Year: 1861




description of things in this neighborhood.
This letter has been deferred, because for
more than week past have been living a
camp life upon the mountains, and was with
ont any convenience for writing. Now my
port folio is with me in camp, and you and
others will not be forgotten.


It commenced showing here on Friday af-
ternoon, and having an open tent, we had q
delicious time of it through the night, our
bed being completely covered with snow in
the morning. My chum got up and went


down to the city, swearing curses on noun


tainnfe. But when "Alioth" puts his hand


to the pow tail he never turns back, and


here am, all alone, sitting in my camp


which is surrounded by about ten inches of
newly fallen snow, and as much as ten feet
deep of the old supply is lying within rod
of me, while you in Marysvi'le are almost
up to the boiling point, for see by my last
stock of DEMocRArs that you have recorded
it up to go.


Jamison City contains about a dozen houses
and is compactly built upon small fiat, q
few feet above the level of the creek The
buildings number among them one hotel, as
excellent a one as have had the good for
tune to strike during my perigranations
among the mountains of California and Ne.
gada. Besides the eating and sleeping apart
ments, the hotel contains q spacious bar and
billiard saloon, with a couple Of Phelan's
best, to while away the weary hours upon
during the long and tedious winter season.
Adjoining the hotel is the store, (the only
one in town. which is presided over 10y Sam
Fielding of your city. The store contains
well selected stock of goods, suitable for a
mining camp such as it is calculated 30 sup
ply; and Fielding, with his chara cterisic in
dustry @ is always on hand to attend to
their disposal. The butcher shop is kept by
Jack Nave, ope OF the Oldest residents upon
this stream, and from experience, | can
vouch for the tender qualities of his beef;
for where in this goodly State is there better
feed for cattle than Tie bunch grass of the
valleys and mountain sides of this region
Although the staff of life is sold only at one
place in town, yet life ITSELF in the shape of
whisky straight and brandy cock tails is sold
at no less than four at present, with bright
prospect Of an additional one In The course
of the coming week, for young and likely
looking Mexican came in a week or so ago,
and made purchase of one of the largest
houses in town. and is having it fitted up as
n house prostitution, intending, as he said.
10 have for its inmates his mother and sister,
his aunt and her daughter Whether the
citizens will allow such bcastly conglomora-
sion to dwell among them remains to be seen
for the sake of the families residiug in the
town, hope not.


The placer diggngs are upon the flats next
the creek bed. The gravel is very coarse,
from rocks of many tons weight down TO the
smallest pebbles. The gold is disseminated
all through the gravel but it is upon the ee-
ment that the coarse gold is found-some
specimens having been taken out OF very
large size, several believe up to ninety
ounces In fact, my attention was once called

90 n lump in the office of Hamlet Davis at
Nevada which he said came from this creek.
lt weighed fify-two pounds, and assayed
$1,000. That was in SO or 81, | forget
which. The miners upon this creek do not
know on such piece, though man of the
same name the banker gave me as the dis
.coverer, did mine here about that time and
most likely concealed his good fortune, as a
means of protection.


The bed rock is not visible for a space of
four or five miles. as you go up and down
the creek, and know not how far the other
way. 1t is bowl shaped cavity, filled up
with cement and gravel. In 81 | predicted
that if the bed rock could be found, that the
richest diggings California ever had known
would be discovered here; and lately the
miners have determined to make a vigorous
effort to reach bottom. Last fall shaft wa.
sunk to a depth of nearly one hundred feet,
but the water drove them out, notwithatand-
lng they run two windlass, and worked a
double set above and below. This summer a
pump will be procured, to be driven by wa
Ter power, and if possible, bottom will be
found.


For vegetables and farming produce, we
are supplied from the ranches upon the Feath-
er river in the differ ent valleys which border
that stream. There are some excellent
ranches, which are visible from my mountain
camp, but as have not visited them will
not intrude upon your space by an attempt
at their description.


BY my letters lately received from Camp
Gonville, via Beckwourth's Pass, l learn that
the citizens of Camptonville have exhibited a
token of their attachment to our beloved
Union, by erecting staff of 125 feet in
height, from the top of which the stars and
stripes are kept constantly waving There
are many men in Camptonville who voted
for Breckinridge last fall, who cannot 90 the
Lindley CourtHouse ticket Of there is one)
at the coming election. l hope to hear of
good Union majority there, when the returns
come in.


see that Ching Foo, in his last letter, is
particularly severe upon Gen. Pillow. Poor
Gideon is getting it on all sides I thought
he had achieved the oblvioo he so justly
rlerited, until some time ago I saw his boast
Of taking Cairo, and the officers reply, that
if he came he would learn him on which side
to make the ditch. Now, if l am not so