The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-12-17
CALIFORNIA ITEMS.


lie only white woman that have seen in the
mines Is the wife OF a Frenchman,, who came
here from Calcutta. She dresses 10 trowser:
and wears thin hat and red shirt, as most OF the
miners do, and, her hair being cut short, Is moi
suspected oil being woman, probably, by one
tehln OF the persons who see her. The first
ume saw her was digging in a hole On the
Mokelamy, where she and her husband were
working rocker. | noticed her feminine look
and thoughtful expression OF countenauce, aud
mentioned 1t to man who was working near
me. lie informed me that what | supposed 10
DC a remarkably handsome young man was d" no
man, that she was the wife oil the man who
worked with her, that her husband was formerly
wealthy merchant in Calcutta, and that the
wife had been accustomed to ease and luxury
railing In business and becoming poor, he deter
mined TO dig fortune out ot the earth III Cator-
MIA, and the wife, true to her companion, only
consented when he promised she should accom-
pany him. | have seen her at work with the
PICK and the spade, early and late; there is ever
a thoughtful expression on her cOuntenance, but
she never seems discouraged, and we. the untor-
tunate pair have had the worst OF luck, not hav-
ing dug gold enough 10 pay their living. This is
one oil the many romantic incidents that lie in
the gold diggings OF California, from time TO time,
| Envelopes.
The writer of the following letter. in the Bos
ton Transcript, does not furnish very aluring
picture OF the pleasures Of the over land journey,
or the profits OF the gold diggers:
All is not gold that gitters Since left Bos
ton | have travelled 700 miles on foot without
shoes-have crossed deserts, where we were ten
days without water, and three without iood 1t
| took us 81 days to travel 1900 miles. Many
have come out here expecting TO get rich IN
lew days, and are now working Tor dear lie to
! get enough TO return home with, which is the
height OF their ambition There is money here
but man has to work hard TO get it,
have averaged about $40 day, but there is
not one in ten that gets much 1t costs from
81 to $50 per day to live, although provisions
are growing cheaper every day. You want me
TO advise you about coming oul here. NY advice
Is, when man is doing well enough, to let well
enough alone. Ii you are determined to come
do not go through Mexico or Lower California
First try an experiment as follows: Take "A
blanket and go TO the top OF the highest hill when
the wind blows fresh; take stone Tor your Pill
low, and pebbles Tor feathers; sleep here lew
nights, then go, when it rains. where the ground
is wet, and the weather cold When YOU get
used to this, try flour and water and jerked beet
Tor food, once day, then go without either vi til
you get SO hungry that you can eat mouldy
bread and say that il is good When you get
used 10 this, work in the water up to your mid
die, and say gold will compensate you for it. I'll
you can endure all this, advise you TO come+-
but not till then.
Mr.. Nathan Collins, young man from New
buryport, writes as follows from San Francisco.
Oct. so:
should have been about as well off to have
staid at home, and if live to get home, and once
more get into business, think that no California
or any other excitement will lure me away. We
do no. know the happiness we enjoy until we are
deprived OF it. One dollar at home is as good az
SIS at San Francisco, in the way of buying the
necessarits OF lite, and at the mines that differ
ance is OF course greater | have thought great
many times, should not like to see any of nv
| brothers here, to go through what have In the
mines; it would make me feel badly but as long
as it s myself, | do not care. The country does
not agree exactly with me, but see so many
faces looking paler and more sckly, that think
am tough There are great many people go
ing back this tall, and more would go if they had
the means to pay their passage.
A letter from Mr.. J. S. Foster, of Salem,
says:
| Part ofthe Naumkeag company have lust come
down from the mines, to fit out for the dry dig
gings, and after paying off their debts, &c., thew
have very little more than will fit them out for
a new expedition. Money continues
to be plenty, but many can't pick it up so easy as
they thought at home, but on the other hand have
to work hardiand endure great many hardships.
In conversation with miner, asked him ii il
was hard work. Why, said he, do YOU know
anything about ditching | told him had some
idea OF it. Well, said he, multiply that by five
and you will know what gold digging is
| An off hand letter writer at San Francisco
Oct 2Sth, writes as follows in the Boston Jour-
/ nal:
! We have fine times on board the baroue in
running each other whenever we meet lady
aud the last arrival has setus all crazy-viz: a
lady who was dric up on the levee.in wagon.
and has since lived, ate, drank, m ade her bed
cooked. washed, ironed and slept in her house
and entertained all OF us with her edity,np con-
versation. She is perfect beauty-dried nm
lace, thin and barren looking, and walking like
crooked stick We have engaged to have her
miniature taken to take copy home with us. |
Any new arrival sets all on the owe TO find on,
who she is, and where from, and then all rush IN
make her acquaintance and pay her attentions bv
calling evenings, alter business hours.
The following extract from private letter
from a perfectly reliable source has been fur. |
nished the New York Tribune for qualification
The writer is himself at the mines:
You will be disappointed in the amount of gold |
sent by this steamer, bur not more 50 than we /
have been by the result Of our labors during the
last month ia the mining districts. The force on |
the ground is variously estimated from 40 900 10 |
-.