Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1849-02-23
Latest and Worst from California.

The first "returns" from California arc GER
tainly not Of the best promise. Tcegraphic re-
ports have already announced, what might have
been before conject1red that the state OF society
IN California is already very bad, and that even
so long ago as our last accounts, there were many
Offences arising in great degree from the want
OF common legal provisions for tho prevention
Of crime We find the following explanation Of
the position of affairs in the Union of the lath
instant:
0FFIofAL.-We are indebted TO the Sccreta.
ry of the Navy for tho following very interesting
letter just received from Commodore Jones,
FLAG SHIr Ono, San Francisco,
December %, lS4s
Sir :--Nothing material has occurred since
my last date. Desertions are less frequent the
Ohio having lost but one man since her arrival
here, and think the disposition to desert is not
so general; but that may be owing to the in.
clemency Of the season, which, for while, must
suspend the digging and washing for gold, ex-
ccpt by such persons as are amply supplied with
good houses, and all the necessaries Of life, re-
quisiie for winters campaign in a rigid climate
afording nothing for the use of man but gOld.-
Incredible quantities of gold are even yet daily
collected sand scarcely week elapses without
some new discovery OF the precious metal more
startling than any previous one. 1t is said that
small party of FIVE or six persons, a few days
past, struck upon pocket, as they term certain
deposits, from which, in two days, they obtained
$4,000 of pure gold
| have been living on shore at San Francisco
now two weeks, and have had ample opportun
ty for examining the subject, and am now
more than ever satisfied that the disposal Of the
gold regions in the territory Of California is the
best, it not the only practicable disposition that
can be made of them in the present disorganiEed
state Of society out here.
The worst forebodings of evil, consequent up
on the want of certain and energetic admins
tration Of justice in this territory, are almost
daily realized. Within the three last weeks we
have certain accounts Of fifteen murders In
one instance an entire household of ten persons,
"a respectable ranchcro, his wife, two children,
and six servants. The man, whose name was
Reed, had been very successful in the diggings
during the summer, and had returned to his
home, near Santa Barbara, with large amount
OF gold. His house was surprised by an armed
party, and the whole family as above stated,
were barbarously murdered and the house rob.
bed Of its golden treasure. The perpetrators OF
this horri4 deoa arc still at large. OF the other
five cases, four are highway robberies, committed
on persons returning with gold from the mines.
In a word, ! may say with truth, that both per.
sons and property are insecure in Upper Cali
fornia ut this time; and am sorry 10 add that,
in all cases of outrage and violence, as yet dis.
covered, emigrants from the United States, dis
banded volunteers, runaway sailors, and desert
ers from the army and navy, are believed to be
the perpetrators.
The mutinies, attended with murder, to which
] alluded in my letter No As, have been fully
confirmed, and-not without good reason-haye
caused much uneasiness to shippers of gold from
this coast.
To guard each and every vessel sailing hence
with large sums in gold dust, would require eve
ry ship of the navy The best that can do is
to keep the vessels of this squadron at sea as
much as possible, plying between the ports most
frequented by our mercantile marine.
have the honor to be your obedent servant
Tnos. AP C. JONES,
Commander-in-chief L. 5. Naval Forces, Pacific
Ocean.
The Hon. JOHN Y. MASON, Sec. of the Navy
p. S.-Since the above letter was written, we
have accounts Of more murders one in the town
of Sonoma, and another in the vicinity.
December 25, 1913.