Year: 1860

sF'ee-17ssssS esUsu tasfsess


From the St. Louis Republican we extract the
following letter:


DoWEIEvILLE, June 1s.--My Dear Friend i. In
March last left DownieviIIe for the new diq0inq8
in Utah and Washoe Valley. YesserdayT refysrae5
to Downieviile for funds TO carry on nv mining
operations in the Washos Diggin9s I have some
Yen iledges IN the diggings. al few Of them have
partlY opened with good prospects, but have
opened none far enough to offer them for sale. /
noid zoo feet m each ledge running with the ledge.
nave taken up three claims for you which pros
pecs sSio per ton Of gold, and SIS Of silver the
flcheT as you go down. Lodges in California yield
'ng sl2 per ton pay to work with a steam mill


" nave mad an Indian war. One hundred and
six men undertook to fight the Indians brt were
defeated with loss Of fffty kils TIE first battle
the Indians lay in ambush on both sides of deem
rayine, firing upon the whites as they entered. IN
SIX Gays mere were one thousand volunteers ar
rived from California and two hundred and fifty
United States troops with three cannon, ready to
start after the Indians. They had three battles
with the Indians, but the Indians wont stand to
fight. They come up in small bands fire and run
away. They have killed fifty Indians and lost
twenty-five men. The Indians were well armed
with rifles. The whites have driven them back
the army is disbanded


Nhen the Indian war broke out a great many of
the miners LETT the country for California as well
az o. most al the capital, which made dull times in
| the diggings. One week before the war broke
out there were in Virginia City ten tbo,,sand men
together in one day, and still coming at the rate
| of two hundred per day. There was the greatest
| excitement in the mines I ever saw Claims have
been sold as high as 5000 per foot in the Com
stock Ledge of silver and gold, and they did not
pay more than its value. 1t assayed s3400 per ton
Did you ever in the world hear read of so rich
mine as this2 Here is ore taken cut of the three
claims estimated by good judges to be worth over
| S. 100000, and they have not gone down more
than thirty feet in the LEDGE There are NO signs
Of its giving ont, but i is still growing wider
m down ar,oifa ,r1I
Gold Hill, where the ledge has been sold for $4,000


per foot, the largest part gold Three miles south


Is Silver City, where ledges have been sold for


$4,000 per foot. / know good many men who


have sold out for from $50 600 to sle0 600 men who
| came across the Plains with me. They STAYED in


the mines last July, when left them and went to


California. The chances are good yet in the Innes
but it requires labor and little capital to open
| them. There will be az good chances and rich dis
/ coveries made as have been.


| The diggings are about five miles wide and have


been traced north and south about forty miles.


You at that the gold and silver are not all


in one ledge. There is work for the next one hun
dred years to mine it out


There is no stream Of water in the mines large
| enough for mill, but the Carson river has plenty
of water for a hundred miles, five miles from the
/ diggings, with a natural descending road to the
| river. -Four mules will haul three tons per trip.


A mill can be put up on the river which viii not
cost to exceed $4,000, with water power for eight
stamps and three arastras, which would produce
/ $500 to $4,000 per day ont of the claims have.
In the prospects have discovered there is for
tune for four or five men who may go in. You


may think think count up dollars too fast but il I
had you here but one hour could convince you !;
| and you would confess to their richness at once.
| One hundred thousand dollars can be cleared in
one year to each share. Such mill as Ihaye de-


scribed will crush from eight to ten tons per day.
Il hope what write will not disturb your sleep.
q l am candid, though, in what write, and hope


you will make up your mind soon as you have


read this letter, to take the steamer and come to


this country and see it for yourself It will be but


trifie to and return. 1t will take but sixty
days. You want to be here bat one week to learn


the whole operation of the mines. In San Fran


cisco you can get all the machinery that is wanted,


on one years time.


When stocks were brisk and in the market,


which was up to the time of the Indian war, they


sold all around me and adjoining some of my


lodges. If | had had lodges open at that time,


could easily have sold $4,000 $4,000 of stocks


but could not open mine very fast, as lacked


funds. am rich in stocks, but yet poor in pocket
at present have taken up mill seat on my
claim, and am building stone house.
You must answer this soon as possible.
3 long to hear from you, to know whether you arr
q coming out or not.


+ Silver City is one hundred miles from DoWne


vile by express route. In Silver City we have bu
+ little snow even in January that mill can ruI
the whole year round. i expect to see you in tht
mines in August. In two months there will not bs
/ foot of mining ground to be had without buying
it at high price. Iintend to lay claim to dozeI


| of Lodges more. am posted as well as the best o
e them. You can secure your pile here. Now is th'
II time, w"