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jf ... AlHt ill "THE PUBLIC GOOD SHOULD EVER BE PREFERRED "TO PRIVATE ADVANTAGE.'.' Volume 5. Likcolnton, North Carolina, Saturday Morning, November 3, 1849. Number 32. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED WEEKLY, BY THOMAS J. ECCLES. Tebms. Two dollars pel annum,payable in advance ; $2 50 if payment be delayed 3 months. A discount to clubs of 3 or more. Advertisement will be conspicuously insert ed, at $1 pet square (14 lines) for the tirst, and 25 cents for each subsequent insertion. Tlie World ig Before Tliee. The wide world is before thee, Go revel in its blaze; Life's sunshine may restore thee The smile of happy dy : I would not in thy bosom, One bitter thought should spring: '- - Be like ihe treasured blossom, That wears no secret sting. Soon every strong emotion Shall droop wuhin thy breast; The fiercest storms of ocean, At last are lulled to rest. And o'er the changed scene stealing A cheering beam appears; So, in the work of feeling, Hope lollops after learB. The California Gold Regions. The following article, prepared for the Afta California, and inserted in that paper of the 31t of August the latest ,number tfceived in the S ates contains an excellent discription of the gold re gion in California, with a well-reasoned tJaeory of its formation, and some spec ulations on the future condition of that Territory. Of all the treaties on Ca'i ?orma tha .we have jet seen, to our mode of thinking, by far the best. It is evidently the production of a sober minded, practical, and very intelligent person, who has thought well on the .subject he treats. We commend it to the particular attention of out readers, und especially to those contemplating emigration to our rich Pacific posses sions : '2t is now nearly two years since the discovery of the gold mines in the coun try, 8nd yet if is for the first time, we can say, that we are able togive a cor lect account of them an account that can be .'-lied upon. Heretofore, we have heard nothing but Arnbmn Night's stories about the gold region, drawn, if possible, with more vivid colors than even the Asiatic fancy could conjure up. The whole civilized world became elec trified with these surprising stones and set in motion, and every day brings 6trangers to our shore from ihe moat distant regions of the earth. So far so good ; but it may not he so, much lon ger, when crowds from Europe will be in to p'iur upon these shores. We feel it our duty, in view of ihe bad con sequences that all exaggerations do pro duce, to contribute our share toward rectifying the impressions that went abroad upon the sunjert of the mines in this couutrv. Even ur Government at home had not received an official ac count from its subordinates here, that represent 'he truth in its simple garb. In a word, there has ben no thorough investigations of the subject ; but peo ple on all sides, simple citizens as well as Government officers, were content to 6eze upot a few remarkable cases, that were made more so by passing through many lip, and represent them abroad as of a common occurrence. Hence, much disappointment followed to hun dreds who came nere to snovri in, as they thought, the precious dust and be off for their respective homes in the twinkling of an eye. It is not to be understood that we are going -to decry the mines ; no, fur from it ; we mean to divest them o! the man tle which heated laucy cast about them, and represent the simple truth without any poetib ornaments. On the' outset we wish it' to be under- stood that we speak advisedly. We have surveyed, so to speak, the length and breadth of the mines by personal inspection and observation, at a great ..expense of our lime, moiiey and labor ; and besides, we claim the right to pre sume somewhat upon the authority of science. The region which is hete known as the gold mines is closed on the East by the Sierra Nevada,orSnowy Mountains, running nearly North and South. Two large streams descend from the Sierra Nevada, one at the North, called the Sacramento river.the other on the South knOwn as San Joaquin. These two streams run, as if purposely, to the apex of the triangle ; they enclose there, to meet and make a common and united irruption upon the waters of San Fran Cisco Bay. In this triangle.thus formed by, these two . rivers with the Snowy ..Mountains, are numerons stream, but they are all tributaries either ot one or ihe other river ; the largest of them are the North and empty themselves into the Sacramento. The surface of the country, looking westward from the ridge of the Snowy Mountains, which may be from five to sit thousand feet above the level of the sea, is broken op in ridgP9, giving direction to the streams that separate, some West by North and others West by South, and, gradually getting smaller, they get confused into hills, till finally they soften into the plains enclosed by the two above men tioned rivers. The plains, generally speaking, are covered with luxuriant grass, skirted along ilj rivers with oak timber. As the hilU rise vegetation becomes scantier. The range of mountains in which gold is found, is distinguished by uni formity ot'ita vegetable kingdom, which is neither, meagre nor very abundant. The oak predominates here, only now and then relieved by several varieties of the pine family. As the gold disap pears the reign of ti e piue and the gran ite extends. The depositaries of gold look universally more smiling to the beholder than their barren neighbors ; the former aiwavs have the figure de scribed bv the line of beauty, v z: the curved line, be ihey ever so precipitous as they Irequently are ; a distinction never to be tost sight ot. Ihe extent of these bunferous hills is greater than the public know or imagine, but not in Ihe direction it is supposed. They ex tend beyond the Sacramento and even San Joaquin, northwest of the former and southwest ot the latter, bending towards the sea coast. Nay, the same formation with more or less difference, runs almiy the whole Pacific snorea till it is lost in the southern portion of the Chilean Republic, hut gold has not ben, nor probabiy will be found any where in equal abundance as in Upper Cahlornta. This abundaiiCe i much, however, ex aggerated by the heated imagination ol the public. It 19 not in the nature ot piacer gold i- be durable long. A very tew years, when there will be man) arms at work, will exhaust it; us on gm is the guarantee of this tact. The breadth ot this auriferous region limits itself wiinin the lines running north and south from forty to sixty miles troru the Sierra Nevada,, and oo the west us the hills begin losofen n the plants. At some remote period in the history of the globe, the fame internal convul sions mat heaved up the Sierra Nevada, have also upheaved the aunleroui hills, which at first presented a naked suriace to the amosphenc changes, by the in fluences of which the quartz constantly breaking up, left free ihe precious met al on its sutface. In the progress of tune the same atmospheric influences caused to accumulate on these huts, soils which grew deeper with every decay ol vegetal ion till it grew sirong enough to support the majestic oak. The treed particles ot go 11 thus bt-came, covered by the soil and mixed up with. and the proeess ot the separation ot the met al from the stone w.is arrested. How gold was injected mto the veins of quartz it is mote than we can say, but the fact hat it was so in a 1 quid state, is beyond question, as we see it adapt itsell to the sides ol the stone in all nu agma'ble forms, from the finest filament to the largest lump ever found with & most variedly indentified surface, filling up completely the crack ol the stone, always tending to a rounded (ear like appearance, as is the cue with all melt ing substances, W hen freed, external irictiun ot course mudtnes us appear ance more or less ; hence we hud it in rivers particularly, in fine flakes, but when it is in larger bulk,n puts on pla e like appearance as it it were hammered out by the hands ot an artizan as real ly it is by the fre juently enormous weight of ;;tunes under which it is de postled. Water, tnat universal carrier washing the sides ol the hnls, brought the gold trom the suriace into the ra vines and rivers,to which its own weight facilitated the process. According to the strength of the cur reni ot water, the weight ol the particles ol gold, and the obstacles in the way, l is deposited in one or another spot, the liguter particles ot course floating away the farthest Irum their original bt d. A tht- process ot go.d deposition nas taken place in some remote penod of the earth's existence, hence we find all these deposites, gtnerady speaking, covete with gieaiea or smaller depln of soi sand, giavetaud stones. SSinctiy spea king, gold does not belong to the rivers it was washed iclo them trom the au joining hills ; hence it is ueless to lo tor soid at the head ot those streams when the neighboring hills are tint of lite auriferous ua.uie ; and we find this lact corroborait d by our personal ex amination ol the heads oi iho s reams of the gold region. Tne same rule holds good, lor the saute reasons in regard to the lower portion oi a gold carrying s.ream, except that it is limned by tne fact that light particles of gold may, be deposited a considerable diuance below their original source. ,r-vT The mode of deposit made clear, it will be equally clear that it is not on every spot in this very auriferous region mat we must look ior yold, whicn tact experience proves to be true ; or at least, it js not on every spot that we can find enough of it to make it an object to bestow our labor on it. Hence it equal ly follows the limitation of the quantity of gold to be expected iroro the mines as a general aggregate, however Jich ihev may prove. j The first comers had the best chu ces to hit upon rich deposiies ; but as diggers mulnoiy, the chances of falling upon virgin deposites grow smaller, and they will have u be content with what the others, through imperfection of their labor, have left ; consequently the' work becomes more heavy and les profitable, although it may be yet sufficiently com pensatory if the expenses of living be not excessive. This is precisely alrea dy the case, the labor is much harder this year than it was last. At present there are not so many of those happy hits as formerly, although we yet hear now and then of a lucky haul, which, however, when it reaches the ears ot the public, becomes extremely distorted, and particularly so when companies that have damned some spots of some of the rivers wish to dispose advantageously of their shares ; these easily find ready let ter writers who communicate the lucky event to the public through the press. The accounts of euccesstull digging in gold that went abroad never have been accompanied with statements of hard- hip attending the process ; yet we are ee to corneas that there is no harder abor than that of cold diptrine and ashing ; this species ot labor requires he strongest sinews inured to fatigue. Peculiar localities, together with gene- al discomfort attending upon he lite in the mtnos, may make gold digging par ticularly irksome. let all this can be borne, and one labor may sometimes be crowned with a brilliant success. We have made the above statement wuh the view ot laying the subject be- ore ttmse who may yet be novices in the matter, that they may understand their owe case; we are far trom discour sing the new aspirant alter the favors ot the dame fortune ; we tell them, take our chance, it may be a good one, but such and sucn circumstances are alien ing this courtship. Those from d.s taut parts, wno, on mere sound ot the tscovery of gold in California, rush headlong, leaving very good business nd comfortable living, canaot but rue the day, il they put their sole depen deuce upon their success in the mines. It they would come nere with au mien ton of following 6ome patient calling, hey could uot but grow rich with time. We have already plenty ot miners; a rge number ot them only diminishes the profiisol all. However, co ne they must, for tney are oeut on it, bo tne cousequeucer? what they may. When this gold mania ceases to rage, individuals witt abandon the mines; and then there will be a good oppor tunity ior companies with heavy capital to step in; there wui be enough ut pruti- auie work tor them; and it is then that tne country will etner on a career ot real pi ogress', and not till then, tiucn companies, with superior mechanical ta- ciliiies to much labor, in a snort space, ill be enabled to go over the wuoie mineral field, althougn already dug over by individuals, and reap yet a ncti re ward oi their efforts. Aud when there will be no more gold washing to be done, then a new era in the inning ol the country will commence we mean u reguiar system ot aiming by siukmg shaits into ihe very boweis ot the roews will be entered upon. Spots tor this svsitru oi mining are to be found tu tne aunlerous region. ' If we had a voice in the legislative halts ol'ihe Utuon, with the kuowiedgecl the whole country in general, and ihe mm eral region in particular we have, seeking to gratify no nen, nor a set of nu n, we would say,divide the wuoie eievattd our lion ol ihe land enclosed by itieSa'cramen to and San Joiqu n into a set of lots to be sold lo intnuig companies at a very moderate price. 1 he low lands or the plains of ihe same region, shouiu be di vided into a separate set tf lo s, to be sold to those only who wish to establish themseives as tarinets. To avoid all duiKulty and confusion ui giving boun uartes to these lots, tve would adopt Ihe following plai : in the mining dis tricts proper, tne elevated portion o. the land, every lot should have lor Us centre ue whole ei'.eni ot one ot tne sueams mat fall eiiner into Hie Sacramento or Ban Joaquin; tne lateral buundurics ol these ios wwuid be the rrigts on both the North and South side,- that turn the minor streams and ravines into the principle ones selected as centres of the lots. These lots, unless they are as large as this division would make them w-ot-ld not be worth the having; the land is worthless for any other purpose ex cept mmiog; and if this even should fail them, the only means left for the unfor tunate buyers to save themselves, would be to turn their attention to the making of turpentine, for whichwould find an extensive die Id. The other set of lots, comprizing the low lands, should have for their bases the banks of the streams that run through the plains. There should be but twolois between two neighboring streams, so that tny would have the same hue 'or their com mon bounds ry, while their respective banes would rest on their respective streams, ihe reason lor such a divis ion is, ihai the central portion of tne pi a in tying between two streams, gen erally is desutu e of limber and water; as Exposed to the constant burning sun and scorching w nd, and consequently. offering no spot for a farm-house, ror the sains reason, this portion ot the country admits only of a spate popula tion whose principal occupation must be raising of live slock, as there is plen ty of gr -zing ground; each farmer, how. ever, must nave a bank oi a river to put his residence upon. In view oi thfse cucumstances, these lots should be made sufficiently large to enable the larmer io devote his attention particu larly to the raising ol tne live stock. By this arrangement the whole country will be be ne h' ted ; lor the raising of Uvt stock wili be daily less a tended to in he country South of ban Francisco Hay, as the laud there admits oi smal ler suudivisious for agricultural purpo se. And it is there that larmet will crswd, as its climate, and tenuity ol tin soil, is favorable to Ihe maintenance ota dense population. By the auove disposition of the min eral region, we conceive, tne country will be greatly benefitted. Tne miner al region being under tne sole coiiuol at mutiny com names, win exclude an private advemureis? thus. first, oeneni- 0 . - tmg the com me i ce by checking tne uuaUvorubie deernou of tne cews ol its thipping ; and secondly, preventing an iiifiiX oi all orts ot udveuiuiei into the coun ry, whose pieseuce is more o a nuisance than uenctn to any country. Then a farming population, cuied oi tne gold mama, in seek to euncn itsell by more sure means, the product ot the soil, and will crowd to the t'acihu snores, i he arts will take a sum, every species of industry win be caned into existence; the surplus capital ot me cuunueiee will be devoted to toe development of the internal resources ol the country; nay, even capital liom abroad may find au employment here; the com merce of the country will be put on a firm tooting, and will grow Uauy and steadily, luven the Government useii, thus rid of this bother ot Cai.lomiu gold, Mia rind more leisure io do its duty to this newly acquired territory, lu tine, the country will grow steadily in pop ulation, in strength ot order and taw; and the business o: lue wiii unavoida bly tail into us natural and proper cuau uels. We migh have said something more upon the subject in nud; but we have done tor the pit-sent, hoping we have said enough to clear a lutle the vision of the public that suffered itseh to be bituced by the brilliancy ol the Califor nia gold. At some lu ure time we may have something to say upon tne practi cability ot roads into and througo the mineral region, as well as railroad tracks across ihe continent io l hePac.fi c snores. and we believe we are in possession ot a little belter data than the government itself can command. Cut tor the pres ent, in forbearance tor our leaders, we close. Short Story. When Mary and I were married we were young and lout ish, for we had uoihiug lo ue married wun, but Mary was deiicaie, and i thought 1 could take caie of her best. 1 knew i had a stout arm aud a brave heart to depend upon. We rented a chamber and wcul to house keeping. We got together a litt.e furnuuie a table, bedstead, dishes out our money latieu us ueiore we bougnt too Chairs. I told Mary she must turn up the tuu; tor 1 could uot run m debt. No, no. it was not long before our ricn neighbor Mrs. 31 , iouud us out, aud kindly enougn si.e supplied us : naif a dozen chairs added '.o our slocn. i hey were olu ones, to be sure, but answered .just as well tot us. 1 eu all nt-ver turret lite new face mote chairs iou on our suu qjarers thty never look'- jut .r.giu ociore. i'iie- tables are louied wun Mrs. M and me now r-he nas be come a poor widow, but she shall never want while 1 have any thing, i.everl' cried the old man, gith a gleaming face. "I don't forget those old chairs." Ah, now the secret was out. It wis the interest of the old chairs which maintained the poor widow. She. was living upon the interest and compound interest of a little friendly act done filty years before, and it' sufficed for herself and daughter. How beautiful is it to 6ce how God blesses the operation of his great moral law, Love thr neighbor;" and we should ofienersee it could we look into the hidden paths of hft a,,d find that it is not self-interest, not nones, not fame, that binds heart to heart. The .aimpre power of a friendly act can do far mure than they. It is these, the frieudiy acts, the neighborly kindness, the Christian sympathy of one towards anoiner.wnicn rob wealth of its power to curse, extract the bitter from the cup of eorrow,jmd open wells of gladness iu desolate homes. W e do not always see the golden linns shining in ths chain ol numau ever.ts, but they are there, oh yt hey are there, and happy is he wno feels their gentle but irresistable influence. The following appeal to the common School Teachers is from a gentleman whose life has been devoted to the in struction of youth, who possesses a mil sense of the, importance of popular education to the perpetuation, improve ment and glory of our free institutions. Who will hear this report? How many Teachers will take encouragement from his exhortation, and determine henceforth to elevate the standard of r their arduous and honorable Proles sion? The grand idea of associa'ed action in this class begins to be devel oped among runny who havo the true glory of the Stite and the happy pro gres? of ihe race at heart. Is there life, intelligence, energy enough among our Teachers to carry it out1 We trust thai the small beginning proposed in Guilford will result in a great end. Greensboro Pat. To the Teachers of Public Schools of North Carolina. I address you, gentlemen, as entrus ted witn our children, with their charac ler and nearly all the learning that con trols ;he election of County, IS. ate and National agents: Not one voter in five hundred goes io college. As' individu als, confined to unseen labor, you are weak; but united in one great and pub lic occupation, you are strong, more uselui, better rewarded and mote hon ored. No period, no year in our co lonial or State history, is like the pres ent so auspicious for oigaiiiZing your selves into County Associa tuns, lor your personal improvement, and lor all great interests of ihe Schools. The whole people are in motion for improve ment. Let the Judges in open court give notice of your first meeting you wtll soon elect delegates to form a 3 lite Convention of Teachers. Concert is every thing. Nothing so requires sys . tern and public sentiment as the educa tion ot a great and iree people. The appointment by the Legislature of a Superintendent ot Common SchooU, to visit every county aud combine the whoie people, and to make the public money accomplish ten times its present good, to do for North Carolina all that Horace Mann has done lor Massachu setts, depends on your county and Siatfc associations, both for i;s adoption and success. . uuidcd by such a leader. effort aud improvement will have no limit Our S ate will then be in u position io establish, en. iho line ot her &reai cen tra; railroad, the cheapest, the niott needed ol all Jier institutions, a Normal dshool a seminary lo educate virtmuis young men aud women in the an and science of conducting schools. None so well understand 113 importance as yourselves. Were it now. in operation, hundreds of you would, gladly there in crease your experience and skill. Ex plore all its bearings, and let detects, on. ly double your efforts, till those vho succeed y ou enjoy Us light. Let the uiaxitu of a great writer on jurisprudence be your own: "Every man owes something to his iroiesioh." Associated, you form a Profession the most numerous brauchof :he most learn ed aud liberal of all secular prolessions. Thus orgamz d, you will promote eve ry element ot our civilization, S rueis aud publishers will apply lo you col porteurs, ecitors agents, will find you Ur eol ghtened discerners between truth and imposition. Candidates for 'tiice. wui become advocates of the People's beno is. I he higher institutions will be sustained uy your best pupus. Let Edi'ors not only publish this most resptcllul appeal, but also with a home solicitude aud patriotic zeal,lake this cause under editorial care;
The Lincoln Courier [1844-1851] (Lincolnton, N.C.)
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Nov. 3, 1849, edition 1
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