Year: 1865

Poxr BAR. February oath, 1864.


DEAR JOURNAL What a splendid mining sea-
son we are having So at least ] hear everyone
say, Gncudng yourself) and what everybody
saws must be true. WELL l came up to my Dig
gings this week expecting to find lots OF waters
the whole country torn up and Trinity so thicK
with the black mud of Saw-mill Flat that IL "ould
scarcely move. But as happen to be one OF
those unfortunate cusses whose pan will be bottom
inward when fortunes rain down, Twas destined
to be disappointed as usual The heavy storms
we have had this Winter appear to produce but
little effect on the small gulches over this way,
and we have just about water enough to drink if
we used it as beverage, (Which we don't.) But
nonsense aside am satisfied that all over this
section the boys are farther advanced in mining
than they were at a two months later period any
time in the last four years. Smith claim main
tans its former reputation, and is yielding richer
than ever in the claims now being worked. From
sixty to a hundred ounces is a common clean up,
and no bedrock bedrock ditch touched at
that. The Turner Bar Company's race sup
plies water for working some claims on the upper
end of the Flat which Smiths will not cover,
and which prospect richly. Charley Dixon's
claim will commence sluicing shortly; it has
always borne good name, but never before this
season could be worked to good advantage. In
one tunnel which runs about hundred feet back
Cf where any work has been done, prospects
ranging as high as s. 80 to the pan have been
got in the gravel The old Union Hill claims
will be worked again this season. and one or two
new ones are being opened with very fair pros
poets. Douglas is dali in the daytime, every one
is busy at work and no idlers are loafng round.
In stormy weather. however, the boys flock in to
get the and set up their loose change at
" draw" | took stock with them little while
and tried to study out how to make two pair beat
- threes,'' but having struck crowd that had
grown grey in trying to solve the same problem,
gave it up as bad job and quit, (as soon as
got out Of kali.


I suppose by this time.you have had full returns
of the doings at Lewiston and North Fork in be-
half of the e. S. Sanitary Commission. hap
pened to be at Lewiston, and tell you that if
the same spirit anmates the Union people all
over the county that was exhibited there Trinity
will be entitled to the first place in the Sanitary
list. The attendance, especially of ladTcs, was
not as large as l had anticipated seeing, but
what was lacking in numbers was more than
made up in whole-souled, energetic patriotism.
The ladies there pretty good q rustlers,
and numerous were the little devices resorted to
to swell the Sanitary purse. The Post Office was
quite an institution, and numerous the
missives that were exchanged during the night.
was the happy recipient of some written in a
delicate female chro rography and couched in those
accent, of warm affection which reminded me of
those sunny days long gone by, before g my gal'
throwed me for that long-legged store-keeper,
and thought myself the happiest of mortals.-
Decidedly am a believer in second love. If one
lump of sugar is sweet another must be sweet
too "Barks is wllin'." Nous rerrons.


1t is surprising to travel along the valley OF
this river and see the vast amount of mining
ground unclaimed and almost unprospected.-
From Texas Bar 10 the mouth of Rush Creek, a
distance by river of perhaps thirteen miles, not
more than ten white men and perhaps fifty China
men are at work. Large bars line the river all
the way, some of which don't appear to have
even cut " run into them. Wherever good



pay is always found, and such would nndoubted-
ly be the case in the section of which have just
spoken, if water was plenty. That time will not
be until ditch is taken from Trinity to cover
some of these undeveloped bars. We are woful-
" lacking in Enterprise in this county, and are
getting no better very fast. Perhaps your corre-
spondent a Merchant = would like to take stock
in something of that description. Douglas City
and Lewiston are fourishing mining camps, and


will continue to be for years. Good claims have
been struck along the river between those places
wherever water could be obtained to work, and
can see no good reason why such an operation


would not be n safe and profitable one. But l
must close this already too lengthy letter.


Very truly yours lNPREsoh'


SENATOR McDoUGALL IL NEW RoLE-Inis
aur;ferous Senator has made his appearance in
neyy character-that of a % buffer. He got into
a difficulty with another Californian at the bar OF
! he relative merits of