The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-11-07
From California.
Correspondence of the St. Louis Republican.
STOCKTON, August "a, 1S49.

a.
Correspondence of the St. Louis Republican.
STOCKTON, August "a, 1S49.
After long, tedious and hard journey
have reached the FL Dorado. To recount
the difficulties troubles and vexations which,
we had to encounter would fill volume
So | shall not attempt it. But will say that
nothing on earth would ever induce me TO I'M
dertake the trip again. OF the six or eight
thousand wagons that started through not
mole than 1900 or 1000 will ever get over:
what the others will do the Lordonly knows.
For when we passed the Sink of Mary's rlv-
er there was perfect desert of a hundred
miles. have since learned that there was
no grass for more than 250 miles above the
sink, making a desert utterly impossible OF
$50 miles. The last 45miles is perfectly hor-
rible-when we crossed there was any num-
Der OF wagons left all along it. and the num-
Der Of dead mules, horses and cattle was over
a hundred. A gentleman told me yesterday
that the road had to be changed on account
of the stencil. We were all ignorant of the
extent of the desert so that we were taken
completely by surprise, and suffered extreme
ly from heat and thirst. l saw several with
their tongues so much swollen that they could
neither speak nor shut their mouths. Our
mess fortunately had plenty Of water and got
over with less suffering than any that cross
ed. We broke down AL our mules and had to
recruit four or five days on Carson's river be-
fore we could proceed. We were the first
that came through without leaving our wag-'
ons on the desert and driving our mules to
water With four or five exceptions, every
one had to drive their stock to grass and
water, aud recruit them before they could get
their wagons through. The next difficulty
we encountered was the California Noun
tains. Out OF seven wagons that started over
with us four were smashed ali to pieces
Such another road for wagons can't be found
in all the world. In many places six mules
could not pull up our empty wagons. We
were four days travelling % or "a miles. AT
one point for more than mile we passed over
snow baHk. But enough of this. We
reached the Sacramento on the 18th OF Au-
gust, with both men and mules completely
broken down. had walked, with the ex-
ception of two or three days all the way from
Fort Hall, a distance of over eight hundred
miles. My horse had given cut at Fort Lar
annie, and the mule which there procured
gave out just below Fort Hall, and was new
er fit to ride afterwards. For week after
our arrival, we did some Of the tallest sleep
/ lug and eating that you ever heard of; the
first three or four days never got up except
| 10 OdL AIL6r resting Il Willie we COIIlUlcH-
ced looking out for something to do. But
there was so much confusion, so many con-
flicting statements in regard to everything,
and so much gold, that we were perfectly be-
wildered We found that there was money
to be made at any thing man could go at;
but that it was utterly impossible 10 attempt
anything without more capital than most OF
us possessed. The only chance for one with
out money was to drive team, or cart, chop
wood or go up to the mines. was not suf-
fciently recruited to do either of the FIRST,
though twelve dollars day was exceedingly
tempting, and it was thought by all TOO hot
to work in the mines. HUMPHREY MARSHALL
and myself have, therefore, started down to
San Francisco to try our fortunes there.
If can get any employment shall re-
main till November, il not l shall go back to
the mines. There. are so many mining at
present that the labor is greatly increased and
the profits very much diminished Half an
ounce being considered a good average per
day. Those placers from which such large
amounts were dug last year have ali been ex-
hausted. The whole country is still full of it
but it requires an immense deal of labor to
wash it out. Gold has been found in every
part of the country that has been tried, and
is considered so inexhaustible by every one
until at last allhave been disappointed in Cal
lfornia. 1t can never be an agricultural
country. &C., &c.