The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-08-23
Fssm .hs yIek.Darg ssn.Insl. aug. ..

From The vickloarg Sentinel. Aug. ..
Letter nosa Dr. Wm- n. Gwin.
We have been ayored by our esteemed friend Dr. Sey
mour Halsey, with the following letter from Dr. Gwin,
which present to readers giving the most sue
cnct and interesting account oil affairs in California which
we have met with;
SAN FRAxcrsco, June 90, isi9.
. DEAN DocroR You no doubt expect letter from me
here, and description OF the country. know this is
useless for letters by the thousand have been written
from which you can learn more than can write within
the space OF single letter Twas seven weeks on the
shmus Of Panama. and did not reach this place until the
4th instant My first feeling was one OF disappointment
Nature did intend this place for great city, but cir
cumsances, capital and energy may overcome the OBJ
staees OF nature. The northwest wind blows constantly
and exceedingly cold and piercing have not for Years
suffered much from coldsleep every night under four
blankets and cannot keep al that The site OF the city
is very much Like that OF vcksbug but broken and
mountainous. In respects than this have been re-
minded OF vicksburg came here, appeared in
1886 Speculation runs higher and the prices
far beyond anything your city ever saw, and v almost
materials and rents paid for houses Houses not near 80
good larger than the one lived in IN vcksburg rent
Tor than hundred thousand dollars year Such
house the little Office You used 70 occupy but not
half so comfortable or well built, will rent at from five
fifteen hundred dollars per month, according TO loca
ton Laborers get from six to sixteen dollars per day
weather boarding, three hundred and nifty to hye
hundred dollars per thousand feet and has been eight
hundred dollars Board live dollars per day, very com
month Clerks from three hundred TO SIX hundred dol
lars per month"; Servants in boarding houses one hun.
bred and nity dollars per month sailors the same u
General McN1ackin, with his hotel, was here, he
might pocket half million annually. You frequently
hear Of man making his thousand day Some won
deu fortunes have been made but see no real pros
perity here and there will be mighty crash in this place
before long, and those who really rich will lose all
in trying for too much The real money makers now are
the keepers Of eating and boarding houses
and gambling houses You never saw gambling on such
scale. They have the best rooms in town, which are
filled night and day. Miners whose hands look as ii they
had not been washed in six months are seen IN nose
Goods and provisions cheap. and will be lower.
Hundreds of thousands OF dollars worth lying the
levee and IN open lots without shelter o. protection yet
med full would not store what is now here and on the
way. What is become Of these goods when the rainy
sets imp And where the tens Of thousands Of
persons and emgrants TO ind shelter! There Is fearful
loss and suffering ahead
As to the mines, you may believe all you hear. Their
productveness cannot be calculated. and the supply
seems TO be nexhaustbe Here is the only place have
where labor has the control OF capital The hard
hand and stout muscle tell against all inventions All ma
ehnery thus far has failed The average yield to the
digger is about ounce per day, although many get
much more Wonderful stories told OF the amounts
gathered by individuals and companies, and many OF
them true. | saw boy. the son OF a German, about
eight years old, who found what is called pocket and
gathered FIVE hundred and tweny-eght dollars I'M one
day. Women and children dig as well as the men, All
the companies formed in the United States have thus far
only ones that get along we'll II is intensely hot in the
mnes and much sickness must be the result OF
there Doctors will reap harvest this fall awers after
while Now they are specializing and digging gold As to
agriculture thoughto Of do not believe there
hundred acres exclusive OF gardens, in cultivation in the
upper part of the territory Ranches abandoned
herds OF cattle and horses suffered to wd owners,
herdsmen women and children, all go 70 the mines.
There near hundred ships lying at anchor in the
harbor abandoned by their officers and and hun
dreds their way will share the same fate The
people most indignant at the course Of Congress, and
icN tctfhis ninety days, haze organised State gov
nmenf, and send senator's and representatives 10 Con-
gyss There great disq6eetion foiodsds The military
government; and nothing prevents outbreak bta the
prospect Of speedy State Organisation. am going to
take thorough tour OF examination through the mining
district in company with Gov. Shannon, of Ohio and
Moses G. Leonard, ex-member Of Congress from New
4m pIeaseu WIN my vislt my prospects. have
I be. Yours, truly, WM. M GWIN