Daily national Democrat., 1860-02-12
MOUNTAIN CORRESPONDENCE.

eFaIlon' OF winch shall speak anon.
A MINER.
MOUNTAIN CORRESPONDENCE.
QUNoY, Feb. s.
EDITOR DEMOCRAT :-Once more take nv
pen to have my semi.periodicap chat with
you. For weeks we have been shivering un.
der the bitterest spell of weather ever known
in American Valley. The mercury has been
lingering about zero, sometimes a little above
and and sometimes considerably below; and
the consequence is, people as a mass do not
attempt to do much, save to keep comforta-
bic and enjoy themselves. sometimes think
that hearts grow warm as the weather grows
cold; and certainly no one would dispute nv
theory, could they see the happy faces here
and mark the good humor everywhere prev
alent. Dances, sleigh-rides and every other
species of winter amusement are in abund-
ance, and through the long evenings, the
keenest kind of jokes are showed in lavish
extravaganza, as though they cost no copiur-
ing. Of course, none of these things apply
to me, am but quiet looker~on
But this excessive cold can not last forev-
err. Every morning the sun comes little
sooner over the hills, and every evening
waits little longer bafore he bids us GOOD.
night; and the feeling is beginning to grow
up within us that there is really spring for
us somewhere in the future. This cold win
ter seems SO like old times that often find
myself forgetting that am not a boy in the
old home once more; and Marysvile seems
like some far off city, place only to be re-
memberod as a hideous dream.
The illusion was enhanced by the arrival
of the last mail, which brought me your pa
per dated Nov. 81, 1859, only two months
end three days coming ninety miles. There's
enterprise for you. No Union came in the
mail, and when the reason was asked, a wag
at my elbow remarked that probably the
"Union was dissolved"-a most vilainous
pun, which our patriotic crowd saluted with
three groans.
About week since, some three or four cit
ziens Of this vicinity started a subscription for
the purpose of raising funds to improve the
road from this place to Washoe. The whole
amount required is but 81, 1000 to make it as
good a stage road as there is in the country,
and three fourths of the amount has been al
ready subscribed, and men have been sent
out to commence the labor. 1t will be COM
pleted before spring opens. Speaking of Wa
shoe, had long talk with Lovejoy, "Old
Mouutaineer Lovejoy," yesterday. He reach
ed here from WashOe on Monday last. lie
looks little rough from Washoe wear, but
the old fire is still burning in his eye, and all
the tan of Washoe winds cannot hide the
light eff the soul that ever makes genial his
face.
The adjectives in the language could not
give even faint conception of the severity
of the Washoe winter He spoke of report
published in the Alta, which he thinks was
taken from your paper, in relation to the
Washoe country and declares it to be in every
way greatly exaggerated and in great many
respects totally untrue. He says the distance
from Washoe Valley to Virginia is not over
four miles, that he has often walked from one
place to the other in an hour; that save of
Comstock, Spanish and the California claims,
no one knows whether Washoe mines are of
any account or not, while hundreds of miners
are holding Claims by which they hope to re-
alze fortunes the coming year. and he is one
of the number, still he afiirms there 10 not n
man in the Territory outside of the owners OF
the claims before mentioned, who knows the
mineral from which they expect so much,
will when rightly assayed yield gold and sill
yer or only copper and lead. That the Atlas
account of the agricultural resources is over
rated; that there are some 1000 acres of land
in Truckee and 100 in Pleasant Valley that
with water might be made to produce good
caops This he has learned from observation
and from conversation with an old Mormon
farmer, who told him that he never expects a
good crop of grain only once in three years
While Mr.. Loveioy hopes everything from
Washoe, still he deplores this feeling of I'M
rest and excitement which seems to take
away mems better judgment, and makes them
anxious to break all business ties for the sake
of rushing to Washoe; and he earnestly pro
tests against the exUggerations of specializing
letter writers. Don CARLOS.