Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-15
A CONTRAST.

The business operations Of mining and
trading, in Gold Hill District, have not been
suspended day all this winter. Indeed !"
no period since the discovery Of the silver
mines have all kinds of business been more
brisk. All our tunnelling operations are pro-
: ss.u,od with yigor and energy night and day;
Tho ,,u,gs. countless number OF quartz-crusn-
;,o mills. which dot our canon from the head
Of Gold Hill for a distance Of almost six
miles, are kept humping, crushing, sereetch-
IND, with their steam whistles almost contin-
uaIly-ond the dryer the weather, the more
auspicious for the new and peculiar opera
,;ors of silver mininS--a feature in the life
of the miner and the business man, such as
was never Witnessed in California. Silver
mining operations do not depend for their
prosecution on the inclemency Of the upper
elemen.s-that is to say, the fall of rain is
not necessary. 1t is true, water IS one OF
the necessaries in the prosecution OF mill
work. but it is not I prerequisite to the ex-
traction of the silver ore from its native local
ity. The water, therefore, which is used IN
driving our steam and overshot wheel mills
is not obtained BY the fall Of rain, but ema
nates from streams which flow out OF the
tunnels that pierce the mountain sides, and
from whence is obtained also the silver bear
ing rock.
How, different then, our miners are situat-
ed here, and what striking contrast exists
when compared to the mining operations OF
California. There, the miner can only make
Il paw, in uinety-nine cases out of one nun
dred, where he has water to work his clam.
Unfortunately for that country, this has been
n most miserable winter for mining. They
have had no rain of any account-money
has been remarkably scarce, and business
dull. The consequence is, that the people IN
many localities have become discouraged,
and in many instances whole neishborhoods
have been almost deserted, abandoned, and
property become Yalueless. The great tide
of emigration is setting towards the Washoe
silver mining country-it is already begin
ming to fow-and before this year expires
tens Of thousands ofthe people VINO have re-
sided for years in the gold diggings of Cali
fornia will take up their residence in this
land Of silver and sage brush.
The town Of Dutch Flat, il the county OF
Placer, which one year ago, hardly had III
val in prospects Of becoming most pros
porous and hourishing city-to-day lies pros
trate at the mercy of city creditors and ira
ders-all in consequence Of a general stasna-
ton OF business, caused BY the failure OF their
mines to produce their usual quota OF gold
dust, because Of the almost entire absence OF
rain. But this is not the only case Of the
kind-thcre are many others. The local pa
per Of Dutch Flat, the Eaqwirey, received BY
Yesterdays mail contains the following
gloomy account of the condition Of affairs
Just in that one neighborhood
I'VE do not wish to discourage any Of our ci;i-
zens, whether miners o. those engaged in other
business, but it is fact that all had about as well
look suuarely in the face that should water fail,
as il hes done up TO the present time, the town
will have received blow which will retard her
growth for years and will cause many who have
heretofore been considered in easy circumstances
10 suspend OperdllOuS LAiNg ~
eeiye that leniencv from those below, which their
condition, from the present unfavorable mining
season, demands. This is the third winter which
has prevented our people from prosecuting their
Iabors IN anything like a degree TO test the mines
and In the absence of any capital from abroad we
will be /" run ont " our traders have been selling
their merchandise 10 their customers on crc'ht'
anticipating an early winter, the butchers are
now supplying the most Of our people with their
meats on a credit, the mechanics are obliged to
book what little they are called upon 10 do. and
In fact the whole community IL. comparatively,
doing 0 credit and waiting business Never
have we had anything approaching the number
of idle men since the settlement Of the town anu
Il is folly, and would be criminal in us to repre-
sent the matter in any other than stagnant con-
d;tion, so far as the business of the place Ia con
cerned Our people are generous almost to
fault, and possessed of energy and enterprise I'M
surpassed by any other community, yet they are
not capable of performing miracles, neither are
they equal to successfully eambat the elements.
God help the poor people, for, should this weather
continue there will certainly be suffering. This
Is a gloomy picture, vet il is true"