The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-19

ARIZONA, OR GADSDEN PURCHASE,
TERRITORY or NEw MEXICO, Dec. 20, 1858
The Recent Gold Discoveries the Gila-Prospecs Of the
Miners-Sca,city Of Propisions-Climatc, &C., de-
AS know that you always anxious TO lay before
your readers every interesting fact concerning the de-
velopement Of the of country hasten to
inform you Of the late discoveries of gold in this section Of
the country.
For many years past reported that gold could be
found all along the ella rverindeed have frequently
read Of it in the columns Of your paper but the hostility
Of the Indians such prevent parties who passed
through the country from fully exploring IT, 1t not
however, considered that gold could be found the
mouth Of the river until about the middle of last August
when Mr.. Birch an old California miner, who was pass
ing through here his way back to Texas determined to
stop and prospect the hills for few days. his cattle
tired after crossing the desert He had not been
hour work before he found several small pieces of gold
merely by scratching with his knife He then set to work
and made himself rocker, and commenced in earnest
and there at that time many emgrants their
way from Texas to California, they all stopped they
along and went to work also, until in about six
eight weeks there about fifty men, most Of them
having families encamped and at work here.
About the first Of November and several others deter
mined to go down from San Francisco and try our for
tunes. We accordingly arrived here about the Goth of
last November and found some seventy men, mostly all
Texans, at work They have built themselves houses
made Of brush and mud, and called the place ella City.
situated eighteen miles above the junction of the Ga
with the Colorado river at which point Fort Yuma is
located There is a city laid off right opposite
Fort Yuma in the Gadsden purchase, called Arizona City,
which contains but two mud houses Of which is the
Post Office for large tract of country both sides of
the When arrived at the mines found that
only four or five parties could be said to be making high
wagesthe others only doing tolerably WELL Taking
all average, they were only making about four or
five dollars day to the man. have seen some claims
yield high as fifty dollars per day to the man. and
again, have others that would not pay than
fifty cents per day.
The mines in this section of the country will never nav
WE'LL as general thing, as the river nearly half mile
distant from the nearest place where gold found and
thew have to haul the dirt in wagons TO the river to wash
it, for which they have to pay two dollars per load.
Some loads yield high twenty dollars others do not
yield enough to pay for hauling. But should capitalists
bring engines and force the up the hills as
in the California mines, them indeed they will pay hand.
somely The mines here extend about five miles each
side Of the river There three mining camps here at
present. There are numbers Of men coming here daily
and prospect little and not finding it as rich as they
would wish, curse the country and 60 home again. But
have never seen any one who would go directly to work
ana keep at it steady who could not make IL pay we'll
There are few companies who have made well Of it,
One company know have taken out three thousand dol
lars In two months. The gold is found in the deep
vines and in places the tops of the hills There are
scarcely any deep diggings. found mostly the
surface and the bed the gulches and ravnes
where 1t was washed down the hills from decompOsed
quartz rock.
But this merely beginning, and no doubt when the
adventurous pioneer Calfornians down they will
make their up the head waters of the Gia where
gold said TO be found in large quantities Indeed they
ALREADY beginning 10 organize large BODY OF men TO
proceed up, but they must be well armed and vgiant as
they will have to advance into tue very heart of the
Apache country Should they organize effective body
OF will 60 along with them and keep you informed
OF all that transpres. There here, present.
two hundred men, the majority of whom have no fixed
claims, but are prospecting the country all around I
myself did the same for nearly three weeks and not
finding anything good, bought one third Of claim which
is paying well.
The climate Of this country delightful at this
of the year. We have such weather you have in
New York Ia October scarcely ever rains here except
few showers in August The entire country for hun
dreds of miles is vast region of barren hills and val
ieys. II be made much OF agricultural
country as there are no means of irrigation and the
ground is highly mpregnated with akal There is
timber except in some places where there few
quit cottonwood trees to be found Its only redeeing
character is that II is extremely rich in minerals. Pro
visions very high here, everything has to be
brought from automatically from San Francisco, up
the Gulf of California to the mouth Of the Colorado
thence TO Fort Yuma by steamer The stages Of the
land Mail Company from st. Louis pass through here
twice "a week; SO we have ample means for pom
dence. / will close this letter. Ia my next will
give you all the items of interest that may ranspire here