The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-11-01
-LEyrERs FROM CALIFORNIA.


LETTERS FROM CALIFORNIA.
The following letter, from tho Buring-
ton Gazette, is the production OF = cit,zon
&c that place, who removed to California.
Tho Gazette states that il can be entirely
relied upon:--
SACRAMENTO CRY, Alta California,
Angus. 9Th 1906
Dear Sir:--In accordance with your re.
quest. when | left Iowa, embrace this op.
por,unity. as il is The first that has present
cd itse,fsnce my arrival in the country To
write YOU. ], in company with Hon. >. =.
Hastings. Of Bloomington, Iowa, arrived al
The first Gold washings on the 10th inst,
md at this city on the evening Of the 18Th,
after long and fatiguing journey.
On the 81 Of May ], in company with tue
Burlington train composed Of twenty.tw"
wagons, left 81 Joseph on the Missouri river
and on the 7,h Of June arrived safely at
Fort Laramie; on the 9Th Of July nj Fort
II all; aud on the S,h Of August ON Trnckie
river, on this side Of the great desert. a,
which place left the train md rode ahead
to this place, with Hastings, who joined our
train nbout $50 miles above Tho sink Of ST.
Mary's river. There was great suffering
ia our train. as there is in NIL others over
the desert Of Mary; and what will become
ofihe thousands Of teams in our rear God
only knows, for we were in The first four
hundred teams, and when we came along
4. l. - tl,o MI ha
grass was almost entirely consumed
Great injustice 10 truth has been done by
all the travellers aud writer's who have
written on the subject in describing Mays
river as abounding in nutritious grasses
for can assure you Tint for miles along
tho whole length Of said river there is moth.
ing but one vast waste Of wild sage aud
sand. and no water tit for any living being
to drink for sixty five miles. nltho' we
were compelled to make use Of il. From
the Slough Spring, twenty miles above the
Sink II Truckie river. distance Of forty
five miles from the Sink. no water, but at
the Sink and nj The Warm Springs midway
from the Sink TO Truckie river. IN passing
the desert our party lost four bend Of cattle,
they having given out and were left to their
fate on that barren waste. The road a.
cross the whole distance of the desert is
strewed with horses, mules and cat
lie, many dead, others diving, and others
along the road which they fol-
low by instinct in search of water, until
they fall in with some of the hordes Of
Digger Indians who are lowering along the
road TO pick up stray and disabled cattle.
which they instantly kill for the meat.
From Truckie river 10 Johnson's settlement
il over very rough and mountainous
mostly covered with dense
growth of lofty pine timber; in many pin-
ces wagons have to be let down with ropes
over the prccipices.
You and my friends no doubt are anxious
TO know our prospects. As to The gold, all
| have to say is that all YOU have heard.
I'D more, is true. mean to say, that
there is gold enough to make us oil rich,
and as many more. But you may rest as
sured that i. takes hard work, fatigue and
exposure TO obtain il. On Yesterday ! saw
". White, a brother to S. S. White, form
erIy Of your place, who had been four weeks
in the mines. and had cleared $3.50 in
clear dust: aud have seen many others
who have done much better. In the mines
a man can hire out TO dig and get M ounce
per day and boarded, working six hours in
The day. got here on Saturday evening
and on Monday | got a situation as clerk
ia a wholesale Grocery store where ! nm
nov employed as book keeper at salary Of
5000 per month, and boarded. Board is
here S2i per week; Flour 50 per 100;
Bacon so cents lb; Coffee l6 Id: Beans
10 a ID; Butter 81 ID; Potatoes SO per
arobe Of 25 lbs. Water MELONS sell from
So to $40 piece, and everything in pro-
portion. The only article Of value here is
labor; every one labors. You can see
men who have occupied the highcs, stations
ia the States who are now digging in the
mines or driving mule or OK tennis.
This place is three miles from Suffers
For, at the landing on the Sacramento
Cloth houses Of twenty by forty feet rent
at from 800 10 $500 per month, house
with Bowling Alley and only weather
boarded with a cloth roof al $500 per
month, lots 50by 100 at from $500 10 $500
ground rent, and every thug in proper
ton.
Yours, P. DUNLAP
{ The following We lake from The Hawk
eye. Of Burlington
Mr.. F. J.C. Peaslv, received by Mon
q L. H. Me ID,