Year: 1864

the prospects, and recital of the most i'm.
portant events tlansprng in this section of
the State, would not be without interest to
your readers, induces me to send few lines,


This whole lower section of California has
been made desolate and almost ruined by
the drouth. In fact a similar dry season
has not been Witnessed before for years
Cattle and horses have died by thousands,
and the most of those that survive, with
strength enough to travel, will be driven
to the mountains and to various places north
of here, where it is hoped more vegetation
will be found sufficient at least TO subsist
them until the approach of another rainy
season. This extensive and sweeping loss of
stock will bring poverty and suffering to
many mans door, that before this was in
easy circumstances.


Another drawback TO the prosperity of
this section is the general depression i'll min
ing stocks on the Colorado and other min
ing districts adjacent to this. Not but that
there may be good leads, but good silver
lodes are not found every day, nor always by
tie most persevering prospectors Success
in this line seems to depend more on acci-
dent or science than anything else. A few
leads have been found that promise rich rel
turns, the most noted among them is the
Moss lode, situated in the Fort Moiave coun,
try near the Colorado, and is gold bearing
| From the specimens have seen | Judge it
to be very good thing. Either for the
want of faith or money, probably the latter,
work has been generally suspended through
the whole mining country of the Colorado,
with the exception of few companies who
are pushing their work vigorously ahead,
consequently the most of the laboring men
have come in from there, or left for some
other section Of the country. My opinion is,
that silver hunting, like gold hunting, has
been overdone. You probably have noticed
that many men during great excitements are
often mised, deceive themselves, and yield TO
a belief in rumors that in calmer times
would seem perfectly absurd. Imaginary
leads, during these feverish excitements, be.
come to the mind real ones, and thus bv
this process is created the ready facility of
lying and cheating which so generally
abounds now a-days, and which has dsap-
pointed so many, and bad most injurious
effect upon this, the greatest industrial pur'
suit of the country. | am satisfied however
that 10y the end of another year, such facts
Will have been developed in regard to min.
ing interests in this section, that new and
more healthy impetus will be given to this
pursuit, and in consequence vitaize other
business depending on this alone as basis
of success.


From all | can learn of those who have
been in tie Weaver and San Francisco pla
Ger diggiugs, in Arizona convinces me that
they are not such diggings as will justify
men in leaving two or three dollars per day
to go there A man must be greater lover
of romance than | am TO care about taking
such trip, made up as it is of journey of
hundreds OF miles over scorchng deserts
and aIka plains destitute of vegetation, and
risking life from hunger, thirst, and murder
all for diggings that will not pay after you
have got them, and that cannot be success
fully worked owing to the scarcity of water
which necesstates dry washing.


Hon. r. G.. Allen, formerly resident o
Placer, left here last week with large drove
Of sheep fol the Bannock mines, Idaho Ter
ritory, some twelve hundred miles from here
These new placer mines seem TO be all the
90 here, as parties are leaving every week
for that distant county. Many as twenty
five heavy teams will leave here during !he
coming spring, loaded with light groceries
and dry goods bound for those mines via
Salt Lake. The advantages of this route
east OF the Sierra Nevada over others, is that
teams can get in and out in all seasons of the
year, while the Oregon or Washington Ter.
rltory route is impossible during the winter
from snow on the mountains, several Of
which have to be crossed to reach Idaho
City. We old forty miners have witnessed
annually some great mining excitement fol


lowed by a general stampede to some dis
tant country richer than any ever found be-
fore. This is habit not easy got over, so
we 90 following the bauble until it bursts
when we find we have been deluded by Wis
ionary hope Thus the wild goose chase the
coming summer will be to the Bannocl
mines and Others north and west Of there
, The Owens river country is attracting con
siderable attention and many families from
, Iulare, and other sections of the State, ar,
r moving in there 1t possesses advantage
over any silver district in California, in it
abundance of wood water and grass-three
principal essentials in the successful develop
e nent of the mines. The White Mountain
district, between Ovens river and Aurora
which is believed to be rich in minerals, viii


be thoroughly prospected the coming sum


mer as the Indians are very nearly cleaned
out. expect to leave here for Owens rivel
Ella Slate Range in few days, where | will
probably remain during the coming summer


intending to farm little as well as mine.
Last Sunday was much pleased to NEE,
, Samuel Todd, DR.. Fagan and Arnold Fuller
all old residents of Placer county. They are
on their way to the Colorado, where they