Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-06-28
California Intelligence.
0

The Washington Union publishes the following e2
tracts from a letter dated at San Francisco, written b,
Mai. Gen. PERsIFER +. SMITH, commandingt the |. 5
Army in that region;
"You only think of California in connection will
gold; and, indeed, a most wonderful connexion it is
As to the extent of country holding the precious motal
and the comparative facility with which it is procured
there has been no exa@geration. The whole slope O
the Sierra Nevada, on the western side for a length o.
more than 400 miles, and in a belt of at least 40, con
tains it in greater or smaller quantities; and it may
extend still farther, as further research is made 1t is
found simply by digging and washing the earth; ne
expensive machinery and no intricate chemical process
ses are necessary to'develope the magic hoard.
"A plckaHe, shovel, or even Il butchers knife, to loosen
the earth and stones, and the most simple basin fol
washing, have been as richly rewarded as the most APP
proved machines from other countries. Good luck in
the labOref choosing his location, has more than com
pensated for want Of skill. The real difficulties lie in
the h~ardships to be encountered in the remote unin
habited spots where the gold is found. Want Of food,
cverworking excited by success, bad water, exposure
and disSip alton, all combine to exact Il heavy tribute
for the wealth when found. All arc not successful, but
every one works on hoping that the next blow OF his
axe will disclose a treasure that will surpass all lie has
hitherto heard of. Many die UNDECIDED, many come oil
sick; but there. are ten arriving from each quarter of
the globe to replace every one who goes. Chinese,
Sandwich Islanders, Chlians, Peruvians, Prussians,
Mcxicans, French, English, hish, outnumbor as yet
the Americans, but the latter will soon have their
bDdTc. lIONlSlOnS, WOOllen clothing, liquors, Kitchen
mining utensils, sell at enormous profits in the mines;
other articles scarcely sell at all. Women's gear is
altogether a drug.
"The amount Of gold hitherto found is hard to deter
mine. 1t is said about S4,000,000 have been exported.
J shall be able in a few weeks, from facts am collect
ln@, to make some approximation to it.
"in the mean time, all this is disastrous for us. No
servants are to be had;S250 a month has been refused
in my presence by a cook. All my servants have quit,
and yesterday | engaged one at 500 a month, because
he is too sick to 90 to the mines, but | shall certainly
lose him if he gets his health
'"Ihe q~uartermaster pays $1,000 a year for the house
l live in, and it would make but a poor dollhouse for
a country bridge. The elimate.i is cold all the year
round, and foggy in the summer. The hills are bare,
and the country is all hills-(forgive the bully The
heefis execrable, and vegetables-none and nobody
: has time to catch fish, if there are any-roila Ia
carte.
"Any one who will come here to dig gold, or bring
goods with him to sell to the diggers, will make mo-
ney. No other business will succeed. Whoever comes
must bring a house with him; there are but few here,
and lumber is 5000 per thousand"
The following letter of the latest date is said by the
New York journal of Com merce to- come from an in
telhgent correspondent
SAT Francisco, May l, 1919.
The emporium of the Western Coast presents a
busy scene. There are about sixty vessels in the har-
Dor, of all classes, all deserted by their crews: a fate
shat awaits every vessel here, as soon as her anchor is
down. Men have to be hired in unloading them, at $40
per day. But how they are to get away from here, that
IS the question. Common sailors eanot be hired for
hess than SlJ0a month, and it is probable that very
t.w could be induced to ship for a long voyage at
double that amount of WAGES. Matters may change,
however, in the course ola year, and wages for a
i%?meward voyage will perhaps be lower, as there will
be many sosmen wishing. to return to the Z. States.
The [. 5. Ships Ohio, st. Mary's, SOUTHAMPTON and
sloor Warren. are here also.
Goods of all descriptions arc becoming very plenty,
and prices are m~oderate,e except at retail and in places
distant from San Francisco.
The amount of importations at this port is probably
about s2,500,000, for the last four months, though /
have not been able to ascertain the amount precisely
for March and April. The duties paid, or rather de-
posted and secured, subject to the decision Of the Co.
vernment at Washington, amount to about S34l 800
for the same period, of which there was received in
january last, $4,000, in February, So, 600, March,
$4,000, and during the month Of April, Just closed,
$4,000.
The number of passengers who have arrived here by
sea during the period alluded to, is very great. The
actual population of the country at this time, cannot
accurately be estimated, but, may be thirty thousand.
L consists of Americans, English, French. Mexicans,
.Nhllenos, Peruvians, and indeed of almost all nations
and languages; but those named are the most numer-
Gus classes. The Americans, at this time, comprise
less than one-half.
Goods are sold here by retail at high prices, and
nust, OF course, continue to be, so long as labor, rents,
and ether expenses, keep up to the present enormous
rates. If the retailer had his goods given to him here,
1t w1.ld scarcely affect the price at which he is Obliged
80 sell them, particularly at the mines, and other places
distan: from San Francisco, in order to. cover his ex-
penscs. In the first place, a man competent to carry
on the mercantile business, even as a retailer, could
probably get some other employment at three, four,
or even five hundred dollars per month. In the next
place, the rent of an eligible stand for business, would
cost from four to eight hundred dollars per month. At
least three hundred dollars per month must be paid for
a good clerk. The items of boarding, lodging and
washing, at a very economical rate, would cost sever
dollars per day Tor n single person, and to these many
Others are to be added atthe same rate of expense.
The carriage Of goods in town, would cost more thar
the transportation from New York to Chicago, and
the expense of ~unlading goods from on board the ships
and placing them in the warehouse, would amount tc
almost erquite as much as the freight usually charged
from Liverpool to New York. To transport articles
Of any description from here to- the mines, would cost
at this time, from seventy-fve cents to one dollar pei
3D., or from sl5uo to 5000 per ton. There is a great
scarcity OF storage for goods. All the warehouses are
,ailled up.and large quantities Of merchandise arc heap
cd up in extensive enclosures uncovered. Many ar