Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/249

 icenses

to miners  In  such  a  way  as  best  to  protect  mineral lands against  monopolies,  and  secure  to  the  govern- ment the largest  revenue  ;  but  on  second  thought  he recommended  parcelling  the  mining  territory  into small lots  and  selling  it. This plan  was  equally  im- politic and impracticable. Fancy a  prospector  buying a lot  in  the  Sierra  foothills,  and  then  examining  it  to see  if  it  contained  gold ;  if  not,  buying  another,  and  so on  until  he  owned  a  barren  mountain  side'  Then  to guard  these  mineral  government  lands,  to  drive  off the miners,  and  prevent  poaching,  would  require  a military  force  larger  than  the  army  in  Mexico,  and  a moral  force  ten  times  oreater  than  the  federal  o:overn- ment was  able  at  that  time  to  command  in  California. The miners  were  essentially  migratory  in  their  habits, ranging over  a  vast  wilderness  of  gold-fields,  digging a little  here  and  a  little  there,  trying  in  many  places before finding  a  spot  worth  working. This shows  how utterly incapable  were  strangers  to  legislate  on  Califor- nia affairs.

Disputes between  water  and  mining  companies  often led to  blows  and  frequently  resulted  in  loss  of  lift^. sometimes open  war  would  wage,  the  contending  par- ties ranging themselves  on  either  side  armed  to  the teeth with  knives,  revolvers  and  guns. Fights would supplement suits  at  law,  and  lawsuits  follow  fights.

It is  not  at  all  certain  that,  in  the  then  existing state of  things,  any  legislation  by  congress  in  respect to mineral  lands  would  have  carried  much  weight  in the  minino;  districts  of  California. Miners had  become too much  accustomed  to  their  own  way,  and  were,  in fact,  better  able  to  take  care  of  themselves  than  were eastern politicians. Nevertheless there  were  many serious affrays  which  would  not  have  occurred  had  the laws regarding  mineral  lands  been  more  strictly  de- fined ; — instance the  following  :

A rich  vein  of  quartz  was  discovered  on  Carson hill by  one  Alfred  Morgan,  who,  with  seven  men,  took possession and  began  to  work  in  October  1850. They