The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-26 00:00:00

CALIFORNIA-ITS PEOPLE AND
THEIR WAYS.

TO Tilt IDITOIL 07 THE EXPRESS.
lioqueborn• Amer, 900 mile. trots Sin FranOA°,
Ca.itontia, October 31,1840.

BM—From a practical experience of upwards of
eight mouths as • miner and storekeeper in the
miner, I am now enabled to give you 80020 details
wbich I hope rusty prove cf interest, and at all even's
I shall endeavour to make them as useful as possible
as a guide to any of my countrymen who may still
have an idea of turning their thoughts to mining in
California ; a life, which, although full of novelties, I
believe most of your readers will agree is also one of
considerable hardship.
••

At a little later period I will give you a few particu-
lars of that " go-a-head" place, San Francisco ;for the
present, however, I will conduct you to a city called
Stockton, situated on a small branch or arm of the
ricer San Joaquim, and at about 100 miles in an
easterly direction from San Francisco.
Stockton is the depot for all the southern mince,
and a truly wonderful place, considering that 18
months ago it was not even in existence, but the gold
works wonders, and Stockton now containel upwards
of 400 houses, with a population varying from 5,000
to 10,000. It can else boast of two daily newspaper.,
a theatre, and other places of amusement, but above
all, I must notice the poet-office, which is most
admirably arranged—each merchant has his box OR
the same system se at Liverpool and other towns in
England. I would wish your readers to understand
that the houses in this place ate by no means the rude
erections that might be imagined, but real, substan-
tial buildings, as far as is possible with wood, and in
addition many are built with architectural decors-
Sone, and have cost an enormous sum,—to give you
an ides, the residence of C.Webar, Eq., who owns a
great tract of land hereabouts, cost hem 60,000 dole.
(12,0001.), and others in proportion.
There are numerous excellent hotels and restau-
rants, the charge being 1 dol. or la dol. each meal—
of course everything in the free-and-easy style, and
one sits down to table with the unwashed, without
any of the feelings such an association would be
likely to create in England. Probably the best
restaurants in the town is owned and conducted by
some Chinese—the ve'y best of cooks. Ships of large
tonnage come close alongside the town. Five or six
are entirely dismantled, serving as store ships and
warehouses, offering great security against fire. Oue
is also fitted up as a bathing establishment. With all
this, however, it is a most disagreeable place to live
in. Business has been very dull all the summer, and
1 do not think Stockton is a very rising place ; there-
fore, I shill bid adieu to it, with its dirty, dusty
streets, and myriads of fleas, and, mounted on a good
mule—the usual mode of conveyance—steer in a
southerly direction towards the mines, the whole of
which are situated at about seventy miles distance.
On quitting the town, you enter on a tract of
country which is perfectly level—there are good wag-
gon roads in numerous directions ; and although
so flat, it is not very monotonous, the whole
being beautifully wooded with oak, &c., put-
ting me in mind of a gentleman's park in the old
country. The land, however, is poor, with a great
want of water. In the spring, however, the ground
is literally covered with flowers of every variety of
hue—nothing can be more pretty, but the heat in
the course of a month or two causes a change, which
is anything but agreeable, herbage of every deecrip
Son being literally burnt up. The traffic on the
roads is very great, large troops of mules
and heavy ox teams passing you constantly.
This your readers will readily understand, looking
at the immense population in the mines, and seeing
that everything is conveyed by means of mules or the
ox teams. Freight is very expensive. In tne month
of April last it was 8 sects per lb., and all the sum-
mer has never been leas than 41 and 5 cents. At pre-
sent the rate is 6 cents. Taus the freight on a sack
'of flour weighing 100lbe. will cost 6 dolt. (11. 44.)
List winter many parties were obliged to pay 75
cents per lb., and this winter it is calculated freighta
will go up to 40 cents per lb., equal to 81. sterling on
.very 1001 be. weight! The road. are then, of course,
almost impassable.
I am conducting your readers now to a place called
Mokelome IEII (au Indian name, I believe), 55 miles
from Stockton, and situated about midway between
the northern and southern mines, a place which has
proved one of the richest in this country, and which
will gradually become a place of some importance.
Tne rued presents the same appearance fur about 25
miles, almost entirely level. At every three
or tour miles along the route are refresh-
ment stores, where a tolerably good meal (good
enough for a miner), can be had for 11 dol., or
6s. These stores are generally known by the name
of the owner; thus "Welker'. Stare," "Jackson's
two springs
trading taking
Store," dec. Enka, you arrive at a pl ice called
.ttielorurttee Saptr:iniagtsclaance.namHedere two
from
large
are erected, one of which serves as county and assize
court for the district. After leaving this place the
ruad gradually takes a rice until reaching Mokelome
fill, where it is actually mountatauus.
CLIMATE IN THE MINES.

Of the climate it is impossible to speak too highly,
and an Englisbman above all ought to be consented
in this respect; withal that the heat is somewhat too
great at time. One uninterrupted summer prev..ils
fur upwards of seven months in the year, viz., from
April until the end of October—and not such sum-
mers as we have at home! No calculations as to
whether it will rain tomorrow—no cutting winch,
—no thunder storms; day after day, week atter
week, the sun rites with the same undiminished
splendour, and one day is an exact repetition of the
other. It is true that the heat is occasionally too great;
but as a compensation for this, a delicious brt eze blows
as regularly as ilia day comes round, from eleven
o'clock until three. The miners are never out during
the hottest part of the day, but reposing under some
shady tree; it is too hot to travel. 1 have had no
means of calculating the exact di give of heat, but it
is nearly always the same, viz, as near as I can guts",
about 80 degrees Fahrenheit at 12 o'clock in the
shade; while the actual rays of the sun are so power-
ful that it is impossible to handle a crowbar, or any
article of iron, which has been exposed to them for a
few minutes. At the commencement of the night one
blanket is g,.nerally sufficient, but towards morniog
it becomes chilly; the thermometer, I am sure, got s
dnwa one half; indeed, I have, during the course of
the present month, seen the ground covered with hoar
frost; but here again is the beauty of the climate;
the nights serve to equalise the days. Without such
a provision, this would be a tropical climate—as it is,
it is perfection.