Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 15, Number 2249, 11 June 1858 — ALL CANNOT MAKE FORTUNES. [ARTICLE]

ALL CANNOT MAKE FORTUNES.

Notwithstanding it will be fully two months before it can possibly be determined whether the Frazer river mines are as rich and as extensive as reported, there are thousands who have been engaged in this State as laborers, as producers of gold, or some other commodity, who will go to the new diggings regardless of

consequences. Mining for gold, in either a newly discovered or old gold bearing section, experience has demonstrated as the most uncertain of all the numerous pursuits of man; whilst it is, in the hopes and expectations it raises of amassing sudden wealth, the most seductive and irresistibly attractive of all others. The further fact is established, by the disappointments and sad experience of the large majority who, in 1849, started in such hot haste for the gold fields of California, that gold mining is a vast lottery, in which the blanks greatly outnumber the prizes; and this, too, without regard to the reported or real richness of the diggings. As in other lotteries, the drawers of the few prizes are reported to the world by name, whilst the names of the disappointed many who draw blanks are suppressed; the fortunate few who really do make fortunes by mining are always heralded to the world, while the names of thethousands who fail to make more than their expenses, are never presented to the public. Fortunate strikes are published; the exact amount of gold taken out in so many days stated to an ounce; when speaking or writing of a gold country, the most noted cases of success—the more extraordinary the oftner used—are brought forward to prove what has been done, and the stimulating effect of such statements upon the minds of the generality of men is prodigious. It is entirely natural that such representations should be iterated and reiterated, until they are received as true, and as applying to the entire region, and to the whole number of miners employed in gold seeking. Men forget that the success or failure of the many is not chronicled, and that they are only in possession of the extravagant side. What has proved true in relation to diggings in a far more genial climate, and in richer diggings than will ever be found on Frazer river, may be anticipated by those who are "making haste to be rich," by rushing headlong into the dominions of Queen Victoria in a wild hunt after gold. Of the thousands who are flying to that anticipated new El Dorado, the majority, probably a large majority, must fail to realize their expectations. They will, if life be spared them, return wiser, but not richer men. Such has been the experience of the past; the newly discovered mines, it is not likely, will prove an exception to a rule which has been recognized as general for the past thousand years. Even with mines in the Frazer river country fully as rich as those in California were in 1849, and the chances there will be found far inferior to those offered here. The mining ground lies in a high latitude, amid mountains and upon inland rivers inaccessible, except by great labor overland; the Winter lasts from November to April, and is so severe as to freeze over rivers and lakes; snow falls in large quantities, and remains upon the ground for months, which, with the cold weather, must render it impossible to mine during the Winter months to any advantage. June is a month of rain and storm, during which mining on high ground might be prosecuted, but the river beds would be beyond the reach of the miner. July and August hot and sultry, producing thousands of stinging insects; a dense fog prevails in September, and Winter makes its appearance in November. In such a climate, how many days in the year would a miner be able to work? All these difficulties, and many more, men should estimate before they leave any kind of business in which they are doing reasonably well, in order to accept the chances of doing better on Frazer river. They ought also to remember that the testimony of every one who has been on that river is, that it is folly for men to attempt to mine upon it before it falls, which, it is expected, will take place in August. Should the statement of John Dunn that it rains incessantly through the month of June, towards the sources of Frazer and Thompson rivers, prove correct, it may turn out that the former river will remain high until the next Winter, when everything is frozen solid at their head waters. Much has yet to be learned of the character of those mines, and of the topography and climate of the country before miners can start there with a certainty before them of making money.

STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.— We find in the Marysville News, of June 10th, the following notice of the proceedings of the Committee, who have started off on a second tour of observation: O. C. Wheeler, Corresponding Secretary, and G. H. Beach, Recording Secretary of the State Agricultural Society, leave Marysville, this morning, on their tour of examination of farms orchards, gardens, mines, mining, etc. They cross at Yuba City, and pass up the west side of Feather river, en route for Shasta, passing via Neals, Chico, Tehama, Red Bluff and Reading's Returning, they come by way of the Sacramento river. They will visit every farm to which they have been invited, and, also, such as may be suggested by friends living on the route. This is the second trip of the committee; the first having been in the mountain section, by President Fall and Corresponding Secretary Wheeler who brought back glorious accounts of the very flattering prospects for the State Fair. The mountain people are coming down en masse to attend the Fair. The committee say that the exhibition from the mountains, of fossil remains, petrifactions and gold quartz, will be truly wonderful, and worth traveling hundreds of miles to see. The committee will make their third trip, starting from Sacramento, on or about the 22d of June, passing through Yolo, Napa, Suisun, etc.; immediately after which they will visit Sacramento, Nevada, Pacer, El Dorado, Amador, Tuolumne, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Alameda, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, San Diego and other southern counties.

"THEY DO ANYTHING IN CALIFORNIA."—Quite a scene took place, and a large crowd collected to look on, yesterday afternoon, on the east side Montgomery, between California and Pine streets. It appears that a Mrs. S. M. Brown occupied a wooden tenement there, belonging to Amos S. Allen, and it is said that she had been occupying the building some years. However this may be, Allen wished to make improvements, pull down the frame and erect a brick building on its site, and for the purpose of clearing the ground, requested Mrs. Brown to leave the house and vacate the premises. The buildings on each side of her were torn down in the meanwhile, and repeatedly she was urged to vacate, but persisted in refusing unless a consideration, and a pretty large one at that, should be paid. It is said that she demanded $800, and that $75 was offered her. An arrangement could not be made, however, and Mrs. Brown stubbornly held on, declaring that she would not go out, and that she would not be put out. Finding that she was not to be ejected by peaceable means, a contractor named A. Burnett set to work yesterday to pull the house down about her ears. A sort of battle took place; but timber after timber of the house was knocked off, until the whole front was torn up and a mere shell of a wall, partitions, canvass and paper, flapping in the wind was left, in the midst of which was Mrs. Brown, having retreated, disputing every inch. She is still in possession. Bulletin June 9th.

FRAZER RIVER GOLD.— This gold, what little has come to hand, is not so fine as California, by some five per cent.

FINED.—Selig, the cigar dealer, at Stockton, plead guilty to having kept open his establishment on Sunday, and was fined $50 and $5 costs