Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-11-24
AN ARKANsIAN IN CALIFORNIA

The following letter is from citizen of Union
county, who left Fort Smith in March last. for
California, by the overland route 1t is taken from
the Eldorado Union and may be relied upon as
authentic. By this, it will be seen thai in Cali.
fornla, lazy, dissipated man stands a chance of
starving, but an Industrious, enterprising man can
make fortune.
ENBARKADARo, California
July 29th, lS49.
MR. e. F. SARGENT
Dear Sir.-lt Is with gratitude to God who ba =
spared my life reach this place. that hasten to
inform you that am still in the land of the living
and enjoying good health. arrived here TODAY
and reached the upper dry dggings on the 26tb.
10 miles above this place, and remained there one
day and half. then came here to write letter,
as there Is no mail from the mines to this place.
could write much. but the schooner leaves in two
hours for San FRANCISCO. and will arrive in time to
put the letters aboard the mail steamer at that
place. This place is $50 miles Up the Sacramento
river, from San Franclsco-it has sprung up since
the mines have been opened, and now contains,
probably, % stores. all canvass houses, with FIVE
exceptions.
There is any amount of Dry Goods and Groce.
rleS In this place, besides hundreds of stores in
the mines. There are nearly a million of persons
now operating In the mines this time agreeabI
to the best information that can gather nd there
are arrivals every day, both by land water. The
amount of suffering of those who came by land
is inca lculabe. | refer you TO nv next
COMMUNICATION for a description of my sufferings
on the road to this place. No doubt YOU are anx.
Ious that should say something about the gold in
this country. | have no; operated but about
half day, and | made ounce. The success
of miners is variable. from five to fifty dollars
day-lndeed. saw one man who made one hum
dred dollars In one day but that is by no means
common. A fair average calculation is $50
day. although there thousands of men VINO
do not obtain one dollar day the year around,
IN consequence of lazness and dissipation.
Nearly all the people here are very friendly
and soclabe, and will tender their purse of gold to
almost any body that destitute. Please read this
letter to my d,ar companion and children if alive.
he bell Of the schooner has rung for her departure
and must hasten TO close | do not expect to
return home un. this fall coming year. | have
come long distance, and don't feel inclined to 90
home without making something.
The following is the price of groceries at this
place. Bacon, 20 cents: flour SIS per barrel ;
and every thing else in the same proportion. Gro
cerIes and Dry goods at San Francisco are at the
same price as they at n. Orleans, by the RETAIL
but the most extravagant prices paid for haul
ing TO the mines, which is from 40 to 20 miles.
They charge from sixteen to thirty dollars per
hundred pounds, which makes provisions very
high. 4 teamster gets from 5 700 to S4OO per
month for driving a team, and found. A man
gets from ten TO fifteen dollars day for any kind
OF labor. wagon and four mules. or two yoke
of oxen, are worth from ten to fifteen hundred
dollars.
Give my lore to my family, and all enquiring
friends. have not been able TO get any letter or
news from you since ! left You will please to
direct your letters TO me at this place, and then
| can get them without going to San Francisco.
left Mr.. Jesse Owens at Santa Fe. nd have not
heard from him since-aIso b. f. StunIy and
Sellers.
am the only representative That the State of
Arkansas has in the gold regions. so far as can
learn. Your Friend
ASA SCARBOROUGH