Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-11-09
a trip TO California and back.

/ Prospect with regard to the roads From the Mis-
SCUM river to Fort Laramie, the road is generally
/ level aud smooth, with some marshes which VIZ
found rather difficult TO cross. From Fort La
raIme the route grows rough, with hills and &C.
caslonally, mountains, to cross. The mountains
are tolerably steep and in many places difficult
OF ascent, but we succeeded in traversing them
without moving our loads, until we came to the
Sierra Nevada range, when we were compelled
to partially unload, and pack mp on mules, draw
ing our wagons up light. These mountains are
from mile TO a mile and half in heghth, and
like mountains generally, are rocky and rough.
Very few teams had preceded US, and conse-
qnently the road was not very well defined. We
were five days from the top Of the last range Of
mountains TO Viewers creek, near the Dig
gngs, where we dsbanded
To persons designing to cross the plains,
would SOY, that mule teams are preferable to all
others: wagons shoald be light and strong. Take
Just baggage enough to get through with, and
this in the mater of provisions should consist of
flour, meat, hard bread, coffee, tea, sugar, vine
gar, &c and of clothing, half dozen shirts, and
as many pairs OF socks, with change of outside
clothing, made of some strong material is sutfi-
cicnt. The paraphernalia of high boots, india
rubber goods, &c, which have been thought so
indispensable TO an outfit, are seldom used Buff
falo robes, blankets, and india rubber material
are used for sleeE ing on, and would add, good
bed is an indispensable requisite A load at star
ting, including every thing, should not weigh
over about 1900 lbs, for four men. Six mules
are necessary, to a wagon, and couple extra, for
the saddle. This for those designing to cross
the plains, to which would add, il YOU can find
any excuse whatcv-r for STAYING at home, don't
60 at ALL
But We are in California. If IA man could avail
himself of the tabled tapestry TO transport him
self from the haunts OF civilization ard the social
cndlarmcnts Of home, III an nstaLt to this land
OF gold, his establishment at what he Witnessed
round him, would b, great. But the overland
route initiates a man into this new life, So that
by the time he reaches California, he sees but
liltle to aslonish hi,n. Men that yer put tea
kettle on a stove before, ar" here seen actively
mrloycd in all the nyst,r ies and minutia of the
culinary DEF artmcrt. God appears to be an uni
versal lcyelr, whether ~ or d9,c'.I am not pre-
pared to say. NJ. D., which with you signifies one
vino gen rally rides in his carriag". m ans there,
nothing brit Nude Driver, and the m n WHO tier,
~corned to touch any ;aiGg but the yar4s;ick or
br E are here N,-ria- the saa.el and the hoe
IN the mud and water. An universal upturuug,
ryerturning, and working tcgetiar 81 all the cl-
clncnts Of human nature, are here apparent, and
what the final effect will be arm not prepared 10
say. Unless man can endure all sorts O! hard
,hp, he tas no business in California at present
\ comfortable residence in doors is hardly to b.
thought OF, and sleefing urdar trees and in tents
Is the common lot Of the Inhabitants.
California contains probably two hun red thou
sard inhabitants. She has sayera! cities and vii
iageo Of considerable Importance. San Francis
go city contains ten thousand inhabitants residing
.-,I, Il, e,nnt in houses ;erna orar,Iy con,truc-
/ t,I of rough material a:.A .r.qu atly 81 ccuuY
/ cloth Sacramento city j. qu''e RAJ town .!
/ about six thousand nhahltan:a-most 81 Whcm
reside in cloth houses and in the grove near By
were several hundred that cooked their meals in
the open air and slept under the shady oaks.
/ Al San Francisco, the mornings are pleasant
about eleven O'Clock the wild begins to b,ow,aud
by fur clocl, in the afternoon It blows hard and
a person finds it necessary to wrap up. In the
mines the weather is excessively hot from 10
o'clock in the forenoon until in the afternoon:
and the nights cold.
The stories abou, picking up goid, and the clse
with which it may Be obtained, are all humbug.
1t can be bad, and man who can dig wells day
bv dav in hard pan, and do it successfully, is tn
man to dig successfully for god in California
Miners dig from one TO twelve feet deep, and av-
craze, should Judge, about six dollars apiece tc
each man. Goods are low, and some will not
sell for enough to pay the expense of getting
them there. Provisions are sold at fair prices
Mining is the great thermometer of the country
and the prices Of all commodities are controlled
BY the miners luck. In the early period of the
excitement, when great strikes were made every
thing run up proportionably. Now, however,
mining has become hard, and}h average receipts
! light, and every thing has fallen to correspond.
Specu atng in city lots has paid well, thus tar,
and large fortunes have been made in that way
but this bubble will soon burst and the immense
fortunes which depend on these lots as basis,
win dwndle TO a very respectable reality.
/ But the bell of the steamer Panama, which is
moored among the deserted shipping OF the Bay
/ OF San Francisco, rings ont peal which tells Of
] Home Its power is Irresistible, and | hasten on
/ board The last bell is rung, and we move out
/ on to the bosom OF the broad Pacific. The patch
work city and is yellow sand hills disappear as
we round the bluff. and the current of feeling
among on all or board, sets from this land OF bro
/ ken dreams, steadily towards the realities Of
home. The distance from San Francisco to Pa
mama, is abou, $500 miles, and 20 days are re-
auired TO traverse it with the steamers There
are five ports on the route at which the steamers
touch, with which exceptions there was little 10
relieve the monotony Of the voyage, performed
/ for the most part out of sight Of land. The stea-