Grant County Herald

Letter from Samuel Scott.

A. D. Ranch, Cal., Oct. 24, 1854.

EDITOR Herald—Dear Sir: I have been taking your paper for the past year and I expect my time is up, but I wish to have the paper continued. "You will find enclosed one dollar and fifty cents to pay my subscription for the second year; and if you should quit sending the paper before you receive this, I wish you to forward me the numbers that you have not sent. We have always received your papers very regularly since it commenced coming. It is quite a treat to us, and we look for it as anxious as we do for letters.

Our rainy season has set in, from all appearances. We have had two or three days' rain. It has rained very hard to-day, a good part of the day, and still looks like rain. This rain suits some of the miners and others again it will almost ruin. The miners in the dry diggings are glad to see it rain, for it will make water so that they can work their claims; but on the other hand, the miners that have river claims will be drove out and a great many of them have not been on their claims but a short time.

I am situated on what is called Dry Creek on the head of Ione Valley. Dry Creek is a stream that goes dry about five months in the year, but in the rainy season it is a large stream. There have been some rich and very extensive diggings discovered this fall almost all around, and all over my ranch. I have no doubt but that there will be several hundred miners close around me this winter. Miners are coming in here now from almost every part of California: the diggings are principally what is called surface diggings, and are easily worked, when there is water to work them. These diggings are paying from one cent to the pan up to sixty and one hundred dollars.

There are two ditches being made now that will be completed in a short time: one on each side of my ranch, so the miners will have plenty of water this winter. It is supposed that there will be three or four ditches in here in less than one year.—There is more ground proved here now than will be worked out for years, and diggings that will pay from five dollars to one hundred per day to the man.

It is generally prophesied by old settlers here, that we will have a hard time here this winter; but it is hard telling anything about this country. The sun will shine out here and it will be clear, and in less than half an hour rain will be pouring down as hard as you ever saw it.

The emigrants have had rather a hard time of it crossing the plains this season; they have been very unfortunate with their cattle. They have generally lost from half to three-fourths of their stock and some have lost more than that.

Yours, with respect,

SAMUEL SCOTT.

P. S. Direct your paper the same as before, only change the name of the County, as Calaveras County has been divided. Direct to Ione Valley P. O., Amador Co., Cal.

S. S.