Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-08-29
CALIFORNIA CORRESPONDENCE.
Letter from Chester IlgeFSOIl. {
TCoNCLUDED.1

Canou tut Aost mango, tney are cover ed
with California Redwood, (Red Cedar
which is sufficient for all the wants of the
valley; the timber in the valley is mostly
white and live oak. There are many
kinds of timber much larger than in the
States-the Willow is large timber, Sweet
Elders are one foot in diameter, and the
Prickly Pear grows ID feet high and one
foot in diameter. All kinds of fruit trees
grow thrifty and. large, the peach is said
to bear the second year, yet no pains is
taken to cultivate them, with few excep-
tons, except at the Missionss .a'a.saI
One word about the present inhabitants
the Spaniards are lazy, indolent, gam.
bling, drunken race live poor for the
sake of being lazy. The few Americans,
here, are, employed.in every thing. Com.
mon wages is $25 per month mechan-
les get from SO to 81 per day. The
greatest call is for miIlwrights, but all
mechanics can make the same wages.
Although all kinds Of produce can be
raised with half the labor that it can be
grown in the states, yet flour is worth 81
per cWt., corn and harley IS cts per bu.
potatoes Is cts for % lbs. or So per cwt.,
Onions s Vets per h., beans 81 50 per bu :.
peas the same, beef one cent per h., pork
i2a cts, bacon 25 cts. and easily raised,
butter so cts, cheese ST Cts, and plenty
OF fish in the waters. but no one to catch
them. Oxen that will weigh 1000 pounds
when dressed, can be bought for 8 or $40;
Cows from 8 to $5 per head, and hand
somer cattle never saw, our largest cat.
tie are small beside them. never saw
any beef in Illinois that would compare
with the beef of California, for fat or
sweetness !; you can buy beef for So,
that the hide and tallow will fetch lO,and
leave you with 400 Of beef, Some arti.
cles merchants goods are high and others
reasonable, sugar II, cts. ,. molasses Is
cts per gall, tea S2.pe. b., coffee go cts.
calico from % to SO cents, nails from Is
to % cents, many small articles much
higher; the few Americans as they are
called, that are industrious, are getting
rich, while the Californians will be poor.
The price Of land about this Day, ranges
from so cents to 81 per: acre, for the
choice lands. There is said to be large
amount ofvacant land in this valley, when
the government is settled so that the titles
may he investigated. epn now buy
some of the choicest pieces for 81 per
acre.
The quicksilver mines lie 10 miles
south of the Pue bio town, they are said to
be The richest in America. They expect
new machinery soon, and next summer
mill employ 500 hands. Nearly the whole
business OF the present Inhabitants is stock
raising-those are tended by the Indians.
The country west on; the coast, is inter-
spercek with small valleys, and the hills
are covered with a heavy growth of tim,
Der, mostly redwood. The country around
Monterey is sandy, and the valleys small,
although they produce vegetables in abun.
dance. 1t is not good for wheat on ac-
count Of the fog. zu
Since have been in this valley, the
climate has been more like spring than
of rain. We have had several white frosts
this month, the leaves now begin 20 turn
yellow, except the live OAK, which are a
dark, bright green. The ground is not
yet moist enough to sow wheat. The
water of this valley is various-some
wells are good drinking water but hard
to wash with. II is ssaid by all to be
healthy; Judging frops the present in6ab~
itants, should believe it to be so, yet
most Of the emigrants as they arrive, are
unwell for a few days. and then are heal
thy. .n -f # eaa
A few more remarks and will close.
The emigrants on arriving are lost-they
find so much to be done--and the chances
10 make money so great. that they look on
with amazement. BIT few turn their
attention to cultivating the soil, which is
The surest and best. a man here sold
$4,000 worth this year ofgarden vegeta.
bles, Of his own raising, and another sold
1000 heads of cabbage at SO cents per
head, besides melons, pumpkins, squashes,
and onions and the demand Increases
with the growth of this section. To men
that wish to keep public houses, this is
where they are wanted, and money is
aPlenty-laboring men scarce. .ss. |
Before closing this, I must say that
am watching the progress of the first
Steamboat that ever parted the waters of
the Bay OF San Francisco, Barges are in
sight almost all the time.
The Town of San Franciecois situated
at the mouth of the harbor, and contains
about 200 houses. II is to this country,
what New York is to the State Of New
York the country around is sandy and
billy. will now leave the subject for
the present, until I can see more Of the
country and.its productions. To the en-
Eterprising. there is no time to lose.G la.il
Evoa edF 40 Yours, 81 ,tasaanlacrs
srsa 5 CHESTER INGERSOLL,
PURBALo VALLEY, California,
November 20, 1547.