The North-Carolina standard., 1849-01-03
FROM c.AILTFoRN|IA-GoLDi GoLDu

Il The New Work JournaIi Of Commerce Of recent
dats publishes The from Capt Springs
i commanding the Ship Huntress, at San francisco,
addressed to the owners of the vessel in that City
In order to give our readers some idea Of the condi
ton of things in California and of the richness
gold mines there, lay the entire letter before them.
1t is no doubt entitled to the fullest credit:
.sSAN FRANcIsco, Sept. 21, 1915.
On my arrival here, found such state of things
such it may be called) / found entirely deserted
There were not ten men, and about twice that number
of women, left in the place. This was in conse-
fquence OF the discovery Of extensive gold mines
the banks of the river Sacramento, abort "a hours
run up the river, where I am now lying. Almost
before had heard of the news myself, my crew had
fgot hold of it, and six of them were off. I found
there were no facilities whatever for receiving or
landing my cargo at Monterey, and being sure !
could not be In worse predicament here than there,
disembarked the troops, and agreed with Governor
Mason to proceed to this place. ,
! On my arrival here, / found very much the same
state of things at Monterey. All the vessels in
the harbor were deserted by their crews, in many
instances by their officers, and in some by their
masters: The facility with which any individual
may, with only ordinary industry, pick up either in
what are called the "dry" 7" or the wet diggins,'
$4,000 o. $4,000 worth of pure gold in one month,
is too mneh temptation for most men. t.'E
have not yet been discharged. The only lighter
to be had here, suitable for taking out my cargo,
belongs TO the government and she is out of repair
The quarter master has been hard at work ever since
thaye heenin., getting her up on the beach. He has
employed several house carpenters who came here
from Oah9 go 30 the mines, at $s ete per day,
to do this work. 500 =
Nominally, the price of day labor is $5 Sc, bat
no men are to be obtained, other than Indians or
miserable worn out men, who cannot go, else have
beento the mines, and returned sick. Fifty dollars
per month are paid for go very short distances
about the coast, with the bargain (f the vessel
has any yards) that they shall not 60 aloft. They
are far he diSha n1ol q
more miserable set cannot be found elsewhere, In
hospital. No men be obtained at any price, to
work out of the usual hours. The more they are
paid the less willing they are to work Twenty-Five
cents glass for grog and 81 per meal are the prices
paid here. Gold being plenty, every description Of
goods is consequently high; $50 $50 per pair for
blankets, such as cost 81 in New York; $5 pair
for shoes, and every thing pro rata The charter of
small craft formerly long boat,O decked, is $50
per day. The launch of the Peacock, lost the bar
of the Columbia some years since, arrived here yes
terday, and sold before night for $225O in good
clean dust, 20 carats fine, and 16 per ounce. An
other which came in from the river the same day,
about year old, of I3 tons, sold for $1,000
They ask me $6 $6 SO per dozen for washing. IfI
could only supply the place of my clothes by the
purchase of new at New York prices,1 would throw
them overheard instead of having them washed.
/ left the ship Isaac Walton, only two years old
at Monterey, without board. No one of
men-of-war dare anchor in any of these waters,
as they would lose their crews if they did so At
present common property is safe enough, lying any
where unmatched; it is too small game to be taken
any notice Of There is some danger in return
ing from the mines, there those who prefer to
take the gold already washed to their hands, than dig
and wash for themselves. = The most extravagant
stories told of gold found and the ease with
which it is obtained. l have myself seen pieces
weighing one, two and three ounces, and in one in
stance, lump perfectly pure, weighing more than
ounces avoirdupois. 1t is said (my informant is
Governor Mason, who has been on the grounds, that
parties are digging many miles part with equal
success, and that for hundreds and hundreds of miles
all the precious metals found in great abundance
When L asked him how much might believe of
the many apparently exaggerated that are told
respecting the mines, he replied, you may credit al
most any thing you hear. Gold is sold here now at
$40 the ounce; generally it has been selling at 90
the ounce Indeed have seen great deal purchas-
ed from the common people at the latter price Can
you wonder that the common sailor overlooks his OBJ
legations under such circumstances ...-
am told from good authority that the custom of
those who sell liquor the mines by glass is to take
from the little bag which the customer holds. open,
pinch Gas of snuff for one glass of bad, watered
whiskey. tried the experiment, and found could
easily take up 81 worth of DUST at the rate of SIG
per ounce. Those who have large thumb, and un-
dersand the business, can easily take up SIX or eight
dollars in the same way A day o. two since, gem
teman with whom am very well acquainted, from
the Sandwich Islands, wanted to take his trunk
from the beach to his lodgings, and seeing idle half
clad negro, apparently runaway from some vessel,
he asked him if he would like the job. The fellow
from him without deignng reply; but after he had
gone about five steps, he turned round and approach
ed US, drawing from his bosom bag of dust and
said, iDo you think I'll lug trunks when I'll get
that much in one day 2" He had more than $l0
Since commenced this, have an intelligent
gentleman from Hartford, CT, who has come down
from the mines. He has been absent from this place
two months, and although man of delicate const-
tution (e came for his health, the nett proceeds
of his expedition amounted to $4,000. He gives
me vivid picture of the existing state of affairs up in
the gold region. He thinks more than 80 900. 900
has been collected there this season, and that 1t may
be safely said the mines are inexhaustible.
AS you would suppose, vice of every kind, and In
the most horrible forms, prevails here. The runa-
way sailors work while and collect quantity of
dust, which they spend with the same recklessness
that they do so much silver at home. They pay !
which they come out destitute, and then begin again.
great deal of sickness prevails and after an
other dies he is thrown aside with the utmost inder
ence without even covering Of earth. There has not
as far AS can learn been any quarrelng among the
digsers! There is much room for all to operate
that there seems necessity for any disturbances.
What wnl be the result of all this cannot have
any idea. shall Improve every opportunity to IN
fshin Yon-ifoW am getting along. have seen the
lsst man ON board an English brig, lying near me,
hoist his chest out alone, and scull to shore, aban
doning the craft to her fatethe captain and mates
and all the others having gone before ---9s..
7'>'; ssSWORD TO MAI. STOKES.
We have seen, at the establishment of Messrs.
Palmer and Ramsay, in this City, the elegantly con-
sttucted and beautiful Sword, intended present
e a. ,or oororo nfficora and soldiers of