The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-01-16
THE GALAXY.
MIDDLEBURY,VT.
Tuesday, January 10, l849.
THE "YELLOW FEVER"

The California epidemic continues to rage
with undated fury. 1t will inevitably have its
run, despite Of all attempts to arrest its pro-
gress-and in fact, all obstacles thrown in its
way seem to increase rather than to diminish
the febrile ardor. The tide of emigration
now setting towards Alta California, from all
directions, is immense, and at present altogeth-
er incalculable The most we can do is to pre-
sent some account of the movements in GER
tain localities, leaving our readers to conjec-
ture the rest.
A company of ten set out from Vergennes,
in this county, a little more than a week ago,
which, OF reaching Troy on Saturday evening,
the 9th inst, numbered sixteen. Among the
number was MIR. Charles NJ. Simmons, of this
village. They are to proceed by ship to We
IA Cruz, and thence overland to the Pacific,
by way of the City of Mexico.
In Rutland, a company Of thirty persons is
forming, who intend TO leave for the Gold re-
gions on or about the goth of February next.
They are to make the journey by land-which,
it is estimated, can be performed in four months,
at an expense Of less than $50 to each per-
son.
Five young men from Brattleboro set out
on the same destination, week before last
They were to sail from Boston in few DAYS,
expecting to arrive at San Francisco in May
or June. Others are to leave soon.
We learn that two gentlemen in Orwell
have furnished $4,000 towards the purchase
and outfit of vessel for the California trade.
The ship Edward Everett, the bark Maria,
and the brig Forest, sailed from Boston for San
Francisco, on the 9th inst. The Edward Ev-
erett had $50 passengers, and the Forest As
nearly all from Massachusetts, The Capitol,
with large number Of passengers, was to sail
from the same port, with the same destination,
on the 18th inst. The brig Almena has been
purchased by twenty-five active young men in
Boston, for trading voyage to the Gold re-
gions-each member paying $500, making a
capital of $4,000.
Companies are organizing and setting off in
a similar manner at Plymouth, Salem, New
buryport, Bangor, Providence, Bristol, Hart
ford, Windsor, New Haven, Albany, Buffalo,
Brooklyn, Troy, New York, Newark, Phila-
delphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington,
and New Orleans. Smaller companies of
from ten to fifty are also forming in various
towns in the interior, throughout the country.
In Utica, N. va California Mining Compa-
ny" has been formed, with capital of $780,
600.
At the West, the excitement runs very high,
and it is predicted that Ohio alone will furnish
10000 emigrants for California, during the
next four months.
Canada, even, has not escaped the conta-
gion. The Montreal Courier, of the 2lst ult.,
says, We hear that many of our citizens are
on the point of rushing to California
proceeds to give some directions as to the best
method of getting there.
What the effect of this excitement will ulti-
mately prove, both to the individuals infected
anu to Tue n'ltlOu III Scheral, We VIII hot hO"
attempt to conjecture Letters received from
California of late, however, give rather dis
cOuraging accounts Of the state things there,
confirming the apprehensions of lawlessness,
violence, and crime, which the promiscuous
character Of the emigrants naturally enough
excited, and which we had hoped, for the sake
at least of the enterprising and intelligent adj
venturers from our own vicinity, might prove
untrue. We are not disposed to repeat all
the floating and unauthentic rumors of robbie
ry and assassination, which have come to our
ears, yet these rumors are not so improbable as
to provoke increduity, when all the circum-
stances are considered.