The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-16
Interesting Account Of the Gold Region.
[CoYrsspop dencs Of the New Orleans Crescent
MONTERREY California Aug 26 lS4S

ICoYrsspon dsncs Of the New Orleans Crescent
MONTEREY, California, Aug. 26, lS4S.
At last, my dear brother, can tell you of some
thing wonderful In this hitherto undressing ser
vice. listened an unbeliver to all the gold-dig-
gers stories OF those who have been dropping In
from the Placer, these last three or four months.
until the Governor and sherman returned; and
even then, when the Colonel brought home hand
fuls Of the puremetal, which had been given to him
as specimens, and remarked to me, Yes, it is all
true, and the most remarkable part of 1t is that it
is not exaggerated could not or rather did not
want to believe that an Ell Dorado had at last
been found; and as Captain Smith, OF the
Dragons, had just arrived from Los Angeles,
to pay us visit at my invitation, and to look
at this upper country, | asked the Colonel to
let me go with him to the mines, that we
too might see. We left this on the 2lst., and
as the plains and mountains are rather dry and
unlnteresting now, we got over them as soon as
convenient, passing, every few miles, CARTS wagons
and families, foot and horsemen, all bound to the
Placer. We found the farm-houses and villages
almost deserted /; and at the cabins where we stop
ped for meals, we heard only, OF the gold The
women would, after little talk, 60 to their chests
and bring out their bags, to show what fine large
pieces the men had got for them. At San. Jose,
or the Pueblo, as they call It here, we found most
OF the houses shut up. and their owners gone too
one or two carts IN the Streets and these be-
ing got ready for the journey up:
was agreeably surprised to find San Francisco
had TO wade through two or three miles of sand
hills, against stiff nor'wester, just before reach
ingit. They have made the best of a bad site, on
the side OF a pretty steep hill, and hemmed IN by
under the lee of every sand bank or clump of
bushes, and you cannot buy sand hill there now
tor any money. They boast quite good looking
hotel, and talk of the mint. bank, markethouse,
look, rather amusing to a stranger who has not
seen the Placer but ii he happens IN at some of
the halt dozen stores strung along the water-slde
and sees some Of the rough looking countrymen,
fhar <bAv
very polite the store-keepers are to them now y
the fellow takes out his buckskln purse, foot
long, and shakes half dozen pounds or so of gold
into the scales to pay tor his truck with as much
from the mines q says one-"any sickness there
yet 2" "No, not much they have all nearly gone
up to the dry dlgg'ngs and It's healthier up thar"
wonder 70 why the fellow came away 80, to find
G S sss Of nd s
dollars % ":And how long were you digging %
"Why did You come away p ooh, came down
to buy goods, and arm going back to trade" You
next wonder why all you saw at ainner that day
merchants and merchants clerks, and the mer-
chants have averaged sales of two or three thou
sand dollars daily, making about three hundred
per cent on cost and the merchants clerks get at
the hotel gets 5000 per month, and, Is gong
to leave next month for the mines After seeing
and hearing all this one begins to think the place
must grow.
There were about eight or ten vessels IN port
when I was there, all empty but two whaers.
They had made prompt and profitable sales, but
they all grumble because the Governor will not
take the gold for duties at more than $40 ounce,
and there Is no money in the market. The acting
collector, young officer who IS full OF business,
for he is the tells you that he has
forty thousand dollars already paid In gold, and he
don't not know where the devil the money Is to
come from to. redeemlt! After looking around
thus and listening to some of the stories of gold or
trade, we could hear of no launch going up that
day, and so adjourned to dinner, where we sat
down with some twenty welIdressed and happy
looking civilians; and before dinner was over
every man had one or more bottles of champagne
before him. They were all getting rich; and could
afford IT.; but it took three days Of my pay. "Hur;
rah hurah 20 cried out half dozen, as one tall
dry-looking genius, Strengthened about seven feet
OF his humanity, ga toast. toast from the Judge"
"Do you know the Judge !' said one to me; che is
a trump, amt he? OF course, knew him, and
answered, ''isn't he?" "Gentlemen," said the
Judge, ,'I'm going to give sentiment, can't make
a speech, never could, but even Dr. Leatherbe!ly
here" and he slapped another seven footer on the
shoulder, who swallowed large. mouthful and
the nickname with rather a wry face, seven DR..
Leatherbey, with all approaching, must acknow,;,
ledge the truth OF my sentlment-that We are all
here to make money!" A general roar acknow-
lodged the tall chap good Judge of other mems
lntentl0ns.
v rode to the Preside. or remains of the old
fort and barracks; but so bleak the winds, and
SO exposed to their fury are the old adobe walls,
that only two sides of the Preside square remain
standing, and they were In miserable condition
when the company of volunteers took up their
quarters there. They are now rooted and ceed
inside. The tort shows the remains of low
walled demi-lune, on what might be rendered an
almost inaccessible little promontory. Not gun
is there now, and nothing done yet In the way OF
fortitylng the bay; and am afraid that now the
gold at the Placer will attract all labor from public
and other work IN It's vicinity for some years to
teers had as much work as suited them, in putting
their quarters in order; and those who did not de-
sert, deserve great credit for remaining at their
post at all, with such discomfort and bad pay. But
they did not intend waiting more than month
On the third dav the town had lost its novelty,
tor 1t was cold and no fire to be had. We began
to critclse the cooking-want OF ladles-the bleak
wind and the sand-the wholesoql eageness win
which every man, woman and child IN this place
appeared to pursue gold We were glad when the
launch-owner could not find another bale to send
up In his boat. So we were OIL, the tide making,
and the wind blowing gale almost, after we got
round the point; and IN few hours our little craft
with the cl-deuant Mormon leader as owner and
master, some halfdozen runaway sailors and
grogshop-keeper or two as fellow passengers, mad
entertd the narrows at the head OF the bay and
evening found us in the mouth Of the river
marshes and musketoes on either slde-where we
waited till day, and then found broad, pretty and
quiet stream, up which we sailed some sixty miles,
to Suffers landing, passing few bound up. This
is the only long navlgable and important river in
this western acquisition of Uncle Sans. Steam
ers will IN year be running many leagues above
the mouth OF Feather River, which Is some dis
lance above Suffers We found here half-a.dozen
launches, a few wagons and motley set of vaga-
bonds (whtes, Indians, negroes, kanakas, Chinese
and Chilenos) We walked with the late Nor
mon, now thriving merchant, over dusty three
miles to Suffers Fort, which stands out from the
bank of the river, on the open PLAIN, and on ground
low that it is almost an island during the winter
floods. The captain, Swiss gentleman OF the
old school, we found surrounded by his decently
clad Indians. We call them his, because he had
fed. raised and clothed them, and treats them so
well thai none can seduce them from his service.
He rece lived us with great politeness, and, as he
had not horses himself, put us IN the way OF get
ting them from Mr.. Sinclair, his nearest and best
neighbor--one Of the few disinterested gentlemen
we met In the mining regions. BY sunset, our
horses were ready and we were of, for nights
ride to the lower, or Mormon digglngs-so called