Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-07-01
--latest from the Gold Regions. .

The Cincinnati Commercial has a long and
interesting letter from an apparently candid
and reliable correspondent and vouched to be
such, by that paper, dated Denver City, June
9th. The writer states that the Platte River
washings are all abandoned as well as the Cher
ry Greek. Gold was not found in satisfactory
paying quantities, aud the rich mines discover
ed in the mountains attracted the miners
thithcr. He had Just visited the Gregory
Diggings and other mines up Clear Cheek and
some % miles among the mountains, and his
account is in substance as follows sr, It--ll.
Gregory and his party followed up Clear
Greek in March two days, came upon two mar
row valleys, the mountainous borderings of
which were covered with pine, and traversed
by peculiar stresks of burnt quartz rock
A pan Of surface dirt in the immediate
vicinity of the quartz gave nearly 81
in first quality of scale gold. The deep
er they dug the richer the dirt grew, and at the
depth Of six feet, bed of sand, enclosed in a
formation of rotten quartz, yielded regularly
from $6 to SIS paii. 1'ii6 icad FAN in hor-
izontal direction, presented no Indication of
giving out, and the whole party took up claims
along the lead was struck J. Fl. Gregory had
worked four days with three hired hands, and
obtained S1l00; w. S. Duey, J. W. Zeigler,
G. II. Zciglef and D. f. Spain, had worked
together four claims for five days and dug out
81 ,O3o; A. Defrees, w. Defrees, and W.
Chess had worked three claims for six days,
and realized 81 ,522. All the claims worked
as above are located on the original Gregory
lead ... #.-5f.-
Three PERSONS working at leads across the
valley had taken out $780, in one day and
four others worked together four claims four
days, and averaged $40 per day S. G. G..
Jones, well known Eastern Railroad builder,
was also working lead. and realized from 81
to LOO per pan. Some of the claims are To-
Gated 800 feet abote the banks of the creek,
the ascent almost perpendicular, and the gold
bearing dirt has to be backed down to the wa
ter. Only two sluces were in running order
The others relied upon the wasteful pans
Several feet of the partly rotten, partly solid
rock. to every foot Of rich dirt, has to be re-
moved. The process of ceusre is slow and
toilsofse. and the yield per day under the disad-
yaptages Of working, are truly extraordinary
The leads are generally from 10 to II inches
vide and as many high, and are estimated to
yield 5000 to the cubic foot. The letter. says ::
Some of your readers may, perhaps, be anx-
ious to know how | succeeded in ascertaining
the correct amount taken out iii stated periods
by different prrtics. | will inform them that the
gold found at the Gregory dggings is all Of that
fine description known as quartz gold that
it is almost impcrceptible to the naked eye
when mixed with dirt and rock and. that the
only way of gathering it is by means of quick
silver, from whence it is again separated by
means of solitary retort they had up there
during my stay, and then appears in Jumps of
various sizes which are easily weighed. To
be certain about my statements, | weighed
over three thousand dollars worth of gold in
that shape with my own hands, and saw the
remainder weighed by others. ..+.....
From the Gregory diggings l struck right
across the mountains towards the South Fork
of Clear Creek on which the so-called Jackson
diggings, also named after their discovercr, are
located. | got there after a most tedious Jour
ncy, consisting OF alternate ascending and de
scending of all but perpendicular mountains.
All along the way L noticed the same strcalls
of quartz that lead to the Gregory diSgings.
If their richness corresponds with their NUM-
Der, this country may become a rival of Cali
fornia.
At the jackson diggings about hundred
men were at work. They wash gold out OF
surface dirt found on the banks of the creek
and on the creek-ward slope of the mountains
The diggers were not very communicative, and
it was with the greatest difficulty that l could
ascertain something definite with regard te
the results of their labor. The jackson dig
gings have been worked for nearly two months
and gold was taken out all the time, but il
comparative small quantities. The gold fount
at this point is the coarsest that has thus fa
been discovered in the various mining districts
1t consists of coarse dust and to greater ex
tent of nuggets weighing from / to penny
weights. l bought myself one worth $3.50
! The largest amount of gold I saw in the pos
session of single individual at the Jacksn
diggings was about two and half ounces. u
to the Gregory as well as the jackson dig
E gings-the latter about forty miles from tn
D points as yet in an extremely rough cond
+;on oud a1uarc jpora sea hIe for uarone Th