Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-12-27
The Golden Era.
The Rush for the Mines.


ces. letter Monday says:
"No pen can describe the excitement tina, per-
vades all classes Of citizens the subject Of
C aIifor MIA mines. The literary men have taken
the fever in its most virulent forrn.-No less
than three writers for the press have Informed
me to-day that they will leave for San Francisco
within two weeks. Clerks are throwing up their
situations. lawyers abandoning the Courts, doc
tors giving up their practice. merchants wind
lug up their affairs, preparatory TO leaving for
the gold 'diggings-'
Ships fitting out rapidly for the land of
promise Eleven advertised in this morn
ing's papers, to sail "with dispatch" There
will he no lack of provisions in California six
months hence. George Law, Esq, the great
teanboat proprietor, has issued proposals offer
ing to take out migrants for 500 each. under
certain conditions.'
The New York Tribune confirms that the con-
versation the street is almost exclusively con-
fined to the subject and says:
The Oregon, for Charges we understand. is
obliged to refuse passengers daily. The John
Benson full of passengers that four or
five taken, at their earnest request, with
no better sleeping accommodations than the
deck. At the last moment a sturdy German
made his appearance the wharf, with pick
axe i'll hand and a shovel in the other, aud
Insisted on being taken, agreeing to pay his pas
sage, $50, in hard money, and to sleep i'll the
maintop if necessary. We have advces from
New Orleans that the steamer Falcon, having
discharged her Havana and New Orleans pas
sepgers, is fuI-probably hundred-for
Chagrcs.
left fH3f f},an
panies have been formed there for emigraton
The New York Express, of Monday, says.
''Several ships, told, are fast filling M
at this port at $3.50 per barrel, freight.
''Harnden & Co, who advertise a ship for
San Francisco. soon. have already had Fl We hun.
dred applica,ions-mostly young me H. all afilic,-
ed with the yclioc (tr.r, of course.-The conta-
g'on is spreading fcarfuly every side, and
before cure can be efftc, ted, great numbers will
be carried of'
say:-1he sPcni1d stetai'inrer Crescent CITY. Cap
tain Stoddard, has, perceive, iInbibed the
gold fever. She sails for Chagres Oh the 23d
inst.
The gold excitement ncreases-it has become
perfectly intense. Thirty vessels, from barques
of $50 tons to ships Of 1000 tons, are preparing
to leave this port. Such is the haste to get at
the gold that some paying sl7J for pas
sage to Chagres, which is less than half the dis
lance.
Difficulties Of the Route.
From Chagres to Panama they must undergo
the canoe and mule operation, which with the
Hotel at Panama, ,nonopoized by one man.
who shavcs cleaner than a barber At Panama
travellers must trust to chance for passage to
Francisco, $500 miles
The Cost.
According to present appearance, the Caiifor-
MIA will have two hundred passengers from Pam
anna TO San Francisco, which, at $500 each will
make splendid thing for the owners The cost
of getting to San Francisco by the Chagres
route, using the mail steamers is about 1878; saw
$3.50 TO Chagres, 800 across the Isihrnus, and
5000 from Panama to san Francisco By taking
second cabin passages, the cost will be reduced
about $50; and by taking sailing vessels instead
of steamer to Chagres, the passage may be made
for $3.50
First Discovery OF the Mines.
The New York Tribune says:-From an ar
ticle IN Harper's forth coming Biographical Cy
c!opedia, We learn that the gold mines of Cali
forna were first discovered by the Jesuits, about
the middle Of the last century. The Jesuits con-
c-aled their discovery from the Government,
and the suspicion that they had done perhaps
had some thing to co with their expulsion from
Mexico. In 1862 Don Jose Galvez, Marquis of
Sonora, undertook an expedition into California
to ascertain the truth of the reports respecting
the gold. Gin the rivers, in the soil, ami in the
rocks" He was accompanied by the celebrated
Don Miguel Jose de ARENA, who. discouraged
IT,, oi, fan
me nJed the aband n ment OF the enterprise, and
for eontending that the Marquis was insane for
proceeding, was thrown Into prison, where he
remained several months. Nothing at all salts
factory. however, appears to have resulted from
the search of Gavez; though the Jesuits after
wards disclosed, in Spain and in France, tina, the
charges of discovery and concea!ment made
against Them were true
Richness Of the Mines.
The amount of Gold in California, by all ac-
counts, is equal to the whole amount now in cir
culation throughout the world. Mr.. Oliver, Sc
Nor editor of the Temperance Organ, informed
US yesterday, tina, letter from gentleman of
|, his acquaintance in California stated, tina, the
extent Of the gold region was such as to afford
employ me Mt for fifty thousand people fifty years.
The Californian ne spaper values the ore already
discovered at one thousand million of dollars.
New York letter says:-The wife of of
the California volunteers reside Mt of this city
has received SI0 900 worth of gold from her hus-
band during the present week That kno,r TO
be fact.
Probable result Of the Excitement.
Whether the Gold Bug OF California is a hum
bug or a real animal. one thing is ceEtain-ihe
present excitement will result be nehciaIly, in
Withdrawing from the over-cruwded cities of the
sea-boaEd thousands OF people ready and willing