The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-20

The following letter, which we condense from the
New Orleans Crescent of the 18th instant, will be
read with interest by many of our readers
Correspondence Of The Alta California.
SACRAMENTO CITY, March %, lS49
Winter, with its ''heavy wet" is about over, and
spring, warm, genial, and soothing, has opened up
on Sacramento warm sun and mild soulheTly
wind have, during the past month, worked Won
ders The roads from this place to different parts
of the placer are rendered passable and commune
cation with all points is easy and frequent
The spring season, "the opening Of the ball, y
having returned, spring trade may be considered
fairly commenced; and this was announced last
week by divers arrivals from, and sundIy depar-
lures for, the various diggngs' ofthe great placer.
Pack-horses and pack-mules, heaped upon by loads
of supplies and merchandise, might have been seen
grouped about stores and landing places or jogging
on along the roads leading hence to the different
mountain '.diggings'' Gray clouds Of dust in an
other direction proclaim fresh Corners at hand eager
and sharp-set for trade Yesterday Witnessed the
arrival of schooners Catherine" and "Antonita,"
each of forty tons burthen and upwards and also of
three launches at our Embacadeto, all from San Fran
cisco; also saw the departure from the fort of egh
ortwenty heavily loaded wagons, all destined
for the North Fork (American river) and Dry Dig
gings adjacent But il is Stanslaus that has gathered
the floating population of the mines during the last
month: "Stanslaus," whose waters, it is said,
have washed out the shining, beautiful gold, as it
was never washed out before The borders of this
Snnisaus stream form an inexhaustibly rich por-
ton of the placer, though because it is at this time
"oerAowing full" the heavier deposites cannot be
reached, and labor generally is suspended in conse
quence. The Sierra Nevada, seen from the Fort
is covered with snow. A sublime feature in the
scenery of Sacramento is this range of mountains
This great body of snow has yet to find the ocean
through the various streams flowing to the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin rivers, and the waters must
remain high until May or June.
The general health of the mining community,
and of our thriving Sacramento city in particular
remains good, although number of cases Of actual
sctiruy are reported in the several "diggings" An
entire absence of vegetable food, and COARSE rregu
lar diet, have produced this disease. Sacramento
city is building up rapidly, and its manifest des-
tiny" is too perceptibe to require comment. Its
worn and crumbling Fort Sacramento has been con-
verted into an immense mart and business centre
Houses are erected about us when the means of
building are attanable, and canvass is substituted
where not; it is by no means rare to see frame
house singled ,oith hereabouts. The print
ing Office OF the ''PlaceI Times, I" little "weeky,"
to be published here, is nearly completed, and the
first number will be issued in few days.
The mania for making cities (on paper) in this
section of country is quite as extravagant as that
which pervaded the people of the Western States
in 1887 and 1885, Several new town sites have
been actually surveyed and regularly laid off, each
claiming of course prior and superior advantages
over each and all of its competitors.
Among novelties, first and foremost, however,
comes an application of the diving bell to gold
gathering. This is seriously intended, and the bell
is now being constructed at this place by the pro-
jector, practical mil-wrght and who is very san
guine of success. Scuttes and "cradlesn will be
entirely superseded by this ponderous machine.
Companies are forming, and making preparations
TO bring the hidden treasure within human grasp by
diverting the course of the streams in many places
from their natural channels. 1t is supposed i'm
mense wealth will be realized from the rivers
beds
In few days this place will resume its wonted
business hustle, when rare times are anticipated
We will have but little rain from this time until the
setting in of another winter.
Goods are plenty here, and the advance upon
San Francisco prices is but proportionate with the
times. Lumber is with the greatest difficulty OBJ
tanned, although the Culoma saw-mill is running
incessanty eighty cents per foot is not baked at
in many instances; we should marvel not to see il
at one dollar. Horses are worth from 5000 to $500
each. Oxen bring $500 per yoke. Freight from
this place to the Dry Diggings is $50 per hundred
Flour sells at $50. Beef on the hoof S45, (scarce,)
and dried beef SIS per cwt, etc. Board at this
place, exclusive of lodging, is 500 per week 1t
would be well were one Of those boarding-house
vessels, advertised in the United States to arrive
We would undertake to ensure her owners a for
tune 'up Feather river" as the saying goes.