Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1849-01-20
THE GOLD REGION.
PonrLANp. MAINE. Dec. a5. /,

Most of the towns within her limits will
sach furnish its quota To swell the tide of
emigration towards the Pacific, and many
farmer will leave his field to reap golden
harvest elsewhere. A barque is advertised
to sail from this place within short time
for San Francisco, and some in their haste
TO get rich have already taken the land route.
Bath has sent dozen stalwart Kennebeck-
ers, and in most of the principal towns
companies are forming to search for gold.
Bangor, never backward in the race for
wealth, is foremost in this enterprise. A
trim schooner is soon to sail from that port
with thirty passengers, and an enterprlzlng
Yankee has fine barque of 500 tons bur-
den now building which he has christened
" The GOLD HUNTER" She is to leave
for the gold region early in March, If her
taking name, so suggestive of fortunes walt
ing To he hunted up, attracts sufficient
number OF passengers. The prospects fer
the coming year are SD peculiarly untavora-
ble in Bangor, that the Gold Hunter will
probably be well freighted, and her passen-
gers have an opportunity of mingling in the
agreeable society of California.
Hundreds of young men in this State,
dazzled by the hope of speedily amassng
boundless wealth, are preparing to leave
their comfortable homes for the golden lands
of California. They little know what foes
will encounter them there--wastlng diseases
-pinching priyations-daily exposure TO
the manifold dangers of country inhabited
by men who acknowledge neither divine
nor human laval the countless horrors
that the Spanish adventures under PiZZaro
found in their wnnderings over the noun
tains of Peru. Fortunate will they be if
they escape the fate of many Of those gal
liant cavaliers. who, Z" seeking to dig Tor
gold, dug only their own graves" Doubt
less most of these modern gold hunters will
learn too late that they would have found
more true happiness and wealth if they had
never deserted the fields and forests of their
native State for the treacherous shores of
the newly found Ell Dorado. CorrespOn-
dence Boston Courier.
The following incident of gold-digging on
the Sacramento is related by correspond
ent of the Courier and Enquirer at Monte
rey:-
3 Provisions are very scarce, and to OBJ
tain them many murders have been com
mtted, or the purchase of them at exorbi-
bant prices has indirectly but eventually led
TO murder. One story, relating to an affair
OF this kind, may deserve place here. A
man who had what is called good hole had
been digging necessarily for two days, when
he was accosted by one carrying bucket
containing food of some kind. The whole
of this the digger purchased for about one
hundred dollars in virgin gold, and while
deyouring it, the man who had sold the
provisions took possession of the hole. At
ter finishing his repast, the gold hunter or
dered the fellow out but on his positively
refusing to come, knocked his brains out
with a pick-axe, took from his pockets the
virgin gold that had purchased the meal,
and then dragging the body out of the hole
himself, continued the digging. This, be-
lieve, is really true, just as have told it,"
A Mr.. Barnes, of the New York Regi-
ment, closes letter on the subject as fol-
lows. He seems to think "Oid Bullion"
himself might "larn'' something new on the
gold subject. Who knows but the "yaIler
boys" may yet flow up the Mississippi;
Z" worked myself near a month, and got
as much gold as ] thought would last me all
my life, but it is nigh upon all gone already.
| wore out my shoes, and trowsers, and
jacket, and when came to buy new ones,
found they were worth more than their
weight in gold. | wish Col. Benton was
here | reckon he'd larn something new
at out gold aud other folks, too, who say
there is nothing valuable but gold, say what
| now know is an everlastln' and etarnal
humbug. There amt no prices now in all
these diggins the question Is, when you
ask the price of any thing, how much gold
have you got;' And the measure is hand
full"
JACK BUHsBYoN CALIFoREIA-GoLD vs..
PoTAToEs.-The following hit is from the
n. Y. Sunday News:
Being asked what he thought Of the gold
panic, BUNsBY crossed his boots, took
Whit, and said, % If so be "a how gold can
be goi in California for digging, why, good;
the only question would be to dig or not to
dig. And so, but then, do We see, a man
must do something else besides digging.
He must eat. drink, sleep, and be clothed
withal-and If all the people turn gold dig
gers, who shall perform all the other kind
of work? Now, if 30 be, man should
dig gold, and fill his pockets, why, So
And ii so be, another man should dig pra-
ties, and fill a tin kettle, aud put it over the
fire, in unison with some wild kids and
few YARDS, and the man who bad been dig
giug the gold should come and say, give me
some OF that 'ere mess, why so, also. Now
whist would the pratie-dIgger sayi How
much gold have you dug! Oh, says the
gold digger, have had great luck to-day,
but am very hungry. Good, says the pra-
tie digger give me twO-thirds Of your gold
and you shall dine with me. Why, you
fellow, do you want to rob,
No says the prstie digger, but go aud eat
your gold. I'll eat my dinner alone, and
SAFE what IS left until tomorrow, and then
can 90 and dig gold, and you can dig praiIes
for yourself. Now. says Bunsby, the pra-
tie digger would be the best of, for the
other could no; wait until the morrow for
a dinner, and IFS therefore my opinion that
digging prates may be, under some cir
more profitable than digging