Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-06-05
Letter frem California
" Ell RAvIxE, Sierra Co. Cal

04'NHe'NN' tiHe tue ilbefty ol wiring You d
few lines TO let you know what Is going on IL
this part of the world 1t may interest some Of
your readers to hear from Sierra County, and
especially those who were formerly residents
of it, but now residing in Wisconsin
Being subp9naed as witness on the Manat-
tan and Eureka Mining suit on The 9th Of \ pril
! l found it very difficult in getting to DowEie-
vile on account of the inclemency of the wealth
er; showing and storfning so very much that II
was dangerous for any person to cross the
mountain between Allegheny Town and Fnres,
city.
left " ct Ravine about o'clock 4 NJ, il
company with Mr.. Geo. Robinson. thinking we
would he able to get Mules in Forest CITY 10
ride. but fate was against u.s. owing to The great
number of witnesses leaving Forest Civ the
night before, with all the Mules the town could
raise. We were disappointed il cur ride and
had to foot it to DownievIlle.
Arrived in Downievile about II o'clack. ".
aud took dinner at Bill Henry's, formerly f
Forest City. After dinner, in walking about
the town | came across some of my old acunain
tances of Iowa County. l saw Frank Dunn and
5. f. Seabury of Mineral Point, also Ben. Ire
loar, and Sampson Hicks. of Linden, enjoying
themselves as we'll IS the times would permit
with the good things of Downieville. They
We're there as witnesses in the Manhattan trial
The Eureka Co has got one hundred and
sixty-three Witnesses. and Manattau about one
hundred and fifty. The law suit now
pending between these two Companies has al
ready cost sixty thousand dollars without hav-
nS any decision to know who the grounds be-
long TO. The Court had been in session be-
tween two and three weeks examining witnes-
SEES, arguing points before his Honor, Judge
Taylor, 10 know If they were admissible, when
on Saturday the Court called to order, and
finding one of the Jurymen missing. the Shcr-
if was sent after him; being absent about ten
minutes, lie returned in Court. stating that the
Jurynan had shot himself through the head
with rife. There was then a general rush
out of the Court room into the room where the
poor fellow had shot himself His name was
Frank Damon. Carpenter 10y trade, from the
State of Maine.
The ground in litigation between these two
Companies Is directly under the road leading
from Allegheny Town to Forest City.in a little
ravIue below Freds Ranch. The term Of Court
xpired on the day the Juryman shot himself
and tie case was put for the 2lst day Of May
AboIt the time the Coruucr's Jury was sitting,
Investigating the cause of Frank Damon death
: was telegraphed into DownievilIc from Pine
C,ioyo, an account Of brutal murder committed
there the night before. A man by the name Of
shields Hand man 10y the name of 10 Donel
on his way from Rowland Flat 10 Pine Grove.
and murdered him with butcher knife. The
citizens Of Pine Grove thinking 1t not necessary
to run the County TO further expense about
trying him in Downieville before his Honor
Judge Tay lor. tried HIM before Judge Lynch,
found him guilty and hung him 10 a tree. The
cause of the unfortunate affair was from jealousy
in the first pla,e. Shields thinking O'Donel 10
be paying improper attentions to hi- wife, and
causing her to break her marriage vow, disgrace
herself aud family. he (SheidS) allowed there
was no other Alternative left for him than to take
the adulterers lite, and so it ended.
There was a telegraph dispatch received in
DownievIlle on Sunday morning stating that
three men lett Forest City the uig4t ctore for
Rock Creek. about two miles distant, and one
gave out and died in the snow. His name was
Z
ers narrowly escaped with their lives BY bury
ing themselves in the snow over night. Anoth-
er man lost his way and died going from Monte
Criso to Foker Flat. Another lost his life in
going from Goodyears Bar TO the Mountain
House. ana l hear Of several losing their lives
in going to the Wa>hoe Digglng-- | saw several
come into DowuievilIe after being ah~en; Fix
days trying to break their way over the Sierra
Nevada Mountains but it was go There
has more snow fallen in the first two weeks Of
this month than we La e had for all the win cr,
previous 10 that time The snow was ten inches
deep in Dowuieyille on the 7ih of April 4
sight that has not been visible since the win
ter of 1882
The Red Star Co entered suit against the
Oregon Co. about two weeks ago for piece Of
disputed ground. and since then l hear they
/ have settled it, Oregon Co. paying Red Star
I Co eight thousand dollars.
/ 1t is very common saying now in Califor
mia, if you strike good diggrngs you are sure to
strike law suit, and | believe it Is so. tor you
neve- hear Of law while they are running bed
rock tunnels, bu; almost Immediately after
/ striking pay gravel that will prospect two bits
/ TO the Itan, louk OIL Tor Jaw, lor II iS sure 10
come in spite of all you can do 20 prevent it.
I The people have been coming back from
Z Washoe foi the last few days a fast a. they
were going little While ago. i bad long
/ conversation with a gentleman just returned
from the di.ciugs last evening. by the uame OF
Elkanah SAID, formerly foreman III the Bay
( State Co. at Alleghaney Town he said j, was
almos, impossible for a man 70 MAZE ary money
I in them digglRgs snGer the present state Of
affairs; -four IS worth sixty dollars per barrel,
Beef 80 cents per pound. Sugar 80 cents, Beans
10 cents. Shovels S. each. Picks the same. sin
lie meals -, board so per week invariably IN
advance wages four dollars per day for good
experienced miners; common laborers three dol
/ lars. and all the ground that viii justify any
man 20 work IS already owned by San Francis-
CO capitalists. San. Laugsan's mule train
leaves Dowuieville twice week for the a-aoe
Mines; fare for passengers thirty dollars; and
| think he IS making 4 better thing oUi of II
than the miners are. Something like the Cali
foruia Stage Company during the Frazer River
eroiteu1ept,