St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-09-08
MisteIlanu.
A LADY IN CALIFORNIA.

MISS aVohla Jones gives the fol-
lowing sketch of some incidents of
her life in California
Yesterday we saw an entirely new
phase of life. So far we had only
seen the surface diggings, but now
we have seen the mining, far below
the surface. Before we went down.
one of the proprietors, Mr.. Seymour,
dressed us up. Our party consisted
of three ladies and two gentlemen,
and You never saw such a hard look
ing crowd. We wore our old dresses,
and no hoops mems india-rubber
coats and boots, and our heads done
up "nigger fashion," in cotton cloth.
Then we went into large shed where
they have steam engine, and you
see the commencement of a railroad
track which suddenly disappears into
an intensely dark hole. On this track
was low, almost flat-ribbcd plank
ing Oh six wheels. On this thing we
sat down, the gentlemen holding the
ladies. The word was given, and
away we sped into this dark hole,
down an inclined plane, at an angle
of forty-tivc degrees, for six hundred
and fifty feet. expected to be fright
ened, but | was not in the least in
tact | liked it, the sensation was so
novel
When we got off the track, we
found ourselves in an alley way,
hcamed and boarded on all sides
These alleys extend in all directions,
and so low you have TO stoop all the
time in walking. Mother could not
stand the strain on her back, 50 we
left her seated on pile of dirt, talk
ing to miner. We were all provid-
cd with candles, and such a trip as
we passed through. First, we went
along the railroad track, in deep mud,
and then along alley ways, where the
dccomposcd granite is very soft, but
dry. Sometimes we had to crawl
through a hole on our hands and knees,
then again, slide through feet fore
most. 1t was hard work, but funny,
and never laughed SO much in nv
life. At last we got through into
quite an open place, which Mr.. Sey-
mour had fixed for lis that morning.
1t was most ridiculous sight to see
us thoroughly exhausted, seated on a
pile of dirt, with candles in our hands.
Mr.. Seymour dug us pan of dirt
apiece, which yielded sixteen hundred
dollars each, when they were washed
out. We are going to have orna-
ments made for our watches.
After VIC had rested we started off
again. 1t was the same thing over
wherever we went. After time we
got back to mother the truck came
down and we came up. In going up
you feel as if you were about to slide
off. After we came up we went into
the wash-house to see them clean up.
They have large troughs through
which the water rushes, carrying dirt
and stones with it. The water is i'm
pregnated with quicksilver, which
makes the gold sink to the bottom.
and it catches under ribbed wood laid
at intervals When they clean up.
these pieces of wood are raised, and
the water carries away all the dirt
and stones, leaving only the gold.
The entire mining country is intersect-
ed with these fumes, sometimes Oh
trcstles which look like immense sus-
pension bridges, then running along
the ground or disappearing in the
sides of the hills.
They have another mine here, where
you go down in bucket, but man
was killed there last week, and don't
want to go. rather like this timer
ating business but for the frightfully
dusty roads we would have nothing
to complain of. However, if we con-
tnue to make money, we can bear it.