Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-08-17
LATER FROM CALIFORNIA.

Arrival of Gold--AH Quiet in California
Lunch Law-Tessels Deserted, &e.-By the
arrival at New Orleans. on the Sd instant, OF
The steamer Falcon, from Chagres, whence
she sailed on the 25th ult.. the Washington
Republic has received the following news
from California =
The Falcon brought $l69, 0s5 worth OF
gold, large mail, and fifty three passengers
From a gentleman direct from San Francis
CO, we learn the following interesting particu-
lars The health OF San Francisco is good
and the population more orderly than could
be expected. All gambling houses are closed
on Sunday, and work of all kind suspended, |
though laborers earn from ten TO fifteen dol ]
lars per diem.
There were three churches already built, !
and another was expected in an early arrival |
There is around the city camp of about two
thousand tents, and the American population
was highly respectable. There were slight
difficulties between the latter and number of
Malays The markets were overstocked with
goods, and clothing was selling at very low
price, far below prices in the United States.
Houses and lumber are very high and in de-
mand. A house that, in the United States,
would cost four hundred dollars, forty feet by
twenty, would sell for 50 500, and its erection
would cost $3.50 Fifty or sixty cargoes OF
goods were remaining unsold al San Francis
CO. Gold was plenty, large quantities being
brought every day from the placers and ex-
changed at SIS per ounce in cash, SIG IN
merchandise The quantity was thought IN
exhaustibe There were no troops at San
Francisco, and none were needed. On the
! first of August convention of delegates was
TO meet 10 form territorial government. and
request admission into the Union as State.
A city government is now established. The
health at the placers is very bad. intermittent
fevers prevailing. A kind of Lynch law is
in force. For the trial of theft a jury is en-
pannelled, and the prisoner, if guilty, fogged
or driven away. Merchants at San Francisco
were doing well, charging ten per cent. for
selling and forwarding. Sailors were difficult
to be had, even at 500 and $500 per month.
Desertions took place in large numbers from
every vessel that entered the bay. They usu-
ally hurried to the mines, but soon returned to
San Francisco 10 spend in carousals the sums
they may have earned
The U. S. sloop of war Warren was lying
at San Francisco The Ohio had gone 10 the
. Sandwich Islands. There were about three
hundred vessels al San Francisco without
the next steamer, be sent to the U. States.
; The rainy season had commenced at Cha
gres, and there was much sickness also. Thu
steamer was at Panama 10 leave for San Fran
, cisco on the 28th August, for Oregon on tht
2 1st OF September. A wreck was seen ashore
on Providence Island, supposed 10 be the PRO
peller Col. Stanton, bound TO ChagreS. The
, Falcon left at Chagres the British steamer
, Dee and Empire City, Just arrived from Sar
. Francisco, with later dates than the Crescen
, City
Full accounts from California, by letters
and papers, state that the report of Gen. Smitl
having taken refuge on board U. s. ship i
{ false. Real estate at San Francisco is enor
t mously high.
, The former bad accounts from the gold re
gions, through Mexican sources. prove false
D Accounts from the mining regions are favora
bic. The ship Philadelphia, belonging It
' New York, burnt 10 the waters edge on tn
26th, al San Francisco. Gen. Riley summon
ed convention to meet at Monterey on tn
:. 1st September, TO form plan for territorial
r government.
GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE CALIFoRNI
NEws-The New Orleans Picayune, of tn
5th instant. gives an account of a long con
versation with gentleman who came passen
ger in the Falcon from San Francisco.
seems 10 throw more light upon the contradc
n tory accounts from California than anythn
e we have yet seen, and, withall, appears s.
II rational and satisfactory. that we will give
: entire. as we believe that we could presen
!, nothing of more interest to our readers. Th
+, Pcayune says -
u We yesterday had the pleasure of lon
conversation with Mr. Henry D Cooke, gen
y tleman from San Francisco the 2l July, VIII
: came hither on the Falcon He corrobofate
the information we formerly published fror
Mr.. Christopher Taylor, Ohio, as to the ge
> NAL nature Of the climate and the abundan
Il resources of the country, which are as yet bu
S very little developed Mr.. Cooke is nativ
e of Philadelphia, and had for the last thre
Il years been trading on the coast of California
his principal commercial relations having bee
: with Valparaiso, consequently his experienc
{ extends over the whole time that has elapse
II since our occupation. According to his lest
II mony, the climate in the interior is delightful
d although on the coast atmospheric changes
; as is natural to all spots in the temperate zone
> and in the vicinity of the sea, are occasionally
Is sudden and extreme. The great valleys Iyin
. between the Sacramento and San Joaquin ar
J fertile, as virgin lands must always be, an
u offer the finest prospects for agricultural la
Dor. From the few water courses that exist
e the hand OF art will be required for purpose
: of irrigation.
Much of the dark coloring which the pic
= lures of California, as drawn by the Mexi
y cans, bore, is attributable TO the general dis
appointment OF operators at the mines, which
8 occurred at the time Mr.. Juan Redding wrote
s and which was occasioned by the rainy sea
= son and the consequent foundations, that pre-
j. vented the diggers from continuing on the pla
j. GERS, except at the loss of health, and wit
s inadequate returns for their toll The water
subsiding, digging had recommended, with tn
: same abundant reward as before. Mr. Cook
e represents the country as offering the creates
: inducements to all who are willing to work
J. Hundreds, however, unaccustomed to grea
: bodily exertion-young men of tender rear
: ing, with little natural energy-have tried tn
g digging. and became disguised with it, tuFnn
their attention 10 some other channel of indus
d try. Hence there is at San Francisco, at tn
+ present moment, a great number of unemploy
;, ed clerks, for whom situations cannot b
d readily obtained. in consequence of the com
Parative paucity of stores and counting house