Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-07-14
The Frazer River Gold Mines.
SAN FRANC1scn Mar 2O lS=

NAN FRANCISCO, May 2O, lS5S.
 All California is alive with a new gold fever, and the disease will soon become epidemic in the Atlantic States. The rumors which have reached you about the discovery of rich and ex- tensive gold mines in the valley If Frazer river are confirmed, and more than confirmed Well authenticated accounts have been received that the banks of that stream, for more than one hundred and fifty miles, are as rich in fine gold ever were the banks of any river in CalifOr- mia; ard although no other part of New Gale douia has been prospected by white miners, vet everybody is satisfied that the dggings must be extensive, for we all know that fine gold on the bank of river must have come from a con- siderable distance; and if there be much of the precious metal, the fields whence the gold was brought down by the floods must be extremely rich. or else spread over large amount of ground
 Frazer river is larger than the Sacramento and the mines commence at hundred miles from its mouth, whereas the Sacramento three hundrrd miles from the sea has no gold-on it's immediate banks. As the valley of Frazer river Is as large as that of the Sacramento, the inference is that the auriferous quartz or dry dggings which supplied the gold on the bars in the former stream must be either nearer the
  than those of the great artery of California.
 There are as vet not more than couple of hundred of white miners in the new Fl Dorado. and the only route of travel now open, the river itself Is so high and it's current k so fierce that it is impossible for any one to reach the dig gings There is roa! from he coast over land, hIlt il is not now passahle because 1t crosses the Cascade mountains, which are now covered with snow. In July the river will fall so that canoes can ascend it., and the snows on the mountains will bp gone, so that trains of pack mules can cross the mountains: and then there will be grand rush from Calf rnia rivaling perhaps the rush to this county in 1S4S. AL ready fifteen hundred people have left this port, and two or three thousand more will start within the next four weeks
 The miners now on Frazer river are making from $3 to $6 a day on an average, working with rockers; aud his is as much as to say that with sluces, and when the water s low so that the richest part of the bars can be reached, the wages of experienced miners will not be less than $50 or $40. As 1t is now, working with instruments which are discarded almost entirely by California miners, the men on Frazer river sometimes make $50 day; and some have even made as much as $50 and S2OO These statements come to me from sources which do not doubt; but there are many men doing better than that in California The difficulty here is, however, that all the good claims are taken up or are to be found with great difficulty, so that strangers stand comparatively little show for making fortunes by mining; whereas, in new mining district, like that of New Ca- ledonia, every man stands good chance
 Provisions are high in the diggins, rating at from p cents to S3 pound, and with a small assortment at that There are no stores the only sales mentioned being those of men who have lost their tools, and have been compelled to leave for want of means to work; or who have started off to engage in some speculation from which greater profits are hoped for than from mining.
 The Indians are numerous in Frazer Valley, and they are warlike race, well provided with muskets, and skillful in their use but up to the present time they have been friendly, though they steal everything they can lay their hands on.
 There is a rumor, however, that they have taken all the provisions from mining camp far up on the rlver and if this be the fact, other acts of the same kind will probably follow, and bitter and bloody war must ensue. It is con- trary to past experience that the whites and h. dians should dwell together peaceabv in con siderable numbers. One race must give way. and the red men have been compelled to yield in every case heretofore.
 The mines, as 1 said, commence at the bars of Frazer river and extend up about 15O miles to the Big Falls, along which whole extent there are small parties of white miners, most of whom are Americans. There are also many Indians engaged in mining; hut they use noth- ing but sticks, to loosen the dirt, and nothing b,,t .tl 1an bs f.,r and yet with these rude contrivances they have dug S30,OCO or more, and 1t has found its way to the coiers of the Hudson's Bay Companv. who have by law the exclusive privilege of trading with the red men in New Caledonia-- Most of the Frazer gold dust has been sent to England, but some $5OO0 or S6OOO have been received here. It is very much like the dust of Washington territory, and sells here from $16 25 to $l6 3715 an ounce.
 We expect that the result of the discovery | of the new mines will be of immense benefit | to California
 The spirit of speculation had been excited here by Frazer river, and we expect to see the scenes of AS and '49 re- enacted. Already the people of Bellangham Bay, which is the near est large harbor to the mines, are claiming that their place must become the San Francisco of | the north. and towns have been laid out in the | midst of an almost inpenetrable forest, and the lots at the latest dates were selling like the ex. tras issued by the San Francisco papers after the arrival of the steamers from Puget Sound. More than thousand persons are now collect ed at the embryo cities of Whatcom and Se- horne on that bay, and cards. liquor bowie- knives and revolvers play almost as great a part as they ever did in California. !
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