Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-12-22
From the Boston Journal Of Dec
The told Fever.

md has hlleu an ollclhi ethtioh uhuet tuO N"i'N-
States Government;
Monterey, California, Aug !, isls'
DEAR FRiEND: Aiter perusing this long let
ter, and viewing the many sudden and singular
changes that have taken place in California
within a short time, hope that you will readily
excuse mo for not writing TO you before
II will be almost impossible for you to compre-
hend the disorder that now prevails here in re-
gard TO everything except gold digging. I'm
saleabe goods on hand in the year 1916, now
sell with astonishing rapidity, and there is moth
ing but what finds ready and quick market
IL bod ser, home ton months ago $4,000 for
goods, should soon have been able to remit the
like sum but instead of that, | laid out all OF
my ready cash and more in the purchasing OF
lands building OF houses, Sc, until now own
twenty leagues of land one hundred house lots,
and dozen houses when, to my astonishment,
in few short weeks my property was not worth
n cent. Though rich, in one sense, am miser'
ably poor as my houses nearly all stand empty,
and are the source OF no income The cause Of
all this will briefly relate.
In January or February last some Mormons
digging mrace for Capt. Suffer on the South
American Fork 40 miles from New llelvetia, /
found small quantity Of yellow metal which |
proved to be gold. This discovery led TO others.
The news soon reached the town OF San Fran.
cisco but for a short time little no attention
was paid to it, even when some OF it was brought
there for sale. In the month of April the great |
quantities of this precious metal which came in
to market, commenced to attract the attention OF
the people in Northern California, and gradu.
al dimnshment of the inhabitants was soon per-
ceptiblc. On the LIST Of June, was in San Fran.
cisco. Mellus s. Howard and some of the lar.
gest merchants had then but about 81 900
worth of this gold but before left Mr. Bran.
min, resident of that place, who had been ira.
ding at the Placero handed in my presence to
Mellus < Howard three bottles containing 90
pounds of gold From that time onward it has
been arriving in large quantities in bottles, phi.
ais, &C. About the middle of June, | passed
over portion of the Placero, which is supposed
TO be in extent about 100 by SO miles, but in my
opinion it is far greater, for there is not direc
ton in which you can 90 but what there is gold
It seems almost inexhaustible. At that time
there were about 1900 people, all foreigners,
working the Placcro, which then yielded about
$4,000 per day. At the present time it yields
about 900 As the number Of workers has
increased, it is not now exclusively confined TO
foreigners, as a great number Of the natives have
commenced working, and now may be seen the
representatives Of almost every country on the
globe, even the wild Indian tribes. l think at
the lowest estimate the month Of July yielded
half million Of dollars reckoning the gold al
SIC per ounce.
The valleys of the Sacramento, which but q
short time since were hardly known, are full o
wide and dusty roads Half of the houses in
Monterey are empty, and ut least two-thr'ls Of
those in San Francisco. The hotels and stores
have all been closed, and many farms have no
occupants whatever. The hotel in San Francis.
co is, however, again opened, under the direc-
ton Of Robert Parker, of New York but the
expenses must be enormous, as he pays his head
steward, black man, LOO per year. the sec
ond 81 800, and the cook S900-so am inform.
ed on authority entitled TO credit. IN Monterey,
at the present time, there is no place Of enter
tanment, and strangers arriving, and officers
stationed here some days hardly Know where TO
get anything to eat, even without the necessar,
comforts.
Ii would have Afforded me great pleasure 10
have had you dine with me on the memorable
4th Of July, as we Jared sumptuousy on bread
and coffee, with an Indian in attendance. Many
families are without single servant, and find
it very difficult sometimes to get anything done
whatever There are no mechanics now left IN
town except one. a blacksmith; and assure you
his forge proves to him a real "Placero," as crow
bars AMI pickaxes are in great demand. There
are at San Francisco Two or three vessels with
only a man on board of each as the crews have
all deserted for the purpose of digging gold.-
The garrisons here have also lost great many
men, and in all probability will lose many more
think the towns in The lower part OF Upper
OAllOFniN must sODn oAh1 AiS i1RS VI 'ah 4 AHi
cisco and Monterey, as the whole population are
going erazy-old as well as young are daily vic
tins 10 the gold fever.
From my corridor can gaze upon the desert
cd streets Of the town, and behold nothing NOV
ing therein but occasionally the fair sex. Every
woman who chooses can now find ready employ
ment in making up clothing for the gold diggers
and al a great price. The market now contains
nothing whatever, and il is with great difficulty
that we can get anything, even the common nee
essaries Of life Horses command any price, ant
saddles cannot be bought for love or money, Sc
great is the demand for these articles. | have
but two houses occupied at the present time
the rest arc as useless as so many piles of stones
have n company of three or four Americans
fitted out with 4 or carts and oxen, and $4,000
worth of goods, provisions and clothing, which
are now at the Placero. / fitted out another a
my Sacramento Rancho under the head man anC
his two brothers. Twas TO have one-third. They
started with 10 Indians, but at that time was
only able to obtain 10 shirts and pants for them
(Which, however, they only required on the par
of decency, as their bodies had never before
made the acquaintance OF clothing) but unfor
tunately they did not remain but a few days.
Last week Mr. Green and myself started youni
men with carts and 40 yokes of oxen, 100 ar
obes of flour, and $4,000 worth Of clothing, &C
companied by Caornians at S33 per month
a foreigners ut $40, and 8 Indians at s25 (each)
How many days they will dig gold remains t
be seen however, hope at least half will re
main. These two young men go prepared t
hire wild Indians.
There is one party Of foreigners who, sine
the 18th of June have worked over 100 viii,
Indians. Having $4,000 worth of goods will
them, they take from to ~ pounds OF gold pc
day. The head man, Charles w. Weber, tol'
me that his sixth part amounted to over 81 900
per week, which is certainly bright prospects
considering that they commenced without CAPT
tai. have seen parties of white men, with 1
common rough machine, getting pound ofgolS
per day and individuals, each with a common
tin pan, making from $50 to 500 per day
Many natives and foreigners make $500 pc
week, but the weather being so hot and the labo
so hard, they cannot continue at it two months
think at least there are from 800 to 600 mel
who, on an average, since the month of May
have taken 81 900 in gold dust at SIG per ounce
The scarcity of money here, and the presen
necessity for ii, greatly deprecates the value o
this gold here, which can be readily purchase,
for $40 and Sil per ounce, and in a short tint