The Shasta courier., 1863-06-27
Letter from the Humboldt Mines.
UNIoNvILLE. June Is, 1863


an account ofmy trip to Reese river and Au-
gusta district, but l have SO much to write
about from he-s that my description of Reese
river country will be short.
went from here in March, for Reese riv-
er, which is about ninety miles south east
from this place, and made the trip to ia
.cobsville in four days, crossing four deserts,
each about fifteen miles in width, and sepa
rated by ranges of rough barren mountains
found but little water and little wood on
my route, but found plenty Usage brush as
q substitute for wood, while we were amply
compensated for the lack Of water by fire.
quent applications to the contents of keg
in the wagon, Arrived at Reese river, and
went round and examined the mines Found
some very rich mineral, but the lodges were
all very small in the district where mineral
is found. Most Of the lodges there have an
other fault, which is a very bad one, and
that is, they are all wrong side up, or, in
other words, they are wedge. shaped, and be-
ing small top they soon run out as they
90 down. | think that what they call lodges
there now are only spurs, and that they may
find some good sized lodges in time. if they
keep on working. There is good deal of
fine farming land in Reese river valley, and
the foos hills are pretty well covered with
small nut pines and cedars. which does very
vel for fire wood and to build miners cabins
with, but is not large enough to work into
lumber. The town of Clifton lies in the
canon, nine or ten miles from the river, and
is the largest town in the Reese river coun-
try, although The new town of Austin, that
is springing up couple of miles above it.
bids fair to outrival it in a short time.
On my return from Reese river stopped
few days at Augusta district, which is in the
central range of mountains, and about forty
miles from Reese river, on the overland stage
road to Virginia City There are few fine
lodges in Augusta district, which crop out
for a long distance and show fine mineral
brought over a few specimens from the Sister
Sisico, Belmont, Napins, and Tom Dick,
had them assayed here and they went re-
spectively S7l4 30. 06 l6, S226, and 1902
II, which is first rate for groupings: and
the lodges from which obtained these spe-
cimens are all OF good width. the largest be-
ing seven feet and the smallest ten inches.
There is plenty Of good farming land
around Augusta district. and the hills are
covered with the best timber that have seen
this side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
and | think Augusta district will soon be as
fine mining camp as any in the Territory,
always excepting Humboldt and Virginia, of
course.
Since my last letter was written a great
many changes have taken place here. Sheba
has gone up to $500 foot. and the Maniton
voc boys have incorporated and sent { cou-
pie of tons of mineral down to San Francisco.
via Red Bluff. to be worked there, and as it
is very rch Manitonwoc ground has gone up
to $50 a foot, and no doubt will be hundred
in a month or two.
The Sargent company are running their tun
mel night and day, and expect to cut their
ledge with their tunnel in about forty feet
more. The Banner is steadily advancing in
price as they sink on the ledge, the mineral
growing richer and the ledge growing wider
very fast The Banner boys got together
last week and adopted articles of incGrpora-
tion and expect TO see Banner ground sell
ing for Sl00 foot before all
There has been Il great deal of excitement
lately about the East Range and some very
fine lodges struck there. The Badger has
shown some very fne specimens containing
native silver, while Messrs Fer. uson and
Wilson, of this place, went over to Sierra
district and made their pile in few days
by striking the Miami, which proves to lie
exceedingly rich The ledge is sixteen inch
es wide. and is one mass of mineral. of
dark brown color, mixed with yellow sulphe-
rels Of silver, and is very easily worked An
assay from an average of the rock Welded
$1,000 to the ton, while some Of the choice
mineral went as high as S4S76 l6 per ton.-
Messrs Wilson 4 Ferguson have had some
raw hide sacks made, ard are taking cut
rock to ship to Virginia City to be worked =
Ali there is about this ledge that makes the
subscriber feel bad, is the fact that he has
got no feet in the Original claim. but adopt
ing the theory used by some people, that ex-
tensions are better than the original. | am
likely to do well yet, as a friendly Green
mot green you might expect, eitEer)
has kindly donated few feet in the first ex.
tension.
We were just recovering from the Miami
excitement, when away we go again. carried
fairly of our feet and out OF breath by Joe
Noshay. the old express rider from Shasta
TO Weaverville. lie went and done it, sure
He took old Natehez and Pah Ute Doe and
went out in the hills on the west side of the
Humboldt river. about thirty miles below
here, where he found TWO lodges. He called
,oae of them the Trinity and the other the
Evening Star. The Trinity ledge is exceed
ingly rich in gold and silver, some specimens
assaying aS high as thirty thousand dollars
per ton. while an average of the Evening
Star rock goes from six to eight thousand
dollars per ton in silver, and some hundreds
in gold. The Evening Star is ledge about
four feet wide Of solid mineral. and is well
defined, with granite casing. joe has bought
sacks, and will send two tons of the finest
mineral to Virginia next week, aud his pile
is sure. Joe must have got somewhat ex-
cited when he found and examined his ledge.
as the Indians who were with him tell a
good story at his expense. aud as the Lords
of the forest never lie. il must be true. They
say that Joe filled his saddle bags with min.
eral. and throwing them over the horn Of his
saddle, mounted wrong side to and started
for home, and did not discover his mistake
until his mule bucked him of for spurrine
him in the neck But be it true or not. we
don't blame Joe for getting excited, as your
humble servant owns to being considerably
frustrated on Joe's promising to give him
some feet in his ledge. | feel rich already.
as what Joe says he viii do is the same as
done, and a few feet in such claim as his
will make almost any one rich.
People are daily arriving in large mum.
Rsrs, from all parts of California. and some
idea Of the mining ground that is changing
hands may be formed from the fact that the
County Recorder has ten deputies constantly
employed recording deeds More anon.