Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-04-25
Nj | sc e l. l. A N Y.
CALIFORNIANISM IN THE WEST
COMMUNICATED FOR THE MISSOURI REPUBLICAN.

COMMUNICATED FOR THE MISSOURI REPUBLICAN,.
Hi, Ho, FOR CALIFoRNIA!-I say. STRANGER.
whittier bound2 "'ro California" Not with your
family? yes" DO you expect toget there with
that old mare and colt, those poor weak oxen, and
that old rckety wagon? "Why, reckon sou
Where did you come from? 'siIiwassee district,
Tennessee; | was fetched up in Bunkum, North
Carolina, but when grew up, moved to Hiwassee
and married, but never could get ahead there, and
when | heard tell of the California country, and
gold to be picked up there, sold out my improve
inents and took this wagon and team in payment,
packed up our buds, and are on our way there
You know that Fortunes blind there's no telling
the luck of lousy calf, thought 1t might be my
good fortune to get some of the gold well as any
Others"
But, sir, your team cannot get there. You will
neither find grass, grain food for them OF YOUR
selves on the plains. 1t is long, dreary road no
houses, no wood; and it Will be Two months yet be-
fore there will be grass enough to fill those oxen
and beast on the whole route; and, further, when
the grass is up the settlements, it is a LONG
time after before any Of account will be up beyond
and the further you 60 the worse.
"Well, IN pawhile-turn in and work till it
grows" But where will you work? There is
| nobody to hire, or work to do-what, then? You
are too far advanced to return, You cannot 90 ahead
and you are III dreary desert country, without
wood, water, or any thing to eat, with wife and
children looking up TO you for relief and support
your team exhausted and become food for wolves,
and before long yourself and family will follow your
! team. Thus ends the mad career of q Hiwassee
| pioneer and family.
Next comes company of young men from some
Eastern city, with fine appearance, strength, and
talent, yet unacquaned with the life ofan old cam
paigner, unused TO lie on the ground cooking, and
a thousand other little incidents attending LONG,
monoOnous, dreary march. In few nights pain
SEXES hold OF you In every bone, muscle, and part
and you feel scarcely able to move; yet the time
has come TO be up and moving ahead, another duj's
Journey. Hunt up your oxen, yoke them, pack in
your ,fiXlns, and gee wohaw, Buck Bright, get
| along you Brirde, what are you about, old Baw-
ley? Zip, you dog, HE up-lend a hand here,
John, Jake, Josh, for these darned horned horses
| can't bulge an inch. While others are rolling on
Ia the distance, you are stalled in the mudhole-
| broke ak axle, tongue-something out Of fiX--away
| you tug, sweat, fret and tear up the ground, but
all TO no effect; your steers Won't pu-one has
sore neck, another lame one gives out, and none
| to put in his place, and you are 10 a bad fix
Rlethinks see, about the 2Oth Of April, IS49, a
| thousand wagons spreading out from Independence
and ST. Joseph, on the road towards Fort Laramie,
with some three or four Thousand emgrants-men,
women. and children-all vending their way to the
| gold regions of the Sacramento, sraining every
nerve and urging their teams to the greatest
speed, In order TO be the first to arrive; the grass
| thnly scattered here and there, and in spots and
places few and far between the ground yet cold,
the waters high and, still further ahead the SHOWS
OF the past winter unthawed. In yOnGer creek some
dozen wagons, horses, mules, and Oxen all tangled
| up IN the harness; wagons broken, lame and Grip
pied anlmals-all IN perfect janI-old men frisk-
Ing about children squalling, men raving roaring,
cursng and swearing about their bad luck A little
ahead appears portentous black cloud, the light
ming flashing, thunders roaring, peal after peal the
rain begins to descend, the wind blows thicker and
faster falls the watery element; the whole canopy
of heaven becomes blackened and darker crows the
creeks swell, the water rolls and pours DOWN riy
ers run, where, few hours before all was SEEMING
ly dry. Your goods are wet your wagon covers
shlyeed, tattered, and torn TO threads your clothes
all wet, and without tent, house. or shelter. stand
| up and sleep, and let it rain Your cattle horses
and mules, Discontinued, snort and snuff the breeze
fly the picquet, and away they go; horses and
| mules without rider, oxen without wagon, tell
nell, over hill and dale, far away.
The wolf, with his hideous growl, breaks in upon
! your ears, and he sings you a nightingale song.
! hoping to share the titbits you will leave The IA
vor arising from the fried Bacon, sharpens his appc-
tite, until his notes become shril and near. When
darkness hovers DER, his shutting and growing be-
comes nearer. The guns being wet, primino ont
and no sentinel shot to be heard, then comes renec
ton. go! what fool was | to leave home and
suffer here nothing to shelter me from the north
western blast ofan April's shiyerng rain and seet.
and hail, and all the imps ofan evil one come TO
sing psalm tunes over my distress and misery.
wish had stayed at home, as dad and mamma said
| -Ploughed the ole fields, learned a good trade.
and been contentsd when was well off, instead of
coming oh this wild goose chase However. a
fellow may as well be 'huDg for an old sheen as a
lamb : my fist is in, and this is onya beginning.
and IT is said that "a bad beginning makes GOOD
endIng-so here goes ihLnnrh drill ,l:-. d.