The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-03-31
From the New York Tribune.
: Very Important from California.

From the New York Tribune.
Very Important from California.
ASTOUNDING QUANTITIES OF GOLD
THE MINES INEXHAUSTIBLE-H HIGH
WAGES AND PRICES FOR GOODS
hs' We give below some extracts from
letters received from San Francisco by
one Of the Oldest, largest, and most re
spectacle houses in Pearl street, and
communicated for the Tribune by the
parties 10 whom they were addressed.
], will be seen tina, they fully confirm
the most exciting accounts as TO the
richness of lhe mines and the quantities
in which the gold has been procured by
individuals. The writer has been for
eight or ten years the California cores.
pondent OF the house in question, and
as we are assured by its head, is man
OF the most sound, cautious and reliable
character. We add, that any person
wishing to know the names of the par,
ties can have them by applying at the
publication Office o! the Tribune, and
so commend our readers to the consld
Grafton Of the letters:
SAN FRANclsco, Dec. lst, l848.
.q FRIENDs--:
The prices obtained for goods are enor.
nous. Were 10 quote it would not
be credited.
. You will undoubtedly have heard Of
the great discovery Of gold in this coun-
try-a discovery which is destined 10
produce greater excitement through,
out the United States, il not thu ough,
out Europe also, than any event which
has happened for century.
The amounts Of gold obtained are
truly astonishing, and the quantities
every day brought 10 this place equally
so.
Every article of food and necessity
is of course, very high at the mines
Flour has been sold at S2s the lb.; four
quarts OF wheat for horse have brought
So; boots, SIS per pair; pork, $3.50
per barrel.
The wages of carpenters are $40
per day; common laborers earn $8 a
day or 81 an hour; cook $50 or $loo
per month.
Brandy fetches 4 OF. gold for bot
tie; bread is 50 per Ib.; blankets, $50
per pair; washing is worth So doz.;
clerks, $4,000 per ann. and found.
.- Emigration is pouring in from all
quarters OF the Pacific, and it is quite
impossible 10 find place TO put ones
head in.
a room at a hotel rents for 5000 per
month. The commonest hove or shan
,y you can imagine brings $50 to $50
per month.
The gold is inexhaustible, and for
wears 10 come, immense quantities
mus, continue to be got out, and a
great trade must be carried on between
this and all parts Of the world.
The cargo | brought from --I
cost $4,000. The gross amount Of
sales from it has been $4,000. My
partner came with two cargoes, and
we have cleared over 100000.
The New Orleans Plcayune contains
the following interesting letter from
California direct:
CALIFORNIA IN THE WOODS PIEcE.(
January 2, l849.
Editors Picayune-Every newspa.
per see from the states, (and they are
mighty few contains one or more let
ters from out here somewhere. giving
the most awful description Of things
here imaginable horrible murders, out
rageous lhefts, hanging people by scores
on the trees, Lynch law, &C., &c.
Now as one of our company has made
us much as he thinks will do him, and
is going home, they have all agreed and
requested that should give you by his
hands a little history of how we do
things in our "diggings." In the first
place, we assemble every Sunday morn.
ing, numbering generally from 1870 TO
l3O, our whole number who have sign.
ed the bylaws being 1853. Ou: place
of rendezvous is a large oak tree, on a
beautiful hill, out Of which gushes as
pure a stream of water as was ever
drunk by man. You ought to see that
tree. 1t looks as though it was topped
about 200 years ago and had never
stopped spreading.
AT 10 o'clock the secretary reads
the bylaws, after which the president
rises and says: "Does any member
know of any violation Of the laws just
readw to which, three times out OF
FIVE, there is no response: and since
have been a member, which is about
eight months. there has been no offence
committed, with one exceplion) that
received a higher punishment than a
small fine, or a reprimand from the