, 1860-01-04

Latest From the Gold Mines.
The 1ccen, cn.u.c among tho miners in c;>.
position to the Provisional Government. is thus
explained br the Rocky Moua.uin Vars Of Dec.
2lst:
The facts, Gs near as VIC cnn learn, arc these
--ape or two or three Iiscontet spirits who pre-
fer disorder 10 order. missu!e aud violence to
law. who arc ont OF their element when iu a
quiet community, and having withal great
for which they cannot hope; circulated the story
in tile mountains that Tue Legislature before its
adjournment passed law lcvying poll, or
head tax, of six or sevcn doalars--to be paid
imuediatcly-and tax Of certain per cent
age Oh all mining claims III their cstimated
va1ne.
Bclieying this the miners became justly in
censed, and guye vent to their feelings i'll words
and acts, promptly, M their right but they
were deccived, und .ilfully- No snch law was
passed, the only tax lcvird is l'oli tax Of one
dollar: aud It's payment is rot required for
ing mining, water, or farming Claims. nor will
their br; the trifin. tax Of uae du!ar being
sufficient to defray all expenses OF The govern
ment for one TeHr to come. Tins, We hope, NIL
will be willing to pay; nnd certainly no Que
can regret the cost when the sun! Is 50 t'lAan,
for tle establishment. IF law Tor tue protection
aud general good Of the people.
Tie following items are from tile AIRS Of the
above date:
The MIXES But little more in the way Of
mining news eau he expected before the OPEN
iny Of another season. The past has been aiIc
Of experiment. The first discoveries in the
mountains were made in May, which WIS as
early as they could bc percirased- Since then
considerable extent IF country Las been 1ndlt-
1crently rrosp,ecfcd, and many valuable olscov-
eries made. Miners sar;E began preparations
for winter, abandoning t,eir work in mnny ill.,
stances months bciurc there was any NECESSITY
for SO doing. 1t was the general opinion that
outdoor operations must &C ase in September,
or carly in October, but they have been contin
Med, to advantage, Until late N Ndrcnp7r. 1h's
demonstrating thu rrac'ica1,l'1'y OF working
seven mouths IN the year--tron, May first 10
December first.
From million mud Il balr to two millions Of
dollars in dust las been 1al:eu oat, which las
fund its way 10 all parts Of the Atlantic states
aud Territories, and convinced tue most 1ncrel-
1.lons that gald does exist in the Rocky Mou,:-
tains. UnllI winter caur, discoveries were made
throughout the mountains iii afl dlrcctinns. tic
n3ost important being Wet, or : little south Of
West from this place, in thr South ia'k aud on
the waters of tic Colorado IF the West. sccs:,-
in1 to Indicate that the great gold belt e1t"hds
directly toward the rich gold region Of Caitor-
MIA. Recent discoveries in tlIat S:a:e in tlIe
vicinity Of Watkcr river, at OF the Sierra Me-
vadas. indicate the safcc thing. and VIC stall
expect The coming season to s:low co'41ianous
chain Of gold tnulcs, cxtenc'ug from where We
now write to Call.ornia, TINS settling at once
the route for the Atlantic aud Pacllic ltall"aE.
S1r, De Ia Mar has placed u2on our
table some miniature marble slabs. obtained
from u aouss soue twts.ty tive ,nitcs ~ the
Platte Une is ! pure white and unnt:Icr u light
grey, bearing 1:nc polish anL 1.aring i c!car
metallic ring when struck. Preparations are
being ma.lu for extensively working the qnerry,
1kors f},r3 3bkn