The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-25
ADDITIONAL INTERESTING INTELLIGENCE
FROM THE
CALIFORNIA GOLD REGION.
The EMIGRATION TO EL DORADO.
THE WESTERN ROUTE.
&c. &c. lie.

CALIroRIA, Sept. ~, 1S4S.
SIR:-In compliance with intimatiou in nv
monthly report of June 80, | proceed to give you
hssty account Of California IL Is under the in
fue Of the gold exciteme MT through
out the country shan precede my remarks upoa the
cou ntry prior to their discovery.
Up to the time the American flag raised in Cali
fornis, by Commodore Soat in July 1s46 the country
may be said to have sumbered from its first settle
men without enterprise or activity the part Of its
inhabitants Consttutionaly indoent in their habits
the climate was admirably adapted to deveope and per-
petuae the worst forms of sothfulness and IMPROVE
dence among the occupants of the soil. The people
were much the victims of these vices to become
even shepherds in the true sense Of the word and
they lived without either milk butter cheese, al
though surrounded by thousands of mich cows and
scarcely attempt made to call out the agricultu
raj virtues of the soil little wheat and corn, and
rate wants those who had known the comforts
to be derived from industry and the grand staple Of
subsistence with all classes the flesh Of their cat
tie. The lisessness and apathy of this kind of life
chung to the whole native population; and when the
United States flag was raised here, the country could
boast Of no improvements, either public or private
except what the moderate wants OF Q warm latitude
rendered imperatvey necessary.
There were many Americans and foreigners in the
country prior to the change OF flags; but regular
emigration had taken place and the unsettled cond
ton Of politics, and constant revolutions prevented
anything like the systematic enterprise which might
otherwise have been cted from citizens Of Anglo
American origin. The herds Of cattle which covered
the ranches slaughtered for their hides and talow
to be exchanged for merchandise as before and the
people continued TO cherish their Incidence as much
as In former days; but the change of flags brought
corresponding revolution in the various OF
life After The first call for volunteers answered
and foreigners residing in the country were at leisure
to enter upen the improvement of their property all
PRODUCTION Of American authority and ali bssvs sas
they were virtually upon United States SOIL Crowds
came hronging in from the the forests and
the ocean; Of rough exterior but OF indubitabe An
glo- American origin, to seek their fortunes in new
country, under their own flag. Things soon assumed
better aspect, and both agricultural and nee
var nni IN
auspices. Farmers introducing the agriculture
and horticulture Of their country upon Caor
soil. and mechanical labor knew respite from it's
tolls The intsrmnable cater Of the hammer and the
saw was heard in every quarters aud freque nty the
mechanic in his esgerness to succeed did not collect
to divide the Sunday from the week" Many little
villages sprang up, by magic in various parts of
the country; and all promised fair for indefinite
But change came over the face Of affair, In tho
latter part Of February, 1s4s, q mechanic, named
James w. Marshall, was employed in building sawmill
river known in California as the American Fork some
fifty miles from New Helvetia, or Suffers Fort On
Americanos." 1t is the stream by which Captain
Fremont descended into the valley Of the Sacramento
river by perilous march in the winter and spring Of
for this improvement, MIR. Marshall discovered the
pieces of gold as they gstened in the sunlight at the
bottom Of the suce Pieces Of considerable size were
taken from the water, and in few days gold to the
amount Of one hundred and fifty dollars was removed
In this manner. The laborers ON the works, mostly
and the news spread rapidly about the country Elk.
amnatons were prosecuted At other points aeng the
stream, and almost everywhere with success. Reports
OF most marvellous nature reached the coast,
touching these mines. Their apparent extravagsnce
created incredulity and the public attention was not
fully called to the subject until gold dust or grain gold
was brought into the market in considerable ouant-
ties fer SALE Doubt soon became belief and change
almost magical in its nature pervaded the whole popu
lation Lawyers, doctors, clergymen, farmers me-
chsnics, merchants sailors and soldiers left their
legitimate occupation, to embark In business where
districts where all had been bustle industry and inn
provement, were soon left without male population
to the mines, and all kinds Of useful occupation ex.
cept gold digging were apparently at end. In most
cases the crops were remarkably good but they are
generally lost Tor want of aborers them In
some parts of the country hundreds OF acres Of ne
wheat will rot in the fields from the impossbey of
getting aborers. Vessels are left swi pgipV dy At
their anchors while both captains and crews are at
the mines and the most essential private and public
are arrested in their progress The
wages of clerks have advanced at least two hundred
per cent and those Of common laborsrs at least four
or five hundred. At the time the excitement broke
out, was repairing the United States bark Anita
The workmen were receiving So per day and lived on
board the vessel They struck for higher wages and
one man finally left and forfeited all his previous earn
ipg rather than to continue at work few days more
at 50 per day. Common sailors demanded 500 per
month for work schooners in the bay Freight from
this port to Suffers from So to 81 per barrel The
distance is little more than hundred miles Com
mon four-o wagons are hired at $50 per day In
case have known negro cook to be employed at SIS
and kettles in the gold regions
This was the condition Of things about three months
absolutely deserted 1t had been of the bust
Ing little places ever and in few days it be-
came desert. Two or three merchants and few
soldiers constituted the male population. Recently,
however, there has been reaction which brings many
back from the mines and active emigration is low.
ing in from abroad. Sickness has broken out among
the miners and many have retur ned Frustrated with
fevers, while others have come to avoid being so.
There 10 now q large number Of lsborers here but
many Of them refuse to work terms while those
who laber do 90 at exorbitant prices The ordinary
compen aton for white sborers is from So to $40 per
day. am now paying there prices for men am forced
to employ for repairing the government lighter, and
the ship in this port At
the same time everything is high in proportion But
ter sells BY the barrel at 81 per H. and hams at the
&c nts per pound Fer the last three pairs of boots
have had, have paid respectively SIS, Sl4, and $12
this place. but at the mines everything higher
Flour and pork vary in the mines from $40 to 5000 per
barrel. Common shoes, worth in Boston about rs
cents per pair sell at 49, s1s per pair There
kind Of reckessness about these prices which would
be sought after in vain in any other part of the world
saw box OF Seidtz powders, worth SO cents in San
Francisco sold in the mines for s24 in grain gold and
was credtly informed that brandy had been sold at
From this very imperfect price current you can in
Ter the cost Of other articles in California With the
prices in the mines however the cost of almost every
hundred per cent. Rents have advanced in Sec
lions Of the country to incredible extent Store
houses OF the most fragile and insecure character
or more than the best warehouses Of similar dimen-
ions in Boston or New York
j was at the mines about the LIST Of July: at that
lime the weather there was insufferably hot. think
Il by far the most oppressive climate was in
II Is much more uncomfortable than the climate of
Brazil at the warmest of the year. and every
hing was literally parched after drought which had
hen continued for three months and which had
i've months more to run to the rainy season.
The sea breezes which extend up the valley Of the
pass the Sierra Nevada and seldom
tha lafA au,x,
and there was not breath of air moving
among the mines. The sun was blazing down with
than tropical fervor while his rays we reflected
ten thousand directions from the sides of the hills
Until the atmosphere glowed and giimmered like the
r in afurnace. then foresaw (what has since hap
,ened) that there would be much sickness among the
miners. These people had deserted their regular oc-
upations; and complete change of life aud an
Natural climate could not fail to act unfavoraby upon
ealth. Their diet bad, their labors severe
md they we've exposed completely without shelter in
he day time, to a burning sun, and at night to the
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