Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-06-23
From the San Francisco Miner.
MIN Z RS.


in this State, and not few persons in the world,
who look upon miners as half-cvilized, rough,
impulsive, adventurous. enterprising sort OF vag-
abonds. Nomadic, restless, never satisfied un-
less roaming over mountains, in districts far
away from civilization, whose one object in LIE is
to wander, wander, and wander away. Nothing
could be farther from the truth than such an
idea of nine-tenths of the miners on this coast.
Among these men may be found those whe nave
graduated with high honors in the great seats OF
learning in the two hemispheres. Beating be-
meath many a rough woolen shirt may be found
warm, hopeful hearts, attuned to the highest at
tributes of human nature. Many of the hlghest
judicial, military and executive officers OF the
State have been miners The ablest of its edi-
tors, writer's merchants and manufacturers have
been miners And among the same class to-day
may be found many competent mentally, moral
ly and socially, to fill any office in the nation
1t is an evidence rather of moral heroism than
of social degradation, for an educated gentleman
to leave the comforts and allurements of home,
and the reGnements of society, to brave the
dangers of miners life for the glorious object
of placing his family in more prosperous con-
dtion than his ill-paying business in the crowded
city enables him to do.
Away up among the snowy peaks of the
sierras, where the cold night-wnds chant their
mournful dirges, the sharp barking Of the cayote,
and the gruf growlings of the grizzly bear form
ing their accompaniments, seated around the
cracking flames of their campfire, there are
hundreds of brave, noble Observation-Disclosures
whose thoughts are far away, among their wives
and little ones, while resting their weary limbs
after the day arduous labor of scrambling from
the base of some rocky canon to the summit of
the lofty mountain peak. to find those hidden
treasures which support ciyiliZation-the great
motive power that sets the machinery of arts,
sence and manufactures agoing. Such men are
the great benefactors of society. Their very ad-
venturousness and daring in breasting the un-
known dangers of the wilderness, savors Of the
spirit of the Anglo-Saxon race, the spirit that
led to the discovery of new world, and spread
civilization and refinement over the old one
Why condemn the miners of to-day for their ad-
venturousness-theirth thirst for gold? The most
renowned names in either ancient or modern
history gather their greatest lustre from the same
causes. The great Caesar conquered the brave
BTitions in their island home, because he thought
they possessed mines of gold and silver. Colum-
bus would probably never have discovered this
continent but for the hope of finding Cathay,
with its mines of gold and silver. Chemistry,
the greatest of all the sciences, owes its origin
and name to the efforts of the greatest of the
ancient philosophers to discover the means OF
making gold.
All the world before never found so much of
this universally coveted metal as the nomadlc,
restless, daring miners of California, and they
have but partially opened the hoodgates of the
mighty stream that is yet to be poured out from
the stony ribs of the mountains all over the
country from Maine to Texas. Who would de-
sire to dam this mighty flood by bringing odlum
on the occupation of the miner? or where shaii
the task be attempted? Had it not been for the
spirit of adventure of the miners, Nevada, Coio-
RADIO. Montana, Dacota, Arizona and Idaho had
been names unmentioned in the pages OF the
on5 tbp shores of the PaclHe
would not have been the scene of commerce
embracing the world. We should never have
had telegraph across the continent, conveying
messages for man swiftly than the great
source of light spread its vIvlfylng rays
Had it not been for the adyenturousness oil the
miners their disposition to roam IN search OF un-
tried fields and pastures new, we should have
had no railroads to connect the Pacific with the
Atlantic; no line of steamers connecting the oc-
cident with the orient; nor would the United
States have become what she is destined to be
the great highway for commerce between the
teeming millions Of Asia and Europe.
1t is to the brave roaming miners that Califor-
MIA owes her proud position one of the grand
est States in the great American Republic. The
very motive that impels these gallant men to
risk life by starvation, frost or tomahawk of the
savage has done more towards the civilization
of the world than all other principles combined +;
for gold is the mighty motor that sets kings,
presidents and peoples in motion. Through
these very mems sacrifices and labors the supply
of this motor of the world has been larger with
in 90 years than it had been for 20 centuries be-
fore. In 1850, according to the best received
authorities all the gold circulating in the world
did not exceed 81 800, 900 900. Now, the annual
production is 5000, 600, 900 since 1850. AT this
rate of progress land it is certain of being eH-
ceeded as new mines and new progress ior eA-
tracing the metals are discovered, the increase
in tie production of mineral wealth in the CIV sn
lied world will reach S74, 900, 900 ooo IN ao' N
The aggregate of gold in the United Hla.e .a.een
1850 was 81 900 900 900; the production an
1850 and 1860 was SO, goo, Wv, smts Of the
aggregate of SIC, 900 ,ooo, 900, the resui'' u
labors of the miners
How unfair then-how un"lse ,.boee Iabors
.ha oc,;ons of the class of citizens ,raaItb
n-odnce this mighty stream OF ha.ioua' a;ss;on
roer Let them 60 forth on 'neii iiS,no m's
"eu ip,,;i;zat;on-let them roam over
OF cn,. nd deserts wild" The world Is made
rasl nn1 their labors though, alas. SO few among
r,ene' ., oyer reach the goal of their hopes. All
sonnr saw we, to the sturdy miner-may every
noa Lat If them make his pile; and then, see now
o.ah thew would make the nation that lays its
treasures open to the laborers OF the world 10
seek for fortune.