Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1849-04-25
From, the Iahimore Uipref.
Interesting From California. z,
LETTER rRoM Z rALrincnrAr.

/ LETTER rRoM 4 EALriMonEAN.
/ The following interesting extract Of :
letter from Mr.. H. A. Harrison, to his
brother in Baltimore, with Which we have
been kindly furnished. gives tie yer,
latest news from California, and fully con.
!, firms previous accounts touching The won.
derfnl mineral resources OF that newly &C.
! qhired territory:
SAN FRAscIsco, Feb. 3, 1849.
In my former letters, / have sought &c
give you some idea Of this great and fer
tile country, but l must confess that all
I,night say would convey but faint con.
Iception Of things as they really are; in iac'
il needs eIes 10 see, and witness before
belief.
j No doubt you have ere this most glow
ing accounts in every paper, relative te
the ininersl productions Of our mines.
which strike wonder and doubt in every
mind; but astonishing and incredible as i,
may seem, all that has been published to
the world Is yet, is but weak description,
compared 70 what really exists. New
/ discoveries are being made every day, !
may say; within tic last month, i,otwilh-
standing tie bad state Of The aesther q,
The diggins, as they are called. new mines
have been discovered, surprising all here
lto'ore in richness and rrofusion : and it's
said that in thrse new places of deposit,
some have dug andwashed thousand dol
lars in day = and this is moi al all improb-
rable, wonderful or surprising, as i, may
seem. | saw a piece Of gold, mingled
with white stone the other day, that
weighed about AS ounces, and was pur-
chased by 4 navy officer for $500; i, was
really curiosity, and as sucl. intended for
some institute in the States. have seen
other rare and beautiful specimens oil pure
lump gold of oval form the size of an egg
scile of these have been lately dispatched
TO the States, II would seem strange
sight 70 you TO 90 about in the different
stores and see all dealng,in this precious
netal-th the oddly Of a leather pouch bel
by one person pouring out the dust into
a scale, and another with a spoon, nicely
balancing it. You seldom hear tic rirg Of
Ecoin; gold dust i, the circulating medium
although witlin the last 1non'h probably
more than $zOG,C in coin have bee,
brought here iron below, for the pur-
chase Of the dust, by spectators. 1t is
now selling for S ) the ounce, stitl tie
dust is the tender. Owing TO the incien-
Grey o! The season, there has been but lit
lie digging al the mines since the early
part OF December but at some ofthe forks
/; they have been digging with great success
/ Ia about month len c, the exciteuneni
will begin with an increase. Of some 1000
new coners-reprcsentat OF every
nltin1 and they are still coming, all bound
/ .or tie mines-wives, children aid all =
TO c,mbat With tell, sickness and hardsl;ips
ai,i danger, 10 secure their fortunes, Thai
thcy ray get. bit with less of health ~
IeiJay 1t. Ii is strange 20 see what viii he
Ell 'ured. what suffering viii lie encoan-
tered for the sake ofii;s tempting dust.
Within the last lnoli'h upwards OF five
hundred Passengers have arrived here
a:!d are E.ting on for Tie mines - and il
- >aLliha; r1lnai,a.e- haSi44s-..A- tho.
! way n different vessels from Valparaiso
ta!Iac AID ether parts. Tie town is lit
orally crain'ned- and every house private
Or public is full. Where al get accom-
nodaied do moi know, and i, there are
SO, Goo more on their way from the States
as it is reported, il is difficult 10 say wiz
VIII be done--L'i one th;rg is fortunate
provisions are ploI.y at present, that is,
ilour, bread, nork, hams. coffee. rice aud
teas, hih iTeSi, meat and vegetables are
very scarce at this time fresh beef snd
pork have teen cut of Ike lna,Lci for the
last week = the little that is brough; in i,
bought mp readily. Bee: soil this moIH-
ing al $40 per quarter, fresh pork Is
cents per pound, butter 81; cheese 81:
hams the same; flour &,lSrer barrel; pork
$50 10 40; bread $40; coffee certs; rice
iG cents; teas Zoe ,n ST per pound; board
tai2 per week; washing Sc per dozen:
Labor SO TO SO per day; wood SLEEPER
load. about half card: bricks $50 toss0
| per thosand; lumber $3.50 Der thousand;
and town lots sell high, from SIT So
IOCo. And notwithstanding these exorJi-
'a'h rates, every body is doing well; we
have TO poor folks, and mechanics OF eve
IS trade are busy buildings are going up
On every side, and indeed il is surprising
TO see the operations Of this place at the
present time and compare it will, some
four or five months back. There are now
some twelve CT fifteen houses under ercc-
! ton, AMI, in fact, WHEN ill arc finished,
and tie other improvements il cartempla-
! ton, in tie way Of churches. Warehouses,
public buildings, Sc, arc completed, we
shall have as line town Eere as you will
see al home and as for location, will sur
pass, CT al least equal cur largest sea-
ports. Ii will not be long before San
Francisco win become one Of the wonders
Of Ike word-iI il has moi already become
so. Ii IS distined to be u,sivallei by any
! and tie home of tie ''noJaGs."
i5=Hon. Truman Smith. Senator from
Co: neciicut, and the friend and patron Of