The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-12-22
"The Golden Era"


The accounts from the California Gold Region
is Of the most wonderful character, and consider
able amount of crodulity is required to place i'm
pliCit reliance in all tie accounts, which we re-
receive, of the large quantities of Geld, which is
daily gathered. But letters have reached this
country from so many sources, that we can no
longer doubt the existence Of extensive Gold
Mines in California, What the result of these
That California WILDE settled and that speedily
by the gold-hunters Of the country Is a matter OF
certainty. By the middle ofnext summer, at least
100, 900 persons will have left their present homes
in search Of a fortune, That many o them W i'll
obtain it, we have no doubt; but others, we fear
will only dig for gold, to pour into the Golfers oil
others.
Should the amount OF Gold be as great as we
see stnted. an immense quantity of constitutional
currency" will be added to the present amount
in the country, and the expansion will cause high
prices and extravagant expenditures; and unless
we sever the bonds. which now unite us to the
manufacturing interests Of Graat Britain, and de-
pend upon the energies of our own people ia
clothe as wella as feed us. revulsion will be ex
perienced, which this couHtry never yet has felt
But let the Government sustain our present man
ufacturing establishments and offer nducement.
Tor others to engage in that branch ofbusiness, by
proper duties upon the products of the paupel
labor of Europe, and when the time Of high price,
shall arrive, free labor will not be crushed by
coming i'll competition with pauper labor
But we had not intended to digress. From
among the many accounts which have reached
us, we Gull the following extracts from two letter.
of Lieut.. SHERMAN to a friend in this country. II,
is well known TO the citizens Of this place.
Extract of letter dated,
MONTEREY, (Cal.) Aug. 5th, 1S4S.
"The Treaty of Peace leaves Caifor
mia with no military or civil Government
discharges all the volunteers and leave.
no force in the country save the small
companies of Regulars. Our compan,
has been reduced to a shadow by deser
lions, caused by high prices of labor
This is exorbitant here; for any laborine
man can get (cash) one dollar an hour
and tradesman wolld tnrn up his nose
at any thing less than SIS to $50 per day
The cause of all this is the recent dis.
covery in the western slope of the Sierra
Nevada, east of Suffers, Of beds of grav.
ell mixed in such quantities with gold
that men wash out in tin pans and the
rudest machinery from one to six ounces
daily. This is not temporary delusion
but stern reality. 1t was impossible
for me to credit these stories; but few
weeks since, Col. Mason, the Governor
went there to explore the country and
personally to ascertain the truth Of the
statements. went with him and wish
could tellyou oil saw. will do so at
some future period. Now l would re-
mark that we saw enough to make us en-
tertan the only fear that disturbs the bo-
SONS of merchants here-that Gold will
be found in such quantities as seriously
to diminish its value as circulating me.
dium. At present there are about 1000
persons hunting fol Gold and the amount
daily obtained cannot fall short of from
$50, 900 to $4,000. Many men have al
ready amassed fortunes. All have their
pockets full of gold and every man earns
more than ten dollars daily. for his per-
sonal labor, except those in the employ
of the Government. We are the suffer.
ers. All prices have so advanced that we
cannot possibly live on our pay. We
know not what TO do-and in spite of
threats, our soldiers are deserving US.
1t is not of this, | particularly wish to
write you. All sorts of merchandise has
raised 300 per cent, and | have heard
Col. Mason repeatedly say that an in
voice of $4,000 of the Hudson Bay or
American Fur Company goods would
sell here for 100000 believe it; for
blankets, worth 81, or SO, in New York,
sell for $50; shoes oftho coarsest quality
for $l0 and the best of ALL consumers
are able to pay down in gold for these
articles. Gold is now selling.
in San Francisco, for $40, per ounce. 1t
is good gold. You may rely on the above,
as am in possession of authentic infor.
nation in addition to what | have seen
myself"
Extract of letter dated,
MONTEREY, August 2lth, lS4S.
"Thines out here are in an ndescriba-
BILE condition. Gold in immense guam
titles has been discovered. All the
towns and farms are abandoned and no.
body left on the coast bat us soldiers, and
but two companies of them since the dis.
abandonment of the New York Vol.
unteers, Men are deserving constantly
as they can earn in one day more than O
months pay, No servants can be obtain.
cd and Col Mason ia obliged to cook 70,
himself. Goods are 81 times higher than
in New York. The Gold cannot all be
extracted for centuries, as it is found in
dry ravines and mingled with the earth
everywhere"
From California.
New Orleans papers. of late dnte. state tbn