The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-02-21
INTEREsYINci FRoMCALIFoRNIA.

|
last. He came overland via Mazallan, Guada-
laxara, Mexico and Vera Cruz. The passage
from San Francisco to Mazatlan occupied ten
days, the vessel touching at only one port
From Mazallan to Mexico, the journey was
made on horseback in six days. Mr.. Alherlon
has accomplished the whole of this long and
ardun,is trip with remarkable despatch, having
been only 81 days upon the route; the cost "l
the whole, from San Francisco to New York,
has lren about $70O.
The particulars below are copied from the
New York Tribune aud Herald.
The gold region is now un'r stood to en-
brace a territory thousand mile in length
and three hundred in width. The gold is dis
trbuied over this vast extent though by II"
means equally, some parts being of surprising
richness, while others aye comparatively bar
rem of the precious metal. No limit can hh
f1rd to The number of men who may hnd en-
pIovulrnt in extracting it, or to the length OF
time for which gn!d.digging may he pr"N'a
bic. There is room enough for all VII" may
desire to make their fortune by This new sort
Of attractive industry, and sufficient q'lant'-
ty of The elitIrrng dust in the earth to keep
them busy Indefinitely.
But as we learn from Mr.. Atherlnn, the bu-
siness of mining has rothing that is agreeable
except the gndlhat it sometimes. not always.
rrm uces. In short. it requires the hardest KIND
of labor, as only srnn. constitutions and mus
c!e< iudurard by toll can undertake with pros.
ppcl of success.
Young men deIicatey brought up who are
mare familiar with the drawing room, c"un'ing
room or LAWYERS office, than with the plough
or sIpdga. hammer. hal better keep their lmagI'
uations free from all visions of placers rivers
hnalins with gnld dust, and big Jumps OF the
real stuff to be, had fnr the picking up. Gold
is not to be procured in that way even in Cali.
fnrnia but Yields ilsefonly TO strength and skill.
Even these are moi always successful. MIR.
Aiher,on knew one company which went ont
from San Francisco with all the proper t"nls'
machines and accessories and who's" members,
afirr digging for some time. with better zeal
than fortune, came hack each with flea in
his ear, and not iot ofs"d in his pocket.
However. man of The right sort, in respect
of health. strength and skill may. with fair luck
and ha ard and steady work, obtain three ounces
of gnIG on an average per dal. II Is NOT ot'n
found in Jumps. Still Nr. A1hrrt"n has seen
one mass weighing lbs. and a friend "f his
had seen another wriShing 81 lbs. The NUN
her of persons who had lren to tn" mines
whom he left is estimated at over ten thousand
| I'm, there had not been more than 25OO digging
| =, any one time. One man ofhiS acquaintance.
| :, blacksmith had got ten thousand d"'lars worth
| in three weeks. 4 good many Indians haa
been employed as lahorers ly the miners, inl'
| they are poor assistants. They do not work
steadily, and never can be kept AT It above
month at time, when they leave for San
| Francisco to spend their earnings in dissipa.
| ton.
Mr.. Atherton brings with him the bills of
adiug Of god to the value OF 5 100000. ship
ped nn English account, on which he proposes
To effect An insurance here. Mr.. Aih"rlnn
states that the Lexington has on board $500.
600 worth orthe gpniin" metal. She was a
| ,ou, To sail when Mr.. Athrron left for the U.
nilrd States.
There was nothing doing a, the mines when
| Nr. Atherlon left, owing To the rains. 1t being
tie rainy season; there was not much sickness
| in the diuyin.s, no robberes and no distnrban.
| ces.
The cost of living at San Francisco has heen
the subject of statements quite exaggerated
a< some of those relating tn ihr gold mines.
Nr. A,herton saws that gond hoard can ID" oh.
tanned their at SlO per week, aud provisions are
p!.n,y at fair prices. The population of the
| Mace is about 1000. Mr.. 4. himself came TO
| New York to purchase goods hut hninI that
| immense quantities have already gone forward.
will probably NJ" make very extensive purcha.
| SrS.
An extensive placer has been discovered in
Oregon, ani it was reported al San Fraurisco
tat all The Inhabitants fOregon City had gone
out To lrv their luck.
| Th- whole value of gold which has been
a ,e.pd in California, is estimated by tho>"
,.u,,,u,.I vita the ma,irr, al three millions of
a, ,.rS. two of which left there in varinnS
WAYS. and the remainder Is on lis way TO the
Unlted States.
4 pair of boots cost twenty dollars. of which,
,,wey.r, there was bu, small stock on hani
when Mr. Alhrrtnn left /; common blanket coats
Ar. worth f,r,r dollars, and fin" i1"ck coats
t;,.hrd one hundred dollars, really. Mr..
Ah.rton him,rl, sold coat which he had worn
It intervals. f,r twn years, at eighty d"!la~.-
,inunrS sold at twenty five cents pr glass, and
,ampagnr was worth four dollars a btlr in
San Francisco Real estate, too, was selling
=, epor,nnI. prcrs-!os i< San Francisco. con-
tanning 25 wards square, selling for ten thousand
dn,lar; Provisions were very pIraly at San
! Fran .i>co and the dsgng<. Flour poured in
in sr at quantities. from Chill and Oregon. anI
ranr. down in price, from twenty fire dollars
DER barrel to sixteen, at San Francisco. The
probability is, tha; the article has fallen still
f iurthrr-prlhaps To ten dollars per barrel.
Gr,a, AS the discoveries Of gold arc, th"Y
are cquaIlrd by those Of quicksilver That
metal is found in various paris Of California, and
the quantity is as abundant as it is in the mines
. Of So ,n Mr.. Forbes, the proprietor OF The
;,,, mad thirty IN iIsand dollars worth of the