The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-05
California.

States, its singular adaptation from climate, soil,
conformation, and geographical position, to become
the home of a mighty people, the centre of new
civilization, and the scene of commercial and po-
litical greatness, would alone have made the val
leys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, the Bay
of San Francisco and the adjacent country, objects
of great interest and Importance to the people of
these States. This new addition to our territory
opened field to industry, enterprise, and
capital, and the dreams of the future greatness of
the district, INDUCED in by those best acquainted
with it, although apparently extravagant, would
in all probability have been more than realized.
But the discoveries of the gold and quicksilver
mines, have turned these dreams, brilliant and
beautiful as they were, into the merest common
places. The land of gold has at last been found.
Ell Dorado is no longer creature of the magma
ton. The philosophers stone has ceased to be
desideratum. The tales which are told of the
mineral wealth of the country equal any Of the
stories in the Arabian Nghts-Sindbad' valley Of
diamonds, has parable in this new found valley
of gold. The accounts are such as to tax our Gre
dulity, yet the most singular circumstance con-
nected with them is that every one, whether resi-
dent in California, every one who has just arrived
there, and every one who has returned, gives the
these extraordinary accounts. Commodore Jones,
who assured the crews of his ships that this gold
region was mere land of dreams, no sooner
touches the shore of the enchanted territory than
he becomes one of the most confirmed of the
dreamers Gov. Mason, who had been most anx-
ious persuade the soldiers that there was nothing
in the gold stories after ALL in order that they
might have less inducements to desert, and who
perhaps really believed that the descriptions We're
highly colored overdrawn, visits the diggings,"
is amazed, convinced, breaks up his camp, and
transfers his headquarters to the centre of the
element. The tales are true, or every man in
California is either mad, or attempting without
cause, against all probable cause, to mslead
and deceive the world. For our own part we have
no doubt Of the truth of the accounts received and
published in this country-and we have little
doubt that it will be discovered in the end that the
deposit of gold and other valuable minerals far
surpasses any thing at present known. The gold
dust found in the deposit of the rivers the scales
aud Jumps picked up in the clay and sandy forma-
ton, are but the fragments brought down by the
attrition of the waters, or the movements of gla-
ciers in by-gone ages from the great mountain
mass which extends from the beginning Of the
Sierra Nevada in Oregon to its termination at the
promoniory of Lower California.
What will be the effect of this discovery upon
the pursuits, politics, commerce and social lnstitu-
tons OF the world, it is not our purpose to discuss.
The present effect will be to draw from all lands
to California, the adventurous and enterprsing,
each striving to secure for himself share of that
yellow dust which most Of us have been led to be-
leve contains within itself the elements of respec
liability, power and happiness. The coasts of the
Pacific, and the Islands of Polynesia, are pouring
in their thousands. The telegraph tells us that
Europe is in motion. The sober traders of Liver
pool and London, and the mercural republicans
of Paris, and the sturdy square-built burghers of
Amsterdam and Hamburg, have caught the "gold
fever" to an extent hardly surpassed by the 60
ahead natives Of our own country. California is
now the great centre of attraction; and though
many who go will be disappointed, and many who
succeed will find that the price which they have
paid is full equivalent for the wealth which they
will amas ye. human nature will have its way
and the best that can be done in the circumstances
is to furnish those DESTROYS of trying their fortunes
In this land of startling promises and dazzling real
tiles, with such information may be necessary
to give them proper understanding Of the charac-
of the land they are about to VISIT and the ma
lure vi winch tfeV are ABOUT
engage, in order that each may have some definite
object in view, and some well digested plan for at
tanning it. neither overlooking the toll, prvatons
and hardsbps to be endured, nor forming extrava-
CANT hopes, which even in California ITSELF cannot
he realized In order 10 aid in extending such in
formation, we have collected mass of facts rela-
tive to California, its people, soil, climate, mnes
the means Of reaching it, and the mode Of working
and living when there, which cannot fail to be of
tie greatest use to all who intend to go, and of
general interest to every class of readers. Some of
this information we have already published in our
paper other portions of it We add to-day and pub.
fish in quarto form under the title Of the Cali
fornia Crescent" The paper is compiled for util-
ity-it has about it nothing of flourish or preten-
sion-its contents will be found to be of the great
est practical importance-and the facts are drawn
from the most authentic sources.
Gs- The California fever has attacked the
typos of our neighborhood, as will be seen by