Daily national Democrat., 1860-05-22
MOUNTAIN CORRESPONDENCE.
In nteFesting --Winnemuka--
Silver, &C., sc.
GIBsoNv1LLE, May ls, 1850.

tnul Inc tneaIre ol dctlOn, on tue Gaclhc side
of the continent, the present season, will be
between the Sierra Nevada and Humboldt
and as all that can be learned about that sec.
ton of country is eagerly sought after,
will furnish you with few items fresh from
the scene of action.
The Black Rock fever having broken ont
in the shape of a violent epidemic in this
place, about six weeks SINCE a company of
ten of our citizens, EARNED and equipped ac.
cording to law" started for the land of gold
en- renOwn. They travelled on snow shoes
from here to Honey Lake; at which place
they purchased a team and provisions for the
remainder of the journey. Upon arriving
at Black Rock they found it sucl. a barren,
desolate looking country, that they were
somewhat disappointed and not being pre-
pared for an extended or lengthy prospect
ing" tour, they made their scjourn brief
They all returned to Honey Like, where
they split-one half going to Washoe, and
the other half coming back to Gibsonville.
am indebted to Mr.. Davis, one of those who
returned to this place for the following par.
tieulars, to wit They found very unin.
viting country-bad water, and no timber
within fifty miles. They saw Mr.. Jamison,
one of the company who have been prospect.
ing in what is known as the Black Rock dis
trict almost constantly the last two years
and he gave them different version of the
original discovery of mineral in that region
from anything that l ever before heard
Mr.. Jamison says that in 40 a man who
was crossing the plains in company with
train in which he had no interest, saw living
close beside the road large loose rock
which attracted his attention from its resem
banee to silver ore. The rock was heavier
than two men could lift, yet so confident was
he ofits precious quality, that he begged and
imploped his companions to let him have it
put in the wagon, and bring it through to
California But they stubbornly refused to
listen to what they considered so absurd
proposition and of course he had no alterna.
tive but to go on and leave it, or sit on it
and starve to death. Not choosing to accept
of either, he broke a small chunk off of it.
put it in his pocket and went on. When he
arrived at Shasta he got it assayed, and found
it of unprecedented richness-it containing
1920 worth of silyer-and now he has been
nearly three years looking for that same spot,
but thus far without being enabled to find it, |
The company, of which he is a member have
discovered rich mines at what is known as |
Black Rock, and although lie believes his
original discovery to have been some where
in that vicinity he has various reasons for
believing that it is not the same-one of
which is that in the newly discovered mines,
gold predominates-whereas, his original
discovery was almost exclusively silver-but
the principal of which is that he has never
been able to lay eyes upon that original
chunk, the second time.
Mr.. Davis says that there is every evidence
that there are very rich mines somewhere in
that vicinity, and that the Indians know
where they are, but they won't tell. lie says
that he saw young Winnemuck have in his
possession piece of quartz, about the size of
his fist which was the richest and most beau
Liful specimen that he ever saw. He says
that it was evidently an out cropping, as it
was much weather beaten, and he should
Judge that it was nearly one half gold. A
company of men offered him three thousand
lnl fO bOv tbar, bo 81, -
but his reply was: "Me tell you, bimby ten
white men come; then hundred white men
,ome then tousand white men come; then
Indians have to vamcse-me no tell you."-
There are evidently very rich mines lying
between the Sierra Nevadas and the Hum
boldt, but the Pah Utah's are bound to offer
much resistance to all invasion on what they
believe to be their sacred inheri-
tence from the 0mnipotent Throne. And my
sincere opinion is that we ought to pay them
at least q reasonable compensation for their
homes. l am aware that | will meet with |
opposition in this proposition, because the
American people have so long been accus-
toned to imposing upon the weaker party
that they have become to look upon that
mode of acting as just. One Of the Pah
Utah's undertook to show some rich mines,
but the company met old Winnemuck and
he made them all retreat. l have no news
from this place; everybody has gone to
Washoe, with the exception of about enough
to watch the place. Cue IS some of them will
wish they were back here again. Yours,
w. WELLINGTON G.