Year: 1865

\


| On SUNDAY last Mr. James Scammon DIS
| covered ledge ON the first bill south OF Md
die Creek, distant from the centre OF town
about three quarters Of a mile. The crop
pings are very rich The rock looks well,
similar to that of the Highland lode, Mt
French Gulch. This discovery being made
known. the people became excited. and on
Sunday and Monday the whole region OF
country between the stage road and the river
was covered with notices of claims-a white
rock being sufficient indication for a ma
jority of those hard working searchers for
wealth, to justify the prominent display of a
| notice. We are not surprised at Scammon 5
discovery-it was the easiest thing in life.
He was passing along the old road on foot,
saw hole in the ground some two or three
feet deep, stepped into it, broke piece OF
loose quartz lying therein, and saw the gilt
terng ore Helooked at the two sides Of the
hole, and there was plainly visible a well
defined ledge of the same quality Of rock,
| about one and half feet wide. The same
day he, in company with Messrs. Stevenson.
Roethe and Garden located claims, and on
Monday proceeded to work the lode by sink,
ing shaft and getting out rock for the
Spring Greek mill. As we said before. there
is nothing surprising in this; it is only sur
prising that our people should have slept so
long by the side of SO much wealth without
having attempted its appropriation.


For months we have been exhorting our
people to prospect near the town but no; if
an effort was to be made in prospecting there
must be some travelling done to some dark,
deep canon, located in some almost inaecess-
able region, where the music of the grizzly
and the rattlesnake could be heard by night
and by day, and alkali water the only bever
erage, while Lizards and vipers are the sleep
ing companions of the searcher for the lode.
In such alocalitv feet would sell, particularly
if the happy locator had been conducted to
the lode by an Indian. The Indian, after all,
is the only true judge of a quartz lode. and
the white man who can get a Digger to guide
him into the mountains some four or five
days travel, and conduct him back, thirsty,
alkalied, starved has only to name his price
for any discovery he may report. There is a
charm in this sort Of mining that has cost the
people of this State more money than any
other piece of nonsense to which they have
ever contributed. 1t is time the lesson was
learned, and that we all 90 to work in a
tional, common sense manner If Shastas
citizens will do it, they can all sleep at home
every night, and realize greater mining
wealth than any body now has the courage to
predict.


And now, if the people who have been 50
industrious in plastering paper notices over
the hills adjacent to Scammon's 5 lode, will
but do their duty in getting out and piiing
up the rock, the question will soon be, "where
is there chance to locate mill?' instead
Of ''where can we get capital to build mill?"
The capital is here; right in sight from the
town, located on the bill sides. Place this
capital on the surface in piles, and mills will
find it. Mining on paper will not bring
capital, and ought not, \ paper claim on
quartz vein is just as yalueless as it should
be, and we know Of no legislation that could
make it less so. It's only effect is to drive
away industry, to drive away capital to ren-
der a good thing ridiculous, and starve a
community to death. Work is what is needed,
and is essential to prosperity, and no com
munity can be prosperous where it is not
fashionable, and signers to paper notices may
well learn this fact now. No man should
allow his name to represent a claim on any
lode who is not willing and ready to proceed
at once to thorough working Of it.