The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-07-30
THE NEW GOLD FIELDS.
GREAT EXCITEMENT IN CALIFORNIA.
ABUNDANCE OF GOLD.-GENERAL INFOR-
NATION CONCERNING THE MINES.

than three months since the tidngs came to us, in
tangible form, that gold could be found at the Fra
ger river mines in quantities, and although we
have yet but imperfect advices to their real ex
tent and richness, yet strong the convictions
in the minds of the masses that tha mines RICH
far beyond all previous discoveries, that our peo-
pie have suddenly become seized with the mania
called the FRAZER river fever Thus far, we
have been unable to provide the of transport
taton to all who desire passage to the New Ell
Dorado.
Since April last the following steamers have been
running on the route: Commodore alias Brother
Jonathan, Pacific, and Panama; more recently, the
Oregon, Republic, Cortes, Sierra Nevada, Orizaba,
and the Santa Cruz These steamers are run
ming regularly, making a round trip every 10 or
II days. and averaging each passage up to Puget |
Sound 500 passengers and full freight of merchan-
disc on the return trip an average of but 0passen
gers and no freight. Added to this, scores of clip
per ships and other sailing craft have been put on
the route, and yet the cry is for more. The steam
Surprise and Sea Bird are now on Frazier river
the former making regular trips from Victoria and
Bellingham bay to Fort Hope which is the head of
navigation, and the point where the gold mines first
begin to show themselves in quantities sufficient to
pay Up to this time it is safe to say that at least
t'oentyfr thousand abled-bodied men (Caliornans)
have already left this State and gone to the North
These embrace men of all classes.
The majority are industrious miners, who have
ben toiling laboriously for months years, dig
= in our own mines So to $40 per day, but be-
q that Frazer river mines would pay better
81 to s25 per day-they have been tempted to
SELF their old claims, and packing up their
shovel - and pick, and shouldering their cradle,
have gon to the new and unexPlTr ed mines min in
of the cities have also gone North, and if the news
yet to be received during the present month is con-
firmatory of what has preceded it, we believe that
California will lose at least one-sixth of her work
ing population. Our interior cities of Stockton
and Sacramento have already suffered terribly
Particularly is this true of Sacramento city Stores
and dwellings are being closed out, the inmates
leaving at any sacrifice for the North Brick stores
on street that have heretofore rented for one or
| two thousand dollars per month now be hired
for one dollar per day.
Broken-down merchants, brokers, traders, &C.,
who could scrape together, by borrowing of their
friends, few hundred dollars went early to Vcto-
ria and purchased largely of town lots at $50 each
after which government put up the price to Sloo.
At the latter price many were taken up, and are
now held at thousands advance. Others are
located at Whatcom, Sehome and other ports
on Bcllingham Bay, where they hope to build up
cities and make piles this gear. How far they have
| or will succeed, time alone must determine. No
doubt many have already increased their worldly
gains, upon paper thousand fold. As it is cities,
towns and mining camps are being set up over
large tract of barren territory upon the river banks
and bars of Frazer and Thompson rivers, where the
reported gold discoveries are said to exist in I'M
mense quantities. As yet we have no tangible evil
dence of gold being there in such uast quantities as
is reported.
1t is doubtful whether we have yet received in
gold dust one dollar to the man of all who have yet
departed from this State. of the existence of gold
in the bed of Thompson and Frazer rivers, there
can be no doubt; but whether the water ever falls
sufficiently to allow the drainage of the rivers
the working of the bars to extent to remunerate
the great army of miners who have gone, and are
yet to leave us, is quite problematcal. 1t is, how
ever quite remarkable thatwe have as vet received
no well authenticated news of failure to find gold
dust. None have yet returned from the mines
rewarded or discouraged. The few that have re-
turned came down for goods and stores suited to
! cir ants an6h haclE ful1 nf 10
| the new mines. Many ''early BIRDS" who went up
in April to prospect the country, have written back
encouragngly to their friends and copartners, and
there are many instances where stores, workshops,
mills, &C., have been closed up, and all hands gone
off with bag and baggage, carrying with them
their wives and children.
The rush is alarmingly great. The thoughtful
business man is troubled to know the result upon
trade and commerce in our own city and State
There is doubt but great injury has already
befallen our State when viewed from a mercantile
standpoint. The trade of and with the interior of
the State, has well nigh been ruined, and for the
time, broken up. As for own city, no great in
jury has yet become perceptibe, though many of
our jobbe:s of clothing and dry goods greatly
| troubled, and indulge in fearful forebodngs. The
town is filling with miners who fiocking here
from all parts Of the State, en- route for Frazer
| river
Our farmers now busy gathering, in their
| crops, hurrying their grain to market, that they,
too, may be off to the new FL Dorado of the North
not stopping to count the cost of an Indian war,
or the effects of northern winter in those high
ATTITUDES. The calm and rejecting believe that
these new mines cannot be worked but about four
months in the year, owing to the high water and
the winters cold and snow. The immense fisheries
and forests of impenetrable trees will attract many
of the hardy sons of the Pacific to locate at the
North, while the farmer, who cannot here purchase
title to his farm, own the land which he him
self has been tilling in California will go North and
locate where lands can be had at government price,
and an easy market be opened to them on the Pa
| cific.
The price of passage by the steamer from here to
| Victoria Bengham Bay, &C., is on the average
$50 to $40. Added to this is $50 and S25 for river
passage on the steamer Surprise, by to
Fort Hope 1t is fair to say that miner, to go
from here to Frazier river Mines wants at least
$500 to $3.50 cash to enable him successfully to
reach the mines and to procure the requisite out
| fits.
Many of steamers go to crowded like
sheep with passengers, and so many on board that
all cannot sit or lie down at once. But there is
| this about it, the steamers up against good
north wind in three, four or five days at the out
side and up to this time no serious disaster has be-
fallen any of them, though many, in fact, most of
those running, are old steamers, quite worn out
| on the Panama route, prior to being put on this
route.
The Hudson's Bay Company, through their
agents, making very large purchases of provi-
sions, flour, &C., in this city. They monopolize all
the freight room of the steamers, and tax their
| pacity to the utmost to get off goods enough to
keep this immense immigration from starving, after
| they reach the mines. So sudden and unexpected
was the rush, that no provision could be made for
| them, and suffering has and will be endured by
many who had not been provided with the nscessa-
ry stores for three months campaign in that will
| derness of savages. The Hudson's Bay Company
| have also chartered and loaded several clipper
| ships.
| The steamers can coal at Bellingham Bay where
there are abundant supplies at $500 per ton, it
| having gone up from Sc since this trade began.
Several large fine clipper ships have loaded with
merchandise and passengers for Bellingham Bay
As many seven vessels of large size have cleared
at our custom house in single day for this new
| Ell Dorado.
1t is a subject of speculation with many why it
is that little gold dust has yet been brought here
from the new FL Dorado of the North, and reason
from it that there is gold there to speak of &c.
| Now, the fact is, that the Hudson's Bay Company
have always heretofore been interested to keep back
| their knowledge to the richness of their gold
mines in order the more successfully to carry on
| their exclusive traffic with the Indians, And be-
sides, the Company have been of late extremely
anxious and DESTROYS of renewing their charter
with the English government for q years, as their
presentcharter is about expiring These and other
reasons have operated to keep back the dust of Fl.
| B. Company.
Their purchases here are all made from the pro-
ceeds of bills of exchange on England. As regards
| the gold dust gathered by miners, they will doubt
less conceal it, bury it, and otherwise keep it till
obliged to part with it for stores. As yet many
| most of the successful miners have three months
supply of provisions in their camps, and If reports
are true as 10 tnelr great success IL VIII not ne long
| before those who went up early will have secured
their piles and be ready to return and take up their
abode with US and enjoy our beautiful climate in
the society of their families and among Christian
civilized people. 1t my mind, before the steamer
of goth July leaves for New York, we shall find that
the faithful messenger of Wells, Fargo Co.'S Ex-
press will be the carriers of tens of thousands of
gold dust; and the steamers manifests of the P NJ
| S. S. Co., show that the Hudson's Bay Company
and other heavy mercantile houses which have re-
Gently established branch houses at Victoria will be
| large shippers of gold dust to this city.
1t has been expected by many that long ere this,
on occount of the great number of miners who had
| ceased working in our mines, our shipments of
treasure eastward would have fallen off greatly
Such has not yet been the case, do believe the
shipment of To-day will exhibit falling off from