the mission of San Fernando,
but it was not worked to any extent for the
lack of water. A party of Mormons, be-
longing to the Brooklyn Co., which came
out with Sam. Brannan, found gold in the
Redwoods, near Bodega, while cutting tim
Der in that locality, and as early as 1916,
another party from the same Company, which
formed the first settlement on the Stanis-
laus, found gold on that stream, and so re-
ported in San Francisco. One of this num-
Der published letter after the discovery of
gold at ColOma, claiming to have been the
first discoverer of gold in the streams issu-