The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-11-23


men in every portion of California are con-
Stantly making fortunes in trading in various
ways. The stories which we read in the pa
pers published in the States" andembodied
T. documents on their very face stamped as
offncal,' and thereby calculated the more
ilrectly to mislead the public mind so adrolt-
y had interviewer the stories OF various mems
success IN digging as 10 appear matter of
ordinary occurrence. while it was then as
now but individual instances of that cbarac-
Ter, the majority doing but little or no better
than they now are. In the papers have
seem published in the "States.'.. as late as
June and July. are contained news from
California of much the same character as
that previously described which was 10 me a
matter Of much surprise at first to find the
public yet the dupes of these highly eiIded
stories: but now can clearly perceive how
the matter stands. Those men who have
been and are now giving currency TO these
wild and exaggerated reports of continued
success in the II ines are the men who are tos
fbe benefited by an increase Of emigration. or
else hired stipendaries of unprincipled specu-
lators, under the garb and guse of Especial
correspondents" Of such and such papers.
palm off on the public tissue of falsehoods
like those you see. Even these very off
ciaf letters which have been so detrimentalto
the public good, in exciting emigration have
been written under motives of the most sin
lister character. You will remember the pro-
life correspondent of the Secretary of War.
Capt. Folsom, who seemed from his lengthy
and frequent correspondence to have no other
duties demanding his attention than writing
letters OF this character to the Department
This man was then and now is deenlv irtrr-
estec IL speculations in real estate. and under
the character of .'oiicial'' gave forth state
ments to the world which did more probably
to kindie the fame of public sentiment on.
this subject, than AL else besides that was
known or read concerning it in the States
The consequence has been seen. Thousands
Of men in good situations in life leave their
homes Of comfort and ease, and families to be
separated from them for an indefinite period
of time toundertake journey of greal extent
and hardsfips at the very terror of which the
stoutest heart would quail in contemplating.
and all for gold Many little mound of
earth on the roadside, have seen n.arking
their last resting place OF, those behind me
who started across the plains, hundreds have
died, and now while write, thousands are
vet beyond the mountains with their teams
given out. and their small stock of provisions
rapidly din inishing, their situation so dis
tressIng as to call for the aid of the generous
and humane in extricating them from their
perous condition. / say nothing of that
which know nothing of, the hardships aud
dangers OF the thousands who have traded
on other routes Their history would lose
nothing in comparison of hardships to ours.
And now this man Folsom and his confeder-
ates are enjoying the fruits of their ''oficial
correspondence" in the enhanced value of
their town lots this emigration has given
rise to. And state II as an undoubted fact,
that but few if any Of the various public Of
fcers in the service in California, from the
highest n command to the veriest subaltern,,
have been exempt from this charge of mis-
lending the public mind on the subject of
California and the gold mines, and all condu-
cling to the one end-for their own PERSONAL
benefit and interest in the enhancement OF
real estate by the RAPID influx of people in
the country The influence which it exerts
on every species Of real estate Of any value
whatever is most decided. In San Francisco.
am told that ground in public business p!a-
ces exceeds in value thai of New York
while here. a town one year since unknown
entirely you cannot buy lot in public
place for double what you Can in Evansville;
and might mention dozen others of a sim
liar cbaracter-towns many no doubt you
have never heard OF.
TO BE CONTINUED.