The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-24
Prospects OF Gold Hunting In CALI
fOrnia.-Letter from Thomas DAILY,
BOISE MINES, PLACERvILLE, N

BOISE MINES. PLAcEKvILLE, May 20.
TO the Editor of the Pioneer:
The circumstances attending camp life
in such a country as this, necessarily rem
der writing inconvenient; but, as prom
Used to write to several Of my St. Paul
friends after l had speat some time in the
diggings, if you will publish the few re-
marks l make about the mines, it will save
me some trouble, and they may be of in
terest to some of your readers beside those
who requested Inc to write. l have been
here some fifteen days, and find business
quite brisk in these mines, which are sup
posed by old Californians to be rich. They
are situated in basin about thirty miles
long by twenty-five miles wide. The
gulches and creek claims pay from five
cents to ten dollars to the pan, but the dry
gulches pay only from five to fifty cents to
the pan. There have been fair prospects
for the last few days, but it is no easy mat
ter for newcomer to get claim that will
pay from six to ten dollars per day, as the
parties who came here last fall and winter
located, l may say, almost all the desirable
| claims, and can hold them until the first of
June without working them but. if not
worked then, other parties may work them
for nothing. Mining claims are selling
here at from 500 to 81 900 each. The
basin is divided into three mining districts,
viz. Mores Greek, Grims, and Placer
vile. These are very large camps Ihave
no doubt that other new diggings will be
struck this summer within fifty or one hun
dred miles of this place. The great height
of water in the rivers and creeks renders
prospecting very uncertain. Miners who
have their claims opened are making from
Sc to 500 per day to the man. l should
Judge from the information l have re-
ceived that the average is about $40 per
day. Laboring men receive Sc per day,
without board or mining tools. Provisions
are high, as will be seen from the follow
ing: Flour, $50 per 100 lbs; bacon, 70
cents per h.. beef, 25 cents per H. !;
coffee, rs cents; tea, from 50 to 81 per
h.; sugar, IS cents; tobacco, S. to S.
per ID. E; &C., &C., &c. Pack trains and
passengers, mounted and on foot, are pour
ing in daily, thus keeping the trail in toler-
ably good condition. In this checkered
| field of chance strange things happen
Many poor miner who came here with
little of the faith of Abraham on the rich
ness of the Boise, will leave with more
money than his airy expectations dared
attempt to imagine: Others will work hard
miners life is hard and rough one, but
then he is full of bright anticipations for
the future, for every hour changes bis sta
ton in life. To-day, perhaps, he is so
poor that Poverty herself can be no poorer !;
but tomorrow ushers in a better and a
brighter day, which gladdens his heart and
makes him young again. How little is felt
orknownin warm and pleasant homes of the
danger, toll and broils of gold hunter. He
must necessarily be prepared for a rough
life; for if not able to endure privations,
he had better stay at home, as well as
those having families, as hunting after
gold is very uncertain way of becoming
rich; but young men who are fit for man
ual labor, might better their condition by
coming here, or at least, might make a
raise in shorter time than they could in
the States. But if they are making a lit
tie money at home, l would advise them
to stay at home, as gold cannot be picked
up on the surface of the earth. Nature
is to be subdued before it can be obtained,
and that cannot be done without painful
toll and labor. There is one thing very
much needed here in this region; that is,
a good company of soldiers to secure those
whose interest causes them to wander in
this inhospitable country. We are en-
compassed and said to be surrounded by
the Snake Indians, who neither ask nor
seek quarters-a race bordering on the
brute, and more PREACHERS than the north
ern wolfe,-a race destitute of every noble
and redeeming quality, to whom mercy
were crime and pity an insult. They
have on every occasion, of late, man
Tested unequivocal signs of hostility !;
stealing stock, and marauding travellers on
the highway. THOMAS DAILY.
THE new two cent stamp which has just