New-York daily tribune., 1849-02-17
mr. Ather,on,. Lecture on California

set and dry Although NJ ArHERToN would aa'e
dauttess felt more a, BONE in the valley Of the escra-
rnent1 a. be rsef .uggsstsd the plain sira sh'-io-
ths.msrk nsurer 10 which tte su sud substance oi n'
kn1xedge wss impaired hs bearers OIL got Del copied
- advantage by many psrs1ai Nao have had more ex
perisnce In public speaking ihan Mr. ArHzEroN- 4
gentleman vho.e name were not abe . asceria-n'
hl7ing ms5e few Introductory remarks introduced 70
tie audience VI ArHEsroN, who commenced
LADIES AvD GENTLEMEN On ny arrival "a iais
City three or tour 8sys since was spphel N ~ Issc
numbers of persons for reliable inioFihaoh IN l1i-
erence - California All the Information naTe IN Ir-
ference % that country havs Freely impaired - ths
extent ~ nv ability D. a who have sought = 0u- u
were to answer al tlt Inquiries that nave oeeA pax ~
me. should hsve o. me .eii y ai'-ul 20 ~ Y-s
f1~ which laft California. Numerous letters na'r
been srnt o. NE reQl- sfr me o give pubic ectufe
several % the papers o. me city nsFe called 90 me ~
d. so and persr nai ap2leatons hs 1.eh lslo y H'
p the same erect consented but, gentlemen,
sssura YOU that 10 tTss reluctantly Wolii NANn-J
eecl NJ the honor even now. Il i were pos.'n'e-
have reduced o. writing portion OF ~nAt nave y
say % YOU that . may ns presented with some Hto
.rd In u-as~ order. alter which it vii give me great
Measure 70 snsTer any question which NAV be put %
re AZ my appearance no public ~ lecturer j. unu.
susl beg YOU % excuse NY many impefiectons.
shs rrske of tbs lecture four general dl'iaons As
Frn-The face q the country. climate productions
of California iis hes,thflness River Sac tncnto and
branches. price OF freight lsunche- so'eIA A'oi .ll
>.c5sd-The mines manner Of procuring the gold.
average quantity per man, probable supply wet aud
dry iggngs compared and some instances ol success
within my o WI personal observation.
Thrrf-Aivice 90 Emigrants to Calu0rnia. articles
| necessary for an outfit SC. Sc.
Fgnrfi-The different routes % California the eX-
/ rorses of each. with ful particulars of the route
ib-ruyh Mexico lover which I Travelled my return
from AN Frsncisco) with distances expenses and man
ner of travelling Mexico snd which s the most I'D
/ visahe route
roSer fbe frst general division Of my subject will
remark that the soil is generally good and capable Of
producing al the ordinary grains 10 IS good Hntit
country The red worm. which destroys - much oi
the wheat here l. unknown 10 California 80 sr ss my
/ koosiedre extends When first g. California
in the mouth Of January lsi7, land ~ Bodsga which
. about thirty miles north of san Francisco worth
two dollars scre Only-wnen leit was worm
txenty dollars an acre san Francisco Verbs Buena
Al. W. call u, stands you know, on the large Ani
beautiful bay Of San Francisco and contains The most
magnificent harbor In the world and the only ssic bar
b0rfn all rpyer California, except san Diego AT me
pqvirs Of the world sud - commercial marine could
ride 10 perfect security and repose on 10. sosom. The
harbor Is entered from the ocean By narrow pAsssge
about one or miles wide. with high bluffs on eacn
eide This bay extends sboutslxty miles 70 the east Of
/ the town Of San Francisco, and shout one hundred
mi 10 the north west and IL from I'VE % niteen miles
wide Tie town Is four or i've miles from the ocesn
In January lsf7 there about Elk hundred inhsb
itans 10 Francisco. In Apu last Just before thr
gold yiacers were discovered. there were about one
thousand nh ahitsuts there. lhere were, IN May
June only few women aud children, the m7lofty OF
the population having gone % the mines. When leit
many bad urned. The town was h.lei by emisranis
arriving from Oregon, Sandwich lslands valparaiso
and all the neighbOrng places There several other
towns on this bay The principal ones are Sonoma.
san Raphael santa Clara and san Jose. have visited
al these places but my residence has been st -an
Francisco from January le up 70 the ION day OF De-
center l-f-
la relation 10 the climate OF Caliiornis, eau safely
say that II is not unhealthy country. Fever and
ague some what prevalent along the bank. Of some o
rivers. but hazard nptnioz IN saying INST tue val
lev Of the Sacramento is much more healthy than the
valley OF the Mississippi, or the state OF Illinois am
often asked about the sickly season There Is Whist
i called rainy season" which ssts about four or I'VE
mouth.-from November 10 April-snd continued er
pO.uTe. of food and irregular hsois would of
course Ia rainy dry season, strongly predispose 70
disease aud during all seasons II is necessary O. eNer
else Ordinary prudence and care 10 relation 70 health
During the dry season II - called. the climate u
clear Griigh Tho a,aaosPhsro u brscing' ani
though sometimes warm, il not weakening y the sys
tenn ss II IL 10 some Of our southern states would
remark however ths In the Summer season heavy ioss
are prevalent on the The River Sacramento aud
san Josquin the great rivers Of Upper California
The Sacramento is most beautiful stream. AZ rs
mouth IL Is about tvothirds wide as the East River
a, Fulton Perry. There Is small island in the middle
Of the river II its mouth Il has middle bed ami i
nAyigAbe for three four hundred miles above its
mouth / have never been on that river above Sut
ters which about one hundred and hity miles above
san Francisco 10 il nayigAble Tor ships drawing eight
feet to the mouth OF hNr American INlt anu
small steamboat drawing i~o or three feet Of water
could 70 two hundred miles still farther up
branch OF the Sacramento called me American
Fork" emptes into the Sacramento about TO mile.
from is mouth Cspt Suffers Mil Is 40 miles above
tn. mouth o. and the American FORK. This Is the
place v here the gold was ffst discovered. The dis
coyery was made By some Of Capt Suffers men VINO
were employed to dig race TO discharge the waste
water from his mill All articles OF merchandise are
carried In v nat are called launches, which sre large
boats viii carry from eight % hiieen tons takes
about week ten days 70 20 rom san Francisco to
Suffers ana back in Of these Launches, and "nen
feN the freight barrel Of four was -li. com
mon steamboat could make the trip In two days
when left Cafornis launch which but snort tiine
before could have been bOugnt us sou could not b.
hired for one Trip Suffers for that sum Inc price
OF passage SiOeacn passenger a. carry nls f1oI
food snd bed With him, 30 he had any 30 carry Noth
ing s found for The passengers, except passage iN-
ery man has ~ do a. the rishman did, est himself
the passage 1t quite unnecessary Tor me 70 a.
ude O tbs political regulations oi Caiornia fouaie
well swsre that, yet We have no govern ment there
Congress ne glects q provide Territorial Government
Tor sne country and although the Acsdes are oooyed
the people sre not obligated - obey them.
now approach that portion OF my lecture which " wli
probably b. of the greatest interest you % Wit the
mines Ealner Of procuring the gold average quantity
per man. probable supply, net ana dry dleSlnAs ADO
sone instances of success within my osn Ptisona'
observation may very safely tell you That the &C.
counts you have IN The papers from California ar not
exaggerated, however well thfy may De- calcuihtd 20
.tagger belief in them Gold Is found In great a6und
ance over an extent OF country jyO miles by LOU
have explored on y small portion OF this vast area
and new discoveries are constantly being made lhr
rst gold was discovered IN February l-i, about one
year ago but although u reported 10 san trancisco
that gold was found yet did not 81 rst scsn % make
any Impression the people ~ that city Ihey 90
not believe the reports rather they did not rld me
fact that gold Vas found in such abundance 80 near
them Il Was not ull April and May that the whole
population became fully awakened O. the subject ~neu
a. the men and many OF the women ard chNi-en
vent o. the gold digsings 10 not u people came
down With the gold duet and reported - % slO per
day that the people % san Francisco credited ne re-
ports Ia the nrst sx * at-r the rush c0uni-nc~f
S6O0 90 were collected The quantity collected ~
each person varied IRON ounce % slouO pei DAY
It's now ascertan-d that gold exists on both sides o
the sierra Nev.ia from latitude IL north 10 ss Tar
souin as the san Josqun and although the country has
not been fully explored there no doubt that ih- gold
region extends yo miles song lh- valley oi he saera
amento ana san Joaquin aud still farther y th- south
The supply OF sol1 Is absolutely incNh.gsnoe. 10
my opinion one hundred thousand people could not
exhaust the supply 10 twenty yesrs The ore is
10 ils virgin slAt- and found afnuns the sand ana
gravel BEDS 10 slate Ani granite rock., As9 ~ s"od
nj s5- soil Some machines were used Nnen Elk
but TN pans were generally preferred some lnaiaa
baskets were also used. sud were considered good,
being very light and handy. saw, yesterday ma-
chine inveuted by gentleman Of this city living be-
heve. in Edridtss a. which consider asup-rl0r One
and would sdv.e those Who intend going u the gold
dggoss 10 examine IL IL Is very simple and easy TO
transport The quantity Of gold no~ extracted i' e.
tmstri AZ ahOu, gr iOas Of dollars. The labor Of