Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-19
1frrER rRon 5or. NELSON.
The Mine. OF Now Grenada.
BARpAcoAs, March 10, 1866.

mace on the 18th, n on her return
touched at the same place on the 26th.
At that time / was on the river, on my
way to this place. There were over one
hundred passengers on the steamer, which
created so great a demand for canoes tina,
I did not get started from Tumaco until
Tuesday, the Goth, at II A. N. We ar
rived at Barbacoas on Tuesday the 9th,
at s P. N. I was very fortunate in meet
ing Mr.. 0'Connor, as soon as l arrived.
I do not know what l should have done
If it had not been for him. He took me
Immediately in hand, got me some supper,
and then took me to his room to sleep
which was a big thing, as there is no ac-
c~ommodatiou for man or beast in the
town. We started next morning for the
| Cargasone mine, the mine on which
| O'Connor's claim is situated. And here
let me explain with regard to the mines :
Nearly the whole country, for miles and
miles, is mining ground. 1t is owned in
large tracts, by individuals, and each tract
is called a mine; the individual mines on
these tracts they cali banks. For instance,
the Cargasone mine belongs to the Gov
ernor of the Province Of Barbacoas, and
embraces perhaps ten or twelve square
miles. O'Connor is working two banks,
called the Monte Christie and San Anto-
Mo. It is about a days travel, in canoe,
from Barbacoas to the village Of Carga-
some, and about a mile from the village to
Rha -a..a Rka ntrn found lin
Wheeler and Pat Mullen, formerly Of the
Empire mine, Gold Hill,) whom O'Con-
nor has taken in as partners in the mines
and a mighty good thing they have got.
They can look ahead to a sure fortune
within the next year or two. The way
they happened to drop into it was this :
O'Connor, who had worked hard for a
year, was anxious to take q trip to the
States. He had become disguised with
his partner in the mine. and had sold out
to him. This did not exactly suit the
Governor, who has unlimited confidence
in O'Connor, but had none in his partner;
so O'Connor bought his former partner
out, giving hin $50 pounds Of gold. At
this time he struck Wheeler and Mullen ;
and, still determined to go to the States,
he proposed to them to 60 in as partners
and take charge of the mine, it being I'M
derstood that he should have SOD pounds
of gold before Wheeler and Mullen should
receive any dividend this they took out
in two weeks after they commenced work,
besides paying the Governor the same
amount for his share and about $500 ex-
penses. That's what I call pretty fair
diggings. There are a great many other
banks on the Cargasone mine that look as
well as O'Connor's mine did when he
started in, but there is no water to work
them, and none to be had without bring
ing il from the river, which would require
a ditch seven or eight miles in length. If
this were done there are some banks that
would pay splendidly to hydraulic; but
that is for an after consideration.
l believe from what I have seen, and
from what information / can obtain, that
I consider reliable, that the mining region
is very extensive and very rich. O'Con-
nor's mine is the only one that has yet
been opened. There are any quantity Of
banks that look as well as his did when
he started in, and it is simply ridiculous
TO suppose that he dropped on to the only
rich deposit in the country. Since the ab-
clifton Of slavery, which occurred thirteen
years ago, the mines have been worked
but little, consequently the banks have
caved down in front, and in many in
stances quite a growth Of vegetation has
sprung up on the ground so caved. The tail
races, or "canalones," as they term them,
that they have used for ground sluicing,
have fallen in and become filled up. so
that it requires a good deal Of labor to
clear away the dirt /; and yet, a good face
is on the bank to commence drifting and
clear out the tail races for sluices. This
labor is performed by poems, who work
for from 81 to 81 so per day, and deliver
timbers at the mine, long enough for a
post and cap, for 81 so per dozen. The
terms Of lease are Just whatever bargain
you can make with the owner Of the mine.
The Governor and one or W. other large
mine owners require as follows: If the
dirt pays 10 cents to the pan, counting
two pans to the square foot, o~ne-fourth ;
if it pays over 10 cents and up to 20 cents,
one-third /; if it pays over 20 cents, one
half. This looks rather rough at first, but
it is better than paying $1,000 for Com
stock or it is better than buying a mine
that you do not know what is in it.
Col. Farrand, (the Ogden Mill man,
Frank Parks and Major Ferreud, have
taken a bank on the Solidad mine. Frank
and the Major are working the mine and
Col. Farrand is going to New York to
negotiate money tor large operations. In
making out the lease to the bank he Is
working he had a clause inserted that he
should have the privilege Of purchasing
the entire Solidad mine at any time within
six months for $780, 900 He has also a me-
mortal made out, signed by the Governor
and one or two influential citizens, to pre-
sent to the Legislature at its next session,
for building q road from Barbacoas to the
Provinces. q distance Of about so miles.
He has also leased q piece Of land fronting
on the river about 20 miles, for 20 years,
giving to the owners %one-fourth OF the
net proceeds Of the mines. He also thinks
Of bringing q river steamer with him on
his return trip from New York, and hay-
ing the landing OF his land, about a mile
above Barbacoas, where he intends to
establish q town. There is not the slight
es, doubt but what this country, in the
hands OF Americans, can be made a perfect
FL Dorado. I was offered 5000 and ex-
penses per month to take charge Of a mine
on the Isthmus, sixteen miles from Pana-
ma, but I would not take it for double
the salary. This is the country for me,
and here I intend to make my fortune. l
am satisfied it is here in 4 hundred differ
ent places, and all that is necessary is to
work and look for it.
The climate / consider is very healthy,
although a good many Americana, during
the process of acclimation. have the fever.
or. as it is called here, the "~calantura."
II is not at all dangerous and yields readi-
ly to prompt and proper treatment. l had
3 very severe attack, and treated myself,
and in four days had it completely broken,
and am now as stout and hearty and IN
as good health as / ever was in my life,
with no danger Of a recurrence Of the
fever, as it is generally conceded that after
fever has passed, the process Of acclimation
is complete. A great many persons, how
ever, get along and appear to take natu-
rally 10 ths climate without suffering any