The Shasta courier., 1859-04-30

Correspondence.
Flat CREEK, April u, 1859

FLAT CREEK, April 81, 1859.
MrssRs. EDIroRs; The other day gentleman
just arrived from the States approached the place
where had been working, and began very at
tentively to examine the soil and bed rock, with
the delusire hope of discovering a specimen of
the much needed and much sought after pre-
cous metal
"And these are the dggings,' exclaimed he,
in tone of disappointment; "why, thought all
a man had to do was to wash the dirt and he
would be sure to find pay in it."
My FRIEND" l remarked, for ten years
have mined in sundry and various portions of
this State with varied results-at times striking
it rich, and at other times losing months of Ia
bor besides running in debt for grub This
business called mining is lottery; you invest
your labor and take the desperate chances of
finding prizen
Al THIS moment a gang of about seventy-fve
AslatIc slaves, and their owner riding on a sorry
nag, passed en- route fer Weaver.
Look said he, "what strange lot of crit
ters they are-ain't they it's a darned hard case
them in digging for grub. don't see why in
thunder you miners allow them to take gold out
and away from these mountains If, as you saw,
these mines similar to vast lottery, it is ap-
parent to every man that occasionally they must
draw prizes, and consequently every time they
strike rich lead and make pile it decreases
the chances of white American citizens"
"Truo, my friend" l replied, "yop have but
uttered what all of US grey-shirted diggers know
to be true. 'Tis burning shame- grievous
wrong on the free and independent citizens OF
this State-but curses will net bring reforma-
ton, neither viii they tighten the load of this
Asiatic milestone, nor rid the land of this horde
of locusts who are robbing us of the golden har-
vests of Uncle Sans land. Tt seems to me that
it should be the duty of every miner who has
his own Interest and the interests Of the State Al
heart, to make this question an issue at elections
and that they should be fully satisfied of can
didates views on this important question. The
majority of practical miners concede that the
presence of Cinnamon here is a curse; the pow
4 er is in their own hands-let them use it, anG
they will find it easier to rid themselves of thi:
nuisance than they imagined. In fact, my
friend, some how the miners tacitly allow the
Johns and their sympathizers to monopolize, die
and carry away millions of dollars monthly from
the very ground that in q few years they them
selves would like to make enough out Of to buy
bread for their children's mouths"
By this time had worked myself into pas
sion on that exciting subject, and on looking
around saw the stranger ehakirg his huge fist in
the direction the Cinnamon had taken, mutter-
ing curses on the Supreme Court, Legislators
Assemblymen, and things in general.
Diggings like topers throat-dry; and
like his pockets, without change. Spring ha:
come at last and locks like gent from til,
country-most gloriously green-as also are til,
woods and slopes of hills near where my ole
cabin stands. Expect to be in town when an
able to buy new shirt, Digger having taker
the liberty of appropriatng my wardrobe for hi
own especial benefit without my will or con.
sent NINo.