The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-05-05

now in California. 1t is not of a recen,
date, but contains many interesting
items. The writer's character as a
man Of veraci,y is vouched Tor by the
editor: ....t.....t. .ag.t7
| SAN Francisco. u. C.,l
October 90, l848.
DEAR SIR:-l take this, the earliest
opportunity, to inform you Of my arri
val here. ifound California in another
revolu,ion-- mot Of blood, but Of gold.
II should attempt to give you any thing
like a true account Of the condition OF
this country a. the present time, would
fail. for have not language 10 express,
nor descriptive powers to delinea,e its
| true conditions; If had, you would lack
I nth 10 believe. We arrived at the
gold mines on Weaver's creek, a branch
Of the American fork of the Sacramen.
to, where my family IS at this time. af.
ter ,oiIsome. ledious, and periIous
journey OF five months and five days;
but, thank Providence. without loss or
injury. Providence has guided and di
recled my course, and kind fortune has
taken me by the hand at every step.--
| lost but one animal on the route. ]
brought every specious OF property ]
started with, which is worth more here
in gold than all ever was worth put
together in all my life. sold, when !
landed in the mines, the wagon bought
of Oldham, and three yoke Of oxen, for
$1,000 in gold, and was offered 1900
for the other wagon and oxen, but ]
would not sell it.; it is worth as much
TO me as steamboat is 10 its owner on
The Missouri river. have given it to
young Nottingham, who drove out for
me, on the halves; he hauls from the
Emoarcados, a town laid out on Sut.
ter's Fort, forty miles from the mines,
and the head Of navigation at this time;
the road is better than The road froln
Lexington to independence; he hauls
from thirty 10 forty hundred. and the
price varies from twenty to thirty dol.
lars per hundred pounds. so that he
clears for himself over llfty dollars per
day; time in making trip, from four to
six DAYS. solid a!l my horses three
at 800 apiece, the common price for
horses; and mules vary ir"m one 20 four
hundred dollars per head; a grea: many
sold at the latter price. The great de
mand is for Transporting provisions and
tools. | sold the pistols bought oI
Henry Childs tar $500, and the belt for
$75. in gold. have been in The coun.
try some three weeks, and have raised
The lise of three thousand dollars IN
gold. The prizes quoted above you
will feel disposed to doubt, not being
accustomed to such high prices, hut they
are nothing. Let me give you an idea
OF the prices of provisions. clothing. &c..
at the mines. -Four $40 to Sloo per
hundred Ibs.; beef 10 cents 10 Sio0
per h.; bacon hams. ST. 90 t" ST so
per To-; sugar, IS cents. coffee. 80
cents; tea, so rents to 81 90; shirts.
from $l6 to S32 apiece; coats, $50 t"
Sieo; h"o,s, $l6; shoes, S.; picked
pork, Se5o per barrel; these are the
mine prices.
Now let me give you soma account
of these mines. They are scattered
over an area of from 500 to 900 miles,
the richest ever known upon earth. -
The average calculation for the amount
of persons engaged. by men Of superior
judgment, including Indians. Mexicans.
runaway sailors, disbanded soldiers.
Connecers from the islands, and all
kinds of men and monsters, are set
down at SIC per day, though you can
hire no man for that amount. You
can hire some men for $3.50 per month,
but not No. 1. They will not think o!
less than from one hundred TO 6se
hundred, and even thousand dollars
per day; and two men have taken from
me hole forty pounds in two days.
This Is the most | have heard of--
There are new discoveries being made
every day; and God only knows where
it will end. Gold is nothing more
thought oe.han dirt. There isno credit
asked for or given--the transactions
are oil based upon gold. | do not like
this country; do not like this climate;
and, more than all. ! abhor and detesl
the society. lnever expect 10 sow n
seed or plant n grain in This county
lexpect to continue in the mines, my.
self and family. each one doing hi. best.
until we all get sufficiencyto live on
independently, which will not be long.
u My little girls can make from FIVE to
twenty-five dollars per day washing
goidin pans. So soon as we get ready
I lsxpec, to ship at this Portior Jackson