San Andreas independent., 1858-05-01
LETTER FROM MURPHY s.
Correspondence of the Independent
M,.raYx,,o onJ 1890

)
duced by your repeated requests thereto,
proceed to fulfill the promise as best may
1t must be promised, however. that the nfor-
nation | have been able to obtain, has been
entirely derived from other parties, almost all
of whom have, in turn, received it from still
earlier inhabitants, for it is believed none now
remain here who were contemporary with the
first settlement of the place. II were rather
desirable that some better informed person
should undertake the task, who could invest
it with that livelier interest which attends the
relation OF personal experience.
The gold bearing region of Murphys, Valle-
cito, Douglass Flat and vicinity, in its geolog-
ical character, presents the same formation of
old limestone which is found at Columbia
Springfield, &C., over the Stanislaus river on the
south, and traceable towards the northwest at
Cave City and most other mining localities in
that range. This limestone, which sometimes
! takes the form of marble, and of which the
cave at McKinney's or Cave City, is notice
able example, known to most visitors or deni-
zens of this region, was formerly reckoned of
secondary formation, but seems now to be
classed by California geologists, who have
studied the subject with the primitive rocks.
However this may be, the range of this rock,
i'll this region, accompanies and indicates gold
bearing SOIL
The original dieoyery of gold in the Fiat, at
Murphys, is generally attributed to one oftwo
brothers, who gave their name to the place
which it has borne ever since. They also first
struck it at Vallecito, and one place was de-
nominated Murphy's old diggings," and the
other the "new," until the former received
from the Mexican miners its present appropri-
ate name.
Tradition also ascribes the first finding of
gold, here to Douglass, and to Stontenberg
who was one of his company-and for time
it was proposed to call the new place by the
latter's name. Though California is new
country to Americans, the lapse of nine or ten
years involves as much doubt, nearly, as that
of so many decades in the history of other re-
gions-as in such matters, time is measured
rather by rapid succession of incidents, than
by days and years. Some time in May, l849,
party of forty men, passing by this locality,
while engaged on a prospecting tour to some
other place, found good pay at the lower end
of the Flat, and remained to work The pre-
else point where it was first struck, is some
what i'll doubt, but it was not far from the ter
mination of the old hume of the Union Water
Company, lately superseded by the new cut of
the Murphys Fluming Company. An ounce
to the pan was no unusual prospect" and it
was tolerably good even in 40.
The entire population of the Camp in Au-
gust, did not much exceed fifty souls, chiefly
Americans. Cabins or tents for human habi-
tations were then unknown, the miners being
too busy at their work to put them up, even
when they possessed them, aad contenting
themselves with aomici,es the open air, with
| the sheiner of a tree.
The Flat and the land, now the site of the
town, presented a singularly pleasant appear
ance, covered as it was with herbage and no.
bic trees the growth of deep, rich soil moist
ened by the water of the creek, and springs
| between the hills. These have long since
passed away and given place to piles of un-
slightly stones and "tailingsn the debris OF
of years of hard toil-the beauty of utility if
any such there is) alone remaining
At this time there were four trading tents
in the place. which did a good business. They
belonged to Drs. Brown Wilson, Connell,
Daily Brothers, and Maj. Richard Roman.
There was, tradition relates, IL famous bat
tie ground upon the lower or western end of
the Flat-thc scene of sangunary conflict
between two hostile tribes of Aborigines, with
whom the place was long a favorite resi-
dence; and it is within the recollection of
many when an old survivor of the fight used
yearly to resort to the ground and spend hours
in chanting requems to the dead or peans to
the victors, in language strange and unn-
te!ligibe to the modern occupants of the old
ranchera.
By the regulations in force at this period
claims for mining were eight feet square, and
the addition of Il partner only enlarged the
claim te eight by twelve feet These averaged
to the hand, for the seasons work, out So, 900.
A Frenchman ''took OUT $1,000 in the sum-
mer and dry season.
Gold was found at the depth of from four
to- ten feet, the latter being considered rather
deep diggings. Pans were the only mining
implements in use, for washing, until late in
the fall, when the new invention of rockers or
cfn9ies was introduced from Woods Creek
There was small spring in the place which
was daily drained to supply the wants of the
miners for culinary purposes. y little dam
was made to collect the water from this, which
afforded panning out place" for everybody
The ordinary rate of wages was an ounce
day, and few could be hired at that price
while four or five ounces to the pan was not
unusually found on what was then called the
lara ledge
And here, permit your correspondent
not pretending to the name of a practical ge-
ologist-to enter his protest against palpable
mlsnOmer. The white substance which passes
| under the name of Tara with most miners. is
clearly cretaceous SEDIMENT deposit of
chalk or lime from water, and in no respect
| assimilated to the volcanic matter the result
of igneous fusion, which is properly called
lara 1t seems simply to be a newer deposit
arising from the action of water and the attri-
ton of other stones upon the old limestone
rock. Gold is frequently found beneath it. as
was the case on Murphy's Flat, and everything
indicates it to be of comparatively recent for
nation.
In my next propose to continue the annals
OF the place, with some notes of the claims and
earlier administration of justice, when that
prime requisite of our social state was meted
out with small regard to the forms of law. but
substantially and to meet the demands of those
for whom government is established
Meantime, the glorious spring weather sue
ceding upon the late heavy rains, has revivi-
fed the face of Nature, and gives good promise
to the husbandman. The ranches and gar
dens are springing into new life
The town on Sunday presents unusually
lively appearance. At night the streets are
full; several new drinking saloons arc opened,
the price ofliquors is everywhere .bt y the
casual passenger cannot fail to hear the cheer
ing assurance that the inside money makes
the game"-a maxim of extensive application
In fact, everything denotes the expectation of
a good time cOmnr