Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1849-01-06
From the Boston Courier.
CALIFORNIA AND ITS GOLD.

CALIFORNIA AND ITS GOLD.
If we were disposed to believe half the
tales now current respecting the adventures
of those of our countrymen who have late
ly visited the territory of North California,
we might easily come to the persuasion that
another Peru had been discovered. The
new region just annexed to the American
Union, we are assured, abounds with gold
beyond any other territory now known to
exist. The soil may be coined into ingots
by the acre I; you have only to scratch the
dirt under your feet, and you are busted
with clouds of the precious metal Sailors
run away from ships on the coast, and bal
last their pockets with pigs of the genuine
yellow stuff, twenty-four carats fine No
body gets less than some thousands of dol
lars in an excursion of a week or two TO the
mines--though indeed we are not told of
mines in particular, but are led by these
magnificent accounts, rather to the inference
that the country is all gold and may be
chopped up into bars with broad axe and
sent to the mint. The arithmetic of the
story is rising rapidly, and has already
reached a respectable figure. Fifteen mil
lions of dollars, safely collected, bagged
and tied up, from part of yesterdays ac-
that will rise far above this, and make Alta
hulapa's ransom, or the city of Manoa, q
mere eight-penny matter in the comparison.
We do not wonder that those tales have
begun to turn peoples heads. Adventures
are starting off for California by the dozen,
the score, and the hundred, hardly allowing
themselves time to pull on their boots, and
put bread and cheese in their pockets. Now
shura
siblity that these enterprising individuals
may find themselves in a fools paradise at
the end Of their journey, they would do well
to ask one another, before they set out, what
they expect, and what reasons they have for
expecting it. We suggest this to them as
an act of common prudence--if prudence
can be expected of any body going gold
hunting.
That there may be gold in California is
not at all Improbable, but let prudent peo-
pie be upon their guard. The golden
legend" is as old as the time of Conqulsta-
dores. There have been stories of this de-
scripton current in California aud ON the
northwestern border of Mexico for two CEN
turtles and more. The Indians, it was said,
kept the custody of the riines with the most
jealous care, and would never allow the
whites TO approach them. The red men
played the part of the red dragon in the fairy
tale that guarded the enchanted treasure.
The Spanlards, however, were not able to
/ light upon the particular tribe OF Indians
that kept watch over the gold, though they
made many expeditions IN search of them.
| BY what magical art or extraordinary good
luck our countrymon have been able to dis
cover, in the course of n month, what esca-
ped the avarlcious eye Of the Spaniards for
more than two centuries, we are unable 10
conjecture, especially when we call to mind
the fact that the latter have long been iamil-
lar with gold mining, while the American
Adventures are deficient in that knowledge,
aud apply the name of gold to every thing
that looks yellow. The BARRIERS basin is
easily transformed to Mambriuo's helmet by
eyes in ecstasy, always looking out for en-
chantments.
We observe in some newspapers great
exhltation at this supposed discovery OF
riches in California, as If the value OF the
territory were immensely enhanced by IT..
The last thing that zoe should desire for The
prosperity and permanent ceDare Of a
country mould be The discovery Of a gold
mine in ii. Hardly anything can be more
certain 10 represS industry, productive Ia
Dor, thrifty habits, and social improvements
IN general The richest mining soils under
the sun are peopled by The poorest commu-
mites. The owners OF Potosi and Real del
Monte cannot pay their debts. Spain and
Portugal, after gorging themselves with the
gold aud silver and diamonds Of the West
ern World, became The most impoverished,
,ceak and despised Of all The European
Kingdoms. The same spectacle is exhibited
on small scale as on a large one. All
travellers inform US that the approach OF a
mining district in South America is uniform
IN indicated By marks Of poverty and
tDrelchedncss--ragged people, ruinous dlcet-
hngs, neglected agriculture ,stoth, ignorance,
sqlaior, dirt and dissipation. Ia. Hardy,
who explored part OF California and that
portion OF northern Mexico bordering on
our newly -acqured empire of III Dorado,
states that he neeer kneio gOld-hulgfer tcho
became rich aud even n productive NINE
was good for nothing except TO rich man,
who could furnish capital to work il. Cal
ifornia and Mexico have already swallowed
up thousands Of pounds sterling, which fine
stories, like those Of the present day, drew
from the pocketsof the London spectators.
These persons, we trow, will be among the
very last to believe the tale Of the fifteen
millions.
All is not gold that gistens. The first
settlers of Virginia sent home TO England
shipload Of shining earth, in the firm belief
that guineas were to be made from it. Of
those sanguine adyenturerss who are al this
moment setting out for California TO seek
their fortunes among the cocks of the Cor
dilleras and the NORWOOD wastes of the
Great Salt Desert, probably not one in five
hundred could Distinguish gold ore from
iron pyrites. These explorers will he well
qualified TO send home stories of Aladdin's
lampl
How much Of this alluriDg tale consists OF
plain fact, how much Of exaggerstion, and
how much Of pure invention, we shall be
better able to Judge when some Of our eager